April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 217 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Monday, April 30, 2001 1:30 p.m. Date: 01/04/30 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers THE SPEAKER: Good afternoon and welcome back. At the conclusion of the prayer would all hon. members please remain standing for the singing of our national anthem. Let us pray. O Lord, guide us all in our deliberations and debate that we may determine courses of action which will be to the enduring benefit of our province of Alberta. Amen.

Hon. members, would you please join in the singing of our national anthem in the language of your choice, and we’ll call on Mr. Paul Lorieau. HON. MEMBERS: O Canada, our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. THE SPEAKER: Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors THE SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Community Development. MR.

ZWOZDESKY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to introduce to you and through you five esteemed members of the Junior Chamber JCs. I would ask that they please rise as I mention their names. Mr. Georges Bouverat from Switzerland is the world president of the Junior Chamber In ternational. Mr. Bouverat is in Edmonton to consider this fine city, the capital of this province, as a possible location to host what is referred to as area C conference.

This conference is scheduled for May 2003 and will include Junior Chamber representatives from 21 different countries including the U.S.A., Canada, and South America, to name but a few. It expects to attract up to 1,500 delegates. Mr. Bouverat is joined by Mr. Tracy DesLaurier, Canadian Junior Chamber national president, who coincidentally resides right here in Edmonton. Also joining them are Mr. Duane Vienneau, Canadian Junior Chamber national vice- president, who also resides here in Edmonton, and Mr.

Andrew Woolley, past president of the Edmonton Junior Chamber and bid committee chair for the 2003 conference of the Americas. Mr. Justin Dahlen, president of the Edmonton Junior Chamber, rounds out our guests this afternoon. Missing from the delegation is the man who helped arrange all of this, and that’s a good friend of mine and of the Assembly’s, Mr. Mike Hodgins, who is senator of the JC movement and a past-president related thereto. We wish the Edmonton bid committee every success in their efforts to attract this important international conference to our provincial capital in this great province.

Would all of you please join me in extending an official warm welcome to these special JC guests. head: Presenting Petitions THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed. MS GRAHAM: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As chairman of the Standing Committee on Private Bills I request leave to present the following petitions that have been received for private bills under Standing Order (93)(2): (1) the petition of the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer Amendment Act, 2001; (2) the petition of the Royal Trust Corporation of Canada for the Burns Memorial Trust Act; (3) the petition of the Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company and National Trust Company for the Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company and National Trust Company Act; and (4) the petition of ING Western Un ion Insurance Company for the Western Union Insurance Company Amendment Act, 2001.

THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-West. MS KRYCZKA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present to the Assembly today on behalf of the Member for Rocky Mountain House constituency a petition signed by in excess of 3,000 people from Rocky Mountain House and surrounding area who are concerned about bed shortages in the continuing care facility to be built by the David Thompson health region. The petition calls for the government of the province of Alberta to make a commitment to ensure that the number of beds, 70-plus, will become a priority issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. THE SPEAKER: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. MS CARLSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present a petition today which is urging the Legislative Assembly of Alberta to “ensure that maximum penalties are enforced for all crimes committed with weapons and that all youths involved in weapons related crimes be tried in adult court,” signed by 92 people through- out Alberta. head: Reading and Receiving Petitions MR. MASON: Mr. Speaker, I ask that the petition I presented last Thursday signed by 20 Albertans calling for the Government of Alberta to ensure that Mr.

Stockwell Day is made personally liable for any f unds required to settle his defama- tion litigation and that no public funds are used for this purpose be now read and received. THE CLERK: We, the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Legislative Assembly to urge the Government of Alberta to ensure that Mr. Stockwell Day is made personally liable for any funds required to settle his defamation litigation and that no public funds are used for this purpose. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. MS BLAKEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would ask that the petition I presented on Thursday, April 26, be now read and received. THE CLERK: We, the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Legislative Assembly to urge the Government of Alberta to ensure that Mr. Stockwell Day is made personally liable for any funds required to settle his defamation litigation and that no public funds are used for this purpose.

218 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 head: Tabling Returns and Reports MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to file with the Assembly copies of a letter I sent earlier today to Mr. Steve Penikett of Kenn Borek Air Ltd. The letter congratulates the pilot and crew of Kenn Borek for their successful mission to the Antarctica to rescue a physician. The letter expresses the pride that I know all Albertans feel that an Alberta-based company earned such international praise for its heroic work. MR. BOUTILIER: Mr.

Speaker, it is my pleasure today to attach and table five copies of the requisite annual reports for the Municipal Affairs delegated administrative organizations. The organizations are the Alberta Boilers Safety Association, the Alberta Elevating Devices and Amusement Rides Safety Association, the Petroleum Tank Management Association of Alberta, the Alberta Propane Vehicle Administration Organization, and the authorized accredited agencies. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. MR. CARDINAL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to table my response to the questions raised in second reading of Bill 3, the Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, 2001. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Employment. MR. DUNFORD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is the last day of the grace period for employers to comply with Alberta’s working- alone regulation.

I would like to table five copies of Working Alone Safely: A Guide for Employers and Employees, which we mailed to 110,000 employers across the province, and five copies of the ad that we ran in daily and weekly newspapers to remind employers of the April 30, 2001, deadline to comply with the new regulation. 1:40 THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glengarry. MR. BONNER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. With your permission I would like to table the appropriate number of copies of a brochure on the St. Matthew school open house and family wellness symposium, which was held last Thursday. Thank you.

THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. MS BLAKEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have three tablings today, all on the same theme. The first is a letter from Avenwood Corner pointing out that their electricity rate has quintupled and they are not receiving the 11-cent rate as they are considered a commer- cial user. The second is a letter dated March 29 from the Condominium Advocate Association pointing out and asking the government for a review of power rate classification and rebate programs for high-rise condominiums.

The third is also a letter from the Condominium Advocate Association dated April 5 pointing out that after the rebates and the differential rates, high-rise condominium owners are paying substantially more for the same amount of power. Thank you very much. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. MS CARLSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today. The first is five copies of a letter from Mrs. Judy Bethel, president of Hostelling Internati onal, Northern Alberta. She’s concerned about the negative effects of skyrocketing electricity prices on the financial stability of their organization.

The second is five copies of two letters from Dr. Tracey Henderson of the Bow Valley Citizens for Clean Air. Dr. Henderson and her group are very concerned about the negative impacts on air quality from Lafarge’s Exshaw fuel flexibility project. They believe the original submission by Lafarge contained calculation errors and want the government to conduct a full environmental impact assessment on this project. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. MR. MacDONALD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to table for the benefit of the entire Assembly the program from The King’s University College graduation ceremony, which occurred Saturday, April 28, at the West End Christian Reformed Church here in Edmonton. Thank you. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. DR. PANNU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m tabling five copies of a report by a Calgary organization of parents known as SPEAK advocating effective quality public education.

The report, titled Report to Calgary School Councils and the Calgary Community with Recommendations to the Calgary Board of Education and the Government of Alberta, recommends immediate reduction in class sizes and greater support of public education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. THE SPEAKER: Hon. members, pursuant to Standing Order 109 I’m pleased to table with the Assembly the 12th annual report of the Legislative Assembly Office for the calendar year ended December 31, 2000.

This report presents the audited financial statements for the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 fiscal years and the fourth annual report of the Alberta branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Hon. members who were here in the year 2000 may not be surprised to learn the following. In 2000 the average number of sitting hours per day rose to 6.16 hours, the highest in the history of this Assembly. The Assembly saw an unprecedented 22 requests for recorded votes between midnight and 2:15 a.m. and received a record number of petitions at 431.

Nearly 133,000 people visited the Alberta Legislature and Interpretive Centre in 2000. A copy of the report is being distributed to all members. The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. MR. MAR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I beg leave to table the requisite number of copies, being five, of the Alberta Health Facilities Review Committee 1999-2000 annual report. head: Introduction of Guests THE SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier. MR. KLEIN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m performing this introduction on behalf of the hon. Member for Highwood.

I’m honoured to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Legislature a young guest who is with us today and I believe is in the members’ gallery. Well, maybe in the Speaker’s gallery. There she

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 219 is. During a time when most people her age were enjoying the first warmer days of spring in High River, Melissa Mathieson spent her free time volunteering on the election team for the Member for Highwood. What makes Melissa’s story stand out from that of so many other election volunteers is that she’s not even old enough to vote. In fact, she won’t be old enough to vote in the next election either.

Eleven-year-old Melissa has a passion for politics and is a shining example of the strong values of community volunteerism and citizenship that Alberta’s young people demonstrate across this province. The Member for Highwood is indeed fortunate to have this talented young woman in his constituency and on his team. Melissa is accompanied today by her father, Larry Mathieson, and I ask that they rise to receive the warm welcome of the Legislature. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Children’s Services. MS EVANS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a privilege today to rise and introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly 48 students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help school. They are here during Education Week celebrating the world of opportunity in the Legislature. They are accompanied by their teachers, Ms Fortin, Mr. Girouard, and Mrs. McCauley. Would they please stand and we could give them a round of applause. I believe they may be in the public gallery. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mountain View. MR. HLADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to introduce to you and through you to members of the Assembly Mr.

Henry Kostynuik and Miss Jaylene Kostynuik, his daughter. These folks are here today to experience the Legislature, and they’re part of a home schooling program. I’d ask them, if they are in the Assembly right now, to please rise and receive the warm welcome of the Assembly. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly- Clareview. MR. YANKOWSKY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we celebrate Education Week, whose theme is A World of Opportunity, I’m indeed delighted to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly 44 students from St.

Elizabeth Seton school, which is located in the constituency that I’m honoured to represent, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. The students are accompanied by teachers Mrs. Herbert and Mr. Boyechko as well as parents Mr. Marion, Mrs. Stotyn, and Ms Langstrom. They are seated in the members’ gallery, and I would like them to rise at this time and receive the very warm welcome of this Assembly. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. MR. MAR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly Mr. Todd Herron.

T odd is a very longtime friend of mine, and he and his wife, Avril, and sons Aidan and Mason live in Winnipeg. He is coming to Alberta and visiting with increasing frequency and is often heard humming the tune Alberta Bound. I’d ask that he rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. head: Oral Question Period THE SPEAKER: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Education Funding DR. NICOL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is Education Week, and our public education system is facing a number of critical issues. My questions are to the Premier.

