Alberta Hansard — 2 May 2007, Afternoon sitting (13:00) (Legislature 26, Session 3)

20070502

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 759 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Wednesday, May 2, 2007 1:00 p.m. Date: 07/05/02 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Let us pray. Grant that we the members of our province’s Legislature fulfill our office with honesty and integrity. May our first concern be for the good of all of our people. Let us be guided by these principles in our deliberations this day. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, I wish to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Legislature a very special guest seated in your gallery, someone that is well known to many Albertans and has dropped by for a visit to do some business at the Legislature, meeting with various individuals: of course, none other than Mr. Mark Norris. I would ask him to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Energy. Mr. Knight: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It’s a special privilege for me today as the Minister of Energy to welcome to Alberta my Yemeni counterpart, the Minister of Oil and Minerals, as well as Yemen’s ambassador to Canada and several senior Yemeni oil officials seated in your gallery. I would like to introduce to you and through you to the members of the Assembly His Excellency Khalid Mahfoudh Abdullah Bahah, Minister of Oil and Minerals, Republic of Yemen; His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Nasher, ambassador of Yemen to Canada; and Mr. Nader Ahmed Al-Saidi, honorary consul of the Republic of Yemen.

Joining our guests today are members of the Yemeni government as well as senior officials from Nexen Inc. The ties between Alberta and Yemen are important to us, and we thank the Yemeni delegation for coming to our province to further build on our relationship. I would ask them to rise, as they have done, and I would ask all members to join me and give them a warm welcome to our Assembly. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. the Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Once again I have such a wonderful opportunity to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Legislature two very special guests from Lamont, Alberta, of course constituents of Fort Saskatchewan- Vegreville. Seated in the members’ gallery are Colleen Lopushinsky, who’s had the pleasure of serving as a 4-H leader. Colleen was in the Andrew 4-H. Accompanying her today is her daughter Brittney, who’s taken a very active interest in politics, both local and provincial, and spent some time with me today in the office.

I would ask both of them to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Agriculture and Food. Mr. Groeneveld: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure today to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly 18 grade 6 students from beautiful downtown Blackie, Alberta. They’re accompanied by their teachers, Mrs. Margaret Speelman and Ms Lindsay Smith. Also, the parents that are with them today are Mrs. Shannon Wells, Mr. Larry Usselman, Ms Karri Eggli, Mrs. Michaeleen Smith, Mrs. Tracey Matthews, and Mr. Curtis Hall.

Also along is a person special to me, my daughter-in-law Pam Groeneveld, who happens to have my grandson Harley in this class. I’d ask them to please stand and receive the traditional welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Education. Mr. Liepert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure today to introduce to you and through you friends of mine who are formerly from Edmonton and now live in Manhattan Beach, California, and are here visiting their respective mothers in the fine city of Edmon- ton. I’d ask Dick and Jean McClure to stand and be recognized by the House. The Speaker: The hon.

Minister of Public Security and Solicitor General. Mr. Lindsay: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s indeed a pleasure for me today to introduce to you and through you to members of this Assembly two guests. The first is Kei Inamura. Kei is a Rotary exchange student from Japan being hosted by my Rotary Club out in Stony Plain. These student exchanges promote cultural awareness and present numerous learning op portunities for the participants. Kei has been a joy to have in our community. She is here today to observe our Legislature in action. Kei is accompanied by Bill Forbes, a fellow Rotarian.

They’re seated in the members’ gallery, and I would ask that they rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lacombe-Ponoka. Mr. Prins: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a good friend of mine from a long time back, Mr. Jim Visser from Horse Hill, which is in northeast Edmonton. A retired potato farmer and an artist, he’s a member of the Legacy Lands Conservation Society, which is active in forming a land trust in the greater Edmonton area.

The city of Edmonton is a partner in this along with the Edmonton Community Foundation and a number of other environmentally focused groups. This trust will be officially launched later this year. He’s seated in the members’ gallery, and I’d ask him to rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. Mr. Cenaiko: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s indeed an honour to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly for the hon.

Member for Battle River-Wainwright 25 young kids that are here today from the Blessed Sacrament sc hool in his riding. They’ve been on a tour with teachers and parent helpers looking at the Legislative Assembly and an opportunity to see us in action this afternoon. I’d like to introduce teachers Mrs. Michelle Folk and Mrs. Tracey Campbell and parent helpers Mrs. Mardy Charlebois, Mrs. Laverne Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Martineau, Mrs. Lisa Marchand, Mr. Harold Malcolm, and Mr. Konrad Heier. I’d ask them to stand and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly.

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007760 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am really honoured today to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a very special organization from Edmonton-Centre. Seated in the public gallery today we have 25 members of the Edmonton Vietnamese and Chinese Seniors Mutual Assistance Society. This is an extremely valuable organization in my commu- nity. They do great work, and I’ve been very honoured to be a guest at a number of their functions.

With them today are Ms Lan Kwok and their president, Thuy Quoc Du. I would ask them all to please rise, and would you all join me in welcoming them to the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise to introduce to you and through you to all hon. members of this Assembly a group visiting from high school Austin O’Brien in the constituency of Edmonton-Gold Bar. It is one of two excellent high schools that we have in our constituency, and we’re very proud of the work that this group does.

This delegation is led by Maria Lucas and Bruna Kriegel. I would now ask them to please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. They’re in the public gallery. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Decore. Mr. Bonko: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly two brand new parents. The first one is Craig Miller, my brother-in- law, and his lovely wife, Keltie. They’re here today with their first born, Baden Thor Miller, who was born April 18, 2007.

Baden’s an early riser as he came into this world at 6:29. I would like them to please rise and receive the warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise and introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly Richard MacKay, executive director, and Tara Erickson, team leader of Mira Facilitation Center, a community-based agency providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Mira, which is the name of the first pulsating star discovered in 1662, meaning the wonderful or the amazing one, uses five major components – educational, vocational, recreati onal, socialization, and independ- ence – to assist clients and promote independence and involvement within the community.

Richard and Tara are joined today by Sean Mapstone, Patricia Levesques, Jose and Ines Silva, Pauline Boni, Donna Goryniuk, Cathy MacKay, Tracy Stanfield, Sara Levee, Sarah Lamb, Lana Cote, Blair Cote, Kelly Grant, Perry Stebner, Brandon Stadd, Amber Koehler, Janine Donovan, parents Jan Stanfield and Whitney Laycock, and staff members Marsha Taphorn, Cassie Kepke, Alina Matthews, Hayley Halvorson, Tina Froese, and Krista Mitton. I commend them all, and I invite them all to stand and receive the traditional warm welcome of this House. 1:10 The Speaker: The hon. leader of the third party. Mr.

Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly two guests seated in the public gallery. They are Hazel Jorgensen and Sylvia Craig. Both Hazel and Sylvia are Palace Casino workers who are on day 236 of their strike due in part to this government’s unwillingness to protect basic worker rights by improving their weak labour legislation. Hazel Jorgensen has been working at the Palace Casino for two and a half years as a slot attendant. Hazel originally hails from Newfoundland and came to Alberta to be with her sons in June of 2004.

Sylvia joined the Palace Casino as a slot attendant a few months before the workers went on strike. She lived in Chilliwack, B.C., for 30 years but moved to Edmonton to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law and her two lovely grandchildren. They are joined today by UFCW 401 representative Don Crisall. I would now ask that they rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Mr. Eggen: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I’m delighted to introduce to you and through you to members of this Assembly Gerry Brin.

Gerry is a constituent of mine in Edmonton-Calder and has been an active and diligent member of our community for the past two decades. Gerry has been representing the residents of Dunvegan and Wellington since 1989. He was instrumental in saving taxpayer dollars in 1991 when CN attempted to load off toxic liabilities onto the city of Edmonton. He’s also a member of the Cyclists Advisory Committee, representing north Edmonton for the past decade. I would now ask him to please rise and receive the warm traditional welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Mr.

Hinman: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My guests have not yet arrived, but I’ll introduce them to you and through you to this Assembly. It’s a great honour to have the students from Magrath high school travel here. They’ve travelled a long ways, and the early start, I guess, wasn’t recalculated in time. I know their one teacher, Brad Sabey. I’m not sure who else is here with them because they haven’t arrived yet. I would ask the Assembly to please give them the traditional warm welcome when they do get here. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Bow. Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It’s my pleasure to introduce a couple visiting Edmonton to attend the Premier’s prayer breakfast. They are members of the Claresholm chamber of commerce, but much more important they are my constituents from Valley Ridge. In the members’ gallery if Rod and Joan Dyrholm would please rise, I’d ask the Assembly to welcome them. The Speaker: Are there others? Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to our esteemed colleagues Rory Koopmans, who is here for the 28th time. He must be a bit of a beggar for punishment. His postscript: always a gentleman.

Secondly, I’d like to introduce Wade Izzard, who is a very active Liberal both provincially and federally. He sits on the Edmonton- Riverview Liberal Constituency Association. So thank you, gentlemen, for coming. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort.

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 761 Calgary Catholic Immigration Society Mr. Cao: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I had the great pleasure of attending the world tour in a day at the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society office in Calgary. Twenty-five years ago the CCIS was incorporated as a nonprofit charitable organization. The CCIS history, however, stretches back to the 1960s when a group of dedicated volunteers helped refugees and newcomers settle in Calgary.

CCIS believes in settlement and integration as a process that involves newcomers and the entire community and offers a wide variety of specialized services and programs that are designed to aid and enhance the integration process of newcomers to our society. With the help and support of the community the CCIS has become the largest immigrant-serving organization in southern Alberta. With 150 full- and part-time staff speaking over 50 languages, supported by 800 volunteers, the CCIS offers more than 60 diverse programs serving more than 8,000 immigrants annually. Mr. Speaker, the amazing

part is the help from volunteers. Last year 793 volunteers contributed over 40,000 volunteer hours. That’s equivalent to over $700,000. The federal government contribution to the budget of CCIS is 31 per cent, the province’s is 37 per cent, the city’s is 6 per cent, and 25 per cent is from donor and private sources. So, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the CCIS, a great service to Alberta, to Calgary. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Caregivers for the Developmentally Disabled Ms Pastoor: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My guests today in the gallery are listening.

These are the people who care for the less fortunate, our fellow Albertans. They care for persons with developmental disabilities. Creating close bonds with those that they are responsible for is imperative for good care and trust. It is established by consistently having the same team of workers, but there is a 50 to 60 per cent turnover in front-line staff. These clients are all over 18 and require help to stay independent or 24-hour care just to stay alive. It is labour intensive. It is hard work mentally and physically.

