April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1109 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Thursday, April 27, 2006 1:30 p.m. Date: 06/04/27 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon and welcome. On this day let each of us pray in our own way for all who have been killed or injured in the workplace. Life is precious. When it is lost, all of us are impacted. In a moment of silent contemplation may we now allow our thoughts to remember those taken before their time, those who have suffered through tragedies, and reach out to the families, friends, neighbours, and communities most immedi- ately impacted.

May God provide them eternal peace. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Government Services. Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure today to rise and introduce some special y oung guests from my constituency. Many years ago the community of Whitecourt had an opportunity to be a twin community with Kamiyubetsu in Hokkaido. Today joining us here is a group of students from Kamiyubetsu along with the students from the Whitecourt Hilltop high school. I’d ask them now to rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assem- bly.

I think they’re on both sides. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. Ms Evans: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What a privilege today to introduce some enthusiastic students from Madonna school, who are accompanied by parents Mr s. Pinkoski and her cute little girl with blonde curly hair, that was with them when we had the photos taken, and Jay O’Neill, who is not only a parent but is also the communications director for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. They’re accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Rudanec.

I’d like to ask that they please rise and that we give them the honourable welcome that they so richly deserve. They’re right up there in the members’ gallery. The Speaker: The hon. Associate Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. Mr. McFarland: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a great pleasure today to recognize a group that’s travelled up from our constituency. It’s the first time in 15 years that they’ve been able to come up: the R.I. Baker middle school. They performed last night at the annual general meeting of the College of Alberta School Superintendents.

They were an excited little group, and they were a little tired this morning. They’re not quite here yet, but I did want to recognize the three teachers that came with them – Cynthia Fritzler, Sandy Koberinski, Allison Thorton – along with parent helpers Sue Wells Paterson, Pam Quinn, Karen Thompson, Norma Enns, Jen Broderson, Beth Hinton, April Horvath. I had all 50 of them in my office, a little sweaty for a little while. They had a great time, they enjoyed the building, and they wanted me to especially thank you for a very memorable experience. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Strathcona. Mr.

Lougheed: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to introduce to you and through you to the members assembled a group of two classes from Strathcona Christian Academy, accompanied by teachers Ryan Marshall and Alan Foster and also parents Len Koop, Myrna Poettcker, Eva Balogun, Lisa Brower, Ruth Naundorf, and Teresa Sabo. I believe they’re in both galleries. I’d ask them to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s a great pleasure to rise to introduce to you and to all members of the Assembly a delegation from one of Alberta’s truly fine schools, which happens to be in my constituency, Parkview school. There are 29 members of the delegation, three parents or teachers – Miss Jenny Kane, Miss Erin Darling, and Miss Carrie Peacock – and, I believe, 26 students seated in both galleries. I’d ask them to please rise and receive the warm welcome of all MLAs. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to this House guests from Calgary whose family members suffer from gastroparesis, a painfully debilitating digestive disease which negatively impacts the quality of life of thousands of Albertans. I would ask Jeanne Keith-Ferris, Paul Sénégas-Joue, Marie-Noëlle Sénégas, and other members of the group to now stand and r eceive the traditional greetings of this House. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the third party. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise and introduce some guests. The first one is Olav Larsen.

Olav was a transit operator with Edmonton Transit, so he and I go way back. We’ve had the odd debate at union meetings, and he used to let me ride in the cab of the LRT when he was driving. He’s now retired. With him are his brother and his brother-in-law from Denmark, Arne Thomsen and Erling Larsen Vind. They’ve just completed a trip to New Zealand, where they visited relatives in Christchurch, New Zealand, and they’re returning to Denmark tomorrow. I’d ask them to rise and receive the warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Mr. Eggen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m very delighted today to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly three very special women seated in the public gallery: Alice Burghardt, Rita Burton, and Sonia Barton. These ladies are active members of the Calder seniors’ drop-in centre, and they are constituents of mine. They are here today to observe the proceed- ings of the Legislature, and I would now ask them to please rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. head: Ministerial Statements The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Employ- ment. National Day of Mourning Mr. Cardinal: Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker. April 28 is the

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061110 National Day of Mourning for workers who have been killed on the job. Last year in Alberta 143 families and countless friends suffered the loss of a loved one who died from a job-related injury or illness. That is 19 more tragedies than the year before, which is unaccept- able and a wake-up call for all of us. Occupational health and safety is a social responsibility. We must do more to ensure that all Alberta workers are safe on the job.

Government along with our partners in industry and labour will renew our efforts to reduce workplace fatalities and injuries through Work Safe Alberta. Mr. Speaker, almost one-third of our workplace deaths are traffic related, so the Alberta government is developing a road safety at work strategy. It will include effective practices, driver training, awareness, and enforcement, and all aim at reducing the number of these needless fatalities. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. 1:40 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank you for the moment of silence that you gave earlier for the injured workers and the Day of Mourning, and I thank you, Mr. Minister, for your moving words. The death of a loved one or a respected colleague in any circum- stance is tragic. The thought of the death of a loved one while they’re at work strikes fear into the hearts of all. It is a horror when it happens. April 28 is the Day of Mourning for those who have died because of their work. It is the day of mourning for their families, their friends, and their co-workers.

It is an international day of mourning because these tragedies must be remembered by everyone, and we must honour those that are gone. I have seen and felt the electric feeling that sweeps through a job site when a worker is lost. I’ve seen and felt the horror and grief that sets in in the face of unexpected tragedy. Big, burly construction workers will cry, hug each other for support. Some will just grasp their hands, their arms together , and words will just be unsaid. Women on the job are often strongest and are looked to for support. Prayers are said even by those who often do not pray. Tears are shed.

The hat is passed for the family. But life goes on. Such deaths are senseless; such deaths are unnecessary. We can speak statistics. We can speak about the rise and fall of death and injury rates. These statistics are senseless. One death is too many. Statistics don’t cry; widows and children do. Statistics don’t make it better. Deaths should not be predictable. They are immeasurably costly. If numbers are important, the death rate should be zero.

I ask that you all think to the future and find ways to end work- place death, to seek ways to help the hurt, and to ensure that the families who are left behind are cared for. Today I do ask that you all mourn for those who have died because of their job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: To the hon. leader of the third party: I suspect that there’ll be a request for unanimous consent for the hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview to participate. [Unanimous consent granted] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. Mr. Martin: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker, and thank you to the members of the Assembly. Last year 143 Albertans died in the workplace, the highest number, unfortunately, since 1982. Each of these workers left behind friends, family, and a community to mourn them. It is my honour today on behalf of the NDP to stand and express our solidarity in that mourning and to join our brothers and sisters in the labour movement in renewing our call for safer workplaces and tougher sanctions on employers who shirk their responsibility to ensure worker safety.

While I appreciate the minister’s message today on the importance of worker safety, I can’t help but point out that this government does not have a sterling record of promoting the rights and dignity of working people. In last year’s annual report the minister reported that the lost-time claim rate, which is a good measure of how often workers are being injured on the job, is nearly 25 per cent higher than the ministry’s own targets. The result is that last year a shocking 170,000 incidents were reported to the WCB, a rate of almost 500 per day. Alberta’s lost-time claim rate is among the highest in the country.

Even worse, our workplace fatality rates outstrip those of Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. We can certainly be proud that the Day of Mourning is a Canadian-born tradition that has been adopted by over 70 countries around the world, but we have much work to do to ensure that all Albertans are treated fairly at the workplace and returned to their families safe and sound when the day’s work is done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Coal-bed Methane Drilling Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The long list of town hall meetings in rural Alberta continues to grow as concerned citizens speak out about their fears regarding coal-bed methane drilling in the Horseshoe Canyon formation on or near their properties. In Ponoka, Trochu, Torrington, Camrose, Wildwood, and Wetaskiwin thousands of Albertans are telling the same story: our groundwater could be in jeopardy from coal-bed methane drilling if it is not properly managed. These Albertans have lost faith in this government’s ability to investigate the groundwater changes, and they are demand- ing answers. My questions are to the Premier.

Given that the baseline water testing protocol being proposed has not been independently reviewed by scientists, will this Premier immediately strike a team of water experts to review the baseline water testing protocols? Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, I’ll have the hon. Minister of Energy respond. As a matter of fact, it’s timely that the question be asked because the hon. minister held a clinic on coal-bed methane this morning, a clinic so that everyone understands what coal-bed methane, or natural gas from coal bed, is all about. I’ll have the hon. minister respond. Mr. Melchin: Mr.

Speaker, the assertions are absolutely false as to: is there confidence? Do we have enough information? Do we have enough experience and confidence to be able to develop natural gas from coal seams? There are about a hundred thousand wells already drilled over decades in Alberta’s shallow gas formations. Southern Alberta has decades of experience drilling into similar formations, through similar depths, same techniques, and a very good track record on these. There’s another report coming out that will only strengthen an already very good regulatory structure.

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1111 The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again to the Premier: given that it is now clear that coal-bed methane drilling does impact groundwa- ter differently than conventional natural gas extraction, will this government develop coal-bed methane-specific regulations to guide the development of this resour ce so that the water quality is protected? Mr. Klein: Mr.

Speaker, there are very stringent regulations relative to the production of natural gas from coal bed, as there are relative to the production of natural gas from any other source; i.e., drilling in a conventional way. Again I’ll have the hon. minister respond. Mr. Melchin: Mr. Speaker, once again, this type of drilling, this type of activity is very like all of the shallow gas well drilling we’ve been doing for decades in this province.

There is a very stringent requirement on production, on drilling, on casing, and on completion so that there won’t be migration of gas from one zone to another, so that there won’t be contamination from the lower zones into the freshwater aquifers. It’s of that that’s very paramount.

What the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee has been working on for the last two years, the report of which we will be releasing with our recommendations in the very near future, will already increase a very good statistical scientific base of being able to ensure and verify that this is being done appropriately not just now but in the decades ahead. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess to the Minister of Energy then. Is this minister, judging from his last two comments, denying that there have been any cases of aquifer contamination as a result of coal-bed methane drilling?

Is he saying that there are no cases of that? 1:50 Mr. Melchin: Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is that there have been over a hundred thousand wells drilled in shallow gas formations over the last decades. We have a treme ndous amount of experience in dealing with all of those same techniques: the drilling, the fracturing, the completion, all of those things. We have a tremendous amount of very good history. Does that mean that there aren’t incidents? There’s no such thing as any activity without some incident. That said, we have natural gas everywhere.

