Province of Alberta The 28th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Thursday, April 17, 2014 Issue 20 The Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 28th Legislature Second Session Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Speaker Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont (PC), Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Jablonski, Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Deputy Chair of Committees Allen, Mike, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (Ind) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie (W), Official Opposition House Leader Anglin, Joe, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre (

W) Barnes, Drew, Cypress-Medicine Hat (

W) Bhardwaj, Hon. Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Hon. Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Greenway (PC) Bikman, Gary, Cardston-Taber-Warner (

W) Bilous, Deron, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (ND) Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Liberal Opposition House Leader Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Hon. Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Government House Leader Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort (PC) Casey, Ron, Banff-Cochrane (PC) Cusanelli, Christine, Calgary-Currie (PC) Dallas, Hon. Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Hon. Jonathan, QC, Calgary-Acadia (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Donovan, Ian, Little Bow (

W) Dorward, David C., Edmonton-Gold Bar (PC), Deputy Government Whip Drysdale, Hon. Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Eggen, David, Edmonton-Calder (ND), New Democrat Opposition Whip Fawcett, Hon. Kyle, Calgary-Klein (PC) Fenske, Jacquie, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (

W) Fox, Rodney M., Lacombe-Ponoka (

W) Fraser, Hon. Rick, Calgary-South East (PC) Fritz, Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC) Goudreau, Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley (PC) Griffiths, Hon. Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC) Hale, Jason W., Strathmore-Brooks (

W) Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Premier Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Horne, Hon. Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-St. Albert (PC) Hughes, Ken, Calgary-West (PC) Jansen, Hon. Sandra, Calgary-North West (PC) Jeneroux, Matt, Edmonton-South West (PC) Johnson, Hon. Jeff, Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater (PC) Johnson, Linda, Calgary-Glenmore (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL), Liberal Opposition Whip Kennedy-Glans, Donna, QC, Calgary-Varsity (Ind) Khan, Stephen, St. Albert (PC) Klimchuk, Hon.

Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC) Kubinec, Maureen, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock (PC) Lemke, Ken, Stony Plain (PC) Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Luan, Jason, Calgary-Hawkwood (PC) Lukaszuk, Hon. Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND), Leader of the New Democrat Opposition McAllister, Bruce, Chestermere-Rocky View (

W) McDonald, Everett, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC) McIver, Hon. Ric, Calgary-Hays (PC) McQueen, Hon. Diana, Drayton Valley-Devon (PC) Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (ND), New Democrat Opposition House Leader Oberle, Hon. Frank, Peace River (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Olesen, Cathy, Sherwood Park (PC) Olson, Hon. Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (PC) Pedersen, Blake, Medicine Hat (

W) Quadri, Sohail, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Quest, Hon. Dave, Strathcona-Sherwood Park (PC) Redford, Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC) Rodney, Hon. Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rowe, Bruce, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (

W) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC) Saskiw, Shayne, Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills (W), Official Opposition Whip Scott, Hon. Donald, QC, Fort McMurray-Conklin (PC) Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (AL), Leader of the Liberal Opposition Smith, Danielle, Highwood (W), Leader of the Official Opposition Starke, Hon. Dr. Richard, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC) Stier, Pat, Livingstone-Macleod (

W) Strankman, Rick, Drumheller-Stettler (

W) Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL) Towle, Kerry, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (W), Official Opposition Deputy Whip VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC), Government Whip Weadick, Hon. Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (Ind) Wilson, Jeff, Calgary-Shaw (W), Official Opposition Deputy House Leader Woo-Paw, Hon.

Teresa, Calgary-Northern Hills (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) Young, Steve, Edmonton-Riverview (PC) Party standings: Progressive Conservative: 58 Wildrose: 17 Alberta Liberal: 5 New Democrat: 4 Independent: 3 Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly W.J. David McNeil, Clerk Robert H.

Reynolds, QC, Law Clerk/ Director of Interparliamentary Relations Shannon Dean, Senior Parliamentary Counsel/Director of House Services Stephanie LeBlanc, Parliamentary Counsel and Legal Research Officer Fiona Vance, Sessional Parliamentary Counsel Nancy Robert, Research Officer Philip Massolin, Manager of Research Services Brian G. Hodgson, Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Caughell, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon H. Munk, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Janet Schwegel, Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard

Executive Council Dave Hancock Premier, President of Executive Council, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education Naresh Bhardwaj Associate Minister – Services for Persons with Disabilities Manmeet Singh Bhullar Minister of Human Services Robin Campbell Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Cal Dallas Minister of Internationa l and Intergovernmental Relations Jonathan Denis Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Wayne Drysdale Minister of Transportation Kyle Fawcett Associate Minister – Recovery and Reconstruction for Southwest Alberta Rick Fraser Associate Minister – Public Safety Associate Minister – Recovery and Reconstruction for High River Doug Griffiths Minister of Service Alberta Fred Horne Minister of Health Doug Horner President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Sandra Jansen Associate Minister – Family and Community Safety Jeff Johnson Minister of Education, Minist erial Liaison to the Canadian Forces Heather Klimchuk Minister of Culture Thomas Lukaszuk Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Ric McIver Minister of Infrastructure Diana McQueen Minister of Energy Frank Oberle Minister of Aboriginal Relations Verlyn Olson Minister of Agri culture and Rural Development Dave Quest Associate Minister – Seniors Dave Rodney Associate Minister – Wellness Donald Scott Associate Minister – Account ability, Transparency and Transformation Richard Starke Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Greg Weadick Associate Minister – Recovery and Reconstruction for Southeast Alberta Teresa Woo-Paw Associate Minister – Inte rnational and Intergovernmental Relations

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Chair: Mr. Amery Deputy Chair: Mr. Fox Dorward Eggen Hehr Kubinec Lemke Luan McDonald Pastoor Quadri Rogers Rowe Sarich Stier Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Chair: Mr. Casey Deputy Chair: Mrs. Jablonski Amery Barnes Dorward Eggen Khan Sandhu Sherman Select Special Ethics Commissioner Search Committee Chair: Mr. Rogers Deputy Chair: Mr.

Quadri Blakeman Eggen Goudreau Lemke Leskiw McDonald Saskiw Standing Committee on Families and Communities Chair: Ms Olesen Deputy Chair: Mrs. Forsyth Cusanelli DeLong Fenske Fritz Jablonski Jeneroux Leskiw McAllister Notley Pedersen Sandhu Swann VanderBurg Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Chair: Mr. Jeneroux Deputy Chair: Mr. McDonald Bikman Blakeman Brown DeLong Eggen Leskiw Quadri Wilson Young Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Chair: Mr. Zwozdesky Deputy Chair: Mr. VanderBurg Casey Forsyth Fritz Johnson, L.

Kubinec Mason McDonald Sherman Towle Standing Committee on Private Bills Chair: Mr. Xiao Deputy Chair: Mrs. Leskiw Allen Brown Cusanelli DeLong Fenske Fritz Jablonski Notley Olesen Rowe Stier Strankman Swann Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Chair: Ms Kubinec Deputy Chair: Mr. Rogers Calahasen Casey Kang Khan Luan Notley Olesen Pastoor Pedersen Saskiw VanderBurg Wilson Young Standing Committee on Public Accounts Chair: Mr. Anderson Deputy Chair: Mr.

Dorward Allen Amery Barnes Bilous Donovan Fenske Hehr Khan Luan Pastoor Sandhu Sarich Young Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship Chair: Mr. Khan Deputy Chair: Mr. Anglin Allen Bikman Bilous Blakeman Brown Calahasen Casey Goudreau Hale Johnson, L. Webber Xiao Young

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 505 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Thursday, April 17, 2014 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, 2014 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Thank you. Hon. members, let us pray. Dear Lord, may our spoken prayers be answered for those who cannot speak for themselves, and may our actions be of help for those who cannot act on their own. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Decore. Mrs. Sarich: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This is a significant year for the Canadian armed forces, and we join all Canadians to extend our deepest gratitude for their courag e and sacrifice to protect our freedom and the freedom of others. It is my distinct honour and privilege to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all Members of the Legislative Assemb ly 10 representatives from the highly honoured Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, fondly known as Patricias, here in recognition of 100 years of contribution to the defence and security of Canada in war and peacetime. My honoured guests are seated in your gallery, Mr.

Speaker, and thank you very much for that honour.

I would ask that they please rise and remain standing as I introduce each of them: Lieutenant Colonel Nick Grimshaw, commanding officer of 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry and chairman of the Regimental Executive Committee; Master Warrant Officer Gordon George, quartermaster sergeant instructor for 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry; Major Harpal Mandahar, project director, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry 100th anniversary; Warrant Officer Chris Durette, sergeant major for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Li ght Infantry 100th anniversary office; Master Warrant Officer Curtis Hollister, sergeant major B company, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry; Sergeant Shelldon Hawman,

section commander, A company, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry; Master Corporal Byron Crowhurst, weapons detachment commander, C company, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry; Corporal Brent Baron, light armoured vehicle driver for the commanding officer, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Li ght Infantry; Corporal Kevin Koldeweihe, storeman, recce pl atoon, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry. Also, Mr.

Speaker, in the spirit of the Patricia’s slogan, Always a Patricia, I introduce Sergeant Major Tim Turner, former member, 1st Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, currently serving in the Premier’s executive protection unit. I would now ask that the Assembly join me in honouring my guests. [Standing ovation] The Speaker: Thank you, and welcome. The hon. Member for Calgary-West. Mr. Hughes: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m very pleased to have the opportunity today to introduce or, perhaps more correctly, reintroduce to you and through you to all members of this House a person who has made an impor tant commitment to renew democracy in the House of Commons. He is the former MLA for Calgary-West, former Minister of Education, former minister of health and wellness, former Minister of Energy, and former Minister of Finance. Last w eekend he won, by a landslide, reportedly, a hard-fought nomination campaign for the federal constituency of Calgary Signal Hill.

He is a spirited Albertan, an opinionated contributor, who may we ll have eloquently, verbally sparred with nearly everyone in this House at one time or another. We are confident that he will be representing Albertans effectively in Ottawa. Please welcome Ron Liepert, now standing in the members’ gallery. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Member for St. Albert, followed by Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock. Mr. Khan: Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker.

I am so very pleased to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a group of absolutely incredible and energetic kids from one of my very favourite school s, Leo Nickerson elementary school, from my constituency in St. Albert. Leo Nickerson is an incredible school – both of my children are proud alumni of Leo Nickerson elementary school – and accompanying them today are some incredible, amazing educators: Laura Banu; Marin Thomas, also affectionately known as M lle Thomas; and Ben Schepens.

They are seated in the members’ gallery, and I would ask that the students and teachers from Leo Nickerson plea se rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, followed by Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills. Ms Kubinec: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all the members of the Assembly l’école Citadelle elementary school from Legal, located not too far north of here in my constituency of Barrhead- Morinville-Westlock. They are accompanied by their teacher, M.

Chris Page, and a parent helper , Melanie Thibault. I would ask that they all rise and receive the traditional warm greeting of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills, followed by Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. Mr. Saskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to rise today and introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a fantastic group of students and parents from Plamondon. They are joined today by their teacher, Karen Lavoir, and parent helpers Michelle Ewas kew and Julie Lemieux.