These caregivers deserve salaries that at least match fast- food joints and keep up with inflation. Price of prosperity: what does that mean? Does it mean that there’s no such thing as a free lunch? This province is prosperous, but we have lost our moral compass, our ethical behaviour, and the ability to do what is right.

Is it right that it’s the vulnerable, not just persons with developmental disabilities but those on AISH, those on fixed incomes, those that can’t afford their rent, those who go to school hungry, those who sit in crumbling schools, and those who die before their time and those who are homeless that are paying the price of prosperity? Business has become the new religion for Alberta. We adore at the altar of money, but the question is: does business have a conscience? Does it have a moral compass, ethics, and integrity? Dig deep for this answer, and you be the judge. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Calgary-Nose Hill. St. George’s Day Dr. Brown: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in recognition of St. George’s Day, which occurred on April 23. St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem is a red cross on a white background, and it is portrayed as the flag of England and also as part of the British flag and is prominently displayed on our own provincial crest and our provincial flag. Beyond the legend of St. George upon his horse slaying a dragon to save a princess is the real St. George.

He’s believed to have been born to Christian parents in Cappadocia in present-day Turkey in the third century. He became a Roman soldier who served in England. He was imprisoned and tortured for protesting the emperor’s persecution of Christians. He stayed true to his beliefs and was beheaded at Lydda in Palestine on April 23, 303 AD. The story of his life and death spread rapidly, and he became a symbol of bravery in defence of the defenceless. In 1222 the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St. George’s Day. In 1415 St. George was acknowledged by becoming the official patron saint of England. St.

George is also the patron saint of soldiers and of farmers and fieldworkers. St. George embodies the very essence of bravery in servitude to others, and I would like to acknowledge St. George’s Day for our friends in England, for all Albertans of English ancestry, and for all of those who represent the spirit of St. George himself. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. 1:20 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission Mr. Cenaiko: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise today as chair of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commis- sion to highlight some of the addiction issues and trends in Alberta.

AADAC has a long history of providing addiction services across Alberta either directly or through funding programs and services offered by other agencies. Services are located in 51 communities throughout the province. There is also a toll-free helpline providing access to information and referrals. Our efforts in the Alberta drug strategy are bearing fruit, with expanded services for youth and many examples of successful collaboration among stakeholders to address addiction issues at the community level.

Albertans have improved access to addiction services, including assessment and outpatient counselling, day treatment, detoxification, short- and long-term residential treatment, and overnight shelter. We are making progress, Mr. Speaker, but continually face new challenges. As Alberta’s population grows so does the need for addiction programs and services. It is estimated that about 1 per cent of Albertans over age 15 are drug dependent, and about 3.5 per cent are alcohol dependent.

Last year AADAC provided treatment to more than 35,000 Albertans, an increase of nearly 11 per cent over the previous year, and served an additional 150,000 Albertans through its information and prevention services. Alberta has one of the youngest populations in Canada, and the use of alcohol and other drugs tends to be the highest among youth and young adults. Alcohol is a growing concern, especially the increasing rate of drinking among junior high and high school youth and the rate of heavy, frequent drinking among young adults.

Much of Alberta’s recent growth is due to immigration from other parts of Canada and the world. Isolation from family, friends, and other community supports can increase the risk for a variety of health and addiction issues. Language and other cultural barriers can make it difficult to access information or connect with appropriate services. It’s important that newcomers be aware of available services like AADAC. As our population continues to grow, Mr. Speaker, the demand for addiction programs and services increases. It’s now more important than ever to reaffirm Alberta’s investment.

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007762 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Caregivers for the Developmentally Disabled Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Persons with developmental disabilities need care workers in or der to preserve the dignity they deserve as members of the human race. These caregivers are represented here today. They represent staff from all over this province who cannot live on the salaries they receive. There is a huge discrepancy between government unionized salaries and those paid by contractors, whether they’re for-profit, not-for-profit, or faith based.

They are asking for equality within the system. This equality will go a long way, Mr. Speaker, to ensuring that there are people willing to stay in the field, continuing to educate themselves, and to recruiting more staff for the ever- increasing number of cases they handle. The need is there despite the gove rnment’s attempts to raise the criteria for admission for care in order to keep the case numbers down. There can be a very difficult transition period from the caseworker for the person under 18, when the education system picks up some of the care, and when they turn 18 and change to PDD for full care.

There are 9,200 adult PDD clients and a budget of $509 million, Mr. Speaker. For that amount of money what are the outcomes? Is this is not time for a review? What is the percentage of these dollars for front-line staff, the ones who are the advocates for their clients? This situation cannot be stressed enough. Last year a 40 per cent staff turnover rate was reported by the Alberta Council of Disability Services. With an average wage of $13.76 per hour the lack of resources available to retain qualified staff is having enormous repercussions throughout the industry.

Low wages are resulting in an inability to maintain staff and services, with some providers being forced to close on weekends, leaving those they assist with nowhere to go. Those workers and staff need to be consulted and asked how things could be improved or what true changes need to be made. They have the knowledge of their clients and their needs, and they’re the ones on the ground making things happen. This government talks about the price of prosperity. This is a price members on this side of the House are not prepared and not willing to ask individuals with disabilities or those who support them to pay.

It’s not fair, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Groundwater Storage Mr. Hinman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where there is water, there is the life. It is the first resource we look for when we are moving to or settling in a new place. I live in what is called the Palliser Triangle, a region designated by John Palliser as uninhabitable. Innovation and hard work have proved him wrong. As a long-time Scouter I do believe it is our duty to use our resources wisely. Our climate is changing, and where we received snow before, now it often comes as rain.

If we fail to adapt to this change, our future choices and opportunities will be limited. I listened to a wise First Nation elder from my area say: we must look at everything from a view of and for seven generations. Now, that is long-term planning. I am only a fifth-generation Albertan. Mr. Speaker, security is critical to quality of life. Water is part of our economic security, our environmental security, and certainly our food security. We must protect and store and use our water wisely. We have recently placed moratoriums on the Bow River basin, a wake-up call.

In order to secure our future, we must store our water. We need reservoirs and dams to help mitigate high flows and enhance low- flow periods. We have the water resources. The question is: how will we develop and use them? Failure to build the infrastructure now to save our runoff could end up costing us more than failing to save our surplus dollars in the heritage trust fund. To help avoid future crises, we need to learn from the past, which will enable us to live better in the future.

To paraphrase Dave Hill from the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association, if we are going to build the west we want, then we need to include water in the choices we make now. Proper planning and storing of our water will give us choices for building the west we want, which will end up a lot better than the west we get if we do nothing. We all want to build a better Alberta. Capturing and storing our water is critical for a secure future. An old proverb is that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the next best time is today.

The best time to build a reservoir was 20 years ago; the next best time is today. head: Presenting Petitions The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise again to table some more petitions, this time 1,814 signatures from concerned Albertans throughout the province urging the government to: 1. Ensure that the remuneration paid to employees working with people with disabilities is standardized across the sector, regardless of whether [they’re] employed by government or by community-based or private providers; 2.

Ensure these employees are fair ly compensated and that their wages remain competitive with other sectors . . . [for] the valuable and crucial service they [deliver]; 3. Improve employees’ access to professional development opportunities . . . 4. Introduce province-wide service and outcomes-focused level-of- care standards. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise to give a petition of some Albertans.

They’re calling on the government to “hold rent increases to no more than the rise in the average monthly wage until December 31, 2010.” The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to reread exactly what’s been read by my colleague because I think it’s very important that everyone hear these words. I’m presenting a petition signed by 144 people to: 1.

Ensure that the remuneration paid to employees working with people with disabilities is standardized across the sector, regardless of whether these workers are employed by govern- ment or by community-based or private providers; 2. Ensure these employees are fair ly compensated and that their wages remain competitive with other sectors . . . 3. Improve employees’ access to professional development opportunities (training and upgrading); and 4. Introduce province-wide service and outcomes-focused level-of- care standards.

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 763 head: Notices of Motions The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Government House Leader. Mr. Renner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise pursuant to Standing Order 34(3.1) to advise the House that we will be accepting written questions 10 and 11, and I give notice that on Monday, May 7, 2007, Written Question 9 will be dealt with. The balance of written questions appearing on the Order Paper will stand and retain their places. Motions for returns appearing on the Order Paper will stand and retain their places. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition question. The hon.

Leader of the Official Opposition. Nuclear Power Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to nuclear power in Alberta, this government has in past years opposed the idea. However, since some well-connected Tory supporters signed an exclusive agreement with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to commercialize CANDU reactors in the oil industry, this government appears to suddenly have a glow for the nuclear industry. My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier tell us if he or any of his cabinet ministers have met with supporters of nuclear power in Alberta? Mr. Stelmach: No, I haven’t.

I don’t know about my ministers. I was in Toronto for two days at the Premier meetings, but certainly I haven’t met with anybody. The Speaker: The hon. Leader. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Whether the Premier is aware or not, officials from his government have met with investors who want to develop nuclear power in Alberta, investors, I might add, who would make a lot of money from these plants but who wouldn’t live anywhere near them. Even more, this government is supporting and funding groups that seem to be pushing the nuclear option for this province.

Again to the Premier: why hasn’t this government consulted with the people who will actually live near these potential power plants in places like Whitecourt, Cold Lake, Fort McMurray, and Peace River to see what they think? 1:30 Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, yesterday this question was raised to me by the media while I was in Toronto, and I said that when it comes to the whole question of whether we will pursue nuclear power in this province, we will have a full dialogue with Albertans, looking at establishing the process.

We’ll dialogue with them and look at some of the issues obviously tied to this particular proposal that may be coming forward. But, you know, I just came back from Toronto, and one of the Liberal Premiers is just motoring full speed ahead, building a nuclear power plant in his province. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The EUB has never held a hearing on a nuclear energy plant in Alberta.

It makes one wonder what regulatory expertise this government or any of its agencies actually has to assess nuclear power plants, and it makes one wonder how much it’s going to cost the taxpayers of Alberta for this government to develop that expertise. My question is to the Minister of Energy. Given that the EUB would be responsible for assessing and approving a nuclear power plant application, how many nuclear power plant experts does the EUB have on staff, if any? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Knight: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Most certainly, as the hon. member opposite very well knows, there has never been an application, and there is no application in the province of Alberta at this particular point in time. I might add that the application that will come forward at some point in time, if one does come forward, I would presume will firstly be directed to the federal level. It would be their responsibility in the first place. There is some shared responsibility with respect to the regulatory authority around nuclear.

We are investigating that and will continue to work with that, and as I’ve said many times, I would not close my eyes to any form of alternate energy in the province of Alberta. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As just about everybody in here knows, Alberta is on the brink of a water crisis. A billion dollar project at Balzac has nearly gr ound to a halt because of water shortages, and there are many indicators that water shortages are a real threat in northern Alberta too.