How can a school board follow your 4, 2 two-year teachers’ salary guide when for most sc hool boards 2 percent is taken up for grid increments each year? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, the budget provides flexibility for school boards to deal with all of these issues: the issues of class size, teachers’ salaries, the myriad issues that face educators today. Relative to the specifics of the question I will take the matter under advisement and discuss the question asked with the minister. THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader. DR. NICOL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again to the Premier: how can a school board settle nonteacher salary raises out of this budget when they normally follow teachers’ salary increases on a percent- age basis and make up about one-third of salaries in each district? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, as I previously explained, the budget, while it identifies a line item vis-a-vis teachers’ salaries, also goes on to provide the flexibility for school boards to deal with all issues relative to the delivery of education, including class size and teachers’ salaries. THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader. DR. NICOL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

How can the school boards deal with this issue when they’re being given the money for teach- ers’ salaries based on their ’99 teacher employment rather than their 2000 or projected 2001? Why are they getting the money propor- tioned back two years? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, that refers to a detailed line item in the budget, and I’m not entirely familiar with the intricacies of the situation. I will take the question under advisement and discuss the matter with the minister.

Speaker’s Ruling Anticipation THE SPEAKER: Before recognizing the hon. leader for the second main question, I would like to point out as well that on today’s Order Paper the chair notices that on May 3, day 4 of the Committee of Supply discussions, the Department of Learning has been designated and is called as the department before the Assembly. 1:50 Education Funding (continued) DR. NICOL: Mr. Speaker, how can a school board make the appropriate decisions to reduce class sizes when the 3.5 percent budget increase is going to be mostly needed for salaries?

How can the school boards properly deal with their functions? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I will have the hon. Finance minister supplement my answer, but I do believe that there is flexibility in the budget, as I stated previously, to deal with all of these issues. I don’t know if the percentage figure cited by the hon. Leader of the Official Opposition is indeed the correct figure or whether that figure was given in its absolute total context. I don’t believe it was. MRS. NELSON: Mr. Speaker, I’d be delighted to supplement. In

220 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 the budget this year there are two things. One is a new line item that says salaries – it’s clearly there – 6 percent over two years, but in addition to that, the base instruc tional grant was also increased 6 percent over the two. It’s not the province’s role to in trude at the local level of the school district. We leave the bargaining process up to the local school board to deal with the local ATA. There is enough flexibility within the budget to deal with the pressure points, whether it be all on salary or on classroom sizes or the priorities within each school district.

So there is flexibility, Mr. Speaker, within that budget to deal with all of the elements and the priorities that are laid out by the local school board, not by this Legislative Assembly. DR. NICOL: Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier: how much flexibil- ity do the school boards have when they get a 3.5 percent base, 4 percent for their teachers next year, when 2 percent goes to incre- ments? They have to deal with their staff. They also have to deal with the costs of increased utilities, which are not being met by the subsidies that are there.

How do all of those get built into those two components: a 3.5 percent base and a 4 percent salary? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, relative to the issue of the subsidies – and I’ll address that issue specifically – I think that this government has been more than generous, particularly on the natural gas side, both through the program that ends as of today and the new program that will be in effect, I believe, July 1 of this year. Relative to electricity, we have gone some distance to ameliorate and alleviate the cost with respect to the high cost of electricity.

Relative to the line items in the budget, I do believe that those items and the amount that we have budgeted provide a reasonable degree of flexibility for the school boards to deal with the matters alluded to by the hon. member. THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader. DR. NICOL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has the Premier looked into the possibility of how much class sizes may have to increase in order for the school boards to get the money to meet these other financial obligations that are coming when they don’t have the option to truly alter those financial needs? MR. KLEIN: Mr.

Speaker, we have to budget based on reasonable assumptions, and the assumption in th is particular case is that the amount that we have provided for basic education in the primary and the secondary systems is sufficient for the sc hool boards to find flexibility within those dollar figures to provide the services that are deemed to be adequate to educate our kids. THE SPEAKER: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Teachers’ Salaries DR. MASSEY: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The govern- ment has decided to change the rules with respect to bargaining with teachers in this province: first, a specific line item in the budget for teachers’ salaries, then provocative statements by the minister, and now a media campaign that does nothing more than provoke teachers. My questions are to the Premier. Has the government set out to deliberately provoke job action by teachers? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I take offence to that statement, to the

preamble in particular, especially the statement relative to this government going out and provoking confrontation with the teachers. It was the ATA at Mount Royal College sometime in the midmorning of a day last week that held the news conference that prompted the reaction from the minister of education.

The first and opening salvo was fired by the Alberta Teachers’ Association without a full examination of the ability of the school board to fully assess the impact of the budget and how they are going to find within those budget dollars the flexibility to deal with precisely the concerns that were brought forward by the ATA. It was the ATA and not this government that fired the opening shot. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. DR. MASSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Premier: were the radio ads that have been playing placed before last Tuesday’s budget? MR.

KLEIN: I’m sorry; I don’t know the radio ads to which the hon. member alludes, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you that we have made statements that we want our teachers to be fairly and reasonably compensated. The hon. minister has alluded to our teachers in many cases, depending on the school district in which they teach, already being the highest paid or amongst the highest paid in Canada.

We want our teachers to be well paid, but we also want to provide the various school districts – and I believe there are about 62 or 63 – with the flexibility to deal not only with teachers’ salaries but with all of the other issues that are so intricately associated with the delivery of education in this province. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. DR. MASSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again to the Premier: having lost the confidence of teachers, what action does the Premier plan to rectify the situation? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if we’ve lost the confidence of teachers.

I believe that we do have the confidence of teachers. As a matter of fact, there are probably about 13 teachers in this caucus, and they feel very confident with this government or else they wouldn’t be here and they wouldn’t have run for our govern- ment. There may be a problem with the teachers’ union and the leadership of the teachers’ union. But amongst the teachers, the profession of teaching, I don’t believe there is a problem, because they are committed to the education of our children, as we are committed to the education of our children. THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader of the third party. DR.

PANNU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is playing cruel games with Alberta teachers, raising expectations of a well- deserved raise before the budget and then crushing their hopes with a measly 6 percent raise over two years. The double standard, backtracking, and hypocrisy on this issue are truly breathtaking. My questions are to the Premier. Why don’t t eachers deserve a raise that’s comparable to the pay raises that nurses and doctors received prior to the election? 2:00 MR. KLEIN: Mr.

Speaker, there is not a comparison to be made here because the dynamics are different today, as they were different three or four or five years ago. I’ll remind the hon. member that teachers have received on average a 17 percent increase over the past I believe it’s four years plus another 6 percent over two or something

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 221 in that range, depending on how the school districts deal with the particular issue. The hon. Minister of Learning, as I have already pointed out, has stated that in many school districts in this province teachers are already the highest paid in the country on average, and basically we have said that we want all of our teachers to be fairly and adequately compensated to ensure that our children are well educated. Mr. Speaker, this is not forsaking the wonderful profession of t eaching in any way, shape, or form. This is fulfilling our commitment to excellence in education.

THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader. DR. PANNU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How can the Premier justify a 6 percent increase in teachers’ salaries over the next two years when private schools have been given 40 percent more funding over the same period? Why this double standard, Mr. Premier? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member is comparing apples and oranges and grapes and peaches and watermelons and mangoes and bananas. The situation vis-a-vis private schools is totally different. Private schools r eceive no capital f unds. They receive no funds for equipment. They receive no funds for transpor- tation.

We subsidize up to 60 percent – it was 50 percent – of the basic instructional fee, and that’s as far as it goes. As much as the hon. member hates and despises and loathes alternative education and the parent’s right to seek alternative means of education, on the whole and generally across the board the grade average of children attending those schools is at least comparable to if not higher than it is in the public systems. THE SPEAKER: The hon. leader. DR. PANNU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think supporters of public education should really start worrying about the future of education in the Premier’s hands.

My final question to the Premier: why is the government cynically driving a wedge between school boards and teachers by forcing the boards to choose between teachers’ salaries and other important priorities like class sizes? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, school boards have always been challenged within budget envelopes to deal with these issues, and year by year by year we have been increasing funding to allow them even more flexibility to deal with these issues.

We have said as a government that we want to achieve excellence in education, but like health or like any other issue, you don’t achieve excellence by simply throwing money at the situation. You provide reasonable resources. I’ll remind the hon. member that we are spending now on public education, because he alluded to public versus private education, in excess of $4 billion a year. I know that he doesn’t think that that’s much – I mean, my God, it would be the philosophy of the socialist NDs to borrow and, you know, drive the province into bankruptcy at any cost, Mr.

Speaker – but $4 billion is a huge amount to spend on public education. This government is willing to put in the resources necessary to provide the school districts and the school boards with the flexibility to achieve quality and excellence in education in this province. THE SPEAKER: Hon. leader of the third party, would you please familiarize yourself with the

preamble rule for tomorrow, please. The hon. Member for Calgary-West, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Long-term Care MS KRYCZKA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have recently been informed of a situation that is somewhat due to a growing and aging population that highlights the need for an increased focus on long- term care. The situation is that of a senior couple where the husband requires 24-hour care. His wife, also a senior, can no longer provide the level of care her husband needs.

Since there is a shortage of long-term care beds available in their home community of Strathmore, this couple is faced with the possibility they may have to live in different communities after 47 years of marriage. My question is to the hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. What is the government doing to ensure that the people of Strathmore have the long-term care services and facilities they need? MR. MAR: Mr.

Speaker, first of all, I want to say that I understand it is very difficult in cases where families are separated from their loved ones, and I want to assure Albertans and the people in this Assembly that we are working hard at creating a culture and a system of supports that allow seniors to live as long as possible in their own homes. Last year the regional health authority in the area that was referred to by the hon. member received some $6 million to build 50 new long-term care beds that will replace existing facilities within Didsbury.

It’s my expectation that there will be a study that is being prepared for a long-term care addition in the area of Strathmore, and I will be pleased to review that proposal in the context of other capital projects received from around the province. Mr. Speaker, in addition to this, regional health authorities are preparing and submitting continuing care service plans to me later on this year. Those plans will identify long-term care, home care, and supportive housing needs for each region and their respective strategies within regional health authorities on how to meet those needs.

When I receive the plan from regional health authority No. 5, I’ll be reviewing it and working with them. Finally, Mr. Speaker, with respect to this specific case, I am encouraging the officials from health authority No. 5 to work with this particular family in Strathmo re to ensure that all the possible options to allow this couple to remain together are explored. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MS KRYCZKA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second question is to the same minister.

What is the government doing to specifically address the needs of all Albertans as the population ages and more long-term care services and facilities are required? MR. MAR: Well, Mr. Speaker, this government and this department are doing much to support Alberta seniors and their health needs. Regional health authorities have received nearly $40 million over the last two years for long-term care but also for home care.

Last year the regional health authorities received onetime f unding of $172 million to expand capacity and to upgrade existing long-term care facilities across the province; $42 million of that was specifically earmarked to upgrade or replace rural long-term care facilities and to convert vacant hospital space for long-term care use. An additional $28 million was approved to help rural health authorities implement the Healthy Aging partnership initiatives.