I’d like to ask that they rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. Mrs. Towle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly excited students from Bowden Grandview school. This is the same school that my brother graduated from as well. These 22 grade 6 students are clearly eager to learn all about the Legislature and the democratic process. They’re joined today by two teachers, Ms Tracy Dreher and Ms Brenda Sherwood, and 10 parent helpers.

I’d like to offer them the warm welcome of this Assembly. Please stand and receive this welcome. The Speaker: Are there other school groups? Seeing none, let’s move on with other important guests, starting with the Associate Minister of Wellness.

506 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 Mr. Rodney: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Apri l is Daffodil Month, a time when Albertans unite in the fight against cancer. We wear yellow daffodils to raise awareness for those who are affected by cancer. Prevention is crucial in the fight against cancer and starts with a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, healthy food choices, and staying tobacco free. With us today are some very special guests, who have joined us in recognition of this important initiative, and I would ask them to rise as I state their names: Dr.

John Mercer, who has over 30 year s of experience as a cancer researcher and is currently a professor on the faculty of medicine at the U of A; as well as Angeline Webb, a policy analyst who has worked for the Canadian Cancer Society for 10 years; and then Tim Buckland, a truly inspiration al Albertan. He’s a three-time cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 18 and two times at the age of 21. He underwent three surgeries, four months of chemotherapy, and was pronounced cancer free seven years ago this April. Wouldn’t you know it? He now works for the Canadian Cancer Society.

I would ask all of our members to extend a very warm welcome to all of our visitors here. 1:40 The Speaker: The Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Dr. Starke: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it’s a great honour for me to introduce two people that are very special to me. Some 34 years back, in veterinary school, I was Charlie Brown, and she was the little red-headed girl. Mr. Quest: And she pulled the football away? Dr. Starke: She did pull the football away more than once, but that was Lucy. In any case, Mr.

Speaker, since that time she’s become my wife, my business partner, my confidante, the mother to my two sons. She’s done that for nearly 30 years and for that probably should receive some sort of recognition. My wife, Alison. Mr. Speaker, the other person I’ve only known for, actually, a couple of years, but over that period of time she’s become a good friend and a trusted adviser. I know that she’s been that to many people who’ve passed through this august Chamber in her nearly three decades of dedicated public service to the people of Alberta. That period of public service comes to a conclusion today.

I will tell you that it has been my pleasure to work with her, and I know that she will do well regardless of what she goes into next although I know what it is. I’m now going to ask my chief of staff, Tammy Forbes, and my wife, Alison Starke, to please stop planning what I’m to do next and stand up and receive the recognition of the House. The Speaker: Are there others? The hon. Member for Calgary - Mountain View. Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s also with a mix of joy and sadness that I want to introduce my executive assistant from Calgary, Jenna Shummoogum, and her mother, Jaya.

Jenna has been with me for three years, has been stalwart and energetic, artistic, passionate about her work. She’s now moving on to even greater work with another poverty group, the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association. I’d like them to both stand and get the appropriate response. The Speaker: Are there others? The hon. Member for Calgary - Shaw. Mr. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly Mr. Bruce Kyereh-Addo, who is a researcher with our caucus, and his lovely companion.

Bruce has added great value to our team, and we appreciate him being here to watch the proceedings of the House today. Please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome. Thank you. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: Hon. members, you have two minutes each. Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry 100th Anniversary Mrs. Sarich: Mr. Speaker, it’s my honour and privilege to rise today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Their service has been integral to every 20th-century war and military conflict in which Canada has participated, including notorious World War I battles such as Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele; battlefronts in Sicily, Italy, and western Europe in World War II; Korea and Germany, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; United Nations’ peace- keeping operations; Yugoslavia; and Afghanistan.

Named for Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of Prince Arthur, Governor General of Canada, the regiment was raised in 1914 in Ottawa and 100 years later serves with an unchanged mission, to provide an excellent infantry regiment for service to Canada. The regiment is composed of three regular force battalions and a reserve battalion, three of which are located in Edmonton.

The colonel -in-chief of the Patricias is former Governor General of Canada the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, companion of the Order of Canada, commander of the Order of Military Merit, commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Canadian Forces Decoration, who in 2007 became the first Canadian installed to this position. With regret more than 1,850 Patricias have fallen in service, indeed the ultimate sacrifice. The renowned regiment has received numerous battle honours and exemplifies their unofficial motto of First in the Field. Mr.

Speaker, I wish to extend m y heartfelt gratitude to the families, who were kissed goodbye and left miles behind but whose sustaining presence was carried onto foreign soil in the hearts and memories of the regiment. It is with sincere admiration that I commend the valour of the Patr icias, the sacrifices and achievements made by those who have served and continue to serve during times of war and peace, creating an enduring legacy of military professionalism, courage, distinction, and honour. Congratulations, Patricias, on your 100th anniversary. God bless. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by Edmonton- Riverview. Women’s Equality Rights Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Mid -April has two special meanings for me. One is Law Day, as celebrated by the bar associations across Canada. It was on April 17, 1982, that Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau – yes – signed the Charter, thereby guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms for all Canadians.

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 507 Now, in honour of this miles tone the Canadian Bar Association introduced Law Day in 1983 as a means to commemorate the event and educate the public about the legal system. The Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association works in co-operation with and with funding from the Alberta Law Foundation and the Law Society to organize events across the province, including in courthouses in Calgary, Edmonton, Drumheller, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Wetaskiwin, and St. Paul.

Members of this House and anyone who gets within 10 feet of me will hear how important it is for every woman and for every other group that has systemically experienced discrimination to have

section 15 and

section 28 of the Charter. This is a sacred day for me. On April 19, 1916, A lberta passed

An Act to Provide for Equal Suffrage, which gave white women the right to vote in Alberta. Women of colour had to wait for some time, and aboriginal women didn’t get the vote until the 1960s. So two days on the calendar, two critically impor tant days for women in Alberta and Canada. I need to take this opportunity to thank LEAF, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. The founding mothers of this organization pounded the halls of Canada’s Parliament to make sure that women and others got those equality rights. They wouldn’t have had them otherwise.

They badgered, cajoled, argued, yelled, and sweet-talked every parliamentarian into it. This is a good time to make a donation, a big one, to the organization in your life who upholds your equality rights. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Edmonton -Riverview, followed by Whitecourt-Ste. Anne. Alzheimer’s Face Off Hockey Tournament Mr. Young: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend I took

part in the 2014 Alzheimer’s Face Off in t he beautiful city of Leduc. Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that affects men and women of all races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is not a normal part of aging. No one is immune. Symptoms include having difficulty remembering things, making decisions, and performing everyday activities. These changes can affect the way a person feels and acts. There is currently no way to stop the disease, but research is improving the way we provide care, and we’ll continue to search for a cure. Mr.

Speaker, the continued search for a cure could not occur without events and initiatives like the Alzheimer’s Face Off. The Face Off tournament saw teams paired with former NHL players such as Theo Fleury, Marty McSorley, Sean Brown, and others. This weeken d also included a Face Off luncheon with hockey legends Frank Mahovlich, Garry Unger, Paul Coffey, and Alex Delvecchio. I’d like to acknowledge Greg Christenson for his incredible efforts in making this happen. Even more than his hockey prowess, Greg was a major fundraiser that put our team in a position to acquire Russ Courtnall as our NHL draft player.

Our team, the NHL All-Stars, was very well managed by our bench boss. That would be you, Mr. Speaker. Along with myself and the Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne and former MLA Art Johnston, we put in a gritty effort on the ice. Mr. Speaker, this event raised $1.2 million for Alzheimer’s. I would like to send a big thank you to all the volunteers and players who helped to raise these much -needed funds for a great cause. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: Thank you, hon. members. We’ll commence in just a second.

A reminder that you have 35 seconds for the questions, 35 seconds for the answers. Let’s be mindful of civility and decorum today, please. Let’s start with the hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. 1:50 Public Service Pensions Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, the PC government has once again resorted to bullying our public-sector unions rather than negotiating in good faith.

Instead of getting a deal on pension reforms through tough but fair negotiations with union leaders, the PCs are again bringing down the legislative hammer, potentially smashing apart pension arrangements that thousands of Alberta front -line workers have built their future plans on. To the F inance minister: does he not see that these heavy-handed tactics will make future negotiations even harder? Mr. Horner: Actually, Mr. Speaker, contrary to the hon. member opposite, who doesn’t believe in defined benefit plans, we actually want to maintain the pension promise of the defined benefit plan.

That’s what we talked about to all of the plan board members in July of 2012 and have been talking to them ever since July of 2012. The AUPE, or the union leadership, are not the members that are on the plan boards. The plan boards are the people that we have been talking to because they represent the members of the pensions. She would do well to learn that. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, we fully support sustainable, defined pension plans. The government is fond of stating that pension plans as they’re structured are unaffordable and that changes must be made, but that point is certainly up for debate.

Recent reports by credible firms have cast doubt on the government’s position, and even the intergovernmental affairs minister has said that the problem will solve itself. To the Finance minister: why is this government forging ahead with these changes when the jury is still out on whether they’re actually needed? Mr. Horner: Well, Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General beli eves that they’re needed; the actuaries believe that they’re needed. In fact, the plan boards themselves, even on the LAPP website, still suggest that there is unsustainability in the plan that needs to be addressed. Mr. Speaker, the other thing.

The Twit ter piece here is really quite interesting because the hon. Leader of the Official Opposition on Twitter in May 2012 actually said, and I quote: we will not support a defined benefit pension plan. So I guess they’re changing because they think there are vo tes there or something. Unbelievable. Ms Smith: I think that was that we would not support a defined benefit pension plan for MLAs when they were trying to . . . [interjections] Albertans are simply no longer getting good, honest government from this tired PC dynasty.

As if their reckless approach to bills 45 and 46 wasn’t enough, they’re now going for broke with these premature and unnecessary changes to pension plans that will impact 200,000 workers. The Wildrose would repeal Bill 45 and

508 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 Bill 46, and if the PCs keep it up on Bill 9, we’ll repeal that one, too. To the Premier: will he put the brakes on these pension changes and once and for all concede that the . . . The Speaker: Thank you, hon. member. Mr. Horner: Well, Mr. Speaker, again, it just goes to show that they’re going to say that they’re going to repeal whatever will get them votes.

Unfortunately, even their Finance critic said: around the world pensions are going bankrupt, and so if we don’t do something, we’d better do some better accounting on how we’re going to pay for this one; that’s what we risk. The point that I am driving at here is that this government is actually saying that we want to do something to save the pensions for the future employees of this government, for future Albertans. The changes we’re making are modest. All of the other pensions across the country are doing similar things or even more drastic things.

We have been communicating with plan members to say that this is to save the pension promise. The Speaker: Thank you. Hon. leader, the second main set of questions. Ms Smith: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. They should be respecting contracts and negotiating fairly. Former Premier’s Travel to Jasper Ms Smith: On Friday, June 28, 2013, the cabinet declared its first-ever provincial s tate of emergency to deal with the High River flood. That same day the former Premier went to Jasper to stay at a luxury resort for the weekend. That weekend was when residents of High River first got to see how devastated their town was.