In our freshwater wells that they’re drilling into, where there is freshwater – there is natural gas in the coal and the tight sands and the shallow formations. Part of the reason why in this province people come to explore for natural gas is because it is everywhere. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Nuclear Power Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Chernobyl has seared a nuclear scar on the hearts of Ukrainians around the world. At least tens of thousands have died in Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands have been affected by radiation; millions may die in many countries. Nuclear power scares people, yet two days ago the Premier said that he may talk nuclear for the Alberta oil sands when he visits investors in Europe. My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier commit to independent evaluation with full public disclosure of any nuclear proposal for Alberta if he moves on this before his retirement? Mr. Klein: First of all, Mr. Speaker, I want to set the record very, very clear.

I am not a proponent of nuclear power, but as we move toward becoming a centre of excellence in energy, we have to consider nuclear power. I’m a big fan of coal. I’m a big fan of wind and hydropower and solar power and any form of energy alternate to conventional oil and gas, which is running low. It’s time to build on the expertise we have developed in this province to become an energy capital. Indeed, the universities of Alberta, Lethbridge, and Calgary are contemplating now an institute of energy learning to make sure that this province becomes the energy capital from a learning point of view. So, Mr.

Speaker, certainly I will undertake to disclose anything that I learn about nuclear power. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary question to the Premier. Will the Premier commit to a referendum in Alberta before he moves on nuclear power for the oil sands? Mr. Klein: First of all, Mr. Speaker, I am not moving on nuclear power. Someone else is moving on nuclear power. It’s been mentioned to me that one company, Total, is interested in nuclear power, generating electricity from plutonium or uranium for their tar sands operation, but that’s all I know about it.

I am not a proponent, and I am not pushing nuclear power in any way, shape, or form. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Backs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He’s talking about it. To the Premier: why doesn’t the Premier just skip his taxpayer- paid vacation to Ukraine and the rest of Europe and donate that money to Chernobyl orphans? Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, in order to set the record straight, I received a letter from the governor of Lviv oblast. It’s dated January 21, 2006; this is long before the leadership convention.

It reads: Dear Premier Klein, Let me express my respect to you and once again confirm our interest and readiness to furt her mutual Canadian-Ukrainian relationships and cooperation between our regions in various fields, understanding that the governor of Lviv oblast was here in Edmon- ton. The Protocol of Cooperation between the Lviv Oblast State Administration and the Government of Alberta signed in 2005 forms a solid basis for developing of our contacts. Attached to this letter please find our proposals to the coopera- tion between the Lviv Oblast and the Province of Alberta.

I propose to consider them during planning of 2006 activities. I would appreciate comments and proposals from you. It is also a pleasure to invite you, Premier Klein, as well as Alberta’s official and business delegation, to visit the Lviv Oblast at any time that is convenient to you. This will offer a perfect opportunity to have more detail ed discussions of our economic cooperation for 2006 and further develop mutually beneficial contacts between our regions. The Speaker: The Premier will table the letter later at the appropri- ate time.

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061112 Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Facility Standards for Funeral Homes Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year the former Minister of Government Services struck a steering committee to look at the composition and role of the Alberta Funeral Services Regula- tory Board and to review the recommendations that the FSRB has proposed to regulate that industry.

The Official Opposition has been in contact with smaller funeral service businesses that have concerns regarding the proposed minimum standards, the effect that these standards would have on the industry, and the motive behind the proposed changes. To the hon. Minister of Government Services: will the minister table the report that was submitted by the AFSRB in 2005 recommending minimum facility standards for funeral homes? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, and I thank the member opposite for asking the question. It’s a very serious issue we have here in Alberta.

Some 10 years ago, Mr. Speaker, the Funeral Services Regulatory Board was established, and this ministry through the former minister has asked for a review of that. I’m glad to work with the member opposite to ensure that Albertans are served fairly and equitably across the province on this issue. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Given that one of those questionable recommendations is that all funeral service businesses must now have a chapel to be licensed, is the minister at all con- cerned that such a requirement would effectively put smaller funeral service providers out of business? Mr. VanderBurg: Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no way that we are going to corner the funeral service business for large corpora- tions in Alberta or small corporations. We have an opportunity throughout Alberta, through our small communities and through our large communities, for funeral operators to operate throug hout Alberta.

There is no intention of shutting down any business. If you have specific cases, and if you’re hearing of any cases that may affect someone’s business, you bring those to me, and we’ll deal with them together. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you. My last question to the minister would be: would the minister commit to consulting with representatives from across all sectors of the funeral service industry, including alterna- tive, nonprofit, and indeed small rural funeral homes, before acting on any of the recommendations that were submitted by the AFSRB? Mr. VanderBurg: Again, Mr.

Speaker, I can advise you that the review that’s being done is a review made up of members from the funeral industry, from members at large, and from the department. Again, when I get that report, I’d love to work with this member on it, and we’d go through the recommendations at that time. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the third party, followed by the hon. Member for Strathmore-Brooks. Softwood Lumber Trade Dispute Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker.

Alberta’s forest industry contributes billions to the province’s economy each year and is the lifeblood of dozens of resource-based communities, but the government remains silent on the framework agreement that’s being negotiated in Washington, DC, between the Canadian and American governments. This agreement would restrict access to the United States’ lumber market by Alberta forest companies, while refunding only a portion of the duties that have been illegally collected over the past years. The question is to the Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Given that the provincial governments in B.C. and Ontario are saying that this is a bad deal, why has the Alberta government failed to stand up to its Conservative cousins in Ottawa in favour of Alberta jobs? Mr. Mar: Mr. Speaker, I should advise the hon. member and members of the Assembly that Alberta has been fully engaged in the dialogue regarding the softwood lumber dispute. I’ve taken calls from Ambassador Wilson, who has been our chief negotiator on this particular file. 2:00 Mr. Speaker, at this point there’s a term sheet, and the term sheet has not yielded an agreement yet.

It’s quite clear that in the open federalism that Prime Minister Harper has talked about, he wants greater involvement on the part of provinces and territories and the industry with respect to their putting input to negotiations that clearly fall within the federal jurisdiction. Mr. Speaker, at this point it is too early to tell what the response of the Alberta industry is going to be. I have some ideas as to the direction that they may take. Really, we want to represent the interests of industry, but we w ill not speak on behalf of industry. They can certainly speak for themselves.

It’s our intention to continue to work with the federal government in looking at the terms and conditions set out in the term sheet. We view this term agree- ment as being simply a starting point and not necessarily an end point. Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, why is the minister not availing himself of an opportunity to stand up for Alberta jobs and to speak out against the potential for limits being placed on a permanent basis on Alberta lumber products going to the United States? Why don’t you take the opportunity to stand up for Alberta forestry workers? Mr. Mar: Mr.

Speaker, for the benefit of Alberta’s industry and its workers we want to seek a negotiated settlement in this matter, and puffery on the part of a government to say that this is a terrible deal is not going to advance our negotiation. So we will continue to work on getting the right deal for Alberta industry and for Alberta workers. We’ll do it through negotiation, not through puffery in the media. We want to make it clear to the hon. member and to all Albertans that we will not accept a deal for the sake of getting a deal. We will wait until we get the right deal at the right time on our terms.

The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I’ll ask the minister another time. Will the government accept any deal that places restrictions on Alberta softwood lumber exports to the United States? Will you accept a deal that restricts our exports to the United States? Yes or no.

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1113 Mr. Mar: The fact that the hon. member would ask for a yes or no answer clearly indicates to me that he fails to understand the complexity of this deal. The issue, Mr. Speaker, is not simply about volume limitations. [interjections] The Speaker: The hon. minister has the floor. Mr. Mar: Mr. Speaker, it is not simply about volume limitations. It is also about any duties. It is also about the allocation of any volume that is placed upon us by the federal government. It is also about the return of the $5 billion that has been improperly collected by the United States.

So to answer a question simply with a yes or no on a very small part, a significant part but only one part of the overall agreement in the softwood lumber dispute, you clearly cannot give a yes or no answer to such a question. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Strathmore-Brooks, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Temporary Foreign Workers Dr. Oberg: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My first question is to the Minister of Human Resources and Employment.

Demo- graphic studies show that our school-aged population is dropping at close to 2 per cent per year and that 400,000 new jobs with only 300,000 being filled will occur in Alberta in the next 10 years at present immigration rates. The then minister of learning in conjunc- tion with the federal Liberal government signed a temporary foreign worker agreement dealing with Fort McMurray in an attempt to deal with the labour shortage. Would the minister amend an oversight in this agreement to allow unions as well as employers access to this program when workers are not available in Alberta or Canada?

The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Cardinal: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That’s a very good question and a very important question. We are so blessed in Alberta to have such a good government and such a good, good diversified economy that has developed in the last 15 years thou- sands of jobs for all Albertans and possibly Canadians. The MOU, hon. member, was simply a way to have the federal government recognize the importance of the oil sands to the Alberta and the national economy. The MOU outlines federal requirements for the hiring of temporary foreign workers by oil sands companies.

The MOU also outlines the conditions and responsibilities of the oil sands companies and the recruitment and hiring of temporary foreign workers. Mr. Speaker, the challenges we have in Alberta – you know, most jurisdictions in North America woul d love to have the challenges. Government alone cannot resolve the challenges we have in that particular area.

It’s going to take industry, it’s going to take the federal government, it’s going to take the province, it’s going to take the unions, it’s going to take the opposition – in fact, we’ll ask for your help to assist us in meeting this challenge that most jurisdic- tions just dream about. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Oberg: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In that vein, then, would the minister consider working with labour unions and employee organizations and the federal government to develop a made-in-Alberta immigration policy to alleviate potential labour shortages in the future?

The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Cardinal: Yes, Mr. Speaker. That’s a very good question. I think that about four ministries were involved in the development of the immigration policy for Alberta, which was transferred less than a year ago to my department. It’s a very aggressive policy. It is designed to attract and retain immigrants to this province, as you are aware. As I’ve said before, you know, the existing policies and targeted numbers of people that were to come to Canada through the federal immigration policy is around 250, 000.

In the past Alberta only received 7 per cent, or a bout 16,000 individuals. Out of the 16,000 about 3,000 of them moved back to other jurisdictions for various reasons. I’ve had my first meeting already with the federal minister of immigration, Mr. Speaker, and he is willing to sit down and discuss a number of issues as to how we may resolve the beautiful chal- lenges we have in this beautiful province. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Oberg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second supplemental is to the Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Would the minister on behalf of all Albertans sit down with the federal government and attempt to obtain the same rights with respect to immigration that the province of Quebec has enjoyed for the last many years? Mr. Mar: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that it has been the desire of this provincial government to move forward in a bilateral way with the federal government to improve our ability to have influence on the immigration of skilled workers to this province.

The difference now is that Prime Minister Harper has made fairly recent pronouncements about open federalism, most recently at the Montreal chamber of commerce, and he gave us some very, very encouraging indications about what it is that he meant. I think what this means for us is that with a greater recognition by a federal government of the roles and responsibilities of provinces, there may be a greater opportunity now, more than before, under the previous Liberal administration, to move forward on this type of a bilateral arrangement.