All of these initiatives are designed to help seniors stay in their communities with the assistance that they need, and we remain committed to working with health authorities to address these placement issues. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member.

222 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 MS KRYCZKA: Thank you. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Fort. School Closures MR. MacDONALD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week is Education Week. My questions are to the Premier. How many public school closures can Albertans expect this year? Thank you. MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I have no idea. I hope as few as possible, but understanding the challenges of the various local school boards, there likely will be some. How many? I don’t know for sure. MR. MacDONALD: Mr.

Speaker, again to the Premier: how many public school closures will there be in Alberta next year? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know. This is a matter for the local school jurisdictions to deal with. But I can tell you that we have dedicated something in the neighbourhood of $1.1 billion to build new schools and to renovate existing schools. You know, it’s typical of the Liberals: the cup isn’t half full; it’s half empty. So it’s not how many new schools and renovations to schools and improve- ments to schools we are going to make as a government.

It’s how many schools might be closed – might be closed – under the jurisdiction of the local school boards. 2:10 MR. MacDONALD: Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, my final question: will Alberta be celebrating Education Week every year with school closures? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question during the first week of this legislative session. School closures have been going on for years and years and years. The whole question, when I was reporting on these issues – I was reporting back in the ’70s and the ’60s on school closures.

When I was the mayor of Calgary, we had to deal with the issue of school closures. It was an issue during the ’80s. It was an issue during the ’90s. It’s an issue now. It will always be an issue, especially in the major urban centres. As I explained before, cities are creatures, towns are creatures, and they continue to grow. The demographics of those cities change, and the dynamics of those cities change.

School boards are always challenged with the issue of where to open new schools, where to close schools, but they’re also being challenged with the issue of how to think outside the box and, if a school is being closed, how they put it to another use. That use could be community use. It could be a use involving seniors. It could be a use involving a combination of community and education. Mr.

Speaker, that’s what democratically elected school boards are there for: to find ways to deal with these issues, understanding that a city and the demograph- ics of a municipality or a municipal district or a county will never be the same. It’s always changing, and they have to be up to meeting those changing needs. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Protection for Independent Contractors MR. CAO: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While the Alberta government has put in place effective provisions to ensure consumer protection against unethical businesses, a number of businesses in my constitu- ency expressed to me their concern with the lack of attention to protect them from unethical customers. My question is to the Minister of Government Services. What has your department done to protect independent contractors from dealing with unethical customers? MR. COUTTS: Mr. Speaker, in Alberta we have the Fair Trading Act, which offers regulation and protection for consumers as well as sets a level playing field through standards for businesses.

Outside the Fair Trading Act, of course, businesses have access to customer credit checks. As well, they can look at terms of payment as they sit down with their prospective customers. Within legislation, Mr. Speaker, our department has a prepaid contract business licence regulation where an operator who is licensed and bonded can require an advance payment or a progres- sive payment in terms of the amount of work that has been done. Within the Department of Municipal Affairs there is also a provision that the hon. member’s construction companies may wish to use, and it’s called a builder’s lien.

In short, there are provisions there, and it’s a good idea for businesses to get to know their customers and sit down and make the appropriate contracts. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MR. CAO: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental question is also to the same minister. Given that our economy is growing very competitive, Alberta businesses, especially the independent contractors that I talked about, cannot afford to waste their valuable time and resources in the government’s bureaucratic and time- consuming requirements on them in dealing with the small number of unethical clients.

My question is: what kind of help can the ethical contractors expect from the government? THE SPEAKER: The hon. minister. MR. COUTTS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are several ways that both the customer and the business can benefit. Under the Fair Trading Act we have a provision where an arbitration process can be in place if a customer files a claim against a business’s bond.

Now, there are also businesses that have set up within their contracts arbitration clauses, and one of the best examples of this is the Canadian motor vehicle arbitration plan for new car purchases, where the dealer and the customer can set down and through the arbitration clause come out to an arbitration result. As well, Mr. Speaker, in the province of Alberta we have the Arbitration and Mediation Society, that can offer their services too. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MR. CAO: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last supplemental question is to the same minister.

I learned that in Denver, Colorado, there is a type of arbitration board that sends certified inspectors to the work site to review the work and make binding and final ruling between the contractor and the client. Could the minister tell us if there is a similar function in Alberta, and if there is none, what can we do to set it up? MR. COUTTS: I can reassure the hon. member that there is arbitration and there are other areas where we can look at providing services to businesses as well as consumers. Contractors and renovators who enter into contracts with consumers and take a deposit, Mr.

Speaker, are required to be licensed and bonded under

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 223 the Fair Trading Act. That esta blishes an automatic arbitration mechanism to which we will appoint an independent arbitrator. As well, as I said, the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society can provide services, and the Dispute Settlement Centre, which is operated by the Better Business Bureau of Alberta, is also in place for those circumstances. Thank you. THE SPEAKER: Hon. Member for Calgary-Fort, would you please, as well, review the

preamble rule? The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Classification of Video Games MS BLAKEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At a September meeting Canada’s justice ministers agreed that each province would come up with its own classification and regulatory scheme for violent video games aimed at young people.

At the close of this justice ministers’ meeting Alberta’s Minister of Justice said, “Protecting our children is a top priority for our government.” However, B.C. has now become the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce legislation to ensure that all video games are classified and that youth and children cannot rent or buy video games that are inappropriate for their age. My questions are to the Minister of Justice.

Can the minister tell this House if his depart- ment’s research has shown any correlation between exposure to media and video game violence and aggressive and violent behav- iour or even participation in gangs? MR. HANCOCK: Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all, with respect to the

preamble, I don’t think it’s an appropriate or accurate portrayal of a decision made at the justice ministers’ conference in Nunavut last September. What happened at that conference was that B.C. brought forward the proposal and outlined what they were planning to do with respect to the classification of video games. Justice ministers from across the country took that information for information and indicated that, quite appropriately, in most cases it was another department of their government that dealt with classification issues, that we had to consult and do those sorts of things.

So, in fact, there wasn’t an agreement at that ministers’ meeting that all the provinces would get into the classification business. In answer to the question, I don’t believe we’ve done that research. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MS BLAKEMAN: Thank you. Well, can the minister tell the members of this House whether he is planning to follow B.C.’s lead and protect our children and young people from violent video games? MR. HANCOCK: Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all, I’d like to say that protection of children is a very important concern for this govern- ment.

We’ve taken a lot of steps, including the protection of children involved in prostitution, the domestic violence court project in Calgary that we’ve been involved in, many, many ways of trying to ensure that children are protected from violence in their commu- nity. With respect to the question of classification of video games, I think it’s fair to say – and I’d certainly welcome the Minister of Community Development if he wishes to comment – that we’re going to monitor what they’re doing to see what effect it might have. We’re not into building bureaucracies and regulations for the sake of having them.

We want to know how effective they’ll be, if they can show that there’s a correlation. Sometimes it’s useful to watch and see what’s happening and see whether it’s effective before you dive into it. 2:20 THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MS BLAKEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the minister detail to this House any other steps that he has taken since September to explore or to implement this classification and regulatory scheme for violent video games? MR. HANCOCK: Well, no, Mr. Speaker.

I should point out that really the best protection for a child with respect to renting or buying video games is parental supervision. Video games are not cheap; the last time I looked, about $55 for a video game for one of the new play stations. This is not something that kids just get to go out and do most of the time. What play stations, what games the kids are using are really questions for parental supervision and control.

But that doesn’t mean that we won’t look with interest at what’s happening across the country and what’s happening in B.C. to see whether they can demonstrate that by putting a classification system in yet another area it will have an effect. If it does have an effect, we’ll be very interested in looking to see whether it can be used in Alberta. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-East, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Working-alone Regulation MR. AMERY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The working-alone regulation was passed some months ago in response to the tragic murder of Tara Anne McDonald, a young woman who was working alone at a fast-food outlet in my constituency. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources and Employment what measures his department has taken to ensure the safety and the protection of Albertans who work alone. MR. DUNFORD: Mr. Speaker, after that tragic death we decided to have a look at our regulation that was involved in this particular area.

We had currently running at that particular time a task force involved in looking at all of our general safety regulations. But I also then put together a committee to look at best practices across North America and listened to their advice. So we made a change, as the hon. member has said, on I think it was October 4, and now today, of course, is the last day for compliance with that. I did earlier today table the Working Alone best practices workbook, that we sent out to 110 employers.

We’re now indicating to all employers through the media and of course through questions like this that the time is now at hand for compliance with the regulation to protect any Albertan who is working alone. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MR. AMERY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister: what is being done to make sure that employers are meeting their obligations, and what is the penalty for noncompliance? MR. DUNFORD: Mr. Speaker, we have within Alberta a system of safety inspections. We do have the right under the act to inspect any Alberta workplace with or without notice.

So what employers can be expecting from tomorrow on is that if they’re involved in a

224 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 routine inspection and if it is determined by the safety inspector that there exists a working-alone situati on here at this particular work- place, the employer can then expect to be asked to show the safety inspector how they have complied with the act. Mr. Speaker, employers can do it very, very easily. They can use our workbook. We’ve provided templates.

We’re basically asking them to assess the hazard they have in their workplace, to then provide opportunities to either reduce or eliminate that h azard, to make sure the staff know how to reduce or eliminate that hazard but also to make sure that there’s proper communication in place so that if the employee finds himself in some difficulty or in an emergency situation, they can communicate immediately a message of distress. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands. Electricity Costs DR. TAFT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A constituent of mine who’s given me permission to ask this question owns a business that employs 14 people by importing raw material from Texas and Kentucky, manufacturing it in Edmonton, and selling the finished product back to the United States. She’s seen her electricity bills soar to the point where, in her own words, she has lost the Alberta advantage and there’s no reason for her business to stay here anymore. She’s contacted every electricity company in the phone book but is unable to get competing bids to supply electricity.

My question to the Premier: does he believe that meaningful competition now exists in Alberta’s electricity industry? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, the competition is increasing as we speak. New power is coming onstream, many forms of power that we’ve never seen before. We see the advent of small hydro micro- projects generating 30, 40 megawatts an hour. We see a lot of cogeneration now coming onstream. Hopefully, once all the environmental concerns have been satisfied relative to our clean- burning coal, we will see thousa nds of megawatts of new power come onstream.

So the deregulation process has indeed provided the environment for competition, and believe me, as that power comes onstream, the prices will come down. We recognize, as does the hon. member, that there are problems right now. Admittedly, some of those problems came about as the result of uncertainty over deregulation, but that was not – that was not – the sole problem related to the high price of electricity today.

