Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Fourth Session Alberta Hansard Monday, March 21, 2011 Issue 16 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Fourth Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC) Allred, Ken, St. Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (WA), WA Opposition House Leader Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC) Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC) Blackett, Hon.

Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC) Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Official Opposition House Leader Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (WA) Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Government Whip Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (AL), Official Opposition Whip Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St. Paul (PC) DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Hon.

Jonathan, QC, Calgary-Egmont (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC), Deputy Government Whip Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC) Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (WA), WA Opposition Whip Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC) Goudreau, Hon. Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC) Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC) Groeneveld, George, Highwood (PC) Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Government House Leader Hayden, Hon.

Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC) Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Hinman, Paul, Calgary-Glenmore (WA), WA Opposition Deputy Leader Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC) Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC) Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC) Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC) Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon.

Ron, Calgary-West (PC) Lindsay, Fred, Stony Plain (PC) Lukaszuk, Hon. Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND), Leader of the ND Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC) Morton, F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC) Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (ND), ND Opposition House Leader Oberle, Hon. Frank, Peace River (PC) Olson, Hon.

Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC) Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (AL), Official Opposition Deputy Whip, Official Opposition Deputy Leader Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC) Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC) Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (Ind) Snelgrove, Hon.

Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC) Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Premier Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL), Leader of the Official Opposition Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL) Tarchuk, Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC) Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AB) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Hon. Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Webber, Hon. Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC) Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) Zwozdesky, Hon.

Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Law Clerk/Director of Interparliamentary Relations Robert H. Reynolds, QC Senior Parliamentary Counsel/ Director of House Services Shannon Dean Manager – House Proceedings Micheline S. Gravel Parliamentary Counsel Stephanie LeBlanc Committee Research Co-ordinator Philip Massolin Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Caughell Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon H.

Munk Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim Party standings: Progressive Conservative: 67 Alberta Liberal: 8 Wildrose Alliance: 4 New Democrat: 2 Alberta: 1 Independent: 1

Executive Council Ed Stelmach Premier, President of Executive Council, Chair of Agenda and Priorities Committee, Vice-chair of Treasury Board, Liaison to the Canadian Armed Forces Lloyd Snelgrove President of the Treasury Board, Minister of Finance and Enterprise Dave Hancock Minister of Education, Political Minister for Edmonton Iris Evans Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Mel Knight Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Luke Ouellette Minister of Transportation Rob Renner Minister of Environment Verlyn Olson Minister of Justice and Attorney General Yvonne Fritz Minister of Children and Youth Services, Political Minister for Calgary Jack Hayden Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Political Minister for Rural Alberta Ray Danyluk Minister of Infrastructure Gene Zwozdesky Minister of Health and Wellness Ron Liepert Minister of Energy Mary Anne Jablonski Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Len Webber Minister of Aboriginal Relations Heather Klimchuk Minister of Service Alberta Lindsay Blackett Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Cindy Ady Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Hector Goudreau Minister of Municipal Affairs Frank Oberle Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Jonathan Denis Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Thomas Lukaszuk Minister of Employment and Immigration Greg Weadick Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Parliamentary Assistants Evan Berger Sustainable Resource Development Manmeet Singh Bhullar Municipal Affairs Cal Dallas Finance and Enterprise Fred Horne Health and Wellness Broyce Jacobs Agriculture and Rural Development Jeff Johnson Treasury Board (Oil Sands Sustainable Development Secretariat) Diana McQueen Energy Janice Sarich Education Teresa Woo-Paw Employment and Immigration

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Chair: Ms Tarchuk Deputy Chair: Mr. Elniski DeLong Forsyth Groeneveld Johnston MacDonald Quest Taft Standing Committee on Community Services Chair: Mr. Doerksen Deputy Chair: Mr. Hehr Allred Anderson Benito Bhullar Chase Johnston Notley Rodney Sarich Taylor Standing Committee on the Economy Chair: Mr. Bhardwaj Deputy Chair: Mr. Chase Amery Dallas Fawcett Hinman Johnson Lund Taft Tarchuk Taylor Woo-Paw Standing Committee on Health Chair: Mr.

McFarland Deputy Chair: Ms Pastoor Forsyth Griffiths Groeneveld Horne Lindsay Notley Quest Sherman Swann Vandermeer Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Chair: Mr. Mitzel Deputy Chair: Mr. Lund Bhullar Blakeman Campbell Hinman Lindsay MacDonald Marz Notley Quest Rogers Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Chair: Mr. Kowalski Deputy Chair: Mr. Campbell Amery Anderson Bhullar Elniski Hehr Leskiw Mason Pastoor Rogers VanderBurg Standing Committee on Private Bills Chair: Dr.