Nuclear power plants use vast amounts of water. Individual CANDU plants in Ontario use many times the entire water consumption of the city of Toronto. To the Minister of Environment: where does the development of nuclear power plants fit into the province’s Water for Life strategy? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, the question with respect to nuclear power and the Water for Life strategy is speculative at best. I can tell the member that at this point in time nuclear power is not part of the Water for Life strategy. It was not contemplated.

If circumstances are to change, if applications are to come forward, then perhaps we’ll have to consider that exact question: where does nuclear power fit into the Water for Life strategy? The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are serious, serious concerns about security around the transportation, use, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials. There is now concern around the world that nuclear plants are targets for terrorist groups. Alberta is already on various watch lists as a potential target for terror activities. I don’t want to become a bigger target.

To the Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security: given that his department is responsible for the security of Albertans, has his department done anything to assess the security issues related to nuclear power plants in Alberta? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Lindsay: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a little tough to answer a question based on speculation, but this ministry is looking at all issues of public security that could affect Albertans today and in the future. It is in good hands and will continue to be so. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Taft: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the greatest concerns with nuclear power is the storage of radioactive waste.

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007764 Atomic Energy of Canada has yet to obtain an environmentally and publicly accepted location for a permanent reactor waste vault anywhere in this country. To the Minister of Energy: given that his department would need to approve any nuclear power plants in Alberta, what sites, if any, are suited to either temporary or perma- nent storage of radioactive waste in Alberta? Mr. Knight: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows very well that in the nuclear industry in Canada Atomic Energy Canada Limited and the federal government of Canada have the authority to deal with the spent fuel issue.

However, I must point out again that the Liberals across the way are living in the past. If you just happen to take an opportunity to cast your eye around and take a look at what’s happening with the nuclear industry around the world, nuclear energy experts are already saying that within a decade spent fuel storage depots of today will become fuel sources of tomorrow. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glenora. Affordable Housing Dr. B. Miller: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a member of the Affordable Housing Task Force I heard story after story of despair and hopelessness. There is a housing crisis in Alberta, and the way to respond to a crisis is with immediate action. Instead, we have confusion. The reality is that the market is more volatile than it was before. Renters are scared to come home in case they get eviction notices or massive rent hikes. Landlords are unclear as to what the rules are. Even real estate agents are not sure what’s going on. My first question is to the Premier. The government had enough time to come up with a clear plan.

Can the Premier provide an explanation as to why this file was so badly handled? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the government has identified this issue with respect to housing. As I said many times in this House before, it’s on three different levels: those dealing with homeless- ness, which many municipalities are facing; of course, low-income rental units; and families wanting to buy individual family units for themselves. We have addressed a lot of the issues in the budget. We’re working with municipalities to ensure that we find a solution to this particular issue.

But, ag ain, we continue to have tens of thousands of people from outside Alberta coming to Alberta because, really, this is where they can fulfill their dreams. It’s the only job opportunity they have. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. B. Miller: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Affordable Housing Task Force recommended a $7 million f und to prevent Albertans from entering into the stream of near homeless or homeless, but the government has twisted the task force’s recommendation, applying it to workers moving to Alberta who require assistance in finding a home.

My question is to the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry. Our intention was to provide money for Albertans for damage deposits, first month’s rent, and emergency rent shortfalls. Why did your government distort our recommendations? Ms Evans: Mr. Speaker, this government has not distorted the recommendations. Au contraire. In the last several months we have provided additional supports for people who do f ace eviction. We have helped people on low income if they needed extra shelter allowance, and there have been a considerable number of dollars spent there.

It’s my understanding that we will continue to do that. This $7 million will help us with even further opportunities to help the people on low incomes. It would be wrong to make people that are facing crises today feel that we don’t provide supports. We do and will continue to do so. Dr. B. Miller: We need a homeless and eviction prevention fund to help Albertans in a crisis situation right now. People living on social assistance and low-income families are falling further behind.

The Edmonton Social Planning Council in a r ecent report stated that income support allowances are now worth less than half of the amount received in 1980, and the budget offers only a 3 and a half per cent increase. To the same minister. There is money for new workers coming to Alberta, but our own people fall deeper and deeper into poverty. Is this the price of prosperity? Ms Evans: Mr. Speaker, we have provided income support increases this year and previously. I think that if the hon. member looks further, he’ll see that it isn’t 3 and a half but, rather, a 5 per cent increase.

There was a 5 per cent increase last year. We also have additional supplementary benefits. Our supplementary benefits in this province for people who are on low-income supports are bigger than they are in any other of the provinces. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the third party. 1:40 Ministerial Appearances before Committees Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, this Premier’s commitment to democratic renewal in this province is all talk and no action.

In our democracy elected officials are supposed to be responsible to the public, and ministers are supposed to be accountable to the Assembly for their expenditure of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. One of the ways that ministers are held accountable to the public for the funds that their ministries spend is through the Public Accounts Committee, yet at the Public Accounts meeting this morning the Minister of Education skipped out and sent his unelected deputy instead. My question is to the Premier. Why did you allow the Minister of Education to take a pass on his responsibilities? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, by my

interpretation of the rules – and I stand to be corrected because I don’t follow all the rules of every committee and am not knowledgeable of all the rules of a committee – I believe that Public Accounts has the option of sending in senior officials to reply to the questions. Remember that Public Accounts covers all those expenditures from a year before, and this minister was just appointed this time around and sent his officials to take all of the questions on the prior year’s spending. Mr. Mason: Mr.

Speaker, the Premier’s answer indicates that he does not understand the principle of elected ministers being accountable, elected people being accountable. That is the very essence of our system of responsible governance. I guess that my question is to the Premier. Is the Premier saying that it’s the committee that said that the minister couldn’t be there? My understanding is that he just sent a fax saying that he wasn’t going to show up, and he was going to send his deputy. Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, I find it rather, well, unfair for the hon. member to say that I don’t understand the responsibility of serving in public office. I’ve had the opportunity to serve both as a munici- pal official and as a member elected for Fort Saskatchewan- Vegreville to the Legislative Assembly for many years, served in different ministerial capacities, and now as Premier. I can assure

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 765 you that I do accept responsibility for decisions made. I don’t need to have someone sitting in opposition tell me what my responsibility is. Mr. Mason: Well, Mr. Speaker, you know, the Premier needs to hear some of this stuff whether he thinks so or not. He talks a lot about accountability, but this Conservative govern- ment is the same Conservative government of yesteryear.

Can the Premier tell the House why, when the New Democrats designated a day for budget estimates, we were told that the Minister of Ad- vanced Education and Technology wasn’t going to be there because he was going to be in China? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, these are really weird questions. Ministers do have responsibilities, those responsibilities within their ministries to pursue markets, in this particular case in advanced education.

They can travel to those jurisdictions that seem necessary to build further relationships and ensure that in this province we look at broadening our tax base, looking towards new revenue streams so we’re not always dependent on oil and gas. That’s part of the overall vision of this government. It’s not just today, but it’s 10, 20, 30 years down the road. That member can never see that far. I can tell you that. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar, followed by the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Fishery Management at Pigeon Lake Rev. Abbott: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions today are for the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. As the minister knows, on April 24 a large public meeting was held in my constituency regarding fish populations in Pigeon Lake. It was particularly about concerns about a lack of whitefish. A large majority of the 300 to 400 attendees felt that the management of the lake was out of balance. What can the minister tell us about decisions regarding fisheries management for this lake? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d first like to begin by thanking the 350 or 400 Albertans who came to the Sustainable Resource Development open house to discuss the fishery in Pigeon Lake in Thorsby on April 24. Our officials were there to listen. We heard the message loud and clear. Are there as many whitefish in Pigeon Lake today as there were 10 or 15 years ago? No, and the whitefishing is not as good. But why is that? The walleye popula- tion went extinct in Pigeon Lake in the 1960s, so in 30 years there was no competition. We reintroduced walleye in the 1990s. Our goal is to establish a balanced fishery. The Speaker: The hon. member.

Rev. Abbott: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some of my constitu- ents disagree, but if the minister is saying that walleye populations are still too low, then why are we allowing a walleye harvest on Pigeon Lake this season? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A very good question and with a good-news answer. Our restocking of the walleye has succeeded to the point where we can intr oduce a limited walleye catch, so Pigeon Lake has been chosen along with several other lakes, Wolf Lake and Lake Newell, where Albertans can fish for walleye.

I encourage all Albertans: starting on May 4 you can call up and get a special walleye tag to go out and catch a few walleye and take them home to eat. The Speaker: The hon. member. Rev. Abbott: Okay. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final supp- lemental to the same minister: with all of this focus on walleye, what is being done by your department to meet the needs of those who want to fish for whitefish at Pigeon Lake? Dr. Morton: Mr.

Speaker, I want the hon. member to know that my staff is working day and night to keep the peace between the friends of the walleye and the friends of the whitefish, and the key to this, of course, as I said before, is balance. I want the friends of the whitefish to know that we’ve heard their message. We’ll keep that balance. I particularly want to thank the Pigeon Lake anglers’ association for bringing the whitefish into our office in February. I had the occasion to eat some of that smoked whitefish last week. It’s the best smoked whitefish in Canada, and I want to make sure it’s there in years to come.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Creek. Support for the Developmentally Disabled Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Life is becoming more difficult for people with disabilities. Government funding for programs like PDD and AISH isn’t sufficient to meet basic needs or to keep up with the cost of liv ing. People with disabilities are struggling to cover the increasing costs of shelter, food, clothing, and the costs associated with living with a disability. In fact, they experience twice the level of poverty as those without disabilities.

To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: why does the price of prosperity for this government include leaving Alberta’s most vulnerable groups behind? Mr. Melchin: Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous amount of concern for those with disabilities and a lot of support that continues to be provided on an ongoing basis to see that those with disabilities can be provided the services they need.

This government in response to some of the issues has seen about a 90 per cent increase in its funding since 1999 just in this, to acknowledge that this is an area where there is a tremendous amount of need, where those with those vulnerabilities and disabilities do require the help. It’s in that regard that the budget has followed to support this group. Ms Pastoor: To the same minister. The rate of inflation now in Alberta is 5.5 per cent, and MLAs got a raise of 4.9. But PDD only receives a 3.5 per cent increase.

How does the minister expect service providers to maintain existing services, keep up with increasing caseloads, and pay staff fair wages on what amounts to a budget cut? Mr. Melchin: Mr. Speaker, it’s correct that in this year’s budget there’s a 3.5 per cent increase to persons with developmental disabilities boards, but on top of that last March, two months ago, we also reallocated within the department an equivalent amount that would go to the boards. So that would be a one-time payment to them of another 3 and a half per cent really to address the staff kind of labour issues.