So the province of Alberta will be committed to continuing to work with the federal government on finding ways of addressing our skilled labour shortage. As an example, the area of settlement funding, where new immigrants can access a range of programs and services to ease thei r transition into Alberta, is one area where we think we have some very, very good progress to report. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Foothills. Gastroparesis Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While no cure to date has been discovered for gastroparesis, a federally approved, highly effective treatment device exists. Quebec’s universal public health care covers the $10,000 cost of the device that dramatically im- proves the patient’s quality of life. I’d like to thank the Speaker for allowing the GUTS buttons to be distributed to members of the House so that they can encourage awareness and support for the public health care treatment of this disease in Alberta. My questions to the minister of health have been previously discussed with members of her ministry.

To begin with, would the minister please inform our guests and members of this House at what stage provin-

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061114 cial recognition and approval of the Enterra Therapy for the treatment of gastroparesis stands? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. 2:10 Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the hon. member opposite for his courtesy in providing me a written question today and also for the buttons in the House to profile something that hasn’t been easily understood or controlled. Gastroparesis is a condition where the stomach, almost without warning sometimes, involuntarily causes vomiting by an individual.

The type of device that the hon. member opposite references is a stimulation device that helps control this urge by the stomach to expectorate its contents. The GES device, or the Enterra Therapy device, was referred to the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research for a technological assessment of the effectiveness of it, and they have provided a report that has not concluded or has not given conclusive evidence that this is adequate for ensuring that we would provide public funding. So, Mr.

Speaker, we have referred it to the Alberta Medical Association and to the regional health authorities, who will conduct yet another review of it and provide information later this month so that our ministry can make a determination about whether or not to publicly fund this device. Mr. Chase: Thank you, Ms Minister. I very much appreciate your support. Given that the minister indicated in her March 14, 2006, letter that while her ministry does not issue proclamations, she would offer support by issuing a province-wide news release to help raise awareness of gastroparesis.

Can she assure our guests in this House that the news release will be forthcoming? Ms Evans: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I can. We indicated at the time that I wrote in response to the hon. member that we would do what we could to provide support for the organization, but we aren’t in the business of proclamations. I could keep this House and the depart- ment busy with that sort of thing. It’s logistical, which is the reason that we don’t do that.

However, what I’d like to do before issuing any kind of release is to get the results of the report later this month, take a good look at that and determine whether or not, based on the evidence, we can justify taking further action as a government. I think that there’s a lot of reasonableness in the request. Then we will go forward and work with the association so that we can come up with something that will support their goals in publicizing something that can sometimes be a very embarrassing condition. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you again, Mr. Speaker.

My final question to the minister: what hope can the minister offer to the thousands of Albertans suffering daily from the debilitating effects of gastro- paresis? Ms Evans: I think, Mr. Speaker, the hope I can provide is that this government and this minister are taking a very serious look at it. I think anybody who has had any association with people with this type of condition or other medical conditions that are not easily explained hope that the people that are advocates on their behalf will take a serious look. I am simply waiting at this point for further information.

Medical assessments from AHFMR were not helpful, particularly in giving extra support to the plight of this group, but I think that the work we’re taking now to pursue it one step further should assure the group that we are looking after this in a way that is trying to provide some assurance that we’re not going to let it die until we see what we can do to help. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Foothills, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Alberta/B.C. Joint Cabinet Meeting Mr. Webber: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta and B.C. hold their annual joint cabinet meeting tomorrow.

Already we’re hearing about a trade agreement that will open up business access to both provinces. My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier tell us if such an agreement is part of tomorrow’s discussions? Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, it is true that interprovincial trade between Alberta and B.C. is on the agenda as are other things. Our provinces have a very unique relationship. We’re continuing to build on our previous commitments to harmonize regulations, reduce trade barriers, and improve efficiencies.

I explained to the media the other day that not all are satisfied w ith this and that there are some concerns which I’m sure can be ironed out. But, fundamentally, every time we agree to a common standard and a joint initiative, we remove another barrier to trade that costs money and productivity, and of course we move to improve the competitive environment. So if we reach agreement, it will create a single Alberta/B.C. market and set a new standard of co-operation in interprovincial trade in Canada. Mr. Webber: My first and only supplemental, Mr.

Speaker, is to the Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations. What industries and aspects of business will this affect? Mr. Mar: It is quite a wide range, Mr. Speaker. It ranges from everything from transportation and government services to munici- palities, but the long and the short of it is that workers, businesses, industry organizations, investors should be excited by the potential that this agreement entails. The agreement on internal trade that has been struck among and between provinces of Canada goes much further. It’s much more specific.

It does have a dispute resolution mechanism that has real teeth in it. The long and the short of it is that this agreement will create a 7.5 million person marketplace, which will be the sec ond largest economic region of Canada, so we are quite excited about the opportunity to move this forward. There is a transition period during which some of the details and some of the concerns that the Premier expressed on behalf of some of the parts that are in the agreement can be resolved, over the period of time of the transition, which will take two years. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Calgary-Currie, followed by the hon. Member for Vermilion-Lloydminster. Municipal Sustainability Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Property owners in many Alberta municipalities question the fairness of their market value assessments. It is the role of the assessment services branch, specifically the assessment audit un it, to make sure that municipal assessments have been properly and accurately done.

To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: given that he is cutting the budget of the assessment services branch, apparently for a lower cost of legal fees related to appeals, will this affect the ability of the assessment

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1115 audit unit or the provincially appointed Municipal Government Board to provide a fair and timely decision for all appeals? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, that same question was asked when the discussion of my budget was up, and I believe I answered it at that time, and the answer is the same. There is, in fact, no cut in budget this year other than a reflection of an anticipated reduced cost as a result of fewer appeals that are defended by the department. But the assessors and assessment division within Municipal Affairs remains intact and exactly the same as it has been.

I might also point out to the member that assessments in each individual municipality are the responsibility of that municipality, and Municipal Affairs does not get involved in doing the individual assessments. Our role is one of a udit to ensure that there’s equity and fairness throughout the province. Mr. Taylor: Well, exactly, Mr. Speaker. Since it’s critical that there be oversight of the determination of market value assessment to protect homeowners from unfair or inaccurate assessments, can the minister tell us what he’s doing to ensure that such oversight is being provided? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, let me say two things. First of all, we continue to be vigilant in our efforts to audit individual munici- palities, whether they be jointly working together or working together as a group to conduct their municipal assessments. There is a vigilant audit group within our organization. As a matter of fact, at lunch today, Mr. Speaker, I was speaking at the Alberta Assessors’ Association, who are meeting here in Edmonton.

Although I don’t anticipate that I will be contributing in a significant way, one of the commitments that I made was that I would go with our audit division into a municipality just to person- ally see how an audit is conducted and work with them at the grassroots level on that audit. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Given that the real problem, of course, is that the property taxes aren’t up to the task of covering the cost that this government has downloaded onto our cities and towns, when is the minister goin g to identify some new areas for local governments to collect revenues or else give them a bigger, sustainable share of the province’s loot? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, again, I’ve answered that question numerous times in this House.

I’ve indicated – and I will again – that I’m very proud to be working with the Minister’s Council on Municipal Sustainability, with the mayor of Edmonton, the mayor of Calgary, the president of AUMA, the president of AAMD and C to discuss the issues involving roles and responsibilities. The purpose of that discussion is to determine: what are the roles of municipalities, what are the roles of the province, and which level of government should most appropriately be providing services to its citizens?

Once that has been determined, we can then determine how much it should cost, and then we’ll begin the discussion of how it should be paid for. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Vermilion-Lloydminster, followed by the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. 2:20 Oversize/Overweight Trucking Permits Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I continue to receive numerous complaints from commercial truckers who say that they cannot get through on government phone lines to get the permits they need to haul oversize or overweight loads.

These complaints have been coming in for months if not years, and in fact I’ve raised this issue in the Assembly be fore, yet there seems to be little progress. These people cannot do business without these permits, and their delays adversely affect many other related industries. My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. What is his department doing to address this long-standing concern? Mr. Lund: Mr. Speaker, it is true that there has been a problem.

Of course, at the rate that the province is growing and with the number of trucks and particularly the number of heavy loads that are requiring permits, the system has been very taxed, so we have been moving and are going to be implementing a new system. In fact, the central system that was in place some time back is being replaced. What will happen is that for most permits – there are about half a dozen exemptions – they will be issued through the registry agents as they get trained up. We’ve got some 19, 20 of them on the way in the province already.

They will be offering 24/7 service, so that should alleviate it. The implementation is going to be very soon. As a matter of fact, after the 1st of June of this year for anyone that is faxing, the fax will then be transferred into a registry, or they can go directly into a registry. Then as far as phone calls are concerned, after the 1st of July those, too, will all go to registries. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, and thank you, Minister.

Well, given that these measures may speed up the process to get the permits, there will still be truckers that inadvertently or purposely break the law and are caught. Currently, Mr. Speaker, these people need to attend court to pay a fine. This has got to be costly to the court system. What is the minister doing to streamline this process? Mr. Lund: Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the process is being changed. In fact, there are a whole host of areas where there will be the ability to pay a fine as opposed to going to court.

This is a very important move because we know the difficulty in the court system with all the areas that are now going to court, the overload that they have. To be able to pay a fine and not have to go to court will be very important. That doesn’t mean that someone, if they dispute the ticket, isn’t going to have the ability to go to court. Yes, they will still be able to go to court, but the ability to pay it – for example, a trucker from Lethbridge gets a ticket at High Level.

Well, under the current system he either has to appear in High Level or would have to have an agent appear for him, so there’s all that additional cost. Plus, it’s going to be great for the court system that it will be streamlined. The Speaker: The hon. member understands that as a result of his lengthy

preamble on the second question, he will forgo the third question. The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Education Funding for Lethbridge Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Education minister ignored the horrific funding situation in my community. The facts are that the Lethbridge public board will need to cut $2 million in spending as a result of this minister’s budget. To the Minister of Education: can the minister tell us how many teachers

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061116 Lethbridge public will have to cut and how many more students will have to be in a class to cover the $2 million shortfall? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I indicated yesterday that Lethbridge public has currently a budget of approximately $59 million and that that budget on the basic side will probably increase to about $59.6 million. Then there’s additional money coming in on the infrastruc- ture side which will take it up over $60 million. So there is no cut that I’m aware of that’s part of this equation. In fact, Mr.