There are a number of other factors, including the extremely high price of gas, the booming Alberta economy, the Kyoto protocol as it relates to coal-fired generation, the fact that a number of genera- tors were broken down. As a matter of fact, even as we speak today, there are, I understand, about one or two plants that are shut down, or at least generators that are shut down, causing a heavy load. I would urge this businessperson, this entrepreneur, this free enterpriser, to hang in there, Mr. Speaker.

There are all kinds of things that offset the high cost of power that go to the Alberta advantage: a highly educated workforce, a good quality of supply, lowest taxes in the country, perhaps in North America. There are all sorts of factors that contribute to the Albert advantage, and believe me, as that new power comes onstream, that will then become the Alberta advantage as well. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. DR. TAFT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll try to keep my question brief.

To the Premier: given that other western provinces have seen no significant rises in power rates and that Alberta’s power rates were stable during the boom of the 1970s, can the Premier tell the Assembly when small businesses in Alberta can expect their electricity prices to return to ra tes that compete with other prov- inces? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, we are not the highest in the country, albeit we are on the high side of things. We’re slightly above Saskatchewan. We’re higher than Manitoba, and we are higher than British Columbia.

There are factors that contribute to low power prices in those provinces, and they will probably all always have low power prices, unless of course they do as the socialist Premiers are so strangely apt to do; that is, allow their power companies to export it all. You know, they’re talking about it certainly in British Columbia. As a matter of fact, they’re doing it and they’re talking about it in Manitoba. The simple fact is, Mr. Speaker, that it’s a physical fact. It’s a matter of physics. It is.

The fact is that both of those provinces have an abundance of water – an abundance of water – and they have the ability to create dams. As a matter of fact, maybe even the Bennett dam – and I wonder if the hon. member likes the Bennett dam, that causes environmental havoc in the province of Alberta, but nonethe- less it provides cheap power for the province of British Columbia at great environmental expense to Alberta. 2:30 DR. TAFT: To the Premier.

What has been your government’s response to the report of the Canadian manufacturers and exporters, which found that electricity deregulation could cost Alberta’s manufacturing sector 31,000 jobs? MR. KLEIN: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know how it has cost 31,000 jobs. I read the statistics and looked at the statistics just the other day, particularly for one of our primary industries, and that’s the oil and gas industry, where they predict that something in the neighbour- hood of 19,000 wells will be dr illed this year, compared to – what was it? – 15,000 or 16, 000 last year.

I look at the phenomenal economic growth that’s taking place in the tar sands, or as President Bush refers to them, the tar pits; about $31 billion worth of new construction. I see the phenomenal activity and growth taking place in the information communication technology sector. I see the addition of almost that many new jobs, about 30,000 new jobs, each and every year in this province. I see people moving here in droves. I read about plants closing down in Saskatchewan and in power rich, by the way, Manitoba because of the taxation regime, saying: we’ve had enough; we’re moving to Alberta. Mr.

Speaker, relative to our deregulation success, out of the numerous jurisdictions throughout North America that are deregulat- ing, we are ranked fourth in terms of our total success, and that is after being in the deregulated environment for only four months. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands. Children’s Advocate MR. MASON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since last June the government has been sitting on an important review of the office of the Children’s Advocate done by Chan Durrant. Ten days ago the government finally got around to tabling last year’s Children’s Advocate annual report.

Both reports highlight the government’s failure to address the serious shortcomings of Alberta’s child welfare system. My question is to the Minister of Children’s Services. Why is the government dragging its feet on implementing the important recommendations of the Chan Durrant report, which the minister has had for the past 10 months?

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 225 THE SPEAKER: The hon. minister. MS EVANS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Chan Durrant report is one examination of the Children’s Advocate position. Today under the terms of the Children’s Advocate position the advocate is available for the children that are part of the system. This new report recommends a much broader horizon for Children’s Advocate participation. In other words, we have 750,000-plus children in Alberta. It could, in fact, if you interpret this report, be suggested that we go beyond that child welfare group and advocate for all children.

In fact, Schoolworks, a group, has recommended that the Children’s Advocate ge t involved when students are suspended from school. So, Mr. Speaker, there are numerous things that we have to examine, not only the scope of what that review could mean if in fact the Children’s Advocate was always involved when children had concerns, whether they were child welfare clients or whether they were part of the general public. It also raises the question of the role of the school principal in the advocate’s situation, of the parent in that situation.

We are cons ulting extensively with the partners that we have through the Albert a children’s initiative to make sure that what we bring forward in implementation is the right one and it balances. MR. MASON: Mr. Speaker, can the minister indicate to the House when the government will provide a response to the recommenda- tions, when the government will indicate whether or not it’s going to implement some of the excellent recommendations in this report? MS EVANS: Mr. Speaker, we are beginning already.

The Chil- dren’s Advocate has undertaken a review of the public relations or the publicity surrounding the advocate’s office, and posters are going to be released very soon that tell children in key places where children gather how to get in touch with an advocate if they wish to. That is one example of several things we are doing to continually implement certain recommendations. The other will be forthcoming as we continue to consult with our partners in Justice, Solicitor General, and Learning principally. Thank you. MR. MASON: Mr.

Speaker, given that the report calls for excellent recommendations like making the Children’s Advocate an independ- ent officer of this Legislature rather than a ministry employee and putting in place a credible independent system to review deaths and serious injuries of children in government care, will the minister indicate when we’re going to get some concrete decisions on these matters? MS EVANS: Mr. Speaker, we are very close to being ready to come forward on the matter of the review of fatalities of children.

We are very thoroughly looking into the process with the medical examiner and with the Minister of Justice. It should not be long before we’ll be forthcoming with some recommendations. Mr. Speaker, on the reporting to the Legislative Assembly, that may take a little longer, but I promise there will be a response. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Glengarry. School Construction MR. LORD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have heard – and I person- ally visited one – that there are several new private schools in Calgary which apparently have been built new at a fraction of the cost being incurred by the public school boards to build their new schools. The private school that I visited appeared in a number of ways to be a superior building – more energy efficient, more flexible, and so on – and apparently was built for only a little more than half the price per square foot of comparable new publicly funded schools. My question, through you, Mr. Speaker, to the hon.

Minister of Infrastructure: has there been a comparative study done of the costs being experienced by private or charter schools in their new construction and operating costs per square foot as compared to the publicly funded school boards’ new construction and operating costs per square foot? THE SPEAKER: The hon. minister. MR. LUND: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The short answer to the question is yes, but since this is such an important question, I want to expand on it a bit. The fact is that when you look at the construc- tion and the cost of new buildings, there are a whole number of factors that go into it.

So I think it’s extremely important, as we look at those costs, that we make sure we are comparing apples to apples, because the type of material that you use, the standards that you are building toward, the durability of the building - and as the Premier mentioned and very rightly so today, we have to start looking at what is the end use. Quite frankly, it could be that if we were only using or planned on only using a school, say, for 20 or 30 years, then we should be sure that there is an end use for it.

If you’re planning on using it for a longer period of time, maybe it’s worth putting more money in up front to make sure that it lasts longer. I think we have to make sure that we are looking, as well, outside the box, as the expression goes, and looking at how we can partner with the private sector. All of those things are being looked at. The operations are being looked at. I can assure the hon. member that it is extremely important to us because there are only so many dollars, and the more dollars we can save on this side of the equation, the more dollars that go into the classroom. MR.

LORD: My first supplemental question is to the same minister. Is the prohibitive cost of new construction of public schools being caused by outdated building standards, requirements, and specifica- tions that could or should be reviewed? MR. LUND: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, it is true that the codes and the standards that we use do contribute to the cost, so when you are comparing, you have to compare what exactly another school is using. Certainly those standards have been established through a lot of consultation with people in the industry, with stakeholders. That is an ongoing process.

They are looked at periodically, and we’ll endeavour to make sure that they are the standards that are necessary to provide a safe and clean environment for the children. THE SPEAKER: The hon. member. MR. LORD: Thank you. My second supplemental question is to the same minister, through you, Mr. Speaker. Is the prohibitive cost of new schools in the public system and the need therefore to raise additional funds the major contributing factor in inner-city school closure requirements? 2:40 MR. LUND: Mr.

Speaker, the utilization issue is a very important factor, but I think it’s also very important that we consider in this

226 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 whole discussion the opportunity for the delivery of programs. As we have said on other occasions, if in fact your utilization is low or if you don’t have some economies of scale within the school, you are going to have more difficulty delivering the various programs that are necessary for a full education.

So there is a whole host of contributing factors that lead to the closure of certain schools, where school boards find it n ecessary to close those schools, but I can assure the hon. member that we are looking at all of these factors, and we will continue to make sure that they play a role in the decision-making. head: Recognitions THE SPEAKER: Hon. members, in 30 seconds from now I’ll call upon the first of several hon. members to participate. The hon. Member for Airdrie-Rocky View. Motion Picture Industry Awards MS HALEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On Saturday night in Calgary I was fortunate to be able to attend along with the Deputy Premier and Loretta Fontana, my assistant, the 13th annual Alberta motion picture industry awards. It is a celebration of Alberta’s film industry and a recognition of the incredible talent that we have. From script writing to cinematography to computer graphics to post production, there’s very little that we can’t do right here in Alberta. The evening recognized Leon Lubin’s great contributions to Alberta and his retirement from AMPIA. Also recognized was Horst Schmid as a true friend of the Alberta film industry.

Canada’s consul general to the United States was in attendance, a reminder that films transcend borders. It is in fact a global industry, and Alberta films are seen around the world. Dale Phillips’ documentary, Shadows of War , shows Canada’s forensic doctors looking for and finding proof of war crimes in Kosovo. It should be mandatory viewing for all of us. Films allow us to see the horrors that can occur if we don’t guard against them. The film people of Alberta remind us of how fortunate we are to live here. Congratulations to AMPIA and to the Alberta film industry. Justice Michael O’Byrne MR. RATHGEBER: Mr.

Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of an Albertan who spent his life dedicated to the service of his country, his province, and his city, Mr. Justice Michael O’Byrne. Justice O’Byrne passed away last Monday, and Alberta is much poorer for the loss. Justice O’Byrne was born in Seattle, Washington, on September 9, 1925, and grew up in an Irish Catholic family on Edmonton’s Victoria Avenue. He attended St. Joseph’s high school and was chosen valedictorian of the graduating class. He went on to serve in the navy in the Second World War and retired as a lieutenant.