Brown Deputy Chair: Ms Woo-Paw Allred Benito Boutilier Calahasen Dallas Doerksen Drysdale Hinman Horner Jacobs Kang Lindsay McQueen Morton Redford Sandhu Sarich Taft Xiao Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Chair: Mr. Prins Deputy Chair: Mr. Hancock Amery Berger Calahasen DeLong Doerksen Forsyth Groeneveld Hinman Jacobs Leskiw Lindsay McFarland Mitzel Notley Pastoor Quest Sherman Tarchuk Taylor Standing Committee on Public Accounts Chair: Mr. MacDonald Deputy Chair: Mr.

Rodney Allred Anderson Benito Calahasen Chase Dallas Elniski Fawcett Griffiths Groeneveld Kang Mason Sandhu Vandermeer Xiao Standing Committee on Public Safety and Services Chair: Mr. Drysdale Deputy Chair: Mr. Kang Boutilier Brown Calahasen Cao Forsyth Johnson MacDonald Rogers Sandhu Xiao Standing Committee on Resources and Environment Chair: Mr. Prins Deputy Chair: Ms Blakeman Anderson Berger Boutilier Hehr Jacobs Marz Mason McQueen Mitzel VanderBurg Select Special Ombudsman Search Committee Chair: Mr. Mitzel Deputy Chair: Mr. Lund Blakeman Hinman Lindsay Marz Notley Quest Rogers

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 443 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Monday, March 21, 2011 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 21, 2011 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Let us pray. At the beginning of this week we ask for renewed strength in the awareness of our duty and privilege as members of the Legislature. We ask for the protection of this Assembly and also the province we are elected to serve. I’m now going to invite Mr. Paul Lorieau to lead us in the sing- ing of our national anthem, and I would invite all prese nt to participate in the language of one’s choice.

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. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. the Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Legislature 24 visitors from Mundare school. We have accompanying the students today teachers Mrs.

Tanyss Rogers and Mrs. Bernice Komarnisky and parent helpers Mrs. Lisa Rozumniak and Mrs. Josephine Galandy. They are seated in the visitors’ gallery. I would ask everyone to give them the traditional warm welcome of our Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise today to introduce to you and through you to the members of the Assembly 30 grade 6 students from York academic elementary school. York academic is the northeast district site for the gifted and talented program.

The challenge program provides a rich and challenging environment for the students throughout grades 1 to 6. The students are accompanied by their teacher, Ms Dora Strasdin, and parent helpers Brenda Berg, Mrs. Galina Brindza, and Mrs. Mary Palamaruk. They are seated behind me, and I would like to ask them to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Athabasca-Redwater. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve two introductions this afternoon.

First, it’s my plea sure to rise and introduce to you and through you a very special group of 26 students from Guthrie elementary school in Lancaster Park, which is at Edmonton Garr i- son and part of Sturgeon school division. These students are accompanied by their teachers, Co lleen Tremblay and Becky Wi l- liams, and parents Rhonda Draeger and Mrs. Jackie Mewett. Of special note, all these children have parents serving in Canada’s military, so we’d like them to take back our best wishes to their parents as well. I’d ask them to pl ease rise and receive the trad i- tional warm welcome of this Assembly. Mr.

Speaker, I’m also pleased to introduce to you and through you some elected officials and some important staff that we have with us from Smoky Lake county. I have the distinct pleasur e of working with this group, and that has certainly been a privilege for the last three years. They’re s eated in the members’ gallery. I’d ask them to rise one by one as I call their names: Reeve Dareld Cholak, Deputy Reeve Randy Orichowski, Councillor Ron Bob o- cel, Councillor Lori Danyluk, Councillor Rick Cherniwchan, CAO Cory Ollikka, Assistant CAO Lydia Cielin, and Public Works Foreman Doug Ponich.

I’m really pleased that they’re here today. They’re here as part of AAMD and C meetings. I’d ask the A s- sembly to please give them the traditional warm welcome. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour today to introduce to you Lilly Lewis, who celebrated 90 years as an A l- berta citizen just recently. She has got members of her family here with her. She and her husband were veterans of World War II, served in the Canadian Forces. She also served a number of cab i- net ministers here in this building.