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007766 Ms Pastoor: And it was very appreciated, but it wasn’t sustainable. An increase in funding that fails to cover inflation and the increasing number of PDD clients is in effect a funding cut. Is this funding cut part of a long-term plan by this government to scale back supports for Albertans with disabilities? 1:50 Mr. Melchin: Mr. Speaker, quite the contrary. We have taken a lot of measures by this government to ensure that the funding has well surpassed any inflationary measure and growth of the PDD caseload.

Like I said, since 1999 there’s been a 90 per cent increase to this department, a very substantial – higher than really any of the other forms of investments in any other departments. It is an acknowl- edgement that these people are in great need, and we are working hard with service providers so that we can see that the services are there for when they’re needed. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Creek, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Climate Change Public Consultation Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On April 18 in Edmon- ton I was pleased to attend and speak at the Minister of Environ- ment’s public consultation on climate change called Meeting the Challenge. It was very well attended, and many interesting com- ments and ideas were expressed surrounding what all of us want: clean air, clean water, clean land, and so on. But in order to ensure that these critical needs are met, leadership on environmental issues is needed at all levels of gove rnment. My questions are for the Minister of Environment.

What are you doing to toughen up our environmental standards, and will you be creating stronger regula- tions and stiffer penalties for viol ations in order to protect our environment? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the meeting to which the member refers was one of 10 such meetings held throughout the province. The purpose of those meetings was really to engage in discussion with Albertans on a go-forward plan with respect to climate change and the environment. If I can say in a short

summary, what we heard at those meetings is that Albertans take the environment and take the issue of climate change very seriously, and they expect their government to do the same. I can assure you, Mr. Speaker and the hon. member, that that is just the case. Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you for that. I wonder what this minister is prepared to do within his own ministry to ensure that more environmental education occurs in our province – and I mean for all age groups – and to ensure that more attention is paid to the prevention side of this issue. Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, that was one of the issues that we discussed at those meetings. It was, again, solid feedback from Albertans that this is an area where they’re desperately seeking more information, more education, more knowledge on matters of the environment: how can I, as an individual Albertan, contribute my piece to this environmental plan? So we are looking at intensifying the way we deliver education now, primarily through schools, but we will be over the coming months and years intensifying that opportunity to educate Albertans on these very important issues. Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr.

Speaker, my constitu ents and others will be very interested to pursue that further because we know that Alberta has never been afraid to be innovative. We were first to develop an action plan for climate change, first to pass climate change specific legislation, and first to pass legislation that requires industry to cut their emissions. Will Alberta be first again to step up our commit- ment for additional research in this important area and to provide true scientific-based leadership in areas such as absolute versus intensity-based caps? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, the issue of intensity versus absolute caps is pivotal to this whole discussion on climate change. In our view, intensity is a means to the end. You need to start somewhere. Absolute is the end target. If anyone thinks that they can get to the end without going through the means to get to the end, they’re kidding themselves. That’s exactly what this government is attempting to do. By investing in the necessary technology and research, we will develop the means through intensity reductions to achieve in the long term real absolute reductions in CO 2 emissions. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods, followed by the hon. Member for Livingstone-Macleod. Support for Child Care Mrs. Mather: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The number one priority for Children’s Services is supposedly child care, yet in the past year this government failed to spend $30 million of the funding allocated for this crucial service. This is the second year in a row that the budget has been underspent by a wide margin, despite the critical shortage of spaces in this province that forces working parents to scramble to make daily care arrangements, accept underemployment, or drop out of the workforce altogether.

This failure is shocking. To the Minister of Children’s Services: how can you explain to struggling Albertan parents the department’s failure to allocate all of its resources for child care in the budget last year? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Tarchuk: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, this is my number one priority. My number one priority in this year’s budget is to ensure that parents have access to quality and affordable child care. If I could just quickly kind of explain a little bit a bout the budget process.

It was in the middle of ’05-06 that we implemented and agreed to the five-point plan. For the budget year of ’06-07 we again approved the five-point plan. We did what we always do during budgeting: we estimated what we thought the cost of the five- point plan would be. What we can’t tell is how people will access the five-point plan and how many people will access the five-point plan. There is very . . . The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. Mather: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday a Children’s Services spokesperson suggested that because of lower than expected costs in some programs the department sat on the $30 million, because they needed to consult with child care advocates before spending the entire amount budgeted, while the department completed a comprehensive consultation involving parents, staff, and child care advocates eight months ago and also engaged in consultation with child care advocates leading up to the new Child Care Licensing Act.

To the Minister of Children’s Services: can the minister please tell us how much more consultation is required before this department will finally use all of its available resources for child care?

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 767 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Tarchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I could just continue. I was saying that we don’t know how many people will access the plan and how they’re going to access the plan. We have various levels of government support, depending on whether people choose daycare or family homes or kin care or whether they stay at home and they want to access nursery schools. The good thing about the five-point plan is that we support choice and flexibility. What I can tell you is that last year we made an estimate.

Going into the end of the year, we knew exactly how much the five-point plan was. Going into this next budgeting process, I took what it cost us, and I asked for more money so that not only could we approve the five-point plan again but move forward on enhancing the five-point plan. So, in fact, we are spending more money this year than what we spent last year. Mrs.

Mather: Since the department cannot seem to find a way to make use of the entire child care budget, will the minister consider adopting initiatives like improving access to out-of-sc hool care, providing funding for municipalities to create spaces, or increasing funding for operating costs, all of which are in the Alberta Liberal child care plan but have not been a priority for this government? Ms Tarchuk: Mr. Speaker, if I could, we had an added complication last year as well.

I think what the hon. member is suggesting is that last year at some point during the fiscal year we should have maybe made some kind of adjustment to the budget. I think that that would not have been a prudent move. At the same time we also had the federal government pull out of their funding. So I think it was responsible what we did: get to the end of the year, find out what the plan is costing us, and then move forward on enhancements. That’s what we’ve done. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Livingstone-Macleod, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Agricultural Income Stabilization Program Mr.

Coutts: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Canadian agricultural income stabilization program is a program that is administered independently in Alberta by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation of Alberta. Yesterday the federal Auditor General in her report stated that CAIS is overly complex, lacks transparency, and she found that the federal administration has conflicts of interest among employees and focuses too much on overpayments. These are issues that have been brought forward by my constituents in Livingstone-Macleod.

My question to the Minister of Agriculture and Food: are the issues in regard to the federal CAIS program also true in Alberta, and if so, what have you done to rectify the situation here in Alberta? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Groeneveld: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta certainly agrees that the program is complex and lacks transparency, as I’ve said in the past in this Legislature. In fact, we have been pressing our federal and provincial counterparts for changes. As the member says, I want it to be clear that Alberta has a separate administration to CAIS.

We take a different and transparent approach unique to Alberta: a system on the web that lets producers track their claims as they move through the system, field analysts across the province who can meet with producers in person, complete package on individual claim results including information on all changes, and advance phone calls on significant changes. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Coutts: Thank you very much. Mr.

Speaker, to the same minister: what assurance can you give to Albertans that a clear conflict of interest policy that protects both producers and stake- holders exists in the program in Alberta? 2:00 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Groeneveld: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. AFSC takes this issue very seriously. They’ve always had a clear conflict-of-interest policy. Before Alberta handed out a single application, we ensured that the rules were very clear. For example, CAIS staff are not allowed to complete the forms for producers. They need to discuss up front if relatives or close friends are using the program. Mr.

Speaker, this is the first fede ral audit. Indeed, our Auditor General has looked at our administration every year since the program was started. We continue to refine it. The AFSC is very proactive in doing it right in the first place. Mr. Coutts: Mr. Speaker, last spring many in my farm and ranch community had occasion to get letters from the CAIS program about overpayments, and there was a concern that the people operating the program were neglecting the underpayments to farmers as well.

So my question to the minister is: do you ensure that Alberta’s program will in the main focus on overpayments while neglecting underpay- ments? That is a criticism that the federal program has. What are you doing to rectify that situation? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Groeneveld: Well, thank you. Mr. Speaker, the AFSC is committed to ensuring that the right payments go to the right people. We follow a very clear verification strategy. Staff make adjust- ments, both positive and negative, to ensure that the strategy is followed.

All claims, including those that don’t initially look eligible, are reviewed and tested to ensure that there are no material errors. Alberta takes pride in the transparency and integrity of all of its programming. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. Calgary Municipal Funding Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Calgarians are tired of being taken for granted by the Conservative government of Alberta, and if the Member for Calgary-Lougheed thought he was winning any friends in Calgary with those softball questions he lobbed to the Finance minister yesterday, he’s sadly mistaken. In 2006 Calgary accounted for 60 per cent of the jobs created in this province. That is unprecedented growth, and it is straining both infrastructure and services.

To the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: given the growth projections of Calgary and the importance of rapid transit to the quality of life and the quality of the environment, is he prepared to accept the cancellation of construction on Calgary’s west LRT line? Mr. Danyluk: Mr. Speaker, first of all I need to say that the planning and decision-making for the municipality of the city of

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007768 Calgary is done by the city of Calgary. The Alberta government supports municipalities such as Calgary with their ventures with the Alberta municipal infrastructure program of $600 million per year. It also supports municipalities with the municipal sustainability initiative, of which the city of Calgary got $127 million. Mr. Taylor: Ah, Mr. Speaker, piffle. This government refuses to take responsibility for its actions or inactions. If the budget numbers didn’t add up or if the government couldn’t figure out what to prioritize, they should admit it.

The simple fact is that the govern- ment didn’t deliver, and now cities around the province are changing or even shelving plans. Money they were told would have no strings has strings attached. In my world actions have consequences. Apparently in their world they like to think that they don’t. Will the minister step up to the plate, apologize, and admit that municipal infrastructure plans were cancelled because he didn’t deliver on his municipal sustainability initiative promise? Mr. Danyluk: First of all, Mr. Speaker, this is all new money that is given to municipalities.

I’d ask the Minister of Finance to supplement. Dr. Oberg: Mr. Speaker, it’s really time that the Liberal opposition – in their plan that was put out on September 11, 2006, they had a 2 per cent increase in funding, which would not even f und the south Calgary hospital. It would not fund the cost escalation to run every budget around Alberta. That’s what the Liberal opposition brought out. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the Minister of Finance, then: will the minister admit that as neglected as health, education, and postsecondary education in Calgary were on his watch in infrastructure, the $4.2 billion he referenced yesterday that will be spent on those things in Calgary this year has, in fact, nothing to do with Calgary’s municipal infrastructure? Dr. Oberg: Mr. Speaker, I am so glad that the opposition party has finally asked me a question about this. On September 11, 2006, these gentlemen, this party, put out that they would spend $590 million more this year than was budgeted last year.