Speaker, we will be providing additional dollars both through the basic instruction grant increase, which I think is about 3 per cent, plus 2 per cent to all the other parts of the renewed funding framework document. That will result in about 330 million new dollars going into education province-wide, and Lethbridge public will be a significant recipient of those dollars. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Pastoor: Thank you. The budget was a shortfall, not cut.

When will the minister admit that Lethbridge public is only receiving a 2.31 per cent increase and that whatever other increases he may describe are simply not making it down to the local school board level? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr.

Speaker, I don’t have all of the documents just in front of me, but my recollection is that Lethbridge public will be receiving an additional $2.4 million, or a 3 per cent increase, to retain 60 teachers that have been hired under the class size initiative over the past two years and that as part of the budget just r ecently approved here, they will receive additional dollars as well if they have not yet met the commission target guideline or our guideline for class size averages in the kindergarten to grade 3 level.

I believe they may already be at that level for grade 4 to grade 12, which virtually every school board in the province is. So we’re targeting our monies for those areas that haven’t yet met that commission guideline and the internal province of Alberta guideline figure. The final point, Mr. Speaker, is just to say this. School board budgets are due in to the Ministry of Education by the end of June. We will know by the end of May, for example – and they will as well – how many teachers are retiring and otherwise taking leave or moving.

So let’s just wait until the final numbers get a little closer to finalization before we get too excited. Ms Pastoor: Lethbridge is being punished for complying. Again to the same minister: given that the minister claims to be flowing through 98 per cent of his budget, how can the overall budget be increasing 6.7 per cent when the sc hools in my commu- nity are only getting 2.31 per cent? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I think there has to be a realization of a couple of things. First of all, we do flow out about 98 per cent of all the dollars we receive in the basic portion of our budget for Education.

That is a truism. Secondly, we’ll wait for the final budgets to come in – that’ll be at the end of June, as I have indicated – and adjustments and so on will be made. But one of the most critical things to remember is that we fund a lot of our programs on a per capita basis. Now, province-wide our student enrolment in kindergarten to grade 12 has either flatlined or it’s declining. Yes, it does provide some challenges because other areas are escalating in terms of their enrolment growth. We’re working with the school boards very closely. I was with superintendents yesterday.

I had a good, long talk with representa- tives from the Lethbridge school board in particular, and I encour- aged them to please work with my officials to sort out some of these discrepancies in numbers which the hon. member who just asked the question is floating around. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Banff-Cochrane. National Child Care Initiative Dr. Pannu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Early today I sent a letter to the Conservative government in Ottawa about how little their so- called child care allowance will benefit most Alberta parents.

I will table the letter and related documents later. Recent calculations show that lower and middle-income parents will get to keep as little as 17 cents on the dollar, with the rest taxed back by Ottawa, and in exchange for this minuscule amount of assistance going to parents, Ottawa is tearing up previously negotiated provincial child care agreements. My question will be to the Minister of Children’s Services.

Given that the city of Edmonton is the latest to add its name to the list of objectors, why do this minister and this govern- ment refuse to speak out more loudly against the Harper child care scheme, that will disproportionately harm hard-working Alberta families in the hundreds of thousands who need child care assistance the most? 2:30 Mrs. Forsyth: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think there can be a bigger advocate in this province for Alberta’s five-point plan than this minister. On numerous occasions I have told the hon. member across the way about all of the things that we have done there.

I can go back to a year ago January, when the previous Liberal govern- ment decided that they were going to have a child care plan that was equal for all of the provinces and we said no. We wanted a five- point plan that was based on what Albertans wanted and put that off rail and continued to lobby on behalf of Albertans. May I remind the hon. member that the five-point plan that Alberta has put together was based on what Albertans need. I have written to the hon. minister. I flew to Ottawa and spoke to the hon. minister. I have spoken to the media about our aggressiveness. [interjections] Mr.

Speaker, I’m sorry. I guess they don’t want to hear the rest of the answer. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Pannu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister: given that the Quebec government is negotiating a side deal with Ottawa to keep federal dollars flowing into their child care and early childhood programs beyond 2006-2007, why does this provincial government remain silent and not stand up for Alberta’s parents by doing the same? Mrs. Forsyth: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I know that the hon. member was here when we went through Committee of Supply when I was talking about my budget, and I was very clear a bout the plans that we’re doing in Alberta. I called the minister probably 48 hours after she was elected. She didn’t even have an office, let alone a phone number. I flew to Ottawa. I have written her. I have said that Alberta continues to lobby on behalf of Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Pannu: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe the minister will table that correspondence. Should the federal government, against all reason and common

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1117 sense, proceed with its so-called child care allowance, will the minister at least guarantee that social assistance and other income support to Alberta parents will not be clawed back as a result? If not, why not? Mrs. Forsyth: Well, golly gee willikers, Mr. Speaker, the only thing you can guarantee in life is death and taxes, but I will tell you that we will continue to lobby on behalf of Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Banff-Cochrane, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Ghost-Waiparous Recreation Area Mrs. Tarchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions today are to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. With the summer season fast approaching, attention is again focusing on the very popular Ghost-Waiparous area northwest of Calgary. Every year I hear from constituents expressing concerns over some indiscriminate uses and possible negative impacts on the terrain, vegetation, wildlife, and water quality. They agree with the need for a management plan, have participated in significant public consulta- tion, and are very interested in the timelines for implementing such a plan.

Can the minister please advise the Assembly on the status of the Ghost-Waiparous management plan? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Coutts: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is true that over the past five years the Department of Sustainable Resource Development along with departments like Community Development and Environment along with industry, municipalities, off-highway vehicle associations, and recreation users have worked very diligently on a consultative process to put in place a Ghost- Waiparous access management plan.

This last year the off-highway vehicle associations and motorized vehicles have worked very diligently on coming up with a managed trail system that will be implemented this spring. The reason for implementing it this spring is that we want to increase public safety and minimize conflict and make sure that the sustainability and the integrity of the land are kept in place out there. We want to have it for future generations, and, Mr. Speaker, a forest land-use zone regulation will be put in place this spring to regulate it as well. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. Tarchuk: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My next question is to the very same minister. I know the minister knows that this area is popular to literally thousands of Albertans, and I wonder if he could tell us how he plans to educate users on the impending regulations for the area. Mr. Coutts: Mr. Speaker, that’s a very good question. In fact, there will be new rules for the area, and those rules will be in place. It’s important to educate the people that have traditionally used that area as well as the new users to make sure that they know the rules so that the place can have some semblance of order because what we’re looking at is public safety.

We have 40 new guardians hired this year. As a matter of fact, this morning I was in Hinton at our training centre where those 40 new guardians will be trained to implement those new rules as well as our respect the land program. We also made sure that we have a dedicated brochure on the new trail system, put in simple language, that they can give out to the users of the area so that everybody will know and understand the use of the area. The Speaker: Hon. member?

Vignettes from the Assembly’s History The Speaker: Hon. members, we’ll get to Members’ Statements just momentarily, but first our historical vignette of the day. On September 22, 1933, Vivian MacMillan, a stenographer employed by the government of Alberta, and her father, Allan D. MacMillan, brought a civil suit against Premier John Edward Brownlee under the Seduction Act seeking damages and compensation for Brownlee’s alleged seduction of Vivian MacMillan from the time she was 18 and over the course of three years.

Premier Brownlee categorically denied the allegations, asserting in his defence that there was not a word of truth in the MacMillans’ suit and that he intended to defend the action to the limit. Brownlee issued a counterclaim in November 1933 alleging that Vivian MacMillan together with her medical student suitor, John Caldwell, had conspired to level false allegations against him. After a sensational – underline the word “sensational” – trial on June 30, 1934, jurors awarded $10,000 in damages to Vivian MacMillan and $5,000 to her father. The trial judge, William C.

Ives, admonished the jury for reaching a verdict inconsistent with the evidence, overturned the decision, and imposed court costs upon the MacMillans. Despite Judge Ives’ actions Brownlee recognized that the jury’s initial verdict signalled an end to his political career. On the morning of July 5, 1934, Brownlee delivered his resigna- tion and that of the entire cabinet to Lieutenant Governor William L. Walsh. The resignations were effective July 19, 1934. On the same day Richard G. Reid, Provincial Treasurer and United Farmers of Alberta member for the constituency of Vermilion, was sworn in as Premier.

In the general election of August 22, 1935, Richard G. Reid, John Edward Brownlee, who ran in Ponoka, and the United Farmers of Alberta government were defeated in a landslide victory by the Social Credit, which won 56 out of a total of 63 seats in the Legisla- tive Assembly of Alberta. There are a number of postscripts to this vignette. Postscript one: in 1937 the MacMillans successfully appealed Justice Ives’ decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Postscript two: on June 4, 1940, Brownlee’s appeal of the Supreme Court’s decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom was dismissed. Postscript three: the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, located in the United Kingdom, was the highest court of appeal in Canada in 1949. Postscript four: the law firm Brownlee LLP bears the name of Alberta’s fifth Premier. Hon. members, might we revert briefly to Introduction of Guests? [Unanimous consent granted] head: Introduction of Guests (reversion) The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Ms Calahasen: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today is a great day. I have the pleasure of introducing to you and through you to the members of this Assembly 21 visitors. They are seated in the members’ gallery. They come from High Prairie, and they attend Northern Lakes College. There are 17 students and four staff. The staff are Mrs. Christine Neidig, Ms Catherine Rigaux, and of course

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061118 parent helpers Mr. Jim Meldrum, who’s a bus driver, and Mrs. Susan Cunningham, who is also a bus driver. They have travelled a long way, and I’d request this Assembly to give them a very warm, warm welcome. 2:40 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Mr. Hinman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a pleasure today to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly an outstanding group of students, t eachers, and volunteers who represent the best and the brightest of rural Alberta. The Raymond show choir comes from a school of 230 students.

The choir of 80 voices, almost one-third of those students, performed in the Glen- wood and Fort Macleod schools on their way to Edmonton. During the lunch hour the choir performed in the rotunda under the direction of John Squires and Jolene Paxman. Raymond high school excels in sports and academics as well as the arts. We often state in this House that we judge society by how well we protect and care for those who are vulnerable. However, the other side is true; that is, th e development of our cultural arts showcased today with the Raymond show choir inside this architec- turally beautiful building.

The Raymond high school graduates all- round students. These students are more than jacks of all trades; they are masters of many. I would like to thank them for sharing their talents with all of us today and for the dedication and the personal sacrifices of their teachers and community volunteers, in some small way saying thank you to the hon. Member for Strathmore-Brooks for announcing a new school in Raymond last year. At this time I would ask the Raymond show choir, the volunteers, and the teachers to please rise to receive the warm welcome of this Assembly.