Hundreds of dedic ated government workers, including a few cabinet ministers, were struggling to get the first of the residents of High River back into their homes. Who was the Premier meeting with in Jasper while this was going on? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, if my recollection serves me correctly, that’s exactly the same question the hon. member asked yesterday, and I’d give her exactly the same answer. Well, probably not exactly the same answer because I can’t remember my answer. I wasn’t listening to it. Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the former Premier did a lot of work on that flight.

She was everywhere on that flight. She was very, very much leading this government in assuring Albertans that their interests would be taken care of with resp ect to the damages that they sustained in that flood, and many of the rest of us were on the ground doing the same thing. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, Albertans know that you shouldn’t use taxpayer dollars for personal gain. If the former Premier really had meetings in Jasper that weekend, then there is no issue, but if there were no meetings, then it appears that taxpayer dollars were used for a personal vacation, and that is not acceptable.

In fact, it’s also illegal. Is the Premier covering up misconduct by re fusing to tell Albertans what the former Premier was doing in Jasper that weekend? Mr. Hancock: Mr.

Speaker, throwing out wild accusations may be what this hon. member considers to be good opposition or good government, but it’s not what the people of Albe rta expect from her or from anyone else in opposition. [interjection] There are many real, important issues to be discussed for this province, but she can make up things, taking one set of facts, make up some allegations, and then ask us to go and look and tell her what the answers behind them are. What was the Premier doing on June 15 of last year? [interjection] What was she doing on June 1 of last year? Mr.

Speaker, it’s not for me to go and look back at the calendar every day to satisfy her curiosity. The Speaker: Hon. Member for Edmonton -Centre, hon. Member for Airdrie, I see your names on the list. I’d be happy to leave them on the list. I’d be happy to withdraw them. If you continue to interrupt, I will. Let’s go on with your second supplemental, please. Ms Smith: Yes, it is. If this Premier knows something untoward has happened, he owes it to Albertans to tell them. Not telling them is tantamount to covering it up.

If this Premier refuses to answer, we will have no choice but to ask the RCMP to inv estigate whether taxpayer dollars were used to pay for a Jasper resort vacation for the former Premier. This Premier can clear the air right now. Did the former Premier actually have any legitimate business to justify being in Jasper at taxpayers’ expense that weekend? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I have already advised the House that I have no information with respect to that, and I’m not about to scurry and get information with respect to that.

The Auditor General is looking into the travel policy and the ex pense policy and has access to all the information and will report in due course. What I do know of that weekend is that there was somebody who was getting in the way of the law, and that was that hon. member, who refused to be evacuated from High River at a very serious time, setting a very bad example for her constituents. The Speaker: A point of order from Airdrie has been noted at 1:58. Thank you. Let’s go on. Third main set of questions. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Mr. Anderson: You’re going to defend her to the ground?

Like, what are you doing, Premier? The Speaker: Hon. Member for Airdrie, I’ve given the floor to your leader. Mr. Anderson: The Premier is talking, too. The Speaker: Hon. Member for . . . Mr. Anderson: The Premier is talking, too. The Speaker: Hon. Member for . . . Mr. Anderson: And you work both ways, not just one way. Speaker’s Ruling Interrupting a Member The Speaker: Hon. Member for Airdrie, please. I’m trying to talk to you, and I don’t appreciate your indigna tion at the moment. I understand who was giving an answer, and I saw who was interrupting, and it was you. Then the bantering started.

I’m going to you first, and I’ll ask the Premier also the same. Please, we have 35 seconds for a question; we have 35 seconds for an answer. Let’s show some respect for each other and, in particular, for your own leader from the Wildrose.

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 509 Hon. Member for Highwood, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, you have the floor for your third and final main set of questions. FOIP Request Process Ms Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Premier was asked about the process by which freedom of information requests are reviewed and vetted by his ministry. When asked to confirm that there was no political interference in inf ormation requests, he commented that the Deputy Minister of Executive Council reviewed them as a matter of efficiency. Can the Premier explain how this is done? Mr. Hancock: Mr.

Speaker, I did inquire, actually. What I’m advised is that there was some time ago a FOIP request for all of the headlines of all of the ARs in government. Now, I’m not sure the people who made that request understand how many perhaps millions of documents that might be across government and various departments. So the executive head of government, the Deputy Minister of Executive Council, requested the FOIP co- ordinators across government to do a co-ordinated approach with respect to that and to ensure that there were no cabinet documents being released as part of that request, a perfectly appropriate exercise.

Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, we now know that the Premier’s office is creating weekly FOIP

summary reports. The Premier was also asked: who sees these reports? Is it the Premier, another minister, or their political staff, and what exactly are they shown? Now, the Premier didn’t actually answer that question. Are there any cabinet ministers or their political staff reviewing the list of freedom of information requests from the media or the opposition parties? 2:00 Mr. Hancock: Not to my knowledge, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we don’t even know who has actually made a FOIP request because that information is not available. I’m not aware of any cabinet minister who reviews the weekly report.

That is an administrative function. There is a proc ess by which the deputy minister of Executive Council has asked for a co -ordination of certain types of FOIP requests so that there can be a common dissemination of information in an appropriate manner and a co- ordination of the way in which those requests are handled. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, it comes down to this. Freedom of information exists to prevent the government from suppressing damaging information about their mistakes.

The process is supposed to work free of political interference; however, it appe ars that the cabinet has found ways to insert themselves in it. Will the Premier assure us that no one in his cabinet is undermining the integrity and independence of the freedom of information process? Mr. Hancock: Yes, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by Edmonton- Highlands-Norwood. Environmental Agency Appointment Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. One of the first points of order I argued in this House was against the former environment ministe r Dr.

Lorne Taylor for calling me a water witch. I won. He withdrew and apologized. Now I’m shaking my head. He has been appointed as the chair of the industry -funded, now responsible for it all Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency. It’s irony, old boys’ club, and a Hail Mary pass all wrapped into one. To the minister of environment: did the minister not understand the optics of appointing a Tory insider – that Tory insider – who actively campaigned against . . . The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. minister. Mr. Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No, I don’t have any issue with the fact that Dr. Lorne Taylor was made chairman of the board. It was an open competition. He went through an interview process like everybody else did. I lo ok at the chair and vice-chair of the board, I look at the members that we’ve just appointed, and we have a world-class board that will provide world-class results and monitoring as well. The Speaker: First supplemental. Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much. Back to the same minister.

Given that a lot of damage can be done to Alberta’s environmental image in a year – think dead ducks – I’m wondering if the minister intends to stand behind Dr. Taylor for the requested year he’s asked for, no matter what happens. Mr. Campbell: Well, Mr. Speaker, what Dr. Taylor said, you know, was to judge him after a year, after we’ve had a chance to do some work with the board. I can tell you that the environment is very important to this government. It’s about market access, getting our products to market. We know that the world is watching us. We are continuing to do a better job in environmental monitoring.

We’re continuing to do a better job in reclamation. We continue to do a better job with our First Nat ions and Métis people on this land, basically, to get them involved in monitoring. I am very confident that we will continue to do a good job and that all Albertans will be proud of the environmental record of this government in the coming year. Ms Blakeman: Back to the same minister. Given that the reporting done by Dr.

Taylor as the chair is to the minister and not to the Legislature and is at intervals determined by the minister and given the aforementioned, shall I say, skepticism from me, would the minister agree to implement a quarterly reporting

schedule for the first year and agree to release those reports publicly? Mr. Campbell: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’ll say that any time the hon. member wants to come and talk to me about the environmental monitoring agency, she’s allowed to do so. I’ll sit down and have lunch with her, and we can talk about any questions or any concerns she has. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton- Highlands- Norwood, leader of the ND opposition. Public Service Pensions (continued) Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

One of the hallmarks of this PC government is its habit of walking away from a disagreement and using its legislative power to impose its will. Bills 19, 36, and 50 overrode landowners’ rights; bills 45 and 46 overrode the rights of government employees. Now once again the government is at it. Why are you once again resorting to

510 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 legislation to override the pension rights of Albertans in public service, Mr. Premier? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance. Mr. Horner: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’m going to come back to the discussions that we’ve had with the plan boards dating back to July 2012. We are taking these steps in order to maintain the defined benefit nature of the plans while keeping the contribution rate increases as low as possible.

Even the Auditor General, in Public Accounts, has identified that the contribution rates that our employees currently have are continuing to grow to unacceptable levels. We need to do some things that will be beneficial to the future of the plan. There will continue to be no changes to core benefits, with the same formula continuing based on age . . . The Speaker: Thank you. First supplemental. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, each time this government overrides Albertans’ rights through legislation, it loses a whole schwack of support. Bills 19, 36, and 50: whoosh, there goes the right wing.

Bills 45 and 46: boom, there goes the left wing. Now pension bills 9 and 10: there goes the landing gear . My question is to the Finance minister. How will your government ever make a safe landing if it keeps overriding people’s rights through legislation? Mr. Horner: You know, Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member from the NDP continues to not realize is that we’re also responsible for taxpayers’ rights. We have to make sure that these plans are fair and equitable for our employees, that they are sustainable into the future. The hon. member is exactly right.

This isn’t our money, but we are the trustee of these plans. It’s important that we make sure that they’re sustainable so that employees today, past, and future have those pensions when they need them. The Speaker: Final supplemental, hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I wonder why the Finance minister sees the pensions of its own employees and other public employees as the source of the financial problems of this government instead of the very lo w taxes, instead of all of the waste, instead of all of the fabulous perks and severances and so on for its management employees.

Why are you going after people’s pensions to save money? Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, nothing could be farther from the truth. Ind eed, this is about maintaining a benefit for employees and fairness to the taxpayers, who contribute roughly half of what this is. The hon. member is trying to somehow connect the pensions to our financial situation. The financial situation of this government is very, very strong. We have never said that this was about saving money.

We have always said that this is about saving the defined benefit pension plan for our employees, not going to a DC, which is what the Wildrose has in their preferred budget, and not raising taxes or contribution rates to an unacceptable level, which is what they want. The Speaker: Thank you. Let’s go on with question 6. No lengthy

preambles hereinafter, please. They’re not allowed. Calgary-Varsity, followed by Calgary-Fish Creek. Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources Ms Kennedy-Glans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my time with the Ministry of Energy I learned lots about electricity and also about the potential of renewable energy. I’d like to ask this question of the Minister of Energy. How will your ministry create the conditions for the greening of our electricity grid while at the same time not compromising the market -based electricity system that we have here in Alberta? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs.

McQueen: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for the question. It’s a great question. Certainly, in our energy-only market system, that is working very well for Albertans as well, we’ve seen that more than 45 per cent of the province’s electricity generation capacity comes from alternative and renewable energy sources. We have been working and meeting with the stakeholders to make sure that they, too, can give us their input into this because, first and foremost, it’s important to hear from those stak eholders how they see that we can continue to green the grid. The Speaker: First supplemental.