This govern- ment put out an extra 3 and a half billion dollars on top of that. All question period they’ve been talking about the cost of inflation. The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East said: 5 and a half per cent; anything less than 5 and a half per cent is a cut. Their plan came out and said: 2 per cent spending. That is one-third of the cost of inflation, one-third of the costs of the people that are coming out here. It’s time they came clean. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, followed by the hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Affordable Housing (continued) Mr.

Martin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday in this House the minister said: “There is nothing that you can do in a market that will stab ilize rents better than to build new housing units.” In the short term there isn’t the capacity to build the affordable housing that is needed. In fact, a report to Edmonton city council dated April 24 says, “The home building industry is working at full capacity” and “it is clear that the need for affordable housing is increasing while the capacity to address affordable housing needs is diminish- ing.” My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Why does the minister not see that in the short run, temporarily, we need rent stability while you build the affordable housing? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Danyluk: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Rent controls would only slow down any sort of building to increase the capacity of rental units. We also talk in our budget about rent supplements. We talk about secondary suites, that we need to have on the market to address the immediate concerns.

So we look at a balanced approach, and I suggest again to the member of the third party that we need to look at a balanced approach for affordable housing and the homeless. Mr. Martin: Mr. Speaker, the balanced approach that you’re giving is money for the gougers, and let the renters take the hind leg. That’s what’s happening. My question – you said that it would temporarily stop. In Ontario, where they’ve had rent guidelines for 15 years, they’ve had an 88 per cent increase in apartment units. In Alberta we had a 53 per cent decline. How does the minister justify those figures? Mr. Danyluk: Mr.

Speaker, first of all, mentioning Ontario, in Ontario since 1991 there have been rent controls, but any buildings that have been built since 1991 do not have rent controls because rent controls don’t work. You need to have a balance. We have given the municipalities the authority to look at their affordable housing needs and for them to make the decision on what is better for their municipality. Mr. Martin: Well, Mr. Speaker, that’s precisely the balance that Ontario has made. Of course the new units don’t have rent guide- lines on them. That’s what we’re asking for now.

So why don’t you do exactly the same thing? We’ ll build the units and also protect renters at the same time. Mr. Danyluk: Mr. Speaker, we have very many people that are coming from Ontario here. We need to look at a balanced approach for affordable housing for individuals that come from other prov- inces to Alberta to address the growth pressures. We need to invest in the individuals that are coming here and the Albertans that are here. What I want to say is that when we look at it in that balance segment, affordable housing affects all individuals that need housing. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. 2:10 Arts Funding Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a lot of support for the arts in my constituency, and constituents often ask me about the grant programs available to fund the arts. Many local groups do fundraising, and the arts community generates much of its own funds to support its activities. Other groups and individuals expect government to bear more or most of the cost. My first question is to the Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture.

What is the portion of government support for the arts in relation to total revenues generated? The Speaker: The hon. minister.

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 769 Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I want to say that the arts are extremely important to all Albertans, and they form a very, very important and integral part of our day-to-day living. Last year our government provided more than $20 million in grants to over 1,300 artists and arts organizations through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. This year the Alberta arts community will benefit from an additional 4 and a half million dollars, a 20 per cent increase over last year’s budget, raising the foundation’s budget to more than $27 million.

In 2004 this generated about $153 million in economic activity in the area. Mr. Johnson: Mr. Speaker, the first supplementary is to the same minister. Certain jurisdictions or provinces require arts groups to match funding prior to the approval of a government arts grant. What is your department’s expectation of the arts community to match government grants? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, again, thank you. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts generally requires that the organizations should have financial support from their communities.

The grant amounts are based on the level of revenue generated by these organizations within the community they serve. When we talk about individual artists, we do not expect them to provide any matching funds, but the organizations themselves must. Mr. Johnson: To the same minister. Research reports quoted in the media recently indicated that individual Albertans s upport the arts at the rate of $971 per capita for events such as live theatre and concerts. This shows that Albertans highly value cultural opportuni- ties.

How do you expect that the Community Spirit Program MLA Committee might address personal contributions to cultural activi- ties? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the member is right that Albertans do value and participate in various cultural activities, and Albertans support a variety of causes and organizations, including faith, sport, recreation, arts, and cultural activities. The MLA committee that we announced recently is looking at ways to use tax credits to encourage an increase in private donations. Cultural contributions are one of the areas the committee will be looking into.

Already, through our budget here in 2007 Alberta’s tax credits, for instance, for total charitable donations above $200 have been increased by more than 60 per cent. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for West-Yellowhead. Affordable Housing (continued) Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is May 2, 2007, weeks after the Affordable Housing Task Force turned in their report, weeks even since the government caucus gutted it because it didn’t fit their ideology.

Despite the Premier’s many statements about the importance of an affordable housing strategy tenants in my Calgary- Varsity constituency are now counting the days until they are evicted. Seniors and disabled people continue to suffer the stress of having their basic human need for food and shelter threatened. My first question is to the Premier, who I requested to remain in the House. What words of advice does he have for my constituents? The Speaker: Well, I’m going to call on the minister to respond, but that was a no-no. Mr. Chase: Well, he turned down my request.

Speaker’s Ruling Referring to the Absence of a Member The Speaker: No. No. You know, hon. member, sometimes people have reasons not to be here. It’s one of the long-standing rules. Well, I can look at the chair and say: where is the Member for Edmonton-Meadowlark? Where is the member for somewhere else? That’s not correct, and that’s not appropriate, and that’s why we don’t deal with that. The hon. minister. Affordable Housing (continued) Mr. Danyluk: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We will forward the question and have a written response to the member. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr.

Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry replied to my previous questions on this matter stating that the new eviction and homeless prevention fund was in place to solve these problems, but the picture on this fund is completely confusing. One ministerial spokesman says that it’s up and running. Another says that we’re just going to have to wait for a few months. Time to set the record straight. To the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry: what specifically are the eligibility requirements for the $7 million eviction and homeless prevention fund?

Please tell me a bout the benefits and where Albertans can find this information. Ms Evans: Well, Mr. Speaker, in a previous response this afternoon I indicated that since November last year we have given emergency shelter funding to the amount of $9 million for people who need income support. This government currently, a base from last year, gives $100 million in support of shelter allowances to low-income Albertans, over and above that $9 million last year for emergencies, over and above that again, with the recent budget approval, $7 million.

We will, working with our partners in Municipal Affairs and Housing, determine how there are cracks, if any, in the funding arrangement so that we can assure that Albertans in need do not go unheard. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much. The lack of transparency and accountability is completely un acceptable to Albertans. People in my constituency and in many ot hers across this province are desperate. They need answers, and they need action right now. Websites are of no use to people who can’t afford basic food, clothing, and housing.

To the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: when will clear and consistent eligibility requirements or benefit levels be made available to the public, and how will you transfer that information to people who can’t afford a paper, can’t afford a computer? How are you going to get that information to people on the streets or who are about to be on the streets? The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007770 *[See p. 729, left col., para. 4] Mr. Danyluk: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As we in the House all know, two weeks ago we announced our budget. Last week we also rolled out the new housing responses to the housing task force, trying to address the needs and the recommendations that were made by that housing task force. We are now dealing with how we are going to make sure that we most effectively – most effectively – address the needs of those individuals and how that access can happen in the most efficient way. The Speaker: The hon. Member for West Yellowhead.

Mountain Pine Beetle Control Mr. Strang: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In a recent a nnouncement about declaring a forest health emergency due to the mountain pine beetle, a very high number of trees are likely going to be killed. My question is to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. How much capacity does the Alberta forest product industry have to manage the timber killed by mountain pine beetle? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My department is working with the forestry industry to assess this capacity.

Last year our forestry industry processed approximately 25 million cubic metres of wood for all commercial purposes. We’re estimating that that capacity could be up to as high as 30 to 35 million cubic metres of wood per year, so we do have some room to absorb the additional wood that is anticipated. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Strang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplementary question is to the same minister. What plans does Alberta have to maximize the value received from harvesting beetle-killed trees? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you again, Mr. Speaker.

The pine beetle invasion puts at risk $23 billion – $23 billion – of wood in this province, so we’re doing everything we can to manage that risk. Of course, the most effective way to manage that risk is through an aggressive policy of meeting the pine beetle and stopping it from coming into the province, and I’m happy to note that the week that we were away, Canada’s leading pine beetle expert, Dr.

Allan Carroll, with the Canadian Forest Service, centred in Victoria, visited this city and told Albertans that this aggressive response is the most appropriate way to stop th e pine beetle spread into the province. 2:20 The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Strang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second supplementary question is to the same minister. How will Alberta deal with more wood mass generated from harvesting more trees from salvaging operations? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We do anticipate there will be more low- quality wood as a result of the beetle if it does spread, so we’re working with British Columbia to see what they’ve done. They’re doing some new and innovative things. Also, SRD is working with Alberta Energy and Advanced Education to look at opportunities for biofuels and biomass, but in fact our forestry industry already has products that can use this. I’m referring to these types of pellet samples that are produced by some of our forestry companies now.

These wood pellets are exported to Europe, where they’re mixed with coal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and get greenhouse gas credits, so there’s opportunity there already for our forestry industry. The Speaker: Hon. members, yesterday during the question period there was an exchange between the hon. Minister of Health and Wellness and the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Today the hon. Minister of Health and Wellness would like to supplement an answer, which will provide for the hon. Member for Edmonton- Centre to ask an additional question. The hon. minister. Good Samaritan Pembina Village Mr.

Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Member for Edmonton-Centre raised questions with respect to the safety of staff and residents at risk at the Good Samaritan Pembina V illage in Evansburg. I wanted to supplement my answer to make sure, first of all, that I had indicated that I would inquire – and I did – and secondly, to indicate that there is not a problem with the safety of staff or residents. The public should be aware of that because, with all due respect, the way the question was framed yesterday left some allegations in place which would cause a great deal of concern.

The Pembina Village is operated by the Good Samaritan Society. The facility provides 40 long-t erm care beds and 30 units as supportive living under the department’s lodge program, which is the responsibility of the Evergreen Foundation. First of all, the facility was built in 2003, so it’s a relatively new facility. The Health Facilities Review Committee, as was mentioned yesterday, com- pleted the first routine visit in 2004.

There was a list of deficiencies, mainly around construction type matters that needed to be carried out, and the Good Samaritan Society immediately created a work plan and set to work in consultati on with Capital health to address those concerns. The Health Facilities Review Committee carried out a return visit in 2006, as was mentioned yesterday.* The Speaker: I think, hon. minister, that even though this is supplementary, we probably should still abide by the 45-second rule. Otherwise, it’s getting in the back door instead of going in the front door. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre.