Thank you very much. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Red Deer-North. Armenian Genocide Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On April 24, 1915, several hundred Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople were massacred. This was the beginning of the Armenian genocide, that is commemorated each year at this time. Not long after the massacre of these leaders by the young Turk faction of the Ottoman Empire a mass deportation and systematic annihilation of Armenian men, women, and children failed to shock the world into action. Over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered.

My grandparents, by the gr ace of God and the love of a Turkish family, survived this massacre. It is important to remember the Armenian genocide because there is a direct c onnection to the Cambodian killing fields, the Rwandan genocide, the Bosnia- Herzegovina genocide, and the Jewish Holocaust. In preparation for the invasion of Poland Adolf Hitler said: Our strength consists in our speed and in our brutality. Genghis Khan led millions of women and children to slaughter – with premeditation and a happy heart. History sees in him solely the founder of a state . . .

I have issued the command – and I’ll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad . . . Accord- ingly, I have placed my death-head formations in readiness . . . with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language . . . Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians? It is not enough to just remember. We must also act.

Just as the Member for Stony Plain asked in his statement on Holocaust Memorial Day, I too would urge all members of this Assembly and all Albertans to actively promote acceptance of all people and to protect their rights and uphold our way of life in this province. Mr. Speaker, with our thoughts and with our actions we can show that we remember. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Hobbema Community Cadet Corps Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise and recognize an exciting program which is taking place in my constitu- ency.

The Hobbema Community Cadet Corps, which commenced on November 22, 2005, promotes community involvement, volunteerism, assisting in traditional community events, and scholastic achievement. This program is cast in the same mould as a program which began operating in Saskatchewan roughly 10 years ago and which is operating in various provinces throughout Canada. A unique aspect of this program is that it is organized and run by the youth who participate in it with facilitation by adults.

One of the founding principles of the program is that while sponsors pay for uniforms, cadets do not receive their uniforms for free. It is necessary for the cadet to work off the $200 cost of the uniform by providing volunteer services in their community at the rate of $7.50 per hour. This translates into each cadet providing at least 26 hours of volunteer time, which gives the cadet the opportu- nity to build stronger ties with their community while reinforcing an important principle of the program, namely accountability.

Another great aspect of this program is that it is closely tied with the school which the cadet attends. A cadet’s level of success and, therefore, advancement through the ranks is directly linked to their grades and their attendance in school. So if the cadet wishes to succeed in the corps, he must also succeed in school. In general, then, the cadet corps provides a supportive environ- ment where members are able to attempt new challenges. This program has enjoyed amazing success in the short time in which it has been operating.

Since its foundation the Hobbema community cadet corps has grown to over 400 members. I’d like to congratulate all of the cadets who are making this program successful beyond any expectations. I would also like to congratulate the RCMP members, especially Corporal Huculiak and Sergeant Linnell, who volunteer their time to assist with this very successful program. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Privatization Mr. Agnihotri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The privatization of registries and auto insurance in this province has had a negative effect on countless Albertans, from concerns over security issues such as identity theft to a higher cost of goods and services once managed by the public. Many of my constituents have raised concerns that in the days since Alberta’s privatization of these industries, costs have increased while services decreased. They believe that this government does not create policies in the interests of Alberta consumers. Despite promises that privatization would reduce prices and improve services, this simply has not been the case.

In the year 2003 the Consumers’ Association of Canada released a report that confirmed that Albertans are suffering under the

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1119 government’s privatization agenda. The report states that Alberta consumers can expect to pay, on the average, twice as much for auto insurance as consumers in the three other western provinces, who have maintained a public system. This is unacceptable. Whether it is auto insurance, electricity de regulation, or health care, this government continues to pursue its privatization agenda, fuelled by a blind faith in the merit of competition. In the interests of my constituents and all Albertans I urge this government to put an end to this disappointing trend.

In general, privatization has not brought savings for Albertans as promised, nor has it brought about better service. When developing its policies, the government must be responsible and ensure that these policies will benefit all the people in this province and not only a select few. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mountain View. Conflict in Sudan Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognition today of the Armenian genocide and our recent commemoration of the Jewish Holocaust moves us deeply.

We have pledged ourselves as Alber- tans and Canadians to never again allow such violations of human- ity. Eleven years ago the world watched in horror but failed to act as 800,000 Tutsis were massacred despite desperate pleas from around the world. In Sudan, before the carnage began in Darfur, before 2003, more than 2 million died and 4 million were displaced, driven from their homes in oil-rich lands in southern Sudan by the murderous government of Khartoum.

Now, in the past three years in Darfur the death toll has reached 400,000 men, women, and children and 2.4 million internally displaced, now at risk of starvation. Aid agencies, including Albertan Val Laforce of Medicine Hat, are leaving the area due to increasing violence and are calling on all citizens in free countries to act. African Union troops have not been effective, and the UN is unlikely to mobilize an international force. It’s time for Canada to lead. Violations of international law and humanity anywhere are assaults on all of us.

We are either complicit in silence and inaction or we stand for human rights and security. An informal group of citizens, including former MP David Kilgour and myself, have written to all MPs and Senators, urging Canada to leave the bleachers and lead, to quote Prime Minister Harper. NATO forces successfully and legitimately sidestepped the UN and saved the civilian population of Kosovo. If European citizens can be saved in Kosovo, cannot Africans be saved in Darfur?

I call on each member of the Assembly and all citizens to contact their Member of Parliament this week and express the strongest possible support for international action, led by our federal govern- ment, to immediately intervene in the emerging genocide. What will you tell your grandchildren when they ask what you were doing when Darfur went down? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. 2:50 Parks and Wilderness Areas Mr. Eggen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The signs of spring are finally upon us.

The weather is getting warmer, grass is showing signs of green, and for many families this is the time to dust off the camping gear and make plans to spend some time in our provincial parks. I’m afraid that if they haven’t been there for a while, they might be in for a rude awakening. Years of neglect have left our province’s parks in an inexcusable state of disrepair. I’m hearing an increasing number of complaints about the quality of our parks, and no wonder. This government does not treat our parks and recreation facilities like valuable resources.

They seem to merely tolerate the existence of many parks rather than protect and enhance them like the treasures that they deserve to be treated like. Rather than protecting ecosyst ems, this government allows development activities directly inside park boundaries. Alberta wilderness areas are often fragmented and disconnected from creating a continuous ecosystem. The EUB is currently considering a proposal to allow Petro-Canada to construct a well site and access road in the Narraway woodland caribou herd’s range in the northern foothills.

Meanwhile, Canadian logging giant West Fraser continues to log critical caribou and grizzly bear habitats on our public lands. They hold tenure rights for over half of Alberta’s foothill ecoregion, which contains the last remaining intact woodland caribou habitat in Alberta. Camping areas around Fort McMurray, which were once recreational destinations for many Albertans and a large appeal for living in Fort McMurray, are now being used to accommodate the booming population in that region.

Aside from the intrinsic value of protecting our wilderness areas, parks provide an opportunity for Albertans to engage in affordable family recreation and to reconnect with nature. It would be a shame to see opportunities for families to learn and experience our natural world permanently lost because this government will not stand up to industry and won’t provide adequate park wardens and fish and wildlife officers to maintain the integrity of our provincial parks. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lac La Biche-St. Paul. Athabasca University Mr. Danyluk: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to share with members an Alberta success story. That success story is Athabasca University in the Northern Alberta Development Council area. Athabasca University was created in 1970. In the early years, between 1972 and 1975, Athabasca enrolled 650 students. This was a modest beginning. But take notice of what happened, Mr. Speaker. Since then Athabasca has become Canada’s leading distance education, online university. It is Canada’s open university.

When I say that Athabasca University is an open university, I mean that Athabasca makes it possible for Albertans to earn a university degree regardless of where they live or where they work, regardless of their commitments to careers or families. Athabasca gives all Albertans access to a university education. Last year Athabasca University served over 32,000 students. Most of these students are Albertans, but there are also students from every part of Canada, provinces and territories, and also from around the world.

Athabasca University is not only the fastest growing university in Alberta, but rumour has it that it is the fastest growing university in Ontario as well. Athabasca University offers professional programs and programs in the arts and sciences. Athabasca’s MBA is one of the largest and most successful business programs in the country. But that, Mr. Speaker, is not all. Last year Athabasca University became the first Canadian university that can officially offer its degrees in the United States. Athabasca University has taken the idea of Campus Alberta to heart.

Athabasca has partnerships with all other colleges around the province. Mr. Speaker, we should be proud of the education we provide in our province at Athabasca University. The Speaker: I must say that I’m very encouraged by the perfor-

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061120 mance of the hon. Member for Lac La Biche-St. Paul today. That statement was one minute, 59 seconds, so the member listened very attentively to the adjudication of Standing Order 7(4). The chair will now provide that reminder to the hon. Member for Edmonton- Ellerslie and the hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. head: Presenting Petitions The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I’m very pleased to be able to present over 2,100 signatures on petitions from people who were most anxious to let the government know about their opposition to plans for expansion of private, for-profit hospitals and allowing doctors to work inside and outside of the system, any action by the government to contravene the Canada Health Act, or to paying for private health insurance. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. head: Notices of Motions The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise pursuant to Standing Order 34(2)(

a) to give notice that on Monday, May 1, either I or one of the deputy leaders will move that written questions appearing on the Order Paper do stand and retain their places with the exception of Written Question 14. I’m also giving notice that on Monday, May 1, one of our deputy leaders will move that motions for returns appearing on the Order Paper do stand and retain their places with the exception of motions for returns 23, 24, and 25. head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have three sets of tablings.

The first has to do with a discussion that was held in this House on March 1, conducted between myself and the Minister of Health and Wellness on gastroparesis concerns. The second tabling is a letter I r eceived, which was very much appreciated, from the Minister of Health and Wellness indicating her support for a province-wide news release to help raise awareness of digestive disturbances. The third is the responses I received from the minister regarding questions with regard to gastroparesis from the Committee of Supply meeting on March 1, 2006. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Dr.

Pannu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got two documents to table today. The first is a letter I sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper this morning, urging him to revisit the whole issue of the future of the national child care program and his proposed alterna- tive to it, the child care allowance scheme. The second document, Mr. Speaker, is entitled The Incredible Shrinking $1,200 Child Care Allowance: How To Fix It. Its author is Ken Battle, and it’s published by Caledon Institute of Social Policy.

The paper argues that the Prime Minister’s proposal is social policy by stealth, which includes the use of arcane and poorly understood technical mechanisms to implement public policy changes without public explanation of the real consequences. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Municipal Affairs. Mr. Renner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to table on behalf of the Minister of Finance five copies of a letter she sent to the hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford on matters raised by him during question periods on April 4 and 10 through 13 regarding Rod Love Consulting Inc.