Ms Kennedy-Glans: Thank you. We need to know more about incentives, but I’d like to talk a little bit more about cogeneration facilities. They provide one-third of our electricity here in Alberta. I’m wondering how the alternative and renewable strategy will allow us to reach the full potential of cogeneration facilities for the benefit of consumers. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Energy. Mrs. McQueen: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I started saying in the last answer, we had the opportunity to bring stakeholders together this week in Calgary and to talk about not just cogeneration but to talk with wind, to talk with solar, to talk with geothermal, all of those and to hear their ideas. Certainly, it’s the first time that that whole group collectively has been brought into the room to really talk about that and hear ideas from each other. That’s what we’re doing right now. Under an energy -only market how do we make sure that we add more alternatives and renewables to the system?

We’re hearing great ideas from them. 2:10 Ms Kennedy-Glans: Given that the minister is reaching out to industry stakeholders, one of the questions I have from my constituents is: when are they going to be seeking public input, particularly consumer input, into this framework? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. McQueen: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now I’m listening to stakeholders from the environmental groups, from the industry groups, from the wind, the solar, the geothermal, all of those groups to hear some ideas from them first. After that, we’ll go out and talk to Albertans.

But, first, what’s important is those with the ideas, those that will do the investment in renewables from all sides, being able to hear from them: what kind of ideas do they have? When we do that and we come with a draft framework, we can actually talk about the things that they have told us. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary Fish-Creek, followed by Red Deer-North.

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 511 Alberta Health Services Consulting Contracts Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we’ve asked dozens of questions about the financial practices of AHS, $250 million here, a billion dollars there, and every time the answers are the same, that they were approved under the former AHS board and that that board has been fired and that AHS has an audit and financial committee that reviews these contracts. Well, it turns out that the chair of the committee is in a bind.

He sat on the former AHS board before he was fired last June, the same board that’s apparently to blame in the first place. How can members of the former board be both the cause of the problem and the solution? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, what an invention. Whoever said that the former board was the cause of the problem?

In fact, if one looks at the $1 billion worth of sole -source contracts, that are so nef arious, one will find that $900 million of that $1 billion was spent on cataract surgery and long -term care, hiring the services that Albertans need and want so that they can get timely access to service, they can get appropriate long -term care, and they can get the things they need for quality of life. Interestingly enough, those contracts adhere to the policy, a procurement policy that was in place, a procurement policy that the Auditor General reviewed, and a new procurement . . . The Speaker: Thank you.

First supplemental. Mrs. Forsyth: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was his Health minister that made the comment last week. You had better read your briefing notes again. Given that the AHS Audit and Finance Committee has the power to conduct or authori ze investigations into any matter within the scope of its responsibilities and the power to retain independent counsel and forensic accountants to assist in the investigation, will the Premier issue a ministerial directive ordering the committee to investigate the consulting and sole -source contracts awarded by AHS? Mr. Hancock: Mr.

Speaker, if this hon. member had been paying attention, she would know that there’s been a sequence of activities by the Auditor General over the years looking exactly at the Alberta Health Services sole- source contract process, making recommendations with respect to that, doing a sampling, as I mentioned in the House previously, with respect to it, finding in fact that the contracts were being awarded in accordance with the policy, and continuing to make recommendations with respect to how they should proceed.

In fact, as a result, I presume, of much of that work, there’s been a new policy put in place, effective April 1, by the AHS executive called the procurement business practices policy and noncompetitive procurement procedure. The Speaker: Thank you. Time is up. I’m sorry. Let’s go on. Mrs. Forsyth: Premier, I had a lot of hopes on you, but gee willikers.

Given that as a result of all efforts to expose the waste and questionable contracting practice at AHS, a spokesperson from AHS is now considering posting all contracts online to show greater accountability to taxpayers, will the Premier tell AHS to post those before we leave this session? Mr. Hancock: Gee willikers. Golly. I’m almost speechless at that. The reality, Mr. Speaker, is that Alberta Health Services is providing health services to Albertans on a daily basis. Can we do a better job? Absolutely. We strive every day to do a better job for Albertans.

But are we providing through Alberta Health Services some of the best health services in the country? Absolutely. And on so many measures it is true. Albertans are well served. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Red Deer -North, followed by Innisfail- Sylvan Lake. Seniors’ Lodges Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of seniors’ lodges in Alberta, some that are owned by the govern- ment and some that are owned by foundations, that need upgrades, renovations, and modernizations. Many are very old, like Autumn Glen Lodge in Innisfail, that is over 50 years old.

It has a needs assessment that makes it clear that it has surpassed its best -before date. Seniors’ lodges are one of very few programs that provide affordable and supportive housing for seniors who do not require continuing care. To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: what grants are available for seniors’ lodge modernizations and rebuilds? The Speaker: The hon. Acting Minister of Municipal Affairs. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise and answer this question.

I just have to thank this member for consistently advocating on behalf of seniors not just in her community but across the province. Thank you so very much. Mr. Speaker, last spring we allocated $31 million to the seniors’ lodge program, that can be used to retrofit or add fire suppression support in the buildings, and in Budget 2014 we’re investing $289 million in capital over three years to renew seniors’ lodges and social housing across the province. The Speaker: First supplemental, hon. member. Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you.

To the same minister: will the government of Alberta continue to support seniors’ lodges, or is its focus now on continuing care facilities? The Speaker: The hon. acting minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you. The Alberta government has dedicated over $150 million towards seniors’ housing across the province, Mr. Speaker. In addition to the $31 million that we talked about last year, we have $88 million that went towards nine lodge redevelopment projects in ’12- 13, and we included $40 million for rural lodges. We’re evaluating all lodges right now and determining priorities.

There will be another $40 million this year dedicated to rural lodge redevelopment. The Speaker: Final supplemental. Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you. To the same minister: is there a capital financing program available for affordable housing that can be used for seniors’ lodges as they’re one of the oldest forms of affordable housing? The Speaker: The hon. acting minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, this government is looking at every possible way that we can support our seniors, our seniors’ housing, and our housing agencies. That’s why recently we approved that Alberta Social Housing

512 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 Corporation now has the authority to lend money to eligible housing providers for various projects that maintain or add Alberta housing supplies. This is a great change. This lending policy will ensure that housing providers and municipalit ies have the financial support they need to forward the lodge projects that are so necessary in their communities. The Speaker: Thank you. PDD Supports Intensity Scale Assessments Mrs. Towle: Service providers and families have long said that the supports intensity scale interview is humiliating.

Here are some of the questions that are asked of clients in the SIS interview. What assistance would you need to have a romantic relationship up to and including an intimate one like other regular people your age? If you were a regular 28 -year-old woman who wanted to take a course, would you need help? Did you ever expose yourself inappropriately? Do you steal? Can the associate minister explain why he is demeaning clients with developmental disabilities by asking them to compare themselves to regular people? Mr. Bhardwaj: Mr.

Speaker, this government is focused on delivering the highest quality of service to Albertans, who can lead fulfilling lives in their communities. I answered this question yesterday. SIS is a tool which is used to make baseline assessments right across the province so we can deliver consistent services regardless of where you live in the province: east, west, north, south. That’s what the SIS tool is all about. Mrs. Towle: “Regular people” is offensive and demeaning.

Given that the person with developmental disabilities is often unable to answer or comprehend the questions so someone is their proxy and given that nonverbal individuals are subjected to these exact same questions and their proxy a nswers for them, how does the associate minister believe that the supports intensity scale assessment is even remotely accurate? Mr. Bhardwaj: Mr. Speaker, SIS is one of the tools which is used to make the assessment to meet the needs of the individual. To meet the needs of an individual, we use their existing support systems in place, their geographical locations.

It’s about their needs, their goals. That’s what this tool is all about. When other people are answering the question or assisting the individua ls, that’s what they’re assisting them with: their guardians, their loved ones helping them to attain the goals that they’re looking for. Mrs. Towle: Mr. Speaker, this minister is supposed to be an advocate.

Given that yesterday the associate minister said that this is only one of the tools, as he has said today – and, clearly, based on this line of questioning, it is so offensive and demeaning to these clients – can the associate minister explain what other tools the PDD ministry is using to assess needs for funding? 2:20 Mr. Bhardwaj: Well, Mr. Speaker, I answered this question in my previous answer. When we’re talking about the funding, we’re looking at the needs of the individual. Their geographical location plays a significant role. Their needs, their aspirations, their goals play a significant role.

Of course, included in all of this is taking all of the services which are required to meet the needs of that individual. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo, followed by Edmonton-Calder. LGBTQ Rights Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s a fair comment that our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Albertans have not always seen this government as being progressive when it comes to advocating for those rights.

I gue ss one small step of progress was taken today in that nine years after the federal government changed the marriage act to recognize that, essentially, you’re allowed to marry in this country whoever you love, this government, I guess, today made some chang es to their Marriage Act. I’d like to ask the Associate Minister of Family and Community Safety why this debate happened today and why she thought . . . The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Ms Jansen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Member for Calgary-Buffalo.

Both he and I share an interest in issues around the LGBT community, and I’m proud to say that this is the first time the minister has had LGBTQ issues in their portfolio. So I’m tremendously proud of that and all of the issues that we ar e able to move forward on and I’m able to move forward on in that capacity. My door is always open when the member has concerns about that community, and I’m happy to answer any questions about that. Mr. Hehr: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I take the minister’s comments at face value, but do you think she’s going to have the same success when she’s talking about LGBTQ rights in terms of changes to Bill 44 on our human rights, especially

section 11.1, which many people in the LGBTQ community found a slap in the face? Ms Jansen: Once again, I thank the member for that question. As I said before, my door is always open to discuss issues that make the LGBT community feel accepted and part of an inclusive Alberta. Thank you for that. Mr. Hehr: Well, Mr. Speaker, a wise woman once said that GSAs are grounded in issues of equal access and accommodation which are firmly established and protected in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To the Associate Minister of Family and Communit y Safety: do you think you’ll be able to talk to your colleagues on that side of the House about the importance of GSAs and bring forward legislation in the upcoming fall session to make these mandatory in all schools in Alberta where kids want them? The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Ms Jansen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and again I thank the member. As he knows, I spoke very passionately about my acceptance of these issues and the passion I felt for Motion 503. I admire him for bringing it up.

I still believe that it is important, and I will always have those discussions with anyone who wants to have them. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder , followed by Cypress-Medicine Hat. Fire Safety in Seniors’ Facilities Mr. Eggen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This January a Quebec seniors’ home caught fire with very tragic consequences. Thirty - two residents died in the blaze. Those that perished lived in an

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 513 older

section of the home built before regulations required the installation of sprinklers. Withou t immediate action, we run a risk of a similar tragedy happening here in this province. To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: how many Alberta seniors are at risk, living in facilities without sprinklers, and what are you going to do about it? The Speaker: The hon. minister responsible for Municipal Affairs. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very important question, and I’d like to thank the member for asking it. We care very deeply about our seniors and the protection of our seniors.

As you know, the rules changed in 1990, and sprinklers were required in all seniors’ facilities, and we have complied with that. We’ve also talked earlier in a question today about money we’ve put into our budget to allow housing authorities to upgrade their facilities because any facility – many of ours were built before 1990, and any of those will not have sprinklers. So we’re working with them to renovate and make sure that happens. Mr.