Justice O’Byrne married Eileen 55 years ago last week. Together they raised 11 children, all of whom were university educated. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1951, the same year that he served as the president of the students’ union, and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1952. He was a partner in Ogilvie and O’Byrne, renamed Ogilvie and Company after his appointment to the bench in 1967 at age 42. Not only did Justice O’Byrne dedicate 33 years of his life to serving Albertans on the Court of Queen’s Bench, but he also made tremendous contributions to his community.

I would like to pass on my condolences to his family and to his colleagues. Mr. Speaker, he will be missed. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. J. Percy Page High School DR. MASSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Education Week I would like to recognize the fine work being done by the staff, students, and parents at J. Percy Page high school in Mill Woods. This school has a long history of attending to individual students and their needs in the pursuit of excellence.

A culturally diverse student body has meant that concern for students, their feelings and relationships with other students, is always a central concern. The house system, designed to help students and staff know each other; the Taste of Page, an a nnual public sharing of foods from ethnic groups; the outstanding Remem- brance Day ceremonies; events like the moving commemoration of the UN declaration of human rights signing; along with a rich extracurricular program, which includes sports, music, and the fine arts, are designed to build a caring and stimulating school environ- ment.

The Page global classroom program puts students in real-time touch with peers and experts around the world. The unique partner- ship with Industry Canada and Shaw Communications is but one example of the school’s ongoing pursuit of the best in programming for students. J. Percy Page, the school’s namesake, would be proud of the work that is being done and the strong tradition of excellence that has been established in the school that bears his name. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Norwood. Community Volunteer Awards MR. MASYK: Thank you so very much, Mr. Speaker.

Last week was volunteer appreciation week, and one of the things that makes our province such a great place to live is the hard work of our community league volunteers. On April 21 I had the pleasure of attending the Edmonton North District Area Council Two Volunteer Appreciation and Awards Night at the Balwin community centre. The volunteers are revitalizing communities in north Edmonton, and I wanted to recognize the president of the area 2 council, Mr.

Bill Maxim, and the following award recipients from Edmonton- Norwood: from Balwin Community League, Richard and Viola Kereliuk and Joyce Krachkowski; from Delwood Community League, Wendy Keiver and Dave Palosky. Congratulations to all of these people who have contributed to the efforts of revitalizing communities and strengthening them for our youth and for our seniors. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glengarry. St. Matthew Elementary School MR. BONNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday St.

Matthew elementary school held an open house and family wellness symposium in the afternoon and evening. A number of the families whose children attend St. Matthew’s experience the same challenges as families whose children attend inner-city schools. This sympo- sium was open to current and potential parents and students. They had the opportunity to explore the school, view student art displays, ask questions about the school, and learn a bout early chil dhood services. Display tables were set up in a gymnasium where parents could access free information on a wide variety of topics.

Also scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening were guest speakers and presenters. Mr. Speaker, the dedicated staff of St. Matthew’s are to be congratulated for their outstanding efforts in organizing and hosting

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 227 this symposium. It is another example of the great work being done outside the classroom by our educators and further indicates increasing demands that we are placing on them and that system. Thank you. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glenora. Josephine Nena Timperley MR. HUTTON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to acknowledge the life and volunteer service of Josephine Nena Timperley, who died April 21 at the age of 90. Nena’s tireless volunteer service to multicultural, humanitarian, and artistic causes earned her the gratitude of many.

She was the driving force behind the creation of the Edmonton Heritage Festival, the Edmonton Canada Day celebrations, the Edmonton Folk Arts Council, and several other community endeavours. She also opened Edmonton’s first blood bank and helped many refugees come to Edmonton. As an active member of the Catholic Women’s League who led by example, she mortgaged her house in 1969 to enable 34 young Edmonton performers to travel to Africa for an international folk festival.

For her enormous efforts Nena received numerous civic, provincial, and national awards, the medal of Canada, and was appointed to the Order of Canada. Mr. Speaker, in the words of our Minister of Community Develop- ment, who worked with her for 30 years, she was called “Mum” and the Queen of Volunteers. The citizens of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, owe her our profound thanks. May she find the eternal rest she so deservedly has earned. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Leaders of Tomorrow Awards MR. JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to acknowledge the recipients of the leaders of tomorrow awards in my constituency. These awards are given to young volunteers in four age categories between six and 21 years of age who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and excellence in their community service and work. Recently I had the pleasure of attending the awards presentation in Wetaskiwin, where 27 outstanding young people from Wetaskiwin and the surrounding area were nominated to r eceive leaders of tomorrow awards.

Each nominee was given a certificate, and the recipients of the awards in their age categories were Kyle Widdifield, Jesse Houff, Dean Breitkreuz, Laura Ruskowsky, and Dawn Werner. These winners were given an engraved plaque to recognize their efforts and a $100 cheque that they contributed to a nonprofit organization of their choice. I would like to congratulate and thank all the nominees and award recipients for the contributions they have made to our communities and for the important work they do as volunteers. Their service and generosity which is recognized now will make them leaders of tomorrow.

THE SPEAKER: The chair would also like to make mention of the fact that today is the anniversary of the arrival into this world of the hon. Member for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. 2:50 head: Orders of the Day head: Consideration of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor’s Speech Mrs. Tarchuk moved that an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor as follows. To Her Honour the Honourable Lois E.

Hole, CM, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Alberta: We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly, now assembled, beg leave to thank you, Your Honour, for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session. [Adjourned debate April 26: Mr. Cenaiko] THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. MR. OUELLETTE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am truly honoured to be able to speak to this House today responding to the Speech from the Throne. It is especially an honour this afternoon because it is my maiden speech.

It is my first opportunity to voice concerns on behalf of the people of the constituency of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake and on behalf of all Albertans. Let me say right now that I hold this elected position to be a very special privilege, and in all my actions in the upcoming months and years I will do my best to listen, to learn, to develop, and to implement ideas that enhance the quality of life in this province. Let me begin by congratulating all of my fellow MLAs on their successful elections and re-elections.

I can tell already from the experience of working with a few of you over the past few months that a strong team has been sent to Edmonton for this 25th Legisla- ture. I look forward to working with all of you and achieving effective results over the next few years. I’d also like to make some very important thank yous. First, I would like to thank all the people of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake for putting their faith in me. I am especially grateful because I know Innisfail-Sylvan Lake faces many unique challenges and needs a particularly strong voice in this Legislature to bring those concerns forward.

I want it to be known that I regard your vote of confidence very seriously and will not fail you. I want all residents of Innisfail- Sylvan Lake, including those who may not have supported me during the election, to know that I am approachable and open to ideas. As well, I would like to thank Her Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor for her clear and eloquent presentation nearly two weeks ago and the hon. Premier for setting Alberta forth on such a positive agenda and for steering Alberta towards the agenda with tremendous vision and ability over the past few years.

Before I address some points from the throne speech directly, I feel it is important I bring some attention to the unique aspects of my constituency. My district is home to an increasingly diverse set of industries. It has significant light and heavy manufacturing with production of products as varied as insulation and piping used in oil exploration. It is also home to some of Alberta’s best agricultural land and some of Alberta’s most productive farmers, but the industry, I must admit, I most enjoy talking about is the tourism industry and the beaches and lakes on which this industry is founded.

I am proud to boast that my constituency is home to three of the prettiest lake resorts in the provin ce. One is Sylvan Lake. It is amongst the fastest growing communities in the province. In the past five years its year-round population has doubled, and the population multiplies by several times every summer when tourists come out to enjoy the many amenities offered at the lake. The huge amount of interest people have in Sylvan Lake these days is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that Sylvan Lake has the highest lakefront property prices in the province.

Sylvan Lake also has the best known, and successful, summer hockey program in the province. Demand has been so high for this camp over the years that it’s been a major reason why Sylvan Lake is now getting a new recreation centre with a swimming pool, a hockey rink, and a curling rink. Mr. Speaker, Gleniffer Lake, located 20 miles west of Innisfail, is

228 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 another beautiful lake in my district that I wish to talk about this afternoon. It is known for being amongst the cleanest lakes in the province. It has two very successful RV parks and one RV camp- ground. The third lake I wish to refer to this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, I’m sure all members are familiar with because of the unfortunate recent incidents that took place near it, Pine Lake. Before referring to the tragic natural disaster that occu rred there last summer, let me say that Pine Lake has long had and continues to have much to offer. Pine Lake is very dear to my heart.

It has a beauty that can only be seen hidden away covered in luscious growth, blessed with innumer- able sandy beaches. It truly is a gem. Over recent years Pine Lake has seen a large amount of sustainable, positive growth. It now has several campgrounds, condominium developments, and an 18-hole golf course. One of the achievements at Pine Lake that deserves special attention has been the efforts of the local community to clean up the lake. In the 1980s, b ecause Pine Lake was such an attractive and busy destination, it began to develop a water deterioration problem, as did many lakes in Alberta.

The people of Pine Lake, the home- owners and the small business owners, decided to take action on the issue. They bound together and formed a group called the Pine Lake Restoration Society committed to improving the area. My predeces- sor, Gary Severtson, deserves cr edit for getting that society going and for what that society has accomplished. Early on, a bout 12 years ago, this committee began consultations with a variety of stakeholders to determine the most suitable method to clean the lake. Farmers, homeowners, campground owners, and scientists were each brought in to determine their perspective.

Ultimately, the decision was made to utilize a hypolimnetic withdrawal system. It was a relatively inexpensive idea involving installing an underwater pipe. What happened next shows the strong community spirit that existed in Pine Lake even after the disaster. The idea was there, but resources were scarce, so the community stepped forward in a remarkable way. People volunteered thousands of hours, and companies donated pi eces of equipment to get the project done. Clean Lake Days was initiated, that fund-raised and informed the public about the project. In 1998 the project was completed ahead of

schedule and underbudget. It truly is a remarkable success story. There’s another remarkable success story from Pine Lake that I would like to speak about, a su ccess story that happened amidst a catastrophe. We are all aware of the terrible disaster that occurred last summer at Pine Lake. The tornado that hit Pine Lake left a human tragedy. Lives were lost, many were injured, and millions of dollars of damage occurred, but even with the destruction of the tornado, Mr. Speaker, it was remarkable to see the resolve and strength of the human spirit.

The community banded together to help one another, and people from all across the province and the nation provided aid and support. It was truly moving to see the way everyone worked together to deal with the terrible aftermath of the tornado. I would like to acknowledge all of those that showed such boundless compassion and caring to those that were affected by the Pine Lake tornado. Thank you. I would also like to acknowledge the role this government played in lending invaluable assistance in the wake of the disaster.

To all the emergency staff, medical staff, counselors, and to many others that were at Pine Lake to help, I thank you. All of you truly went beyond the call of duty to help the people in this community. The throne speech, Mr. Speaker, emphasized the need to develop safe, strong communities. I believe the response of the local Pine Lake community and the support received from across Alberta has demonstrated that this province is living up to that goal. 3:00 Another goal put forward in the throne speech that particularly relates to the situation in my riding is the goal to develop stable agricultural communities.