During at least two of those exchanges the minister undertook to review the issue and provide more information to the member, who will have received earlier today the information that I am now tabling. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Education. Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During question period today our hon. Premier indicated that he would table the letter dated January 21, 2006, from the Lviv oblast state administration in Ukraine, which is addressed to our Premier and includes an invita- tion for our Premier to visit Ukraine.

I should add that there’s a page 2 to that letter, which contains a list of at least nine initiatives to be followed up during the meetings in June, I believe, and that includes five that are specifically education related. So on behalf of the hon. Premier I’m pleased to table the required number of copies in that regard. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the office of the Clerk. On behalf of the hon. Mr.

Cardinal, Minister of Human Resources and Employment, pursuant to the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Profes- sions Act the APEGGA, Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta annual report 2005. On behalf of the hon. Mr. Zwozdesky, Minister of Education, pursuant to the Government Accountability Act the Alberta Educa- tion 2006-2009 business plan and the school jurisdictions’ audited financial statements for the year ended August 31, 2004, sections 1, 2, and 3. head: 3:00 Projected Government Business The Speaker: The Official Opposition House Leader.

Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask the Govern- ment House Leader to share with the Assembly the projected government business for the week commencing May 1. The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d be very happy to do that. On Monday, May 1, in the afternoon, that being private members’ business, written questions will be dealt with, motions for returns will be dealt with as enunciated by myself just a few minutes ago, and Public Bills and Orders Other than Government Bills and Orders will include second reading of Bill 208 and Bill 210.

Monday evening under private members’ motions we should be able to deal with private member’s Motion 508. At 9 p.m. under Government Bills and Orders we should deal with the government motion with respect to Her Honour the Governor General of Can- ada’s address to the Assembly coming up on May 4, and then we should go on to second reading of Bill 29, Bill 31, Bill 35, Bill 37, Bill 36, and Bill 38, and following that, in Committee of the Whole Bill 20, all of that subject to availability of time and so on.

On Tuesday, May 2, in the afternoon, that being a day for Committee of Supply, we will deal with Government Services

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1121 estimates. In the evening on Tuesday we will deal with Committee of Supply again, specifically International and Intergovernmental Relations estimates. Following that, in Committee of the Whole we will hopefully be able to deal with Bill 28, Bill 33, Bill 34, Bill 20, and otherwise as per the Order Paper. On Wednesday, May 3, in the afternoon under Government Bills and Orders it will be a day of Committee of Supply, and we will deal with the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development and its estimates.

In the evening we will deal with another Committee of Supply, specifically the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General and their estimates. Following that, under Committee of the Whole I anticipate that we will be able to deal with Bill 14, Bill 25, Bill 31, Bill 32, Bill 26, Bill 29, and Bill 20, and otherwise as noted on the Order Paper. On Thursday afternoon, May 4, we will of course be pleased under government motion to r eceive Her H onour the Governor General of Canada for her address to the Assembly.

Following that, it will be a day of Committee of Supply, at which time we should be able to consider the Solicitor General and Public Security’s estimates and otherwise as per the Order Paper. head: Orders of the Day head: Committee of Supply [Mr. Shariff in the chair] The Deputy Chair: Hon. members, we’ll call the committee to order. head: Main Estimates 2006-07 Health and Wellness The Deputy Chair: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

In addressing the estimates today, I would like first of all to introduce people in the members’ gallery that are accompanying me, staff that will make sure that we respond to those questions that we may not be able to have either the time or the capacity to follow through with. I would invite members to acknowledge the presence of Bruce Perry, ADM in charge of finance; Peter Hegholz, who is a very strong support there for our financial matters; Murray Finnerty, who is the CEO in charge of AADAC; and from our office special policy adviser Michael Debolt.

In general on the 2006-07 budget, it has increased to $10.3 billion, an increase of $735 million, or 7.7 per cent, over last year. Nearly two-thirds of the Health and Wellness budget is being provided in operating grants to health authorities. Base operating funding to health authorities increases by $338 million, a 6 per cent increase on average. Health authority funding was allocated to address popula- tion growth and inflation costs ranging from 4.9 per cent for the Chinook health region to 8.3 per cent for the Northern Lights health region.

The allocations provide fair and sufficient operating funds to maintain existing and new services. We fully expect that health authorities will be able to manage within their budgets. Seven hundred and forty-eight million will be spent on health capital, including $672 million in capital grants to health authorities. Spending on the 2006-2009 capital plan will increase by 74 per cent over the previous three-year plan to $2.9 billion.

This includes $2.5 billion for health facility projects, including the Alberta bone and joint institute in Calgary and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton as well as health facilities in a number of communities. These projects will add an estimated 2,000 new beds, $309 million over three years for health information systems, including the electronic health record, Alberta Netcare, and diagnos- tic imaging.

Physician services receive an allocation of $1.88 billion, which includes $75 million for alternative payment plans to allow academic physicians to focus more time on research, education, and delivering specialty care to Albertans; $70 million for primary care initiatives; $21 million for the physician office system program to expand the electronic health record to physician offices. Twenty-seven million will be spent this year to reduce wait times for hip and knee replacements as well as breast cancer care, coronary artery bypass surgery, MRIs and CT scans, and prostate cancer care.

The Alberta hip and knee replacement project, which decreased wait times for orthopaedic surgery from 47 weeks to five weeks, will be used as a model to reduce wait times for other surgeries and procedures. Forty-two million will be spent to improve continuing care by increasing the number of nursing hours and personal care in long- term care facilities, increasing therapy, implementing new health care standards, and improving case co-ordination. This increase is on top of the $25 million increas e provided in 2005-06. Mr.

Chairman, since March of 2005, at the end of the 2004-05 budget, we have increased the funding for long-term care by a total of $83 million through funds spent at year-end, in-year spending, third- quarter spending, and the spending that’s implicated in the budget of 2006-07. Income thresholds for Alberta health care insurance premiums increased by $5,000 on April 1, 2006. This change will mean that an additional 140,000 people will no longer pay health care premi- ums or will pay at a reduced rate, saving them about $30 million in 2006-07.

Twenty-five million will be drawn each of the next three years from the $500 million Alberta cancer prevention legacy fund to expand cancer screening programs and develop a virtual cancer research institute to co-ordinate cancer research. The Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission’s budget is increasing by $19 million, or 25 per cent, to $95 million in 2006-07. Fourteen million of this increase is being used to implement services to help children abusing drugs, including providing 20 confined residential beds. For the first time the Alberta Health and Wellness budget has surpassed the $10 billion mark.

Every hour we spend more than $1.2 million to maintain and improve Alberta’s health care system. Total Health and Wellness spending will account for 36 per cent of government’s total expense in 2006-07. If health spending continues to grow by 8 and a half to 9 per cent, health spending could consume about 60 per cent of the total public spending in Alberta by 2025. 3:10 What we’ve accomplished. Let me touch briefly on the ministry’s recent accomplishments. The international health symposium was held last May, featuring 28 speakers from nine countries and over 400 delegates participating.

The goal of the symposium was to identify innovations that drive excellent health systems and healthier populations. In July the 13-point action plan Getting on with Better Health Care was released and followed up by the submission of more than 450 online and written surveys. Government accepted the Achieving Excellence in Continuing Care report in principle and committed over $36 million in new funding to correspond to recommendations to improve continuing care health services, accommodation, and quality of life issues.

In October $1.4 billion in f unding was allocated to 20 capital projects across the province to add bed capacity in the form of new buildings and renovations and expansion of existing facilities. Under the mental health innovation fund a total of $75 million was

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061122 granted to 30 new projects over the next three years to provide a wide range of mental health services. Fourteen local primary care networks are now in operation throughout the province. The networks involve more than 500 physicians and serve 770,000 patients, and, Mr. Chairman, that continues to expand even today. The Smoke-free Places Act was implemented January 1, 2006, to prohibit smoking in any public place or workplace that is accessible to anyone under the age of 18.

The Cancer Prevention Legacy Act was introduced to create funding that will go towards putting Alberta at the forefront of cancer prevention, screening, and research. The health policy framework was released in February, identifying 10 new policy directions to guide innovative changes to the public health care system, addressing rising costs of pharmaceuticals, rapidly changing technology, and a growing and aging population. Consultations held in March determined how government should proceed with implementing policies, and eight of the policy directions will be going ahead.

We’ll be introducing legislation later this spring to help government advance its health care renewal plans. Our priorities for this year. The ministry’s vision is for Albertans to be healthy, to work and play in a healthy environment. The mission of Health and Wellness is to “support individuals, families and service providers in making the best decisions about their health.” To provide this suppor t, we will provide leadership and work collaboratively with partners to help Albertans make the best decisions about their health.

The ministry fulf ills this mission through its three core businesses: being an advocate in providing education for healthy living, providing direction and funding for quality health and wellness services, and leading and participating in continuous improvement in the health system. In addition to the ministry’s ongoing core activities, we have two strategic priorities this year: finding innovations to make health services more efficient, responsive, and accessible and strengthening public health risk management capacity.

As we look to the year ahead, we will continue to consult with Albertans on improving our health care system and making further progress on other key goals. We will continue to address four immediate government priorities reinforced by the international health symposium: promoting wellness, particularly of children and youth, advancing primary health care, realizing improvements in mental health services and delivery, and making the electronic health record a robust reality in 2008. Mr.

Chairman, obviously besides these four priority areas, we will work very hard on the cancer legacy project as identified in Bill 1. Our Healthy U program will conti nue to promote the benefits of healthy eating and daily physical activity to Albertans, with a special focus on children and families. This winter more than 6,000 Albertans visited the Healthy U Crew booth at 18 different events across the province. Health and Wellness is working with Alberta Education to address healthy eating and physical activity for schoolchildren.

We will continue to establish more local primary care networks in all nine health regions, and when all 29, which we anticipate, are opera- tional, they could include as many as 900 physicians and many other health professionals. The primary care initiative has led to 24/7 access to primary health care services and will be the new model to lead the future of primary care in Alberta.

We will capitalize on the success of the hip and knee replacement project, using it as a model to reduce wait times for other surgeries and procedures, and will continue expanding Alberta electronic health records, making more patient information available to health professionals across regional health authority boundaries by 2008. Other priority areas in the business plan include improving access, where we will strive to reduce wait times for elective surgery, and improving access to primary care, subacute home care, and pharmaceuticals. Mr.

Chair, I will never be satisfied until no child in Alberta has to wait for treatment or care when they need it. Promotion and prevention. We will encourage Albertans to take greater responsibility for their health and wellness. Mr. Chairman, if you get up in the morning and you don’t love what you see, then it’s time to make yourself into a healthier and better person. Mr. Chairman, children’s health will continue to be a top priority, emphasizing and encouraging lifestyles, improving the rate of immunization against common childhood diseases, and reducing harm from violence and drugs.