Eggen: Well, given that in the budget estimates this Minister of Municipal Affairs admitted that “an incredible number” of Alberta’s seniors’ facilities don’t have sprinklers, not safe, and given that in Edmonton the fire chief estimated that at least one- third of seniors’ care homes are unsprinklered, unsafe as well, will this minister, then, please make public the reports of many other fire chiefs and health professionals that have raised concerns about fire safety in seniors’ facilities, and if not, why not? The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We work very closely with our fire services acr oss the province. They’re an important advocate. Fire suppression is not just about sprinklers – it is one part of it – but it’s about manning within the facilities, and we’re looking at that. We’re looking at other types of fire suppression and protection of our vulnerable seniors. What we’re going to do is to continue to put a holistic approach together of how we can both protect seniors in existing facilities and upgrade facilities to take care of some of the concerns we have around our older facilities. The Speaker: Final supplemental. Mr.

Eggen: Well, thanks, Mr. Speaker. Given that other provinces are committing funds directly to fire safety in seniors’ care facilities and given that staffing in seniors’ facilities is often inadequate to evacuate resid ents in a safe and timely manner, this time to the Associate Minister of Seniors: when will your govern - ment commit to an action plan for fire safety in seniors’ facilities, including sprinklers and adequate staffing? Mr. Quest: Well, Mr.

Speaker, as the M inister of Municipal Affairs has said, there are evacuation plans for all of these facilities that are done not just in consultation but with the oversight of the local fire departments. For the facilities that were built before 1990 our government has rec ently invested $31 million for the repair and retrofit of some of the seniors’ facilities, that includes sprinklers, and there is still some funding available for that. We encourage any housing management bodies that haven’t done that to apply. The Speaker: Thank you. Strathcona Community Hospital Mr. Barnes: Mr.

Speaker, the need for beds far exceeds supply at almost every Edmonton area hospital, so I was shocked to learn that this PC government was cancelling the beds and operating rooms it promised in S herwood Park for the long -awaited Strathcona community hospital. This $130 million health clinic is set to open next month, but it has no beds and zero operating rooms. To the Minister of Infrastructure: how can you call this glorified walk-in clinic a hospital? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. McIver: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re proud of opening that facility in the near future.

I can tell you that there are a lot of people in Sherwood Park actually looking forward to it. They’re looking forward to improved and new places to go and get health care. We think that it’s going to be a positive addition. Frankly, I would say to the hon. member that I think if he checks, he may find more happy people than unhappy people, and he should probably spend some time with them. Mr. Barnes: Residents just want to see the hospital they were promised, Minister.

Given that this PC government broke its promise to renovate the Misericordia hospital, which is now in dire need of repairs, does the go vernment not see the value in keeping their promise and finishing phase 2 in Sherwood Park to relieve some of the pressure in Edmonton? Mr. McIver: Well, Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows, because it’s been said in the House and he was here – I’m making t he assumption that he was listening – that we are actually in the midst of a $19.2 million renovation to the Misericordia in co- operation with the folks in Health. This is part of a bigger program.

In Alberta, of course, we’ve got a growing population, we’ve got a great economy, and because of that we are always trying to balance dollars between new facilities and looking after the old ones. It’s a struggle that will never end. We’re doing this for the benefit of Albertans, and we intend to continue. Mr. Barnes: Mr.

Speaker, given that the Member for Strathcona - Sherwood Park promised this hospital to his constituents and then his government delayed the project several times with a full guarantee that the entire project would eventually go ahead, does the minister not agree that a full, public, prioritized infrastructure list would be a better way to build Alberta and protect Albertans from vote -seeking MLAs over this minister’s current bait-and - switch list? Mr. McIver: Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting. The last time I checked, the opposition’s list doesn’t list any projects that they would build. Why?

Because they don’t want to tell Albertans which schools they wouldn’t build, they don’t want to tell Albertans which hospitals they would not build, they don’t want to tell Albertans which roads they would not build. Our governm ent, on the other hand, has a list of all the projects we will build on our website, which all Albertans and even the hon. member, if he could get someone to find it for him, may look at. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Banff-Cochrane, followed by Strathmore-Brooks.

514 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 2:30 Municipal Government Act Review Mr. Casey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The review of the Municipal Government Act has been on the books for years, but there appears to have been little progress to date. Municipal leaders in my constituency of Banff -Cochrane are confused and have expressed concern regarding the process and timelines for the MGA review.

To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: given that the current public consultations on the MGA are a good start but are far from adequate on such a n important piece of legislation, can the minister outline the complete process going forward and the realistic time frames to . . . The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank this member for the question. I know his involvement in municipal government has really created an interest in this area.

The Municipal Government Act really defines the relationship between the province and our municipalities, which are one of our most important partners. It ’s critically important that we get this document right because it will help frame how municipalities can deal with the issues they face around incredible growth over the next number of years. We’re in 11 communities right now holding hearings, listening to people, but at the end of the day we’re going to do it right. The Speaker: Thank you. First supplemental. Mr. Casey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the same minister: given that many of our property assessment processes are decades old and that when the act was rewritten the last time, there was an incomplete review of assessment, can the minister confirm that the MGA review this time will include a thorough and complete evaluation of property assessment? The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you. I can assure this member that that is one of the most important parts of the review that we’re doing right now. As I’ve sat in on some of the meetings, I’ve heard concerns and issues around assessment.

In fact, in the newspaper today in Medicine Hat there were concerns brought forward by a nonresidential around assessment in those areas, so we know it is an important issue across the province. The Speaker: Final supplemental. Mr. Casey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister. The 1995 MGA was groundbreaking in that it gave municipalities natural person powers. However, times have changed, and it is now time to move on to the next level. Can the minister ensure that the review will include consideration of a new relationship between municipalities and government? Mr.

Weadick: Well, thank you again for that question. Really, the review: that’s what it’s all about, defining that relationship and looking at a new relationship for the next 20 or 30 years, as we face incredible growth, as w e are the engine of the economy here in Canada. What does the relationship have to be to make sure that municipalities have the tools to grow, to be sustainable so that we can work with them to provide that support? Mr. Speaker, absolutely, we’re going to work with them to define what that new relationship with municipalities will be like. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Strathmore-Brooks, followed by Calgary-Bow. ALERT Program Funding Mr. Hale: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Alberta law enforcement response teams, or ALERT, are busy in the city of Brooks and across the province in efforts to co-operate and share information, which helps to bring cases against criminals across all boundaries of Alberta. In our community ALERT has been responsible for a serious reduction in crime through their targeted attack on drug trafficking rings. Just this January ALERT alongside the Brooks RCMP took over $50,000 worth of drugs off the street.

To the Associate Minister of Public Safety: why is this ministry cutting funding to a made -in-Alberta solution to an ever - evolving gang and organized crime problem? Mr. Olson: Obviously, I’m not in a position to provide a detailed answer to this question, but I will say, Mr. Speaker, that we are proud of our record when it come s to crime reduction. This is a great example of a success, as the member points out, and we will continue to support those kinds of programs. In terms of the details of this question I can’t answer this for him right now. I can take it under advisement. Mr.

Hale: Thank you for your support, but given that the Minister of Justice has instructed the joint chiefs and ALERT’s management team to find 20 per cent in the budget to cut and given that this minister has now hired a consultant to produce an efficienc y study, can the Associate Minister of Public Safety tell us why they are looking into cutting a program which promotes seamless collaboration between all law enforcement agencies and the RCMP? The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Fraser: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What I can tell you is that our law enforcement on the front line are very valuable to Albertans. We’ve made a commitment in this province to make sure that we protect Albertans but at the same time find efficiencies. I’d be happy to sit down with this member and go through in a detailed way exactly what’s happening on this particular file. It’s an important one. We need to make sure that Albertans are safe. We’ll continue to do that. That’s what our government is here to do. We’re going to do it with Albertans, for Albertans, and by Albertans. I can tell you that our front -line staff are capable.

We’ll take any recommendation, and I’ll take the recommendations of this hon. member. The Speaker: Thank you. Final supplemental. Mr. Hale: Thank you. I would urge the associate minister to listen to the front-line staff. That’s who’s calling me. Given that Alberta law enforcement response teams have seized more than $500 million worth of drugs from Alberta streets since being formed in the provinc e in 2006 to tackle organized crime, will the associate minister commit today that no funding will be cut from ALERT, which would ultimately affect the boots on the ground and put Albertans’ safety at risk?

The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Fraser: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, what I can tell you is that our front-line staff are very valuable, and they’ll continue to be. Also, there are administrative people within the Ministry of

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 515 Justice and in my department that look at every aspect of ho w we protect Albertans. It’s about finding efficiencies. It’s finding new ways to do things. We’re building a province where a hundred thousand people are coming here every year. This government is committed to being nimble and making sure that our communi ties are safe. I’ll be happy to sit down with this member and talk to the front-line staff he’s talking about. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Calgary -Bow, followed by Livingstone- Macleod.

Disaster Recovery Program Claims Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In my neigh- bourhood of Bowness a number of houses that were flooded are now dealing with foundation damage that has caused irreparable harm to the house itself. In one case an outer wall bulged outward four feet from t rue. These houses are destroyed, with electrical, plumbing, and structural damage so severe it’s economically unfeasible to repair; yet in each case the DRP offered only the cost of repairing the foundation.

Given the government’s commitment to help those who were impacted by the flood, can the minister confirm that cases such as these will receive a thorough . . . The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. associate minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was an incredible event that has caused fami lies and homes to suffer like this. We would hope that as many as possible of these files can be solved right at the front end and that we can deal with these families as quickly as possible. We do know that there will be an appeal process that is going to happen.

The first line of appeal is that the person can appeal to the managing director of AEMA. They have support to look at that and get advice. If that doesn’t work, those folks can then appeal to me as well, and I can have a look at that file and try to make sure they’re . . . The Speaker: Thank you. First supplemental. Ms DeLong: Thank you. Given the widespread concern over how the DRP rushed the closure of people’s files over the last month of the program, can the minister assure the House that thes e files will be reviewed to ensure they were properly handled and not rushed to closure?

The Speaker: The hon. associate minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have heard from people across the devastated areas that they wanted us to move as quickly as possible on these files, so we have put many more people to work. We have worked very hard, weekends and evenings, to ensure that we can put these files through as quickly as possible. We have done a very good job of that, but we do know that just over 300 of the files have been appealed to date.

We’re working very quickly through that process, and we’re going to try to ensure that every one of those gets fair treatment and that each of those files is considered fairly and accurately. The Speaker: Final supplemental. Ms DeLong: Thank you. My final question is to the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Can the minister assure me that the application from residents on Bow Crescent to stabilize the bank will be dealt with this week as there is only a three -week window for the construction period this year before the coming high-water season? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr.

Campbell: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can say that my department met with the residents’ group that the member is referring to, and we agreed to fund the cost of an engineer on a pilot basis to assess the damage and design an acceptable erosion protection system for these properties. However, the construction and maintenance costs for mitigation projects on private land are the responsibility of the landowner, and provincial flood mitigation funding programs are only available in our municipalities.