Mr. Speaker, from what I hear from my neighbours in my constituency I know that agriculture is facing some very serious short-term and long-term challenges. The most pertinent issue is the poor harvest from last year compounded by the bottoming out of certain commodity prices and what looks like is going to be a year with exceptionally little moisture. For many farmers this follows years of poor harvests and years of struggling to make ends meet. The economic and human cost of the situation has the potential to be massive.

I am encouraged by the concern this government has taken thus far in confronting the matter. The Canada/Alberta farm income assistance program, recently reaffirmed with the introduction of this year’s budget, is a step in the right direction towards alleviating some of the burden. Now all st ruggling producers will be eligible for a per acre assistance program. I am also encouraged by the actions taken to find long-term solutions towards keeping agriculture competitive in Alberta. I am referring especially, Mr. Speaker, to efforts to reduce the risk of letting foot-and-mouth disease enter this province.

As many of you are aware, it is a highly infectious disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals. It has the potential to wreak havoc on our agriculture industry if not contained, as it is currently doing in Europe. Alberta’s efforts to inform producers how to minimize the possibility of its transfer, along with the other high standards Alberta has developed to keep our industry disease free and competitive, showed this province’s determination to keep agriculture as a long-term sustainable industry in this province. The assistance program and the actions on foot-and-mouth disease, Mr.

Speaker, showed that this province recognizes the importance of agriculture, but we cannot lose this focus. More can be done and s hould be done. Agriculture has been at the heart of Alberta since long before it became a province. Producers play a special role. Their role is not only to provide for themselves through hard work and dedication to their fields and pastures; their role is also to provide sustenance for all people. They are at the root of a healthy province in terms of its ecological health and its economic health. Thank you, Mr.

Speaker, for this opportunity to speak to the throne speech this afternoon. I hope my fellow Assembly members now have an idea of the immense beauty that exists in my district both in terms of the geographical beauty and the spiritual beauty. Innisfail-Sylvan Lake truly is a scenic district with an increasingly diversified economy, but its greatest strength is the immense community spirit that drives on and has only become stronger in recent years.

I also hope my fellow members have come to see that agriculture is important in my district, as it is in most parts of the province, and that in order to strengthen this historical and vital industry, it will need special attention from this government in the years ahead. I am truly honoured to be a member of this Assembly. The next few years will be a challenge, I am sure, but it w ill be an exc iting challenge. I look forward to working with all of you and doing my best to help strengthen our homes and our communities and to help keep Alberta as the exceptional place it is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. MR. JACOBS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is certainly a privilege and an honour to rise on this occasion and speak to this distinguished Assembly.

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 229 First let me congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker on your respective elections. I have been pleased with the manner in which you handle your responsibilities. I also wish to congratulate all my colleagues in this Assembly for their willingness and commitment to serve the people of Alberta and on their re- election or election. May I also congratulate our Premier on his election and acknowl- edge his leadership in putting Alberta in the enviable financial position it is in today and the positiv e leadership he has provided.

I realize that he had help from the cabinet and other MLAs, so I thank you all and also those who helped that may not still be sitting in this Assembly. We as Albertans need to be grateful and apprecia- tive of your efforts and appreciate this great province. I am the second MLA to represent the newly amalgamated constituency of Cardston-Taber-Warner. The first was Ron Hierath, who decided not to seek re-election. I would like to publicly thank him for the service he rendered. He worked hard and is well known for his frankness, honesty, and integrity.

He represented us well, and again I thank him for his service and dedication and wish him well in his future endeavours. I also, Mr. Speaker, wish to compliment Her Honour the Lieuten- ant Governor for the warm, gracious manner in which she presented the Speech from the Throne. I sensed her sincerity and commitment to Albertans and thank her for her service. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent a very interesting constituency.

Many of my colleagues have said that theirs is the best, which of course is debatable, but what I can truthfully say is that Cardston-Taber-Warner is the most southwesterly and may well be one of the most scenic. It includes Waterton park on the west, the towns of Cardston and Milk River to the east, and Warner, Ray- mond, Stirling, and Magrath in between. It also includes all of Cardston county, the county of Warner, and part of the MD of Taber. Agriculture is the mainstay of the area, but natural gas and oil production is also increasing.

Agriculture consists of ranching in the foothills, grain and oilseed farming on the prairies, and irrigated crops of sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables, corn, hay, and specialty crops. The production from these farms and ranches is the backbone of the huge intensive livestock industry that has developed in the south and also provides the production necessary for the value-added industry that is developing in the area. These i ndustries in turn provide employment for many people and provide much economic benefit not only to our local economy but to all of Alberta.

Although our farmers and ranchers are industrious and independ- ent, they have been challenged the past year by severe drought conditions, low grain and commodity prices, and high energy costs. The family farm, which has done a remarkable job of providing food for Albertans at a very low percentage of their disposable income, is under severe stress.

When one considers that consumers in this province work on average only 40 days a year to buy their food and that about 10 days of that work goes directly to the producer, one has to admit that farmers and ranchers, most of which are family farms, have been very efficient in providing good, quality food for all of us. The tragedy of this situation is that many of these family farms may not survive because of the aforementioned factors of low commodity prices, high energy costs, and drought.

I believe it would serve all consumers well to help maintain the viability of our agriculture industry and to ensure that the family farm remains economically viable. I was pleased, therefore, that the Speech from the Throne noted that it would be a priority of this government to maintain the viability of our farms and rural communities. 3:10 I would also like to acknowledge the great contribution of our rural communities – our towns, villages, counties, MDs – to the economic well-being of Alberta. These communities are very dependent on a strong agriculture economy for their well-being.

Many small businesses in these communities are struggling, and some have even closed. Not only are they suffering because of the problems in agriculture, but the sudden massive increase in energy costs is presenting them with a huge challenge. Although most are grateful for the government rebate programs to assist them, most have still experienced significant increases in their energy bills. Given these challenges, it was comforting to note the government’s commitment to responsible spending, low taxes, and elimination of debt.

I commend the Premier and the government for their efforts in reducing taxes and helping Alberta to become a tax-free province. Mr. Speaker, as a father and grandfather I am concerned about children and about learning. I applaud the government’s commit- ment in the throne speech to increase f unding to school boards to improve learning. I am pleased that school boards will have the autonomy they need to deal with local issues such as class size. I believe it is important to leave as much decision-making as possible at the local level.

Furthermore, I believe we need to ensure that the Department of Learning listens to local boards, administrators, teachers, and parents to get their ideas on what is best for the students and to whenever possible implement these ideas and policies to improve the educational process. I would like to recognize, Mr. Speaker, the dedicated effort of the teachers, parents, and administrators who teach and work in the Cardston-Taber-Warner constituency. I have visited with and been involved with many of these people and know of their dedication, commitment, and excellence.

As a parent and legislator I congratu- late and thank them for their efforts. Health care is a challenge in my constituency, as it is in many others. Regionalization has reduced beds available and care provided in all of the rural hos pitals in Cardston-Taber-Warner. Waiting lists for some people seem to be too long. Doctors and nurses and our health care workers work long and hard to provide quality care. It is a challenge to keep doctors and nurses in small rural communities.

I recognize that regionalization has many benefits and that available medical technology cannot be delivered to all small hospitals, yet we must recognize the concerns of many rural people about their proximity to acute care and emergency service. Many rural people in Cardston-Taber-Warner live long distances from rural hospitals and much farther from large regional hospitals. One of the current issues affecting many of my people is that there is not at present a kidney dialysis machine available on a local basis to the people of Cardston.

The Cardston-Taber-Warner constituency is also privileged to have many senior citizens living within its boundaries. These people have worked hard and contributed greatly to the status of this great province. They deserve to be able to live with dignity and respect and to stay in their homes as long as possible and, if they need long- term care, to be able to remain as close as possible to their families. I was pleased to see the throne speech commitment to publicly funded health care and for the focus on access to health services, illness prevention, and effective regional governance.

I applaud the decision to elect two-thirds of health board members in the munici- pal elections this fall. Families and traditional family values are very important to the people of Cardston-Taber-Warner. People work hard to support families and communities. People work hard to support and help one another and to improve schools, churches, and hospitals. These are a people known for their voluntary community service and charitable support of each other. I was pleased to see the throne speech reinforce those values, values of hard work and caring for

230 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 others, confidence and innovation “that have guided Albertans throughout the province’s history, and they are the values that will continue to guide this government.” In conclusion, I say that it is truly a humbling experience and an honour to have been elected to this position by my constituents. I thank them for the trust they have vested in me and pledge to them my commitment to undertake that trust. I also appreciate the kindness and friendliness that has been shown to me by you, Mr. Speaker, and also by my colleagues in this Assembly.

I believe that government should be open and responsible. I believe that the rights to life and property are truly inalienable rights and that governments exist to benefit people and that there is truth in the adage that the best govern ment is that which governs least. Many of my constituents are concerned about some issues such as gun control, the taking of property without fair compensation – for example, the protection of endangered species – and high federal taxation.

I believe that these people want us as a provincial government to do all we can to protect their rights and freedoms and to stand up to the federal government on these kinds of issues. I know my constituents are appreciative of the efforts and progress the government has made in debt and tax reduction. They want us to continue this effort until the debt is paid and taxes are as low as possible and to continue to be fiscally responsible.

They want us to be sensitive and responsive to the challenges being f aced by rural Albertans, also to respect families and traditional family values, and to be innovative in encouraging and protecting the family and the children. Alberta is a blessed province. It has great resources and good, hardworking people. Those who have gone before us have left us a great legacy. Our challenge is to move forward, to preserve those qualities of thrift, hard work, and traditional family values that got us here, and to be innovative and forward-thinking to su ccessfully meet the challenges of the future.

I look forward to working co-operatively with my colleagues and fulfilling our promise to successfully meet the challenges ahead. May God bless Alberta and its people. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I now move adjournment of the debate on the Speech from the Throne. [Motion to adjourn debate carried] head: Government Bills and Orders Second Reading Bill 3 Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, 2001 [Adjourned debate April 24: Ms Blakeman] THE SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. DR. MASSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to make a few comments about Bill 3, the Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, 2001. The act itself is, of course, very specific and confines itself to one part of the fish management strategy that the government has undertaken. When reading the bill, it reminded me of the comments that the Auditor General had made about the fish-stocking management in the province. I went back to review those comments, because it seems that that’s the context for this bill, that it is one part and a very small part of the fish-stocking management.