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much for the response from the minister. I’m pleased to see that he feels that most of the concerns that were raised in the 2004 Health Facilities Review Committee have been addressed. Could I ask a double-ended question? Is he aware if the custodian hours have been increased to the point where it’s an appropriate amount of time to actually clear the walkways and evacuation routes? As well, what exactly caused the fires that took place there? An Hon. Member: They weren’t fires.

Ms Blakeman: If you can expand on that, then, because I under- stood that they were electrical, and then I saw a report that they weren’t, but it didn’t tell what it was. So, please, expand on that. The Speaker: The hon. minister.

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 771 Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As may happen in any circumstance, there was a problem in a light fixture, and there was a problem with a clothes dryer. Both of those have been dealt with. There was no significant damage in either case. But I want it to be perfectly clear: there were some water problems; the Good Samari- tan Society has dealt with those i ssues and is monitoring to make sure that they don’t happen again. There’s no risk of health and safety apparent from those issues.

I didn’t want to leave the impression, that was left yesterday, that this was an unsafe facility for the residents or for the people working there. The issue with respect to the fire door was a matter of snow clearing. That’s been taken care of, and they’re aware of the issue. head: Introduction of Bills The Speaker: The hon. President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Service Alberta. Bill 34 Tenancies Statutes Amendment Act, 2007 Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce Bill 34, the Tenancies Statutes Amendment Act, 2007. Mr.

Speaker, this bill will help to stabilize our province’s rental market, thereby contributing to the management of pressures we are experiencing due to growth. [Motion carried; Bill 34 read a first time] head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance. Dr. Oberg: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere I would like to table docu- ments that the hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford asked for yesterday when he stated that the inflation-proofing of the heritage savings trust fund only occurs if that budget surplus is met.

I have the requisite number of copies. The Speaker: Now, the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre first, please. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Two tablings today, both from constituents: the first from Darleen Ferguson, who writes that she experienced a $260 increase in rent. She’s on a fixed income, and she feels very threatened that she would have to leave her apartment. The second is a long history of a sequence of events from Nadine Smith-Breton.

But, essentially, they feel tricked by their landlord, who would only allow a six-month lease but neglected to tell them that condo conversions were happening. So they’re out with no recourse. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Mrs. Mather: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a letter from Sherri Humphrys, a teacher in Edmonton, expressing two concerns. “The first is the level of allocation for education in this province.

To have a budget come out where the allocation is less than the current rate of inflation is very telling about the current government’s value of education.” Her second concern is “the government’s lack of accountability for the unfunded liability issue. To say that a resolution will be achieved and then send a threatening letter to the union with absolutely unacceptable suggestions is insulting.” The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford. Mr. R. Miller: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I had the pleasure last evening of attending the excellence in teaching awards program celebrating the district finalists for the Edmonton public schools, at which 37 Edmonton public teachers were celebrated. I have the pleasure now to table the requisite number of copies of the program from that event. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glenora. Dr. B. Miller: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter from a constituent who lives with eight other people at the Easter Seals McQueen Residence. This is a home for physically disabled adults.

They’re very worried because they’ve lost staff, and they have trouble finding repl acement staff. They’re very worried that their home will be closed down, and that would be a great tragedy. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings on behalf of 297 residents of Calgary-Varsity who are going to be without lodging.

The first is a letter that I sent to the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry asking questions such as: “can you please advise what assistance is available, what the qualification criteria are and how they apply” and so on? I’m pleased to report as my second tabling that the minister responded to me promptly as requested. Unfortunately, the informa- tion she provided has been compromised of late by conflicting statements. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With your indulgence I have five tablings today.

The first is a letter from Alina Matthews, who was here earlier today and got introduced. She’s a 20-year-old rehabilitation practitioner. She has her diploma from Grant MacEwan, and she’s working on a university degree from Calgary in community rehabilitation. She hi ghlights the crisis in her field, and she is asking for some serious change to make it an appealing field for people to work in. The second tabling, Mr. Speaker, is also from a person who was here today, Marsha Taphorn. Her biggest concern is staff turnover.

She’s commenting on working “long and stressful days for a wage that is not reflective of the work that is performed.” The third tabling, Mr. Speaker, is from two parents, Joe and Ines Silva. Again, they got mentioned this afternoon. They’re talking about the excellent work provided by the staff at the centre that they have their son at, but workers readily leave because of better paying jobs elsewhere. The fourth tabling is from Leah Priest. She’s been involved in the disability service for over 13 years.

But she comments on the low wages being the reason for many qualified and competent employees leaving the sector and not returning. The fifth one is from Sonia Richardson, which also highlights the crisis in the health care service industry and comments on the fact

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007772 that it’s mostly the wages and gives an example where clients become withdrawn and experience negative behaviour because of the staff turnover in their field. Thank you. 2:30 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Mr. Eggen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m tabling appropriate copies of a letter that I received from Glenn Cook, a constituent in Edmonton-Calder. Within hours of the government rejecting the rent stability guidelines, his rent and everyone’s in his building went up by $500 per month.

I also have a letter signed by seven senior citizens, and their rent all went up by $115 at the same time. Thanks. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m tabling the correct number of copies of a letter from Christina Sanders. Christina has written about a problem that has arisen a number of times and my constituency has dealt with, and that’s the problem of servicemen’s sons and daughters born at bases overseas where they cannot get their citizenship.

Because of the number of servicemen and their families that live in the north end, we tend to get a lot of these cases. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Are there others? The hon. Member for Edmonton- Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today. The first is in my capacity as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. I would like to table today the agenda from the meeting that occurred this morning, Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

This agenda was circulated to all hon. members of the committee on M onday, and included in this, under item 4 on the agenda, it stated clearly that we were meeting with Mr. Keray Henke, Deputy Minister of Education. When this agenda was approved, there were no questions. It was approved unanimously by all members present, and I think that in light of the question that was asked earlier today by the hon. leader of the third party, this is very important. This document was circulated, and everyone had an opportunity to have a look at it. No one raised any questions.

Now, my second tabling is a comparison of selected oil resource taxation regimes, and it’s prepared by Petroleum Economics Limited of both Calgary and London. It is dated February 2000, and it is a comparison of royalty regimes, comparing Alberta to Venezuela, Alberta to Norway, and Alberta to Alaska north slope oil. Thank you. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the office of the Clerk. On behalf of the hon. Mr.

Boutilier, Minister of International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations, pursuant to the Metis Settlements Act the Métis Settlements Appeal Tribunal 2005 and 2006 annual reports. Calendar of Special Events The Speaker: Hon. members, before calling Orders of the Day, yesterday and today several members alluded to certain days or months. Today being the second day of May, I thought that I would just make sure everybody is aware of all the special days and weeks in the month of May so that my office is not inundated with letters and phone calls saying: why are some recognized and others not recognized?

May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, MedicAlert Awareness Month, Foot Health Awareness Month, Huntington Disease Awareness Month, Speech and Hearing Awareness Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Museum Month, National Leave a Legacy Month, Motorcycle and Bicycle Safety Awareness Month, Asian Heritage Month, Red Shield Appeal Month, Child Find’s Green Ribbon of Hope Cam- paign month, Light the Way Home campaign. From April 1 to May 31 we have been in Girl Guides Sandwich Cookie Weeks. April 22 to May 24 is National Physiotherapy Month. April 29 to May 5 is Education Week.

May 1 was World Asthma Day. This week, May 1 to May 7, is National Summer Safety Week as it is Spinal Health Week as it is Allergy Awareness Week, and May 1 to May 8 is Naturopathic Medicine Week. May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. That’s tomorrow. May 5 is International Day of the Midwife. May 5 is also Alberta Search and Rescue Day. May 6 is the International No Diet Day as is May 6 the Annual Hike for Hospice Palliative Care day. May 6 to May 12 is National Emergency Preparedness Week as it is International Compost Awareness Week as it is North American Occupational Safety and Health Week.

May 7 to May 13 is Mental Health Week as it is Respect for Law Week as it is National Hospice Palliative Care Week as it is National Nursing Week as it is Drinking Water Week. May 8 is World Red Cross Day. May 10 is World Health Organization Move for Health Day as it is World Lupus Day. May 11 to 13 are Multiple Sclerosis Carnation Campaign days. May 12 is Canada Health Day as it is International Nurses Day as it is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day as it is Raise the Flag Day. May 13, of course, is Mother’s Day as it is also the Optimist Day of Non-Violence. May 13 to May 19 is National Police Week.

May 13 to May 20 is Alberta Crime Prevention Week. May 14 to 20 is National Mining Week. May 15 is International Day of Families. May 15 and 16 are Provincial Skills Competition: Trades days in Alberta. May 17 is World Information Society Day. May 18 is International Museums Day. May 19 to 25 is Safe Boating Week. May 20 to 26 is Inter- generational Week. May 21 is Victoria Day. May 21 is also the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. May 21 to 27 is Emergency Medical Services Awareness Week. May 22 is International Day for Biological Diversity.

May 22 to 25 is part of Aboriginal Awareness Week. May 25 is National Missing Children’s Day. May 25 to 31 is Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self- Governing Territories. May 27 is World Partnership Walk. May 28 to June 3 is National Sun Awareness Week. May 29 is International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, and May 31 is World No- Tobacco Day. head: Orders of the Day head: Committee of Supply [Mr. Marz in the chair] The Chair: I’d like to call the Committee of Supply to order.

Before I recognize the hon. minister, I would just like to take a brief moment to review some of the new Standing Orders that we’re operating on as of today for the benefit of all the members here and for the benefit at home of the viewing public over the Internet.

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 773 The first one. “A Member may speak more than once,” and “no Member may speak for more than 10 minutes.” However, a member and a minister may combine their speaking times for a total of 20 minutes, providing they notify the chair first, and I just ask you to do that each time. Quorum does not apply today – that’s something new – until the estimates are voted upon. Officials “may be admitted to the floor of the Assembly to advise the Minister whose estimates are under consideration.” I would ask the minister to introduce those members of his staff before he starts.

On the first day of consideration of the estimates the first member of the Executive Council to speak shall move the main estimates in their entirety. During the consideration of th e main estimates, the Committee of Supply shall meet for a minimum of 3 hours at one time unless there are no Members who wish to speak prior to the conclusion of the 3 hours . . . If the Committee of Supply meets for more than 3 hours at one time, the time in excess of 3 hours shall be available to any Member who wishes to speak and is recognized by the Chair . . .