I can say to this member that I have asked our department to look at that, and I’ll get an answer back to her this week. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Livingstone-Macleod, followed by Stony Plain. 2:40 Transportation Infrastructure Priorities Mr. Stier: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Albertans are very concerned that Alberta Transportation has an enormous infrastructure deficit and no plan. Through a FOIP request we discovered that the 2014 infrastructure deficit as of November 2013 for Alberta Trans- portation structures is $520 million.

Deferred maintenance, however, which is the overall accumulated infrastructure deficit that was to be addressed in previous years, is now apparently at a whopping $1.4 billion. Minister, what is the plan for Alberta Transportation to address this enormous infrastructure deficit this year? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation. Mr. Drysdale: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be the first to agree that we need to spend more money on transportation in this province. But as we all know, we had to face some realities here a couple of years ago, and there was $900 million cut out of the Transportation budget.

So we’re living within our means. I was really happy to see, Mr. Speaker, that in this budget I had an extra $258 million added to the budget, bringing it to $758 million, to help with the rehabilitation of 2,500 kilometres of roads. The Speaker: First supplemental. Mr. Stier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, one year ago the hon. Member for Chestermere-Rocky View raised the issue of highway 8, which runs east from Calgary to the junction of highway 22 and the Trans-Canada, highway 1.

It has had multiple fatalities in the last few years, climbing traffic counts, increased trucking, and has residents of Calgary demanding that Alberta Transport ation address this very large safety issue. It is known that designs for twinning have already been completed. That being the case, why is this very vital link to the west of the city not on the ’14 -17 construction list, please? Mr. Drysdale: Well, Mr. Spe aker, that is a very important piece of highway. We have designed the twinning, but as I said, we have to live within our means. We only have so many dollars.

As Minister of Transportation it’s my department’s job to balance all the requests we have with t he money we have. Highway 8 is part of the ring road in Calgary, and part of that project will twin part of highway 8 and the bridges. So until we’ve done the ring road, we can’t continue with the twinning.

516 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 The Speaker: Final supplemental. Mr. Stier: Yes. Thank you. Well, one last question, then. With the summer driving season now fast approaching, the mayors and reeves of southern Alberta have once again raised their concerns regarding highway 3, especially from Fort Macleod to the Crowsnest Pass, wh ere enormous traffic congestion of highway transports and recreational traffic plague the efficiency caused by the bottleneck constrictions in that region. When will the minister fulfill the obligation made when the Premier confirmed in 2007 that it was to be constructed, please? Mr.

Drysdale: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I’ve said before, every MLA and every municipality I meet with have priorities, including this one, and we have lots of them from all over the province. There’s more to this province than Edmonton and Calgary and the ring roads and highway 63. We have to spend money all over rural Alberta. We’ll try and balance the dollars with the projects we have. I hope this opposition takes note of how hard it is when we cut $900 million out of the budget. The y’re recommending to cut $5 billion out of the budget. The Speaker: Thank you, hon. members. Two reminders.

One, you have 35 seconds for a question; you have 35 seconds for an answer. I don’t have any joy particularly when I have to stand up and cut someone off. So please review that. Those of you who have practised questions, please practise them with a second-hand, not a, more or less, guessing hand. Number two, and perhaps even more importantly, is that one hon. member is celebrating a milestone birthday today, and I know that we will all want to give her our full attention and recognition as she turns a magic age. Please join me in congratulating the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Strathcona for reaching a certain 50 club. Thank you. Thirty seconds from now I’ll ask the Clerk to announce the next order of business. head: Members’ Statements (continued) The Speaker: Let us continue, then, with Members’ Stat ements, beginning with Whitecourt -Ste. Anne , followed by Innisfail- Sylvan Lake. Cancer Awareness Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate Daffodil Month, the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual fundraising initiative that foc uses on the fight against cancer. Every day 500 Canadians are told that they have cancer.

Estimates show that 2 out of every 5 Canadians are expected to develop the disease during their lifetime, with an estimated 1 out of 4 dying from it. In 2012, an est imated 16,000 Albertans were diagnosed with cancer, and as current projections suggest, by 2030 this is expected to rise to an astonishing 24,000 Albertans annually. This is a 60 per cent increase compared to today’s numbers. We all must do what we can to prevent this rise. Our government implemented Changing Our Future, a cancer prevention strategy that addresses this projected increase.

Last session we passed Bill 206, the Tobacco Reduction (Flavoured Tobacco Products) Amendment Act, 2012, with the intent of eradicating tobacco use amongst our youth. Today, Mr. Speaker, we don daffodil pins, a symbol of our strength and courage, in order to show our support for those currently battling cancer, for those that have won the fight, and those who have lost. Their struggles will never be forgotten. If you haven’t yet, I urge you to show your support and purchase a pin, make a donation, or volunteer time to a local event. Together we can all make a difference in combating this illness and find a cure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake , followed by St. Albert. PDD Supports Intensity Scale Assessments Mrs. Towle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supports intensity scale, or SIS, is used to determine individual support needs. Last year we heard the previous minister of PDD explain again and again how effective this tool was. The new minister has indicated that while SIS is very important to how the government identifies the needs of vulnerable Albertans, it is just one of the many tools they use to do so. Mr.

Speaker, this is not what we hear from the front -line workers and the families of vulnerable Albertans who try t o work within this broken system. These families have indicated that the system relies far too heavily on the supports intensity scale and that the questions asked are humiliating and often hard for the PDD clients to understand. Let me give you an example. If you were to participate in postsecondary education like regular people, would you need help to do so? Are you sexually active? Are you safe when sexually active? Do you need help to be sexually active? Do you ever sexually assault others?

What assistance would you need to have a romantic relationship, up to and including an intimate one, like other regular people your age? Imagine if the assistance given to your loved one relied on how you answered those questions. Imagine PDD clients knowing their livelihood is at stake when they’re asked those questions. Imagine front-line workers, who see the holes in the system every single day, having to ask a person with developmental disabilities about their sex life and then attempt to gauge what assistance the y should receive for the rest of their lives. Mr.

Speaker, also imagine what it is like to be told that the answers to those questions should be given in the context of a regular person. That is so offensive and out of line. I am shocked that anyone in this PC government or any reasonable person, for that matter, would find that language acceptable. Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of SIS assessment appeals going on right now. These subject the clients and families to another round of demeaning questions by a different person. Please fix this broken system. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for St. Albert. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Mr. Khan: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. I rise today to bring attention to an issue that has been brought to my attention by S t. Albert constituent Dr. Shawna Rodnunsky. Dr. Rodnunsky is an exceptional advocate for an illness that affects many Albertans, chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS. Individuals who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome are often debilitated and unable to do normal daily activities. This illness is characterized by symptoms such as profound fatigue, muscle pain, memory loss, poor concentration, and depression. Despite

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 517 vigorous research, we have not been able to identify the exact cause of CFS, and there are no direct tests to diagnose CFS. 2:50 While there is no single cause for this disease, many factors are said to be possible triggers for CFS. They include infections, immune system dysfunction, hypotension, nutritional deficiencies, and stress. Because of CFS’s complex nature and our current insufficient medical understanding of this illness, many Albertans affected by it are not able to receive the proper care they need through Alberta Health Services.

To date one of the only resources available to assist CFS patients is the Calgary Fatigue Centre, which is mainly staffed by naturopathic doctors. While holistic options to treat CFS can be helpful, conventional medical testing, prescribed medication, and treatments through AHS still play a major and irreplaceable role in successful CFS treatments. However, because of high demand the Calgary Fatigue Centre alone cannot meet the medical needs of all CFS patients province- wide. Going to Calgary on a regular basis for CFS appointments is not a viable option for those who live outside of that city.

It’s crucial for AHS to create an organized system to assist those diagnosed with CFS and make sure their access to care is effective and timely. Additionally, we must enhance the focus of CFS treatments in Alberta, an d we must ensure that health care providers are well informed and trained to recognize and diagnose this illness. It’s my sincere wish that AHS will expand its support . . . The Speaker: Thank you, hon. member. I’m sorry to interrupt, but the time has elapsed, as you know. head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Member for Little Bow, followed by Edmonton-Calder and Edmonton-Centre.

Did you have a tabling, Little Bow? Mr. Donovan: No. I tabled it yesterday. The Speaker: Okay. Thank you. Let’s take that one off, then, and move on to Edmonton-Calder , followed by Edmonton-Centre. Mr. Eggen: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings here today. The first one is copies of a petition with 160 signatures from the Heritage Senior Stop -in Centre. The petition strongly opposes “any changes in the Pharmacare/Alberta Health Care program which will financially affect the seniors” here in the province.

The second tabling I have is 50 of more than 4,000 postcards our office has received asking the PC govern ment to restore consistent and reliable funding to postsecondary education here in Alberta. That’s by the Non -Academic Staff Association at the University of Alberta. Thank you very much. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Two tablings today. The first is the appropriate number of copies of petitions signed by individuals from across Alberta.

Given that the pensions of front -line workers must be fair and provide decent retirement income and that legislated, non -negotiated changes to LAPP and PSPP are unfair and will gut retirement, they are petitioning the Legislative Assembly to “pass legislation that will ensure any changes to the LAPP or the PSPP are the result of negotiations between Government and affected employees.” You know what? I didn’t do an exact count, but we’re in the thousands. Thank you very much for that first tabling. The second tabling, Mr. Speaker, is hot off the press.

It’s the most recent issue of Municipal Connection, which is produced by Alberta Urban Municipalities Association. In the second paragraph they note: “AUMA’s submission to [the President of Treasury Board and Finance minister] highlighted our member concerns that pension reform could cause issues with the a ttraction and retention of qualified staff in the municipal sector.” I’ll tell you that if we lose too many of those, it’s going to be a problem. Thank you very much. The Speaker: Thank you.

Point of Order Factual Accuracy The Speaker: Hon. members, we’re now at points of order, and I believe we have one, which was raised at around 1:58 p.m. I believe, if memory serves, it was the hon. Member for Airdrie rising on a point of order. Yes, it was. The hon. Member for Airdrie. Mr. Anderson: Yes. Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 23(h), (i), and (j), specifically with regard to making allegations against another member of this House as well as imputing false or unavowed motives to another member or using abusive, insulting language to another member.

I don’t ha ve the Blues in front of me, but the gist of what the Premier said – and he made it quite clear; he took a large part of his answer to make this accusation. He said that the hon. Official Opposition leader had somehow broken the law by refusing to obey an evacuation order. I will take you through (

a) why that is completely false and (

b) why that should be withdrawn by the hon. Premier. The hon. Premier should know better in this regard. As you know, there was some terrible flooding in High River. The Member for Highwood, the Official Opposition leader, is the MLA for that area. Of course, immediately upon the flooding there was chaos. She was separated from her husband for a long period of time as she had been sand -bagging at a hospital during the initial m oments of the flood and then had to be rescued thereafter. Then she was involved for two days after that with pet rescue, when they were able to rescue dozens of pets.

Sadly, they had to deal with a lot of dead pets as well and take care of that issue. She worked basically around the clock for those two days. Her husband at that time was helping her pick up residents around the town who were still in their homes and trying to get them to safer ground. As part of that they also offered their house, which wa s one of the few houses that did not get flooded, as temporary shelter for those displaced individuals.