We will expand community-based care, strengthening care for seniors, persons with disabilities, and those with addictions and mental health needs, who will be able to receive the care they need on a timely basis in their communities. In continuing care improvements will be made by increasing daily nursing and personal care hours from 3.1, which was the previous standard, to 3.6 for long-term care residents, noting, Mr. Chairman, that through this past year most achieved the standard of 3.4 hours by August, and finally, by January, all had achieved that standard.

Implement new health care standards, improving case co-ordina- tion, and manage growing costs of emerging technologies and pharmaceuticals. Health and Wellness w ill work with author ities and health care professionals so that the right technologies and drugs are used at the right time for the right condition. It is important that all Albertans have access to quality pharmaceutical services regardless of their financial situation.

On health workforce recruitment and retention, working with our partners to ensure that we have the right mix and enough health providers to meet current and future needs, we are pleased to advance the case of working with Alberta Advanced Education, assuring that we will make great strides in closing the gap between what we have and what we need. Improving access to mental health services has to be a huge priority for all of us. Regional health authorities particularly will be required to report on mental health plans by addressing the need for mental health services.

Our electronic health record, or Alberta Netcare, will continue to expand to help more efficient and effective service delivery. We will work to prevent Albertans from being exposed unneces- sarily to communicable diseases, working to strengthen the system, responding to public health issues and risks, working to assure that Albertans get timely information on how to protect themselves. In short, Mr. Chairman, working not only within Alberta but with our federal partners to pandemic-proof as much as possible our Canadi- ans.

We will work to prevent Albertans from being exposed to environmental health risks, protecting through education, regulatory enforcement, and partnership with other agencies. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to just summarize our challenges. We continue to face a number of challenges in working to improve the health care system. These include population growth and changing demographics. Currently 10 per cent of Alberta’s population is 65 years of age and older. This population is expected to increase to 13 per cent by 2016 and then 20 per cent before 2030.

The population continues to shift from rural to urban centres and is one of the highest population growth rates in Canada, at approximately 1.5 per cent per year. Other challenges include the cost of emerging technologies and pharmaceuticals, workforce shortages, expectations for health service quality, increased health spending, public health risks, aboriginal health needs, mental health challenges, and addiction issues. Mr. Chairman, we face the stresses of a robust economy and

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1123 Albertans that have come in to work in this economy and don’t have the full capacity of families behind them. 3:20 Mr. Chairman, we face the challenge of Albertans who are not prepared to take sufficient ownership for their own health and wellness. It is some thing that we will continue to try and stress through program delivery, reminding people like the 18- and 19- year-olds that just because they’re not seeing a TV ad reminding them not to smoke, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be looking after their lungs.

I’m astounded how frequently Members of this Legislative Assembly sitting on the opposite side continue to imagine that this government should be responsible for making changes in human behaviour in everything from nutritional needs to the health and living habits of Albertans. We carry an enormous responsibility for ourselves, and we must never lose sight of that. While we face enormous challenges, we’re fortunate to have many opportun ities to address these challenges and to work, through foresight and innovation, on addressing those challenges.

According to the 2005 Alberta Health survey, 88 per cent of Albertans were satisfied with the way health services are provided; 86 per cent indicated satisfaction with the quality of care they received. They frequently, though, remind us that they wish to have greater access and more timely access, a challenge not only in Alberta but across the country. While Alberta’s health care system continues to receive high marks, there will always be room for improvements. We will encourage regional health authorities to be more innovative and more accountable. As I discussed, we will emphasize wellness.

We will make strategic investments to improve access and quality for all Albertans, including the aboriginal communities. All of the ministry’s spending will focus on the most effective and efficient use of resources and continuous service quality and improvement. Our government sees a healthy province as one of the most important resources for the future. The health and well-being of each and every Albertan will be our top priority as we implement the Health and Wellness business plan in the coming year. Thank you. And, Mr. Chairman, may I move the estimates of Health and Wellness? The Deputy Chair: Thank you.

Hon. members, before I recognize the Member for Edmonton- Centre, may we briefly revert to Introduction of Guests? [Unanimous consent granted] head: Introduction of Guests (reversion) The Deputy Chair: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I’m just delighted to welcome to the public gallery several people who have joined us to witness the Health and Wellness debate. The first person I’d like to introduce was a colleague of mine, and she is currently a city councillor for the city of Edmonton in ward 1.

Many of you will remember her serving very well on this front bench as the opposition critic for social services, which included child welfare and disability programs, between 1997 and 2001, a very vigilant defender of the vulnerable, and that’s Linda Sloan. She is here today with Monica Rosborough and Anton Szabo. I’ll also note that Kevan Rhead, who is a long-time advocate on health care, is joining us as well. Now, I’m going to have Kevan add to the whole bunch, and I’ll get you all to stand. Please welcome them. Thank you.

I’ll note that Councillor Sloan is very particularly interested in improvements for ambulance services and emergency room wait times, and she’s done quite a bit of work on this under her assigned

section as a city councillor. head: Main Estimates 2006-07 Health and Wellness (continued) Ms Blakeman: What I’d like to do today, Madam Minister: I’ve got about 20 areas of interest I’d like to talk to the minister about and get some responses on. I’m thinking that if I do about two minutes each, that’s 40 minutes’ worth of talking, so I’ll try and do this in two sections of 20 minutes each. I am going to start, actually, with a question about ambulance services.

Now, shortly after the minister was appointed in March of 2005, which was, I think, exactly one month before the municipali- ties were to hand over responsibility for ambulance services to the health regions, the minister announced that that program would not be going ahead and plans would be put on hold indefinitely. That caused great consternation. We talked about it quite a bit at the budget debates last year because they had in fact been instructed to allocate their money for ambulance services to other divisions, and they did.

Then when they had to keep running them, they were either having to run a debt or cut services in other areas, which was most unfortunate. I understand that the ministry is planning to re-evaluate whether to proceed with this transfer, and there are pilot projects complete in the Palliser and the Peace C ountry health regions. With that is a corollary issue around emergency room overcrowding. That’s a constant issue and often goes hand in hand with the issues around availability and wait times for ambulances.

I think that connected to that is insufficient funding by the government to increase the number of acute care beds, which would ease the backlog in emergency room admittances. So there’s been no increase in funding for the municipal ambulance program, and the funding that was announced by the minister last year was already well known to be insufficient at the time. One of my questions is: will the minister explain why the decision was made not to increase funding for ambulances? Can you update us on the status of the pilot projects in Palliser and the Peace Country health regions?

I’d like to know which stakeholders are being consulted as part of this pilot project. Are all of the munici- palities that are in the regions involved in the decision-making process of an analysis around the success or the status of those pilot projects? I’m interested in whether the minister has received any complaints from the municipalities about the management of the pilot projects. I know, in fact, that they have, and I’d like to hear a discussion about that. I’d like to know when we can expect to see a report made public on these pilot projects.

We have seen a dramatic increase – in some cases, I think, a tripling – in the number of code reds and code burgundies in Edmonton and Calgary caused by a number of factors, but I would venture that it’s a lack of staffing, a lack of beds, and overall management. One of my perennial questions is: given that, you know, the pressures on the emergency rooms happen every year at the same time – we know it is flu season; it’s entirely predictable; it has happened every year that I’ve been in this Assembly – why can the government not plan adequately for these flu seasons and get ahead of this?

Why does it always seem to be scrambling and behind on it when we know it’s coming, when we know it happens at the same time every year? Does the ministry have some level of code reds or code burgundies that they will accept or tolerate? Is there a tolerance level there, and beyond that everything kicks into high gear? What’s the issue?

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061124 There was a pilot project that placed paramedics in the emergency rooms to reduce the amount of time that the paramedics in Edmon- ton spent waiting in emergency departments. I’m wondering if the minister has considered expanding that program if I’m thinking of the right program. I know that there’s a problem with the handing off of patients that come in ambulances. They have to officially hand over their patients, and if there’s nobody to accept the patients, then the ambulances have to sit and wait. That’s part of our problem with the usage of ambulances.

I know that I can say that accurately from Edmonton. So, you know, when we have slower response times, that’s sometimes because we’ve got one or two ambulances sitting in the loading bay in the hospital waiting to hand over their patients so they can leave and go and get somebody else. This paramedic program in the waiting rooms should alleviate that. That’s why I’m questioning whether there’s a plan to expand that or put it in every hospital or what the status of it is. The other issue around transport of patients that’s arisen is air ambulance services. Now, this was cut by $4 million.

That’s appearing on page 258 of the estimates. Vote 2.2.4 went from $40 million to $36 million, and the municipal ambulance program received no increase. That’s staying at $55 million. Can the minister explain her decision to cut funding in this area and essen- tially also cut it from municipal services seeing as we’ve now had two years’ worth of inflationary and volume increase costs that are putting additional pressure on that $55 million worth of funding there? 3:30 I’m going to move on to an issue of – well, see, that one series of questions took me six minutes. I’m never going to get through this all. Okay.

Midwifery is the next issue I’d like to bring up. In 1990 the organization I then worked for, the Advisory Council on Women’s Issues, made a very thorough recommendation about making midwifery services a recognized profession, forming standards and credentials for it and covering midwifery services under health care. In 1991 the Health Disciplines Board recom- mended public funding of midwifery care. In 1993 there was an additional government-funded body that also recommended the same thing.

Since then and in my time in here we’ve had a series of health ministers, all of them running different pilot projects and studies and explorations in different areas with slightly different focuses. We know that the full course of midwifery care costs between $2,500 and $3,000, which is significantly less than a normal delivery in a hospital, which is around the $4,100 mark. That $4,100 is not including the cost of follow-up examinations, epidurals, and other expenses.

So again I’m asking the minister why it’s taking so long for the government to follow through on funding when midwifery care could alleviate pressures in so many different areas. Why will the ministry, why will this government not support midwifery services being funded under health care? It makes sense. The studies support it. The pilot projects support it. What is the problem? In 1991 the Health Disciplines Board recommended the develop- ment of a baccalaureate program in midwifery as well.

We are seeing midwives leave the province either because of the high costs of their operating versus how much money they can make right now and the difficulties they’re encountering in their ability to practise but, I think, also experiential training. So I’m asking if the ministry will work with the Department of Advanced Education to establish a baccalaureate program in midwifery. If that’s already under consideration, what is the timeline that is being considered there? I’m going to move to long-term care, Minister, which is appearing on page 31 of your business plan.

There are lots of nice words in here about improving the quality of continuing care services by implementing new standards for long-term care centres and continu- ing care services, et cetera, et cetera, but really what we’ve seen is $42 million that is being provided to improve continuing care throughout the province. I think the minister said $83 million, and I’m interested in how that divides out because our c ount is $42 million. Of course, what is really lacking are the standards, which is what was promised. It was agreed to.