As a new minister I was thinking that maybe she could help me out, but she’s enjoying her retirement, I think, and isn’t available. After retiring she also did work in missions around the world. She’s here today, as I me n- tioned, with her children, and they’re in the members’ gallery. If they could please rise and receive the welcome of the Legislature. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Mr. Jacobs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m pleased to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly some of my frien ds and council members from the MD of Taber who are visiting us today and are here in Edmonton for the AAMD and C convention. I would like them to rise as I call their names: Reeve Brian Brewin, Deputy Reeve Ben Elfring, Counci l- lor Don Johnson if here, Councillor Duff Dunsmore, Councillor Dwight Tolton, and their administrator, Derrick Krizsan. I thank them for coming and invite my colleagues to give them the warm welcome. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Mrs.

Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Spe aker. I’d like to introduce through you and to you Fatima Remtulla, a dear friend and a sup- porter who has been spending the day shadowing me and the rest of caucus. I’d like ask Fatima to rise and receive the warm wel- come of the Legislature. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Meadowlark. Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour to intr o- duce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly somebody very important to me through a very interesting and challenging time in my life.

I’d like to ask my partner, Sharon MacLean, to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. Mr. McFarland: Mr. Speaker, although my colleague intr o- duced all the fellows from the MD of Taber, he did miss one, and he’s the newest one. I’d like th e Assembly to recognize Bob Wallace from the Hays district, who is a newly elected MD of Taber councillor.

444 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 head: Ministerial Statements International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, it’s an honour to rise. March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This significant day is observed around the world to focus atte n- tion on the harmful effects of racism and the need to promote racial harmo ny. March 21 was declared in honour of those who lost their lives in the Sharpeville, South Africa, massacre, where during a peaceful protest 69 antiapartheid protestors died and 180 were wounded.

Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assem- bly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Canada was one of the first countries to support the United Nations declaration. Although the majority of Albertans believe their human r ights are protected, racism and discrimination continue to exist in A l- berta. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday I happened to be in downtown Calgary with some of my colleagues, and we were walking to an event. We noticed that there were police surrounding the area t hat we were walking through.

There were riot police. There were sharpshooters. There were all kinds of people. It was a little di s- concerting because we didn’t know what was going on. Then it came to our attention it was a white supremacist march. We went into our function and came out, and we were told we might have to stay because these two groups, the people supporting our fight against racism versus the white supremacists, were going to meet and there could be a clash.

I never really gave it much thought. 1:40 As I walked out of there with the Member for Calgary - Montrose and the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, we started talking about it. The Minister of Housing and Urban A f- fairs suggested how disgusting it was that in 2011 we still have to deal w ith that issue. I looked at the Member for Calgary - Montrose, and I said: I guess we’re the ones they’re poking their fingers at. It just brought back all these different memories. At that moment I wasn’t an MLA. I wasn’t a cabinet minister. I was just an individual. I went back to my car, and I thought about that.

You know, it brings back all those memories of racism that you endure as a child, but I remembered one thing quickly, and that is that we live in Alberta, and it’s 2011, and we have to snap out of that. We have the Alberta Human Rights Commission, which offers education programs and resources to help Albertans resolve h u- man rights complaints. Eighteen per cent of those complaints, Mr. Speaker, that go to the Human Rights Commission are based on discrimination for race, colour, or creed.

We also, though, are proud to say that there are 10 municipal i- ties in Alberta that have joined the Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination: Wood Buffalo, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, D rayton Valley, which was brought forward by the current Member for Drayton Valley -Calmar, Brooks, Lethbridge, St. Albert, Innisfail, and most recently the city of Wetaskiwin in September 2010. Each has made a commi t- ment to follow key principles in order to combat racism and discrimination and help build welcoming and inclusive communi- ties and workplaces. Mr.

Speaker, as hurtful as it was for me, it’s no different for those victims of the Holocaust or their descendants or those of the Holodomor and their de scendants. To think that people don’t un- derstand that what they say isn’t only something that’s offensive – those hurt people, and we in Alberta have to be vigilant to make sure that people in our communities feel welcome and safe and are able to raise their families in an environment like that. Mr. Speaker, safe communities are strong communities, and strong communities are safe communities.

Albertans expect us to bring that forward and continue in our fight to do that, and they deserve no less. The Speaker: On behalf of the Official Opposition the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. People of good character have been advocating the virtues of mutual respect and tolerance just as long as racists have been spreadi ng hatred. I believe the forces of tolerance and acceptance have made great progress, but racial discrimination continues.