It was in 1993, I think, and 1994 that the Auditor General made a couple of recommendations in terms of fish-stocking management. The first was that the department set some measurable goals that could be used to measure performance and to make sure that the kinds of activities that it was engaged in were ones that could be measured and that progress could be seen.

The second was in terms of the information that the department has, and that was to acquire a better information base in terms of the fish stocks in the province. 3:20 I think one of the great concerns of the Auditor General is his attention to performance measures and making sure that those performance measures are specific and making sure that they are measurable. He addressed the last Auditor General’s report to that planning model, the one that’s been adopted by the department. It’s really made up of four components.

First, a fish conservation strategy so that we’re actively trying to conserve the fish stocks that we have. The second

part is a fish-stocking process for the province so that when stocks are replenished or added to, there’s a plan in place. The third part, an important part of the plan, was the recovery for individual species, that we go about trying to make sure there’s a plan in place to help those endangered species that we have in the province recover. The fourth part was that there be some specific action plans for various parts and areas of the province. [Mr. Shariff in the chair] The department put together a strategic plan, and part of that was the fish management information system that’s being used.

The Auditor’s complaint, of course, is that the fish conservation strategy defines high-level goals and objectives. I think that he was making the point that there’s a need for more specific, lower level measur- able objectives that would address the habitats, the maintenance, fish conservation, and fish use allocations. So he was arguing for some performance measures at a lower level. He acknowledged that plans have been adopted for six species of fish in the province: walleye, northern pike, bull trout, golden trout, Arctic grayling, and lake sturgeon.

The objective for the department has been “to recover collapsed and vulnerable populations and to sustain stable . . . ones,” and I think that’s an objective that we certainly all agree with. Taking that overall objective and then operationalizing it for the various regions I think was a concern that the Auditor General had in mind when he made the comments that he did. He noted that there are six regions and 17 areas in the province, that the province has been subdivided for management purposes.

He pointed out that within those diffe rent areas there are often differ- ences in the kinds of performance objectives that the staff, depend- ing on the nature of the staff, will pursue. I think he also acknowl- edged that each of the 17 areas has particular concerns that the management strategies have to address, and of course they will be peculiar to an area or to a region.

He looked at the work of the managers, and as I was reading Bill 3, I wondered how Bill 3 was going to be monitored to fit into those plans and whether that would be part of a performance objective that we would see in this year’s or a future year’s business plans. He went on to comment about the department’s plans at the regional and area levels and that there was a need for them to have some consistency. Many of them, he indicated, did not include enough information on the kind of staff that was going to be required or when particular activities were to be timed.

Again he went back to the problem of performance measures. He did indicate that many of the actions and many of the action plans did not seem to be consistent with the provincewide fish conservation strategy, which would seem to me to be a real weak- ness. He gave an example that “in only two of the seventeen area

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 231 Action Plans was the principle of no net loss of productive fish habitats mentioned.” This is, of course, the key principle in the fish conservation strategy. So he’s concerned about the planning, and I think those concerns about the planning are appropriately raised as we look at Bill 3 and the kinds of proposals that are in that bill. I think an important part of his comment refers again, as I mentioned before, to staffing.

He went on to indicate that in two of the areas “there was no fishery staff to manage the species,” and as a result there was no mention of the species in the plans. That seems to be unfortunate. If there’s no staff in place to do the work, then those important goals are abandoned and not acted upon. So concern about the staffing level and the action plans. A further comment that he made about the action plans is that they had to be much more clearly expressed.

This is a theme that I think runs throughout his remarks on the department in the last report he made, and that is a plea for clarity and a plea for having the opera- tions well grounded in reality. He gives a couple of examples of performance measures that, I take it, he thinks are inappropriate. For instance, he gives as an example: “Fisheries Resource is sustainable and resource is ade- quately conserved.” I think we’d all agree those are admirable objectives and goals for the department, but in terms of operation just exactly what does that mean?

How are you going to know at the end of the year, at the end of the day whether you’ve made any progress on those two particular objectives? He again makes the plea in the report for the language to be more precise and for very, very specific performance measures to be articulated. The problem, I guess, is that in many of the areas there’s inade- quate staff and the staff that’s assigned doesn’t have the kind of time that’s needed to devote to planning. Yet I think we would all agree that consistent planning across the province is most desirable and that those regional and area plans are really very important.

Staff has to have the time to develop the kinds of performance measures that the Auditor General has indicated and then have time to see what progress is being made on the measures that are articulated.

The bottom line I think the Auditor General indicates is that without that kind of specific articulation of the goals and performance measures, without the staff in place to do the planning, without the staff in place to carry out the work, the habitat protection and natural reproduction could be compromised. 3:30 So as we look at Bill 3 and set the provisions of Bill 3, besides the kinds of comments that the Auditor General has raised, I think it does raise a concern that we can pass the best legislation in this Legislature, the most well-intentioned legislation, but if in reality there is not the staff in place, if the resources that are needed to carry out that legislation are not in place, that is all for naught.

I think it’s a warning that as this new legislation passes through the House and is enacted, that has to be taken seriously, and we’ll be looking closely at the business plans of the department when we look at budget estimates to ensure that the resources that make the provi- sions of Bill 3 possible are in place and that there is adequate staff for them to be able to do their job. I think with those comments, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to conclude and look forward to the bill as it moves on through to committee stage. Thanks very much. THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton- Riverview. DR. TAFT: Thanks, Mr.

Speaker. As I look through the bill and consider its implications, I can’t help thinking of many years of experiences on Lake Wabamun and the history of Lake Wabamun as a sort of miniature example of the entire fish ecosystem in Alberta, and I’m concerned that Bill 3, you know, while it’s okay in principle, really isn’t going to do very much to protect Alberta’s fish stock.

If you go to a small museum at Seba Beach – and I’d recommend it to anybody on a day’s drive – you’ll see in there newspaper articles posted up from the 1950s which indicate how extensive the fish stocks in Lake Wabamun and in other Alberta lakes were. Through the winters in the 1950s the whitefish supply in Lake Wabamun was so extensive that it actually supported an export industry to New York, and Alberta fish were served in the finest restaurants in New York. Today you’re lucky to catch anything in Lake Wabamun, really, except maybe an infection.

So I’m concerned that this bill nibbles around the edges and, you know, if we’re going to have a bill with a real bite, then we’re going to have to take some more steps to protect fish stocks. I think some of the other issues that I’d like to see incorporated in an effort to protect fish stocks have to do, for example, with forestry and forestry cutting right down to stream edges and lakesides, which disrupts the banks of the streams and causes extensive damage and disruption to the stream flows and indeed to the lakesides. I’m also concerned about agricultural runoff, like many of us here.

I’m sure we’ve boated and canoed on Alberta rivers. I’ve canoed down the Red Deer River through agricultural land. Frankly, it’s very disconcerting to watch the runoff of silt and manure and chemicals from agricultural activity into rivers and streams. Again, I suspect that’s at least as major a contribution to declining fish stocks in Alberta as is sportfishing. At least I’d be interested to see some study on that. I’m also very concerned about stream crossings for trucks, oil trucks, forestry trucks, and cattle.

It’s not uncommon in Alberta for streams just to be driven across without regard for protecting the banks, without any effort at building bridges. Again the stream flows are disrupted. There’s silting that occurs. There’s weed growth that occurs, and that damages fish stocks. Another concern, of course, is hydro development and the impact of hydro development on the flow of rivers and their ability to sustain spawning fish having to move upstream past large hydro projects.

Yet another concern – and this is very effective – at Lake Wabamun is the concern over power plant effluents going into lakes either directly or indirectly through cooling ponds. I’ve already had constituents approach me with very detailed analyses of the impact of the Wabamun power plant on that lake. I should note that the word “Wabamun” is actually, I’m told, the Cree word for looking glass. It was at one time such a beautiful lake. It reminded the Cree of a looking glass. Of course, now if you go out there, what you see in the looking glass are several major power plants and a whole host of major strip mines.

The power plant at Wabamun, I am told – and I would be interested in information on this from the government – and I’ve seen figures to support this, routinely exceeds the federal guidelines for heat effluents into a lake, and the weed growth in parts of Lake Wabamun is choking the lake and killing off the fish stocks. Likewise, the lake is surrounded by huge, utterly huge coal strip mines, which have completely disrupted the watershed of the lake.

So that kind of industrial activity, which can be illustrated at Lake Wabamun but occurs, for example, around the oil sands develop- ments in northeastern Alberta and around other lakes, is certainly of great concern. If we’re really serious about protecting fish stocks, we should be looking at that. Those are some of my concerns over where Bill 3 fails to go anywhere far enough if we’re serious about protecting fish stocks.

232 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 A different kind of concern I have is simply hinted at in the legislation. It will be interesting to see how the regulations proceed, but a concern over a trend to pay for what you fish. Fishing goes back to the beginnings of human habitation in Canada and in Alberta, and it has always been something that people do freely. My sons fish with their grandfather, who himself is a farmer and who loves fishing. They fish with their uncles, and it’s something that’s done as a public heritage of Alberta. If I contrast that, for example, to Britain, it’s a remarkable contrast.

What’s happened in Britain is that access to streams is, in fact, privately controlled. You can’t just go fishing on a stream or a river in Britain unless you own the land that abuts the stream or the river. They’ve lost that whole heritage of public fishing in Britain, and I would hate for that to occur here through licensing and regulations and the encouragement of privatization of a public heritage in Alberta.

With those comments, I’ll wrap up my reactions in principle to Bill 3, to simply encourage the government to take much further and more thoughtful steps towards protecting what is a great heritage in this province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to close debate. MR. CARDINAL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the opposition for the comments they’ve made. We had an opportunity, of course, to file the answers to what they had asked previously. We filed those today for their information and the information of the public.

Again, I will have my staff review the Hansard and then provide in writing the answers to those questions. [Motion carried; Bill 3 read a second time] 3:40 Bill 4 Surface Rights Amendment Act, 2001 [Adjourned debate April 24: Ms Blakeman] THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. DR. MASSEY: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to stand in support of Bill 4, the Surface Rights Amendment Act, 2001.

If you look at the principles on which the bill has been structured, it seems that one of those principles, at least, is that fair compensation for damages as a result of the actions of oil, gas, and mineral companies should be available through the board. I think it’s a good move. In essence, the act moves the amount that they are able to award from a limit of $5,000 to a limit of $25,000, and I think that that will be useful.

The Surface Rights Board has a useful role to play in trying to resolve disputes between occupants or landowners and oil, gas, and mineral companies, and they, I think, have a fairly good record of being able to work at solutions and avoid at least two things. One is more costly legal battles that might have to be undertaken by aggrieved occupants, and second, it’s freed up room in Provincial Court. It hasn’t burdened the courts with matters that can be resolved elsewhere. It’s an important bill, Mr. Speaker, for landowners.