We’re coming up to the anniver- sary on May 9 of the Auditor General’s report on long-term care. We had a private member’s bill brought forward by my colleague from Lethbridge-East, who is currently the opposition critic for seniors, attempting to set up a commissioner that could oversee and monitor and enforce standards, and that was voted down by the government members. How much longer do we have to wait? Where are we at with the standards? What is taking so l ong to get these standards in place? I mean, there are best practices that exist in other provinces and in other countries.

The long delay is causing suspicions, and this is what starts to happen. We know that long-term care is one of the four areas that the minister continues to investigate as outside of the total health care package. Long-term care was one of the four areas identified in the Aon report. It is a mix right now of public and private funding. It is ripe for private insurance schemes to come in.

When we don’t see standards of care or we see the development of standards of care taking so long, we start to become suspicious that there’s a delay that is allowing for the creation of a market, or there’s a delay in order to somehow facilitate the private insurance market for long-term care, allow them to set up or get what they want or influence these standards in some way.

During that particular debate with my colleague from Lethbridge- East the minister had concerns about a resolution process, and I’m wondering what the minister had in mind that would make the establishment of a continuing care commissioner unnecessary. Maybe she can elucidate that. On February 23 of this year we had the government accepting the recommendations from the MLA task force, recognizing that the current system is insufficient, but it had no strategies for standards or enforcement.

Now, I know that the Health Facilities Review Committee can conduct inspections and make recommendations, but there are no mechanisms in place to ensure that those recommendations have been implemented. It’s all a sort of, “Well, we’ll say this nicely and hope that you do it” set-up. I note that the ’05-06 budget for the Health Facilities Review Committee was $622,000, but the forecast spending for ’06-07 is $822,000, and I’m wondering what the extra $200,000 is for for this particular committee, which doesn’t have the power to enforce after all of that. So please tell us what the extra money is for.

Without standards in place, what measures will the minister take within the next year to ensure that patients are receiving adequate care and attention? If there’s nothing for them to measure against and nothing to mark it against, how is the minister going to be ensuring that this happens? How close is the minister to bringing forward legislation? We are almost at the end of this spring sitting. According to what I’m hearing from my colleagues on the other side, it’s highly likely that there will not be a fall sitting in which legislation can be introduced and passed.

By next spring we’re into a leadership race for the Conservatives and a new leader and may well be into an election, so what is the timing the minister is anticipating to introduce legislation that would contain new standards?

April 27, 2006 Alberta Hansard 1125 Could the minister tell us what the government plans are for standardizing staffing levels in long-term care facilities and also around regulating personal care attendants? Now, I notice that the minister has agreed to increase the hours of care per day from 3.1, which was a new standard, actually, that’s only been achieved recently. It was 1.9, I think. So 3.1 and now to 3.6. For most of the year the minister talked about 3.4, so I’m interested that we’ve got to the 3.6.

Is there any consideration to increasing this to four hours per day, which is another recommended benchmark that some people have been hoping for? I’d like to see what studies and reports the minister was using to have reached the 3.6 level. I know I was looking at certain recommendations from certain groups, but I’d like to see what the minister was looking at. 3:40 I’m also interested in what research and reports have been considered regarding the optimal workload mixes and staff mixes between RNs, LPNs, PCAs. How is that mix all going to work out?

Do you have a grid on that that shows us that in a given facility with a certain type of patients this is how that is all going to work out? How many of each would be useful to know. A final question connecting the Aon report and long-term care and possible private insurance for long-term care. Is the minister doing any follow-up from that Aon report that would be looking to encourage people to be taking more of the payment costs for long- term care? Obviously, those people that have been reassigned to the housing models move out of a copayment with the government and into paying a hundred per cent.

So we’re just looking at the people that are still in long-term care facilities and how much they’re paying for essentially their room and board. The government is still paying the health portion of it. I’d like to quickly move on to primary care, which is appearing on page 220 of the business plan and page 258 of the estimates, vote 2.1.4. I heard the minister talk about care being available 24/7. All good.

A number of people and experts from across the world, I think, have said that primary care is one of our best weapons in having a healthy population and being able to address a healthy population in a timely and cost-efficient way. On the primary care networks that have been established: just confirm, please, that we’re past the pilot project stage. I believe that what we now have are 14 primary care networks, with about 500 family physicians participat- ing. I’m wondering if the additional funding will be used to expand primary care networks. Will we be having more of them or as many as want to start up?

Will that money be made available for them, or is it finite? How many more primary care networks are expected to open this year, and where will they be located? Is the minister taking any kind of a management role or planning role in where these networks would be located? How many of them? How many to open over a certain period of time? Or is this sort of a free market, and whoever wants to open one is free to go ahead and do that? Other than the primary care networks, is the ministry considering any other plans for primary care? I’ll have to come back and do my second half later.

The Deputy Chair: The hon. minister. Ms Evans: Thank you very much, and thank you for the questions. I’ll be as succinct as I can be, and then hopefully we’ll be able to supplement later. Let me start on the point that I’m very apprecia- tive to have the former social services critic here. The experience with local government now no doubt is enhancing the view of the very complex service; namely, ambulance or emergency patient transportation. I’d had that privilege for some time, so I know that it’s a complex area.

First of all, we did not increase funding this year although we recognize that the $55 million did not cover the full costs of the ambulance. But we look forward to the ambulance advisory committee, on which in this city, the capital city, we have a member, Mr. Steve Rapanos, who has been involved in ambulance delivery and responsible for that. So I know that they have been working diligently. In fact, we’ve put municipal representatives on that committee, and they are the ones that are coming up with a recom- mendation. There are two areas that I think the hon. member opposite has cited.

First, on how the projects are doing and who is being consulted and the decision-making process, I expect to get a final report from the hon. Member for Medicine Hat, who has been working as chair with the chair of the Peace region, Marvin Moore, to bring forward some recommendations for us to consider. The complaints about the pilot projects have predominantly occurred in Peace River as a community being concerned and not somewhat on stride with the health region of Peace River, and there have been several efforts to try and work and resolve the issues there.

On one hand, if I’m looking at it as a health minister, it would be much more convenient to have everybody in the pilot. However, as a former reeve I also have sentiment for people who want to direct their traffic in the way they see fit. That was one of the initial problems in regional health authorities: assuming that a more co- ordinating role might mean that they were going to in a manner of speaking take over ambulance delivery. So we’ve got a lot of work to do there.

I’d just identify that I’ve had an opportunity on two occasions, as recently as last evening, to speak with Mayor Mandel and this city about ambulance delivery. These identified yet one more problem, and that is the lack of collectibles. Sometimes, I believe, the communities are not able to collect the amount of revenue due them for the ambulance, and he has an uncollectible bill of some $2 million, which is double what it is in Calgary. I spoke with the mayor of Calgary about that, so he’s going to check about it. Suffice it to say in

summary that we will get a report fairly soon and be able to identify what the issues are there and what the progress should be for our government in responding further in their responsibilities to help and support the health delivery through emergency patient transportation.

In terms of the work in this city with the Capital health region and paramedics who often are slowed down in their capacity to do proper work as ambulance support personnel b ecause of staying in the hospital to ensure that the triage is appropriately followed through, there is a report that I’m waiting for, but I know that the health authority has been trying to work to improve and enhance that due diligence. Finally, in terms of the air ambulance the reduction of $4 million was a reflection of less funding required in 2005-06 due to lower utilization and fewer air miles.

It simply wasn’t a service that was used as much. So at this stage it was deemed that it was monies that could be expended in other areas of the health budget. As you’ll note, hon. member, we’ve been trying to cope in a way that’s responding and responsible but placing the dollars where they’re most significantly needed. If I could talk a bit about midwifery, I have great empathy for the sentiments expressed by midwives to have more support.

We do support the work of the Association for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth, the ASAC group, who’ll be celebrating their Interna- tional Day of the Midwife at the Alberta Legislature Grounds on

Alberta Hansard April 27, 20061126 May 7. Mr. Chairman, a great part of the opportunity for midwives to become more involved rests in the hands of physicians under the terms of the trilateral agreement. So we have been funding supports for them on a variety of fronts, including some of the educational supports, but we have been hopeful that the primary care networks will take on more of that responsibility. Health regions can fund midwifery services based on their assessment of community needs, but as the hon. member has noted, we have not seen as much support by the regions as we had hoped.

Funding, though, for three midwives has been provided to the shared care maternity program in WestView health centre, so there is some hope that things will come forward. In terms of more support on the b accalaureate, that has been something that I have on the agenda to advance as we work on our workforce strategy. If I may, on long-term care I’d like to just indicate to the hon. member that the $83 million is a function of taking $5 million from accruals not expended in the budget of ’04-05. So towards the end of March we took $5 million there.

We had $10 million in the ’05- 06 budget that was designated to increase long-term care hours to 3.4 hours, and we advised the regional authorities to support and match that $10 million from funds within their budgets. So within the amounts of money that were given to each authority, we asked them to supplement that $10 million with an additional amount to make sure they match that target. 3:50 Many were able to do that and were able to do that by August, but some were not able to do that.

So in the third quarter, when we provided $26 million, $15 million of which was for the staffing levels, that completed the support that was required to assure that absolutely everybody else was up and running and had fully funded the amount of 3.4 hours on average per-patient care. So you have $26 million from the care amounts that were also provided for additional support on therapy and $42 million that was designated in this year’s budget.

I’m merely saying that since I came into this position last March, we started with that additional $5 million, then $10 million, a total of $83 million if you add the $42 million. I went over that figure several times thinking that you probably would ask me about it today b ecause I know your concern a bout long-term care. Now, on the Auditor General’s report we have accomplished many of the initiatives, but we obviously believe that there’s more to be done. If we were moving from 3.6 to 4 hours per day in 2007- 08, if we were to be able to do that, it would require an additional $53 million.

To the hon. member, I think that the biggest difficulty we’ve had is getting the number of personal care attendants properly trained and in place to fill those positions. So a great part of our initiative on the workforce strategy will be to do the training and through the year monitor our progress in being able to make the right staff mix in the right place at the right time to deliver long-term care. The reason the standards document hasn’t come out yet is quite simply that I was not satisfied in the first instance, nor was my colleague the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports.

We issued two papers last year on long-term care, the

definitions for everything from assisted living to ways and processes that we believed would be appropriate. I’m also looking at some of the additional supports beyond the regular staffing mix. I’m just giving you a little heads-up here. I’m looking at other things because my belief is that we should be looking at hydration and nutrition as key elements in those standards. I’m goi