Many citizens of our First Nations people remain systematically marginalized, with higher rates of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration. Imm i- grants are often the targets of misdirected blame when unemployment rises. Cultural practices and religious beliefs are often misunderstood or misinterpreted. Some people are still upset about decisions that recognize the right of Sikhs to wear turbans while performing as RCMP officers and allowing girls to play sports while wearing a hijab.

I just spoke with Changing Together, my favourite organization helping immigrant women, and their executive director noted that immigrant women face special challenges and underemployment because their credentials aren’t recognized here. There’s no easy path to upgrading those credentials, with few courses to get these women up to speed and even fewer with any form of subsidy. This sort of discrimination may or may not be conscious or deliberate, but it does have a real impact on the ability of immigrant women to integrate as well as hampering their ability to participate fully in the life of the province.

This year’s cuts to funding for English as a second language programs will increase the challenges for all immigrants, a short - sighted decision given education’s power to discourage racial discrimination. Fortunately, there are teachers and educational opportunities everywhere. Many years ago I attended an antiracism symposium, and one of the speakers gave me the best bit of advice that I’ve ever heard on how to fight racial discrimination on a daily basis. Her advice was this: simply look people in the eye, smile, and say hello.

That simple act recognizes the inherent worth of any person you a c- knowledge, and we don’t do it as often as we should or could. Thank you very much, Mr. Minister, for your remarks. As the minister said, fighting racism is a year -round effort, and we all have a role to play. Thank you. The Speaker: Hon. members, on an occasion such as this I know that additional members would want to participate. In order to do so, we need unanimous consent of the Assembly to proceed. I’ll ask one question. Is anyone in the Assembly opposed to allow ing additional members to participate?

If so, please say no. [Unanimous consent granted] The Speaker: I’ll recognize the hon. Member for Calgary - Glenmore, then the hon. Member for Edmonton- Strathcona, then the hon. Member for Calgary-Currie, and additional members should send me a note. Mr. Hinman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my honour to speak on behalf of the Wildrose caucus in support of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. I believe and I know

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 445 that in the minds of our children racism does not exist. This is an important lesson that we can learn from our children. Through the eyes of a child the purest and ki ndest message for humanity is so evident for in the final analysis we have much in common with all creeds and races. We all breathe the same air, drink the same wa- ter, and we all inhabit this small planet together and cherish our children’s future, a future that should be free from racial discrimi- nation and abuses. As Martin Luth er King said: judge me by the content of my character, not the colour of my skin.

Today in our global economy we have good reason to be hopeful of a better future as we turn to the rising generation. Our youth today are truly more global citizens. They are by far freer of the discrimination that we have witnessed in years gone by. Seeing a child in kindergarten playing with her fellow class- mates free of any judgment or disc rimination is the world we all seek for everyone. I recently had the privilege and honour to speak with all grade 7 social studies classes at John Ware junior high school.

In 1967 I listened to Lieutenant Governor Grant MacEwan talk about his book, John Ware’s Cow Country , in my grandmother’s house. John Ware became a childhood hero of mine. He inspired me to buy a bullwhip and practice for hours so I could handle this im- portant cowboy tool as well as he did. He was a master with cattle, and I wanted to be just like John. It didn’t matter to me the colour of his skin. It only mattered to me that he was a great man and had lived here in Alberta. Alberta is today what it has always been, a land of opportunity where people of all races and creeds come to pursue a better life.

While there are still unfortunate cases of racial discrimination in our province, never has civil society been so squarely intolerant of racism. I am confident that we will continue to be a beacon for the world when it comes to ending raci al discrimination by the exam- ple we continue to set. On Friday I had the privilege of attending the immigrants of distinction awards in Calgary, a great mosaic of Calgarians from around the world. I am hopeful that in the coming years virtually all the children in Alberta will be able to maintain their virtue as we have eliminated racism. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this day as we renew our commitments to work to end racism, we are aware that this hateful perspective still has life in our province. Within the past few weeks people have been arrested in Edmonton, charged with racist attacks. We’ve seen a white power rally and the home invasion of a prominent antiracist spokesperson in Calgary. The minister has noted that a significant percentage of the hu- man rights complaints received last year by the Human Rights Commission related to such matters.