During each 15-hour cycle, wher e the members of a caucus are allotted a particular block of time and those Members no longer wish to speak, then consideration for the entir e block of time . . . is deemed to have occurred and any Member may be recognized by the Chair until the Committee rises and reports.

Standing Order 5 regarding the quorum “does not apply to a report to the Assembly from the Committee of Supply,” and “when an amendment to a department’s estimates is moved in Committee of Supply, the vote on the amendment stands deferred until the date scheduled for the vote on the main estimates.” So, with that, I would invite the hon. Minister of Health and Wellness to move the estimates in their entirety and introduce his staff. head: 2:40 Main Estimates 2007-08 Health and Wellness Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It is indeed a privilege to be the first up with respect to our new Committee of Supply structure and hopefully plow the first ground, so to speak, with this, I think, exciting opportunity to really delve into the estimates and to be held accountable for the spending that we hope to be able to engage in on behalf of Albertans.

So as the first order of business, of course, according to the Standing Orders it’s my privilege to move the 2007-08 government estimates for the general revenue fund and lottery fund for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, as well as the 2007-2008 offices of the Legislative Assembly estimates for the same period. Mr. Chairman, it is a new procedure with us. Public Accounts previously had met in the Chamber with officials on the floor, but it’s been some time since we’ve had the opportunity to engage in public accounts in this way.

Joining me today are my deputy minister, Paddy Meade; assistant deputy minister of corporate operations, Ray Gilmour; executive director and senior financial officer, Peter Hegholz; my executive assistant, Fred Horne; and communications director, Michael Shields.

We are also joined by other staff in the members’ gallery: Annette Trimbee, the assistant deputy minister for strategic directions; Richard Butler, assistant deputy minister of health workforce; Janet Skinner, assistant deputy minister of program service; Linda Miller, assistant deputy minister in information and strategic services; Neil MacDonald, executive director of population health strategies; Jason Cobb, acting director of ministry relations in the deputy minister’s office; and Martin Chamberlain, who is our corporate legal counsel. So suffice to say, Mr.

Chairman, I hope that I have all the talent and ability necessary to be able to answer any of the questions that may be raised in Committee of Supply today. But, of course, cognizant of the rules and because I would do it anyway, we would be happy to provide written responses to any questions that aren’t dealt with verbally on the record within the two-week time frame that is provided for in the new rules. I want to start, first of all, by saying a public thank you on the record to the department officials who are here today with us and whom I’ve just introduced.

I’ve had a very short period of time to work in this department, but I can say that my experience in the Department of Health and Wellness, as my experience in various other departments that I’ve served, is that we are truly blessed with the quality of senior civil servant that we have and, I would say, the quality of the civil service that we have serving Albertans. The Department of Health and Wellness is certainly blessed to have a wealth of talent and ability, and I’m privileged to be able to work with these people.

Having said that, I’m sure that they’ll make sure now that I get good answers very quickly to all the questions. The 2007 to 2010 business plan for the Ministry of Health and Wellness identifies three core business and six corresponding goals. The core businesses are to advocate and educate for healthy living, to provide quality health and welln ess services, and to lead and participate in continuous improvement in the health system.

Our overarching business plan goals are that Albertans make choices for healthier lifestyles, that Albertans’ health is protected, that access to health services are improved, to have a contemporary health workforce, that health service outcomes are improved, and to ensure health service efficiency, effectiveness, innovation, and productivity. Our vision is for Albertans to be healthy and to live, work, and play in a healthy environment.

Our mission is to “provide leadership and work collaboratively with partners to help Albertans be healthy.” The government of Alberta has identified five priorities, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness directly supports the achievement of the provincial priority to improve Albertans’ quality of life.

The Health and Wellness ministry is also making a significant contribution to the government priority of managing growth pressures by providing funding to respond to the recommendations from the Oil Sands Ministerial Strategy Committee on impacts of development in the oil sand communities and, of course, the stellar work that’s happening on the workforce strategy. Our business plan identifies opportunities and challenges over the next three years.

These include health system sustainability, addressing workforce shortages, controlling the rising costs of prescription drugs, promoting disease and injury prevention, improving access to health services, improving governance and accountability, and taking advantage of innovation, research, and technical opportunities to increase Alberta’s productivity and global competitiveness. After reviewing these challenges, the ministry has identified four priorities in addition to the important ongoing core activities that the Health and Wellness ministry undertakes.

These are implementing health care productivity reforms and sustainability initiatives; implementing a new pharmaceutical strategy to improve manage- ment of drug expenditures and ensure access to sustainable govern- ment drug coverage; strengthen ing public health services that promote wellness, prevent injury and disease, and provide prepared- ness for public health emergencies; and implementing a comprehen- sive workforce strategy to secure and retain health professionals. The 2007-08 budget for Alberta Health and Wellness will help us to address these challenges and achieve our goals and priorities. Mr.

Chairman, our ministry’s budget this year reflects a $1.3 billion, or 12.2 per cent, increase over the previous year. The

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007774 ministry’s budget is now $12 billion. In two years the Health and Wellness ministry budget is expected to ex ceed $12.8 billion, an increase of almost 20 per cent from the 2006-2 007 for ecast. Operating grants for health authorities will increase by $574 million, or an average of 9.5 per cent, to $6.6 billion. No regional health authorities will receive less than a 6 per cent increase in the 2007- 2008 year. It’s important for Members of the Legislative Assembly to know how funds are being allocated to the health regions.

The funding allocation model is based primarily on population and ensures that funding follows the person. No matter where a person is receiving service, the region providing the service receives the funding necessary to deliver that service. This is very important in a dynamic province such as Alberta. Health regions also have different costs for delivering service as a result of a variety of factors, such as the remote population in rural regions. The funding allocation model recognizes these differential costs in determining an equitable allocation to each region.

Quite simply, the f unding model calculates a per capita funding amount which varies by region to reflect the variances in age, gender, socioeconomic status, health characteristics, delivery costs, and other factors. There is $291 million being allocated to regional health authorities through their base funding for mental health services in 2007-08. This is an increase of $23 million, or 8.5 per cent. The Northern Lights health region will receive the highest operating increase this year, at 81.5 per cent.

This increase includes the special provision of $58 million for the operation of new community clinics in Fort McMurray and to provide the same allowances for health staff that are currently provided to provincial employees in that region. The money will assist Northern Lights health region in providing health services to a transient population in a high-growth area. Capital health is receiving almost $2.3 billion in operating funding this year, which is a 9 per cent, or $190 million, increase.

In addition, the capital plan includes approximately $780 million over the next three years to continue with previously approved capital projects in the capital region. The Calgary health region is receiving almost $2.2 bi llion in operating funding this year, which is a 9.3 per cent, or $187, million increase. The operating increase reflects the pressures the health region is facing from population growth. The capital plan also includes $835 million over the next three years to continue with previously approved capital projects in the Calgary health region.

Funding totalling $8 milli on will go to Peace C ountry health to assist with the extraordinary costs of staff recruitment and retention. This year’s budget for the Cancer Board is $277 million, an increase of $21.5 million, or 8.5 per cent. Funding to the Alberta Mental Health Board is $58 million this year, an increase of $4.6 million, or 8.6 per cent. 2:50 The budget for physicians’ services in 2007-08 rises to $2.4 billion.

The increase includes the cost of the trilateral master agreement between the Alberta Medical Association, regional health authorities, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness for physician services. As part of the agreement $38 million has been set aside for a clinical stabilization initiative this year. The initiative will be used as a recruitment and retention initiative to support communities facing unique health delivery needs and to address extraordinary increases in physician practice costs, such as rising office rents.

There will be $47 million from the master agreement for a new retention benefit, which will recognize physicians for the number of years that they have practised. The physician office system program has been allocated $34 million this year to assist physicians in converting their offices to electronic environments. The increase for physician services also includes an additional $25 million to address growth in the existing academic alternate relationship plans and new academic ARPs. These are compensation models that address the multiple roles of academic physicians in teaching, research, and clinical services.

Mr. Chairman, to turn briefly to capital expenditures, over the next three years Alberta Health and Wellness is spending more than $2.6 billion in health facilities infrastructure and project cost escalation. This includes funding for more than 30 previously approved health projects and $221 million for increased cost escalation on previously approved projects. You’re looking at me like I’m running out of time. I am. Okay. The new capital projects this year are in Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, $250 million being allocated over three years to build a new acute-care facility in Grande Prairie.

Northern Lights will receive $26.4 million for housing units for health care providers, a helipad at Northern Lights regional health centre, and new commu- nity clinics, all responding to the rapid growth and the oil sands development report. Mr. Chairman, I’ll leave it there, and I’m sure that I’ll have an opportunity to give more of the good news in the course of the afternoon. The Chair: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I will notify you at this time, and I did in writing as well, that I will take this opportunity in the first exchange between the minister and I to have a 20-minute total back-and-forth exchange with smaller rotations of time between the two of us. So thank you for that. Thank you very much to the minister for his opening remarks. Welcome to the staff that join us on the floor. I gather that there is an entire fan team up in the gallery of another 15 people, so welcome to all of you as well. I thank the minister for his commitment to the two-week response for written questions.

That is a new innovation in the new Standing Orders, which I have fondly called the McClellan innovation because the previous minister of health and Member for Drumheller- Stettler was very good about giving written responses within two weeks. I’ll also note that the minister and I meet again during one of the new cross-ministry exchanges later this month on health impacts and development, so I will not be raising any of those issues during the exchange today.

Just to let everybody know, the topics I’m looking to go over today include health workforce, rural physician action plan, international medical graduates, mental health, ambulances, regionalization, pharmaceuticals, health care premiums, midwifery, tobacco reduction, social determinants of health, PARA, which is the medical residents, and electronic health records.

Of course, I’m also joined here today – and they will be spelling me off – by my colleague from Lethbridge-East, who will be questioning the minister on long-term care, and also by my colleague from Calgary- Currie, who will be bringing forward specific issues around Calgary. First is health workforce.

I note on page 25 of the ministry business plans that it reveals a “comprehensive workforce strategy to secure and retain health professionals,” but just above that on page 25 it notes, “Strategies that will be the focus for the govern- ment over the next 12 months are highlighted with a checkmark.” Then that very first

section under Managing Growth Pressures, which is about a comprehensive workforce strategy to secure and retain health professionals, is not checked. So it is not identified as

May 2, 2007 Alberta Hansard 775 a focus for the government over the next 12 months. Of course, the obvious question is: why is that? We’ve certainly seen the number of code reds and code burgun- dies increase. Intensive care and other units at hospitals throughout Alberta have been closed because of staff shortages. The shortage of health workers in all sectors – the allied health professionals, doctors, and nurses – has been a major obstacle contributing to lengthy wait times.