After about three days, on June 24, the mayor then asked all residents, including the Official Opposition leader, to leave because they were going to begin to enforce the evacuation order for safety reasons, and they wanted everybody out. She immediately left and did not return until she was permitted to, after July 3. I don’t even know what to say about the Premier stating that the hon. member had done something wrong in this regard. Clearly, she followed the orders of police and the mayor of the town, who had asked for her help up until that point, and she had freely given it.

As soon as she was asked to leave, she left. She did absolutely nothing wrong and certainly did not break the law as has been stated.

518 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 I think it’s pretty clear that when you say someone has broken a law, that’s a problem. We couldn’t say that about another member in this House. We certainly have talked about the need to get answers regarding the issue of the Jasper Park Lodge and so forth, with regard to: please give us information, or we’ll have to turn this over to the proper authorities. It’s one thing to do that; it’s quite another to say that someone has broken the law.

Not only have they not broken the law, but it’s an allegation that should not have been thrown at this hon. member, especially since she was actually one of many heroes of the flood during that time. I would ask that the Premier withdraw those comments immediately. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Government House Leader. Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make some comments regarding this matter. First of all, I would state the obvious, that neither the member opposite, who just spoke, nor me nor you, apparently, have the benefit of the Blues.

I think it’s very important to know exactly the words that were spoken. That is not my recollection. I did not hear a direct allegation. I did hear a mention of something that has bee n mentioned numerous times coming from the other side in the context of questioning certain members of this side of the House, in fact repeated questions about criminal activity. I think one needs to consider the context in which this exchange took place.

When questions are being raised about potential criminal activity of one member of the House, if another member of the House in response raises a question without even a direct allegation, then I think that has to be taken into account. In fact, sir, just very recently I think you mentioned that when ruling on another point of order, where you have said that one needs to consider the context. It can’t be one way on one side and another way on the other side of the House.

Given that and given the fact that, at least in my recollection, there was not any direct allegation – the Premier did not say that the Member for Highwood broke the law. I certainly stand to be corrected if the Blues prove me wrong on that, but that is not my recollection of what the Premi er said. With that, I would say that there is no point of order here, sir. 3:00 The Speaker: Are there others? The hon. Member for Edmonton- Centre. Ms Blakeman: Well, thanks very much. I was moved by the words of the minister of agriculture to contribute to this discussion.

I don’t see how past comments by one side to the other side have anything to do with what happened today. Points of order are always ruled on for exactly who said what to whom today, not yesterday or the day before, unless, of course, t here’s a ruling by the Speaker, and then we would all be obeying it and there wouldn’t be a point of order.

Unlike the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, I did hear the Premier accuse the Leader of the Official Opposition or make a statement t hat was casting aspersions upon her to the point that it was causing extra work for police services to have to evacuate her, that she had refused to go. That’s just not the case. Especially around that particular incident that’s just not necessary. I was r eally disappointed in the words of the Premier, speaking like that about someone that worked so hard in a disaster.

I hope that the minister of agriculture is able to withdraw a wrong and a particularly nasty allegation and that we’ll deal with the context that is before us today and with the words that were spoken by the minister to the Leader of the Official Opposition. You know, these are the leaders, Mr. Speaker. If they can’t manage to raise the tone and dignity, there is no hope for the rest for us. In particular, I set a high standard for the Premier as he was Government House Leader for so long and has sat in this Chamber as long as I have. Really, he should rise above that. Thank you. The Speaker: Are there others?

Seeing none, let me address thi s. I don’t have the complete set of Blues, but I think I have enough here to come to a verdict as it were. At approximately 1:56 this afternoon the hon. Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition rose and said, among other things, the following: If this Prem ier knows something untoward has happened, he owes it to Albertans to tell them. Not telling them is tantamount to covering it up. If this Premier refuses to answer, we will have no choice but to ask the RCMP to investigate whether taxpayer dollars were us ed to pay for a Jasper resort vacation for the former Premier.

This Premier can clear the air right now. Did the former Premier actually have any legitimate business to justify being in Jasper at taxpayers’ expense that weekend? The Premier, according to t he Blues, said the following in response: Mr. Speaker, I have already advised the House that I have no information with respect to that, and I’m not about to scurry and get information with respect to that. The Auditor General is looking into the travel po licy and the expense policy and has access to all the information and will report in due course.

What I do know of that weekend is that there was somebody who was getting in the way of the law, and that was that hon. member, who refused to be evacuated fro m High River at a very serious time, setting a very bad example for her constituents. Now, I know you’re all aware of what Beauchesne’s and HOC say, but I want to read the comments to you in any event because we’ve all been in this Chamber for almost two years at least, some of us much longer. We know what the cut and thrust of debate is all about. We also know that sometimes you have to accept two different versions of the same situation.

But I can say this. I hope we can rise higher than some of the innuendo, frankly, that has come from both sides of the House. Let’s be fair, applaud each other, and hang your heads where you want. It happens from one side to the other, from the other side to the other, and there’s just so much of it that goes on that I’m surprised, frankly, we don’t have a point of order on almost every question. You know what I’m talking about.

When we get into issues t hat are matters of inference or innuendo or insinuation or imputation of false motives or allegations – all of the “I” words you can think of and all of the “A” words you can think of – attributing aspersions, all of those things, you know that we’re treading on very thin ice with each other. You know that somebody is going to lose their temper, and you know what it’s going to result in. Now, I wasn’t personally there. I don’t know what happened.

I take the Member for Airdrie at his word when he says that his leader was there to do some sand -bagging and rescuing herself, helping out with pets, picking up residents, offering her home as a temporary shelter, and so on. I take him at his word because that’s what we do here. By the same token, I take the hon. P remier and the hon. minister of agriculture at their word when they say that they didn’t impute any false or unavowed motives there. Now, we could interpret this in different ways perhaps, but I know what this is all aimed at.

Generally speaking, in this House it’s aimed at getting under each other’s skin a little bit, right? But you have to be able to take as good as you give and vice versa, and I have seen that happen here time and time again. Asking the

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 519 same question, hoping to get a different answer is one tactic. I understand that, too. I’m going to accept this as two different versions of the same event, and I’m going to rely on Beauchesne’s 494, which I will remind you of briefly. It’ll take 35 seconds. Beauchesne’s 494 says the following: It has been formally ruled by Speakers that statements by Members respecting themselves and particularly within their own knowledge must be accepted.

It is not unparliamentary temperately to criticize statements made by Members as being contrary to the facts; but no imputation of intentional falsehood is permissible. “Intentional” is a key word here. On rare occasions this may result in the House having to accept two contradictory accounts of the same incident. One final sentence, perhaps two, coming out of the H ouse of Commons Procedure and Practice, second edition, 2009.

On page 510, at the top of the page, it reads as follows: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue. As such, these matters are more a question of debate and do not constitute a breach of the rules or of privilege. That’s where I’m going to rule on this one.

But I want to caution both sides, government members, particularly Executive Council, and opposition members as well, that you cannot do indirectly what you’re not allowed to do directly, and I would ask you to please elevate the tone and timbre of the debate in this House. We have a long weekend coming up. Some of us will be celebrating Easter. Some of us will be celebrating some time off with our families, being from different faiths. Let’s take this time to reflect on our overall demeanour in this House. Hopefully, we can elevate the debate to a higher level when Tuesday rolls around.

In the meantime let’s go on. head: Orders of the Day head: Government Bills and Orders Second Reading Bill 8 Appropriation Act, 2014 The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board. Mr. Horner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise and move second reading of Bill 8, the Appropriation Act, 2014. The Appropriation Act, 2014, will provide funding authority to the offices of the Legi slative Assembly and the government of Alberta for the 2014- 15 fiscal year. The

schedule to the act provides amounts that were presented in greater detail by the 2014-15 government and Legislative Assembly estimates, tabled on March 6, 2014. These estimate s were subsequently debated in Committee of Supply and the legislative policy committees. Mr. Speaker, as I said on budget day, the actions we took in the previous budget were tough but necessary. We needed to bend the curve on annual spending increases, and we did that. Budget 2014 keeps Alberta on a disciplined fiscal path with a modest 3.7 per cent increase in our operational spending.

An increase, yes, but well below the 5 per cent increase you would see under a population plus inflation scenario. At t he same time our revenue outlook has improved due to higher tax revenues, higher energy prices, strong investment returns, and a lower dollar. This improved revenue picture combined with our focused effort to contain spending has set the stage for our gove rnment to do something this spring that it has not been able to do in six years: present a fully balanced budget. 3:10 The real story of Budget 2014 is what we are doing for Albertans.

We’re investing in communities and families, we’re living within our m eans, and we’re opening new markets to grow our economy. With Budget 2014 government is focused on working hard every day to create a better quality of life for all Albertans. It is the next step in the building Alberta plan, a forward-looking action plan sharply focused on addressing the needs of Albertans today while meeting the challenge of rapid population growth head-on without raising taxes, Mr. Speaker.

As you know, Alberta’s population has reached the 4 million mark, surpassed it, and is expected t o reach 5 million within the next decade. There are lots of positives to that. More people living and working here means jobs get filled, the economy grows, and government revenues will increase. But the influx of new Albertans also increases the demand fo r infrastructure, programs, and services. Budget 2014 responds to these growth pressures with priority-driven infrastructure spending. I know the hon. members opposite were talking about infrastructure deficits, Mr. Speaker. They’re as bad as cash deficits.

In order to compensate for that, we’re building 155 school projects, seven postsecondary projects, 24 health facility projects, 258 kilometres of new and twinned roads, 2,500 kilometres of rehabilitated highways, and there’s more than $5 billion to supp ort municipal infrastructure. There is also a $1 billion increase in core program spending in areas that Albertans have told us are a priority for them like health care, K to 12 education, postsecondary education, and human services. As we welcome the next million Albertans, our future does look bright.

We’re outperforming Canada and the United States, and we are expected to lead the provinces in 2014 in economic growth and employment. Our unemployment is among the lowest in Canada. In spite of our blessings, though, we must remain prudent and flexible. Factors beyond our control can dramatically affect our financial situation; for example, the 2008 meltdown, energy price volatility, and, of course, natural disasters such as the June 2013 floods. We’re preparing for the unexpected, growing the contingency account to $5 billion this year.

We’re also saving for the future, setting aside money in good and challenging times with a legislated savings plan that will see our savings grow to $26 billion in 2017. We ’re leveraging a portion of Alberta’s growing savings to encourage innovation, support labour force development, and position Alberta for future transformational opportunities with the creation of a social innovation endowment, an agriculture and food innovation endowment, heritage trade scholarships, and the Alberta future fund. [The Deputy Speaker in the chair] Mr. Speaker, as you can see, Alberta is well positioned to move ahead.