The commission knows from its own polling that this is a larger issue than the numbers of actual complaints and that much of what is happening is in informal situations that do not lead to formal complaints but do add to the stress and fear for many people in our communities. We are still a long way from abolishing racism. The adverse effect of systemic discrimination in particular requires effective strategies. We see the evidence in the overrepresentation of in- digenous people in prisons and children in government care. We see it in overrepresentation of racialized populations in low- income groups.

We move in th e wrong direction when we cut support services for immigrants as we are doing in this budget. One of the best tools for creatin g equality is education, but we need effective programs, not just superficial marketing gimmicks, and we need education in workplaces, not just classrooms. This government must make legislative and administrative changes to eradicate racism and ensure human rights for all. We should not see the Human Rights Commission’s authority decreased or limited, as has been advocated sometimes by some members of this House in the past.

Instead, wh at we must do is work more closely with groups such as the Centre for Race and Culture, the John Humphrey centre for human rights, and the Sheldon Chumir Centre for Ethics in Leadership, all of which are doing exemplary work to eliminate racial discrimination in our province. Finally, as members of this House we need to renew our com- mitment to work against racism, both overt and systemic. Until we recognize and combat both types of racism, we will eliminate neither. Thank you. 1:50 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Mr. Taylor: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Today is a sig- nificant day as we rise in this House to commemorate the police brutality experienced by peaceful antiapartheid demonstrators in Sharpeville, South Africa, 51 years ago. It is imperative to re- member not only this event but the Holocaust, the Holodomor, and so many other stains upon our shared humanity because pub- lic displays of racism and racial discrimination still occur in our province. Just this weekend a white supremacy demonstration took place in Calgary. Fortunately, Mr.

Speaker, the group was outnumbered at least 10 to 1 by antiracism demonstrators, Alber- tans standing in solidarity to say: this is not what we are about. However, Mr. Speaker, let me repeat some of the minister’s own words. “The strength of our province lies in the diversity of its people.” While ours is a much more diverse population today than it was 25 years ago when I arrived here, it is a strength that still too often is underrecognized, sometimes ignored altogether. Too many of our visible minor ity immigrants are lagging be- hind native-born Canadians in terms of access to opportunity.

Sure, language is a barrier for many, but it is a barrier that we don’t do nearly enough to remove, and it’s not the only one. Pro- fessionals arriving from other count ries, fully trained in their respective fields, are still facing barriers to practising in their cho- sen fields here in Albe rta. Further, there is research that indicates that the children of immigrants do not have the same opportunities as children of native-born Albertan s, and Alberta’s First Nations continue to suffer from institutional racist barriers which impede their hope for future success. Mr.

Speaker, we are all Albertans, some of us by the accident of birth, some of us by deliberate choice. A lost opportunity for one is a lost opportunity for us all. Thank you. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: Before we begin the Oral Question Period, I’d just like to congratulate and thank all members for the wonderful de- corum experienced in this Assembly on Thursday last. Along with that congratulations, of course, comes a hope on my part as well that needs no further declaration. First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Health Quality Council Review Dr.

Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. From 1999 to 2008 Capital health authority was headed by a leadership team that included Sheila Weatherill, CEO; Neil Wilkinson, chairman;

446 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 and Noela Inions, legal counsel. This was a period when many physicians and others felt intimidated and signed nondisclosure agreements. Today these three people are, respectively, a board member of AHS, the provincial Ethics Commissioner, and the AHS ethics and compliance officer. To the Premier: how is the culture in the health care system now different from the culture then, given that the same people who led it then maintain leader- ship positions now? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, the Alberta Health Services Board is the board responsible for delivery of health services across the province. They have negotiated with government a five-year fund- ing agreement. They’ve anticipated, of course, increases in population and demand for increased services. That is the first agreement of its kind that has been entered into in this c ountry of Canada and shows that they have the best interests of Albertans in their mind. Dr. Swann: Well, nice dodge, Mr. Premier.

Given the United Nurses of Alberta stated that the Alberta Health Services ethics and compliance officer dismissed their complaint in 2009 without interviewing complainants in one spe- cific case, what confidence can Alberta Health Services employees have that their concerns are taken seriously? The same people are still calling the shots. Mr. Stelmach: Not true. But for anyone t hat comes forward that wants to bring to the Health Quality Council any issues, personal experiences, the terms of reference that were issued last week by the Health Quality Council are very broad. They’re very robust.