I refer to an experience in our own family with a well being placed on farm property south of the city and a concern that that raised in terms of farming the land. Well, there were a whole host of concerns that ranged from where the access roads were going to be located to the relocation of fences. The problem of noise was raised and even the problem of aesthetics, where the tanks and equipment were going to be located on the property. Agreement was arrived at rather quickly with the company, but in other cases that wasn’t the case.

This gives those landowners with similar concerns an opportunity to be reimbursed without having to resort to the courts, and it gives the board, of course, much more flexibility with the raised limits to respond to specific items that are raised by landowners. The work of the board is rather in teresting.

If you look at the kinds of requirements of board members, I think it’s encouraging that one of the requirements is that they have a good grasp of the law covering expropriation and surface rights so that they know the kinds of problems that landowners and occupants will bring before them and that they have the ability to write concise

definitions based on the law. So being able to take the law and interpret it when occu- pants come forward with cases is an important attribute of those board members and, of course, working knowledge of the related acts: the Surface Rights Act and the Expropriation Act and other acts that might impact decisions. So there’s a real concern that board members who are making these decisions are knowledgeable, and that’s rightfully so because for a small la ndowner who is facing trying to negotiate with a large company, it can be an overwhelming task.

So I think it’s good, when they appear before that board, that their case will be listened to by individuals who are knowledgeable and are able to make decisions that are well grounded in terms of the law of the province. Also, now with this bill those same board members will have an opportunity for a wider range of options in terms of responding to the concerns of occupants. With those few comments, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to conclude. It’s a small change to the act and one that I support. Thanks very much. THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to close debate. MR.

CARDINAL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Again I’d like to thank the opposition for their questions, and of course I’ll have my department officials review Hansard and provide the answers in writing. I will again table those in the House for all the people that are interested. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to move to adjourn debate on Bill 4. THE ACTING SPEAKER: Has the minister moved a motion to adjourn debate or close debate? MR. CARDINAL: Close debate. THE ACTING SPEAKER: Close debate. Okay.

For clarification it’s for closing debate. [Motion carried; Bill 4 read a second time] Bill 7 Regional Health Authorities Amendment Act, 2001 [Debate adjourned April 26: Dr. Massey speaking] THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton- Riverview. DR. TAFT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise with a range of com- ments on this particular bill. I do think it’s a step in the right direction, and I would like to make that clear. We’ve been waiting for some clarification on the election of regional health authorities for a long time, and this is a step in that direction. It would be nice

April 30, 2001 Alberta Hansard 233 to have more detail on the regulations that will be guiding these elections. The minister has provided a media release which does indicate that there will be guidelines for these elections in some ways similar to what we as MLAs face. It would be nice to see more detail on that, but I’ll take him at his word that these will be implemented, and I think that’s a good step. I would like here to note experience on these kinds of elections in the United States, a recent experience in Massachusetts which actually gives me some cause for concern.

There were particular interests that wanted to influen ce the outcome of the health care elections in Massachusetts, and a number of individual businesses and corporations contributed each between $100,000 and $250,000 to campaigns to ensure that their particular point of view was victorious.

I think we need to be very mindful of those kinds of developments occurring one way or another directly or indirectly in Alberta. 3:50 Though Bill 7 is a step in the right direction, it is only one step of what I think needs to be a much longer journey, and I think there will be some debate in the ensuing days and weeks over the nature of that journey as series of questions arise around the RHA elections. One is pretty obvious, I think, to everybody who looks at it. Why are we electing only two-thirds of the members of the boards? Do we only have two-thirds of a commitment to democracy?

We don’t apply that to municipal councils or county councils or school boards or other councils. Why are we choosing to limit democracy to only two-thirds of the members of a regional health authority? It makes me wonder how much democracy would be too much. If 66 percent is acceptable, is 68 percent too much or 70 percent too much or 75 percent too much? I’m not sure why we just don’t elect regional health authority boards, period. There is nothing terribly wrong with democracy. It has its flaws, but as a number of noteworthy people have said, it’s better than all the alternatives.

I’m also concerned that by only electing two-thirds of members, we are setting up situations in which there will be factions on boards. There’ll be the elected faction, who will always be able to claim a legitimacy that the appointed faction will not have. There are risks of boards degenerating into divisiveness and friction and claims over whose rightful control should be exercised.

I do think that in situations like this appointed members will lack a legitimation that is so fundamental in democracy, and indeed the minister will, I think, certainly find himself in a situation where candidates who have received thousands of votes through a duly followed electoral process will be pushed aside for a ministerial appointee. I do think that’s a slap in the face for democracy and may be a problem for the minister when the situation arises . As only two-thirds of a demo- cratic body I think there is a risk that these will be in many ways sort of paper authorities.

I also note that the minister reserves the right to appoint the chairman of each regional health authority, and as I understand it, that will be after the election. So as well as appointing a third of the members, the minister will be appointing the chairman, and I have to again ask: why is that? Is the government that frightened about what the general population believes they need to put those kinds of controls in?

What legitimacy will the chairman have when he’s appointed as a ministerial appointment, inevitably to be seen as a political position, when he or she w ill f ace a number of elected members who may challenge his legitimacy? Again I would point out that school boards choose their own chairman after the election, as I understand it, and of course in city councils mayors are elected at large through their own democratic process. So why the double standard for regional health authorities? We’re tinkering around and meddling in democracy in a dangerous way. I wish the minister would address these issues.

On the tax issue the ability for school boards to control their tax revenues has been virtually eliminated, yet we allow them to be fully elected. As I understand it, the payment to members on regional health authorities is $10,000 per year, and it does seem to me to be a very small amount given the scale of responsibility that these people have. It’s a smaller amount than major school boards pay to their trustees and certainly a smaller amount than municipal governments in cities pay to their trustees and this despite the fact that regional health authorities are actually typically larger.

For example, the Calgary regional health authority, I understand, has a larger budget and more employees than the city of Calgary itself. It’s an enormous organization. We are putting on the shoulders of these elected members huge responsib ility. I think the least they deserve is a compensation that reflects that and is similar to people in parallel positions. I’m also concerned about a particular

section of Bill 7. I believe it’s

section 4(4), and I’m sure the minister will be able to explain this. The

section allows, as I understand it, members of medical staff, employees, and their families to run for the regional health authorities. Again I think that the minister may be able to correct my perception, but as I understand it, this means that, say, a nurse or an employee of a regional health authority may well be able to serve actively on the board of that authority or that a medical officer, maybe the head of a medical department in a health authority, will also be able to serve and run for a position on that health authority.

That does set off, I think, a dangerous situation, a potential, indeed probably a real conflict of interest. I’m sure that’s not the minister’s intention, so I would like some clarification on

section 4(4) of Bill 7. As I was saying in my opening co mments, this is a step in the right direction. After years of waiting there is some advance towards RHA elections, and I commend the government for taking that step. I am and I think probably most Albertans also will be disappointed that the steps are not more decisive and more extensive, simply are too timid to really make a sufficient difference here. With those comments, Mr.

Speaker, I will wait for the next round of debates and also, I think, wait for the minister’s responses, which may be in a written form, which getting from the Minister of Environment on earlier bills were very helpful. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. THE ACTING SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. MR. MacDONALD: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to finally get to speak this afternoon regarding the election of regional health authorities. This has been a campaign that certainly is overdue.

With the billions and billions of tax dollars that are spent in providing public hea lth care to the citizens of this province, the only way to ensure that that money is being wisely spent is to have an openness and also the concept of accountability. Public officials that are elected are of course accountable to those who walk into the closet where the ballot box is located. However, we need to look at this whole idea of electing regional health authority officials.

This has been batted around since 1994, and at one point a former minister of health in the debate said that it just wasn’t possible because of political sensitivities, I believe was the description, for another cancellation of the proposed regional health authorities. Now, people in the constituency of Edmonton-Gold Bar would say that we elect school board officials; what’s the matter with regional health authorities? Of course, they have a very, very valid

234 Alberta Hansard April 30, 2001 point. In fact, allowing two-thirds of all board members to be elected is a step in the right direction, but one-third will remain appointed. This disappoints me, because in the spirit of openness and the spirt of accountability and in regards to the huge sums of money – the Capital health authority is the fourth largest employer, I believe, in the entire province, with thousands and thousands of employees.

So one more level of governance is fine. 4:00 When you consider that the whole debate surrounding this election will be public, that there are going to be, I assume, forums, that there will be town hall meetings, that the positions of the various candi- dates will be recorded, that their comments will be noted and probably published in newspapers, that their views on the direction that the public health care system will take in the next three years will probably be discussed in various media outlets, then for the minister to take all of this into account with the appointment of the chair of each individual board – I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do, because I think the board themselves, not the hon. minister, should appoint the chair, for those specific reasons.

There may be one individual that has a specific view on, for instance, let’s say Bill 11. Now, I encouraged all citizens of this province who were active in the Bill 11 debate to please consider running for the regional health authority positions. It is my view that this is the one last check and balance that will be available if the regional health authorities decide that they’re going to use Bill 11 for the purpose that it was intended, and that was to contract out insured services, contract out our public health care system.

Now, there may be people on the board after the election who believe that the economics of this is unwise, that it’s not a sound use of tax dollars. We see the increase, always in the health care budget, but that is not being currently reflected in an increase in patient services. We’re putting a lot of money back in there, and we have to wait and see if it is going to be well spent. I certainly hope that the regional health authorities are not going to get frustrated, and they’re going to say: well, the answer is certainly Bill 11.

The board of directors for the health authorities will be under pressure, but the comforting thing with the election, Mr. Speaker, of the regional health authority boards is that they can stand up and speak out if they see quietly the contracting out, the privatization of core health care services to private providers whether they be corporations that are registered here in Alberta or what are called HMOs in America. I heard a consumer activist, Mr. Speaker, describe the HMOs as, “Hand money over before you get health care.” That was his definition of the HMOs.

Certainly the whole debate around the free trade agreement and if we’re going to allow a company from Calgary or a company from Edmonton to bid on these contracts, then we’re going to have to allow a company from Nashville or from Charlotte or from New York City even to have that same opportunity – that’s coming. But this is why at this time I support the elections, even if it’s only two-thirds of the regional health authorities. They’re long overdue. Now, certainly I hope that the first purpose of an elected authority will be as a watch dog to make sure that the real intentions of Bill 11 do not come out.

You go back seven years, when the public first saw a system of decentralization and the setting up of the 17 regional health authorities and the two separate health boards, and we saw all this unfold. We are still looking at the difficu lties that there are between various regions and the transfer of service. It remains to me a mystery when a person, for instance, who lives i