From my side, addressing this shortage and developing a comprehensive health workforce plan is the first step in the Alberta Liberal wait time strategy, so I am really baffled as to why this was not identified as a focus for the government. I notice that the next thing on the page is under Improve Alber- tans’ Quality of Life. “Implement health care productivity reforms and sustainability” is check-marked, but, you know, we were promised a health workforce strategy by the previous minister. The first time I asked about it was April of ’06.

I was promised it in May of ’06 and then in September, and then it all sort of dribbled away. Mr. Hancock: Just so I can get the right references, you referenced page 25, but my business plan isn’t that long, so I’m trying to find the page you’re referring to. Ms Blakeman: Sorry. Business plans, page 25. Mr. Hancock: Oh, you’re in the government business plan, perhaps? Ms Blakeman: Oh, yes. Sorry. The government stuff is earlier, and the health stuff is later. Mr. Hancock: Okay. Ms Blakeman: I’m just going to lay so mething else on the table while you’re checking that.

I note that the Department of Employ- ment, Immigration and Industry is r eceiving $30 million to imple- ment health workforce plan strategies to help address these pressures by “supporting recruitment, retention and repatriation.” That’s out of a government press release on April 19, 2007. I’m assuming that this is part of a health workforce plan, but we have never seen the health workforce plan. Much promised; never delivered. So when are we going to see the plan, and can the minister tell us why it’s been on hold for so long? Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

First of all, thank you for allowing me to reference myself to your comments. You were looking at the government business plan, and the question is a very good one. The comprehensive workforce strategy doesn’t have a check mark, and the second line of the paragraph above indicates that “strategies that will be the focus for the government over the next 12 months are highlighted with a checkmark.” Clearly, a comprehensive workforce strategy should have a check mark on it because one of the four mandates that the Premier gave this minister when he was appointed is to develop a comprehensive workforce strategy.

I can’t explain the lack of a check mark, but I can assure you that my marching orders and my report card will be based on achieving a portion of that mandate on a timely basis. What interests the boss fascinates me. It’s extremely important for us as we move forward to deal with the workforce issues. I mean, we could dump out workforce strategies. That’s not to say that nothing has happened on develop- ing and recruiting a new workforce, but what we are trying to accomplish is a comprehensive workforce strategy that deals with retention, deals with recruitment, deals with repatriation.

The concept of the workforce strategy that it is in development. It’s not that it’s on hold; it’s in development. On April 13 we had a summit with a number of stakeholder groups to test run some of the concepts that had been put forward in a workforce strategy and got some excellent feedback from them. We’re waiting for the report – I should have had it yesterday, I think, or today – from that summit to say: “Are we on the right track?

Did we get it right, or are there some adjustments we need to make?” We need to put a policy framework around it. 3:00 Clearly, there are a number of things – and the hon. member questioned me about a number of those things in the House the other day – with respect to valuing our existing workforce, making sure that we look at the issues around health status and workplace safety so that we don’t have 593 person-years of nursing lost to back strain, so that we reduce the stress level so that we have more productivity but also so that we expand the scopes of practice and the functional practice of health care professionals and technologists so that they can truly use all of their capabilities and expertise in their job, hopefully making their jobs a lot more interesting, making it a lot more exciting to come to work and actually being more productive.

So there are a number of issues around workforce strategy. It’s not just as simple as saying that we need more. Of course we need more, and we’ll also be recruiting. So we’re recruiting internal to Alberta in terms of building cap acity in the advanced education system to train more health care professionals as well as recruiting internationally to those places who have extra. Obviously, we don’t want to be going out stealing other people’s health care professionals when they need them as well, but there are places in the world where we can get extra people.

That in itself is a very critical element because the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry needs to work with the federal government to achieve the ability to actually bring them in more quickly than we’ve had the capability of doing in the past in getting the applications processed and that sort of thing. So there are a number of intricate strategies involved in the workforce strategy. The hon. member will see it, I trust, very, very soon because we’re at sort of the final stages of bringing it through development.

We’ll take it through our policy process very quickly, and I hope to have it available for public consumption and comment quickly after that. The $30 million that the hon. member mentioned is in EII’s budget as seed money for this strategy. It was put in EII’s budget because we have three ministries doing co-ordinated work on the workforce strategy: Advanced Education and Technology, Health and Wellness, and Employment, Immigration and Industry.

Employment, Immigration and Industry has overall responsibility for workforce strategy, so it was felt appropriate to put the money there, but the three ministries will work on where the money should be applied with respect to the strategies that are coming forward. Ms Blakeman: Thank you. Well, the minister can understand my caution – may I say skepticism – because I faced a similar minister a year ago and was told to expect the health workforce strategy imminently. Actually, there was a date made. So I hear that the work has gone on.

I fear that time was lost, as we saw in many departments, because everything sort of came to a halt when the leadership race was on because nobody knew quite what to do. But I’m still not getting an exact date from the minister. “Soon,” I hear him say. “Soon” isn’t the time I was looking for, but maybe I can coax something a bit more definite out of him. He’s touched on some of the issues that I’m going to ask specific questions on. I’m looking for a bit more detail on how the ministry

Alberta Hansard May 2, 2007776 of health is collaborating with the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Industry and Advanced Education to recruit and train health professionals. Everybody says that that’s going to happen, that it is happening. But exactly what are the details on how that’s being laid out? For example, what targets have been set for recruiting new health professionals? What targets have been set for training health professionals within Alberta? How were these targets set or arrived at?

Has this minister of health provided the minister of advanced education with a detailed list of how many health professionals we need to educate, train, and certify in different areas? Again, we’re dealing with physicians, and even inside that there are different kinds of physicians, obviously, registered nurses, allied health professionals, LPNs, et cetera. All of those questions are applicable for both new professionals and for international medical graduates. So those are some of the specifics that I’m looking for about that collaboration. I’ll let the minister answer that. Mr. Hancock: Thank you. Mr.

Chairman, the questions are important ones because they help frame a very important piece of this discussion. While the hon. member may be skeptical when I say this, it’s not about the numbers. If you start with the numbers, you end up having arguments over what numbers there are. What we really need to do is to start looking at the workforce of the future in health.

If we’re going to focus on wellness, if we’re going to focus on health status, if we’re going to change the methodology of delivery to better team approaches and primary care networks and other ways of using teams of medical professionals to assist Albertans to be responsible for their own health, then setting specific targets for a specific health care professional specialty or subspecialty becomes counterproductive. We can argue about whether we need 1,100 new doctors or 1,200 new doctors or 1,500 new doctors or 400 new doctors. We agree that we need new doctors.

What I really would like to see is for doctors to work more productively by working with other health care professionals and shift in the atmosphere from bein g acute care specialists to being people who assist with wellness. So part and parcel of the whole strategy concept is that we have to change the way we think as health care professionals. I don’t want to pick on doctors; there may be other areas in the system. But we need to change the way we think.

So if it was just a workforce plan that was built around specific numbers, then we would spend more time, as has been spent in the past, arguing about how many. We know that we need more doctors and particularly family practitioners, so we need to work on strategies relative to increasing the number of physicians that go into the family practice area and general practice area. We know that we need more nurses, but we also know that we need more personal care attendants. So we need more in every area, and we’re going to go out and recruit. That work hasn’t stopped b ecause we’re developing a strategy.

There have been co-ordinated missions, for example, to Britain. Health authorities have gone together, and the Minister of Employ- ment, Immigration and Industry has recently been. So that work is ongoing. We didn’t sort of park everything while we were writing a strategy. There are certain things that needed to be done, and they’re obvious. They’re ongoing, and they’re going to be done.

We are working very collaboratively on developing the workforce strategy so that we’re working with, for example, Advanced Education and Technology not just in terms of how many more spaces in nursing programs and where but in terms of what can Advanced Education and Technology do with respect to bridging programs so that medical professionals from other areas who might need some supplementary courses can get those and not, as they’ve experienced in the past, go back to the very beginning and start again, which we know isn’t really possible.

So looking at other ways that Advanced Education can work with the colleges and universities to do the credentialing that’s necessary in terms of getting foreign-trained professionals licensed for the job by helping to evaluate what their talents are and what the gaps, if any, are that need to be filled in.

So working with Employment, Immigration and Industry on the co-ordination of recruitments so that we can have common recruiting missions to, perhaps, Britain where there currently is an excess of health care professionals or to other areas of the world where there are identified populations which may want to be here.

That’s important, but another piece of the work with Employment, Immigration and Industry, of course, is to work with the federal government to make sure that we can bring in those that we need both in terms of identifying their appropriate credentials but also using the provincial nominee program or other methodologies to be able to get them in because one of the big problems right now is that there are lots of people who want to come, but there’s lag time in terms of getting them in. We’re also working to use

part 5 designations, for example, to allow health care professionals to come in and practise, but there need to be ways for them to then expand beyond their

part 5 designation into a full scope of practice. So there are a number of different ways in which the three departments can work very well together on not only developing the strategy but implementing the pieces of the strategy sometimes each within our own department and sometimes on a collaborative basis. Ms Blakeman: I agree, and I agree with the policy direction that the minister is outlining because I think that is where we need to go. It isn’t necessarily about more people. It’s about how we use the time. I mean, doctors are trained to do very, very specific things.

Again, to choose doctors, not to pick on them but as an example, they’re trained to do very specific things, but we now have them filling out forms and doling out advice and all kinds of other things that may not be part of their job exactly, but they’re doing it. If we can have them work more as part of a team with other health professionals, basically if you can save 20 per cent of their time when it doesn’t require a doctor to be doing it, you’ve in essence created 20 per cent more doctors right there. So it isn’t necessarily about the people.

I spent 10 years on Public Accounts, and that’s all about measure- ment and accountability. So if you are not looking at setting specific targets of numbers with this sort of longer term policy that you’ve got happening, how are you going to measure success? Or how do you measure incremental movement if you’re not using hard numbers on things? So I’ll leave that with you. 3:10 I just want to get in the piece as well about world recruitment and retention of health workers, which you’ve sort of touched on. I’m curious.

I note that on page 202 of the estimates book, under 2.0.7, the rural physician action plan has had no increase in funding, yet that’s one of the areas that we’re seeing really in need of particular attention. I’m wondering why that choice was made: to not increase the budget for that rural physician action plan. The second question I have there is with the clinical stabilization initiative. Is that part of the negotiation that happened with the AMA? Is that the fund that’s covering the office rent and things? It’s 2.0.5 on page 202, clinical stabilization initiative.

I think that’s about the AMA negotiation, but I just wanted to clarify that. I’m also wo

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20070502
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L26 S3 20070502 1300 01 han.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	60bfc96d2775434146723e49b4f8fdd59e42e0e9

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