And as we heard over the weekend, Dr. John Cowell will listen to anyone that comes forward to present evidence to the council. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the Health Qua l- ity Council of Alberta review may take nine months to complete, and this Pr emier promised the same review by letter during the 2008 election, will the Premier just admit he’s trying to sweep all this under the rug? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I believe Dr.

John Cowell said that they were looking at an interim report in about three months, one at about the six -month interval, and then the final report within nine months. I think that speaks to trying to anticipate how many people will come forward. There are a lot of, I’m sure, files to look at. If a lot of people come forward, it w ill take more time, and if fewer people come forward, they may be able to deliver their report, but at least he said six months leading up to nine months. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. It is said that once is a chance, two a coincidence, and a third time is a pattern. Well, just hours before the McNamee allegations surfaced, the Premier r e- versed course to support a Health Quality Council review. Then last Thursday, as opposition parties continued our call for a public inquiry, the Health Quality Council conveniently released its terms of reference that include an expanded mandate to investigate doctors advocating for patient safety. The coincidences keep p il- ing up.

Was the Premier or anyone in his office personally aware that the McNamee lawsuit would be released by the media before a decision was made to call the Health Quality Council review? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, once again the opinion of the hon. member is wrong. I always said that the door will be open in terms of having an authority listen to any of the issues that may come forward, whether it be from doctors or other health care providers, and we followed up on that. I was very clear in the opini on that I expressed two weeks ago. Dr.

Swann: Well, did the Premier or the minister of health or their offices have any dialogue with or provide direction to the Health Quality Council of Alberta regarding expanding their terms of reference to include, quote, physician advocacy in p a- tient safety ahea d of the Health Quality Council releasing its terms of reference? Mr. Stelmach: Not from me. Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, not from me either. Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, my final question.

Did the Premier or his office have any dialogue with the Alberta Medical Association following the Alberta Medical Association distributing a letter to its members supporting the call for a public inquiry but before the AMA softened its position later that day? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, this is a very broad question because the issue here is that the government of Alberta, through our nego- tiator, was involved in long and protracted negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association.

As a result of those discussions and negotiations we do have an agreement in principle that will take probably till the end of June to ratify. As I acknowledged last week in my statements, the Alberta Medical Association has shown great leadership. It is a contract that’s looking at zero, zero, plus COLA in the third year. That’s pretty hard negotiation . . . The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Patient Advocacy by Physicians Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This government’s “that was then; this is now” approach, dismissing the culture of intimidation that exists, is insulting to health professionals and to Albertans. While this Premier and minister continue to say that there isn’t a culture of fear and intimidation in the health care system, respected health professionals like Drs. McNamee, Maybaum, Parks, Nunes, and Houston say otherwise. This weekend the Calgary Herald lent its voice to the chorus calling for a public inquiry. To the Premier: when Dr.

Maybaum says that, I quote, colleagues are all fearful, and this problem is real, and anyone that suggests it isn’t is completely out of touch with health care workers . . . Mr. Stelmach: Well, one thing that this paper he refers to did not mention is that in the letter to the doctors it said: this is not a ma t- ter of forcing you to be quiet, but it is a matter of teamwork and leadership. Funny how they always miss out that part of the letter. Dr. Swann: And funny, Mr. Speaker, how he never answers the question. Was Dr.

Maybaum lying when he said that there was a culture of fear and intimidation among many professionals, Mr. Premier? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, he’s asking me to give an opinion. The doctor is free to appear before the Health Quality Council and deliver the evidence that he may have in his presence. That’s why the hearing is there.

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 447 Dr. Swann: Why does the Premier continue to ignore the growing chorus of respect ed voices calling for an independent public i n- quiry into the health care crisis? Will you finally do the right thing and call a public inquiry? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we’ve done the right thing, and that is asked the Health Quality Council to review th e matter. They have drafted their own terms of reference, which are very robust. They’re very rigorous. Anybody, according to Dr. Cowell, can bring forward any evidence that they so wish. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. 2:00 Health Quality Council Review (continued) Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier continues to claim that the review undertaken by the Health Quality Council into, among other things, the ability of doctors to advocate for their pa- tients is free from government intimidation, is entirely independent, and is at arm’s length from the government. My questions are to the Premier. Who funds the Alberta Health Quality Council? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the Alberta taxpayer. Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Premier, it’s Alberta Health Services that funds it. Mr.