We have a growing economy and a balance sheet that is the envy of most jurisdictions in North America. Those strong fundamentals are why Alberta has a triple-A credit rating, that allows us to borrow at the lowest rates available. With interest rates at near 50 -year lows, there has never been a better time to borrow, and that’s what we intend to do. The reason is simple: we must keep building Alberta. If we don’t borrow to build now, we risk falling even further behind on that infrastructure deficit that was mentioned by the Wildrose member, burdening the next

520 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 generation with years of catch -up on infrastructure. When construction costs and interest rates are higher, it will be that much more expensive for us to build. Budget 2014 calls for $19 billion in capital spending over the next three years. One-third of the capital plan will be paid for with cash. The other two-thirds will be financed through direct borrowing or P3s, whichever makes more sense. It’s important to note that we have strict rules in place for borrowing. Borrowing costs are limited to 3 per cent of operationa l revenue.

We must protect Alberta’s triple-A credit rating. We can only borrow for capital, and there must be a clear debt repayment plan. Government is setting aside money now to repay the bonds when they come due, cash over and above our savings, over and above our operating. In exchange Albertans get tangible assets like schools, roads, and health facilities when and where they need them the most. The comment has been made that these don’t appreciate; however, I would commit to you, Mr.

Speaker, that t he assessed value of many of the assets that we have on our books is considerably higher than what we have on the books. Alberta is the only province with net assets, currently about $44 billion in net assets. Under Budget 2014 our net assets are expected to grow to about $49 billion by 2017. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, in keeping with Budget 2014’s prudent revenue forecasting and projections, the amounts in this act demonstrate the government’s commitment to managing the growth in the province’s operating expense.

At the same time Budget 2014 reflects the priorities that Albertans told the government are most important. We’re spending smarter and focusing on providing excellent public programs and services while investing in needed infrastructure for today and tomorrow. Budget 2014 is a good budget for all Albertans. I ask all members of this Assembly to support this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now move to adjourn debate on Bill 8. [Motion to adjourn debate carried] Bill 9 Public Sector Pension Plans Amendment Act, 2014 The Deputy Speaker: The hon. President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance. Mr.

Horner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s going to be a busy day. I’m pleased to rise today to move second reading of Bill 9, the Public Sector Pension Plans Amendment Act, 2014. Alberta’s public -sector pension plans are currently on an unsustainable path. While we’re not in a crisis situation now – and we’ve readily said that many times – without adequate changes we could be down the road. Today we’re in a situation where thousands of members are enrolled in plans created two generations ago. Today people are living longer, and there is a decreasing ratio of workers to retirees.

Today investment return trends are not as high as in the past, yet pension pla ns depend more and more on volatile investment returns to cover the cost of pensions. So much has changed in four decades, yet our pension plans have not adapted to keep up with the times. Here we are in 2014, working with a pension system that was designed for another era and another workforce. We are at a critical juncture in time, where these significant challenges threaten to undermine public -sector pension plans. Yet there remain those who claim that Alberta’s public-sector pension plans are sustainab le as is.

Labour groups are trying to convince their members that there’s no problem. They expect their members and employers to increase their contributions year after year, ignoring the fact that they already pay among the highest costs in Canada. They seem to think that crossing our fingers and hoping for high interest rates is the solution for the future. Well, Mr. Speaker, it is not. All signs point to significant problems ahead if we don’t act now. Don’t just take it from me; experts around the world are warning of the danger ahead.

If anyone wants a good understanding of what we and other jurisdictions are facing, they really should read a good book, Mr. Speaker, The Third Rail , by Jim Leech and Jacquie McNish.

Jim Leech is the former CEO of the Onta rio Teachers’ Pension Plan and had this to say in his book: Rarely does the pension argument acknowledge the root cause of the retirement meltdown: record numbers of workers are retiring and living longer than anyone anticipated; pension funds have not built in sufficient surpluses to cope with market and demographic stresses; and, employers are increasingly unable or unwilling to shoulder ballooning pension costs. Experts like Mr. Leech are sounding alarm bells, and jurisdictions across North America a re responding.

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and P.E.I. have all made drastic changes to their public-sector pension plans recently to make their plans more sustainable. Saskatchewan changed their plans from defined benefit to defined contribution decades ag o. In Nova Scotia they’ve reduced pension benefits and applied some of those changes to the benefits plan members have already earned. In New Brunswick they’ve moved from a defined benefit plan to a shared- risk target benefit model, where plan members are no longer guaranteed a set amount of benefits in retirement.

Alberta’s pension plans are in many ways in better shape than those of our neighbours to the east and across North America; however, the fact remains that our plans are structured the same way as these other plans. Even though we’re not yet in the eye of the storm like places such as Detroit or New Brunswick, if we don’t change the path we’re on, we will be in the same situation down the road.

The time has come to tackle the real problem of these plans; that is, the design of the plans. 3:20 What I’m putting forward today is a very moderate and common-sense approach to getting these plans back on track, protecting all benefits that have already been earned while making modest adjustments to the a dd-on benefits. What you see in this bill is different from what we initially proposed last fall. We consulted with plan members and employers directly and listened to their feedback.

The result is the changes we are now proposing, changes that are more mo dest than what we had proposed earlier while still effective in steering us back to the path of sustainability. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre tabled some letters from the AUMA saying that the pensions were a recruitment and retention tool. We agree, Mr. Speaker. What she failed to also say is that those same employers recommended that we change the early retirement subsidy from the 85 -50, not get rid of it but change it, to a 90-60. That’s where it came from. Ms Blakeman: Actually, it doesn’t say that. Mr. Horner: Another letter.

Ms Blakeman: You’ll have to table it.

April 17, 2014 Alberta Hansard 521 Mr. Horner: I will. Let me be clear that we are not changing the benefit that pensioners currently receive. Let me repeat: we are not changing the benefit that pensioners currently receive. We are not – and I want to repeat this as well, Mr. Speaker – changing the core benefit formula, and we are not retroactively applying changes to benefits that have already been earned. Now that we all understand what is not up for discussion, let ’s walk through some of the planned changes.

In our consultation process back in the fall plan members and employers made it very clear that it’s important for our pension changes to recognize long service. As a result, as I mentioned earlier, we are modi fying but not eliminating early retirement subsidies in the local authorities, public service, and management employees pension plans. Currently LAPP, or the local authorities pension plan, and PSPP, the public service pension plan, have an 85 factor while members of MEPP, the management employees pension plan, have an 80 factor.

Under the planned changes all three plans will have a 60 -90 factor where plan members can receive an unreduced pension if they work to at least 60 years old and their combined age and years of service equals 90. That will be the new subsidized early retirement. Individuals will also collect their full pension if they work until the age of 65. We are not increasing the age of retirement, Mr. Speaker. Those who want to retire early can still do so, starting at the age of 55.

But for every year that they are short in the 60- 90 factor, they will take a 5 per cent reduction in the pension benefits earned after 2015, so only on earnings after 2015. It’s important to emphasize that retire ment is a highly individ- ualized decision. People take many factors into consideration, including whether or not the pension they have earned up to that point is enough to live on. So if a person decides that he or she does not have enough pension income t o retire yet, they can continue to work a bit longer.

In that extra time the person will add to his or her pension benefits, increase the final average salary, and lower the early retirement deductions. It isn’t as long as people might think before they ha ve the same amount as they would have had under the current rules. In some cases it’s only a few months. I also want to point out that most people in the plans today do not retire at 55. The average age of retirement in these plans is actually over 60, even with the current early retirement subsidies.

The next set of modest changes that we’re introducing is to target cost -of-living increases instead of guaranteeing them. By targeting the cost-of-living increase instead of guaranteeing it, we give plan sponsors more tools and flexibility to manage the plans. The changes that we’re making will create a safety valve that enables plan managers to withhold COLA in very bad years when they feel it’s appropriate to do so. However, if things turn around, a catch -up COLA could be paid in a subsequent year. Mr.

Speaker, what we’re saying here is that if the plans are doing as well as some out there say that they will, then there is no issue in paying the COLA every year. But if the plans aren’t, then the plan sponsors should have the ability to react. Currently plan managers only have one lever to address the rising cost of pension plans, and that is to increase contribution rates for plan members and employees. That simply isn’t sustainable, Mr. Speaker, as even the Auditor General has pointed out. This leads me to the next change that we’re introducing, a contribution rate cap.

Alberta public servants currently pay among the highest contribution rates in Canada. In fact, over the past 20 years contribution rates in our province have doubled. That’s a significant amount of additional money coming off plan members’ paycheques just to maintain the same level of benefits. Taxpayer - funded employers and plan members are telling us that the plans are already too expensive. The passage of this act will allow us to establish a cap, but it should be pointed out that we have not yet determined what that cap will be.

We will not set a cap without significant consultation with employers and labour groups just as we have been doi ng all along. Mr. Speaker, I would also add that the work document from when we talk to both the labour unions and to the plan members around the contribution cap, the conversation we’re going to have, will be available very, very soon. One of the other c hanges that we’ll be implementing is a move to joint governance of the plans, and this is something that the unions have been asking us about for a period of time.

Currently the unions claim employees do not have a share in the governance of these plans. W ell, this is simply not true. Employees and their unions have representatives on the LAPP, PSPP, and the Special Forces Pension Board. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they have half the representation on those boards. They’ve had the power for over 20 years to recom mend benefit changes. They have also had the power to increase contribution rates. They have done the latter, but they have never – never – done the former. So why give more governance responsibilities to the unions?

Well, we agree with them that the peop le who bear the costs and risks should have a say in the governance of those plans. They will have joint sponsorship with employers, which will allow them to decide on the benefits and the funding and the investment policies of the plans. The plans will al so be managed by professional trustees, whose job it is to make sure the plans are financially sound and that they can deliver the benefits in the most cost - effective way. The changes we are making will reduce both cost and risk, which will decrease the potential for unsustainable future unfunded liabilities. Mr.

Speaker, across this country, across this nation, across North America, even in Europe – the Dutch had to make changes to their pensions, and some would say that that’s where defined benefits came from – the case for pension reform is very, very clear. I’m going to give the final word again to Mr. Jim Leech as I read another excerpt from his book. He says: Our pension plans were not built to accommodate so many greying and long-living boomers. And unsteady markets can no longer make up for these structural failures. But none of these weaknesses have to be fatal if we repair them now.

He goes on to say: If we ignore these reforms, we will bequeath future taxpayers and workers with a pension bill tha t . . . no one can afford. The solution to our crisis is smarter pension coverage, not less. I agree fully with Mr. Leech’s assessment. The solution to the challenges we face is not to eliminate public pension plans as some in the opposition would say but to manage them in a better way. Contrary to what the labour groups are saying, this was my number one priority all along, to protect Alberta’s defined benefit plans for the long term. These reforms, Mr. Speaker, will do just that.

I’d like to say thank y ou, Mr. Speaker. I now move to adjourn debate on Bill 9. [Motion to adjourn debate carried]

522 Alberta Hansard April 17, 2014 Bill 10 Employment Pension (Private Sector) Plans Amendment Act, 2014 The Deputy Speaker: The hon. President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance. Mr. Horner: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Moving right along, I am pleased to rise today to move second reading of Bill 10, the Employment Pension (Pri vate Sector) Plans Amendment Act, 2014. This proposed act will amend the Employment Pension Plans Act, which was passed by this Assembly with the support of all parties in the fall of 2012. The act was based upon the recommendations of the 2008 report put forward by the Joint Expert Panel on Pension Standard s. The panel was struck when th