Premier, are you honestly saying that having the Health Quality Council investigate Alberta Health Services is truly an independent, arm’s-length review when the council is entirely funded by t he very people they are being asked to investigate? How can you say that, Premier? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the last time I looked at our budget, Alberta Health Services – all physicians, all doctors, anybody working in public health care – is supported by the provincial taxpayer. Also, all people working in Justice, all judges, are all paid for by the Alberta taxpayer. Mrs. Forsyth: Mr.

Premier, taxpayers want to know the answers. Given that

section 16(1) of the Health Quality Council regul a- tion states, “The Council is accountable to the Minister for the manner in which it . . . exercises its powers,” how can you, Mr. Premier, look into the faces of Albertans and tell them that the review is independent when the council reports directly to the very minister that it may be investigating? Mr. Stelmach: One thing that they fail to mention: in the public inquiry it’ll be the minister that would be drafting the terms of reference. You know, it’s always those little bits of information that don’t come forward in this Assembly.

I have great confidence in the Health Quality Council to do a thorough review. They wrote the terms of reference – they’re very rigorous; they’re very robust – and I’m looking forward to the interim report. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, the Pr e- mier continues to contend that the Health Quality Council review is going to be a sufficient inquiry into the allegations of doctor intimidation that we’ve seen with gr owing force around the prov- ince. My question is to the Premier.

If, in fact, there is someone who has in their possession information that could verify a stat e- ment made by one of the people who might be interviewed by the Health Quality Council and they refuse to come forward, how will the Health Quality Council be able to compel testimony from an individual who is refusing to co-operate? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, that’s the issue here, that if som e- body is so compelled, and especially all these doctors tha t have been named in this Assembly, that if they have all the evidence that they talked about, you would think they would be the first in line to sit before the Health Quality Council in strict confidence and deliver the evidence. If there is evidence of any criminal ma l- feasance, they should have been at the police months ago. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Well, if one doctor alleges that he or she was intimidated by an official, say, of Capital region health and they deny it and there’s another indivi d- ual that could corroborate the story, how are you going to make that person come forward so that you’d actually get to the bottom of conflicting stories, which often emerge in situations like this? How will you find the truth by what you’re doing? The Speaker: Hon. minister, if this has to do with government policy, proceed. Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I think it’s pretty clear that the Health Quality Council has set its own terms of reference ind e- pendently.

They have presumably looked into whom they want to sit on that health advisory panel independent of government. They will be probably choosing the people that they want to not only advise but also to conduct the review independently, and I think that process is something that this member himself supported as early as two weeks ago. [interjections] Speaker’s Ruling Decorum The Speaker: Okay. Okay. Settle down. Calgary -Fish Creek , you’re out of order. You’re misbehaving. It may be the feng shui of some of your colleagues that’s coming onto you, but you can do better, as can they. Now, hon.

Member for Edmonton-Highlands -Norwood, you have your third question, please. Health Quality Council Review (continued) Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, given that nothing that’s been said here in answer to the questions today would indicate that the Health Quality Council is going to be able to get to the bottom of conflicting stories or compel any- one to testify in order to clear up these matters, how can the minister and how can the Premier continue to maintain that the Health Quality Council has a ghost of a chance of act ually fin d- ing out what happened? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr.

Speaker, they have an excellent chance of getting to the bottom of some of these unsubstantiated allegations and perhaps even some of those issues that others have mentioned where certain doctors have com e forward. The fact is that in their own news release they said that this is unprecedented, for them as a council to be able to set their own particular terms of reference. That is very, very independent of the other process that he’s alluding to. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview will take the sixth question today.

448 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 Congenital Syphilis Outbreak Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Intimidation of the health profe s- sions can have deadly consequences. People die when good decisions are stifled. Dr. Stan Houston, an expert on infectious dis- eases, was stifled by this government when he spoke for better care during a syphilis crisis that led to several babies dying. To the min- ister of health. Alberta’s fight against syphilis lost ground when Alberta Health did not renew the contracts of four public health doctors, who were then required to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Why did this government muzzle those important voices? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the important voice right now is this Assembly, and this Assembly, I hope, will support our budget because in that budget you will see that there is a specific strategy aimed at blood -borne pathogens. That includes STIs, sexually transmitted infections. There’s going to be a very, very robust plan that will address syphilis, and it requires the awareness campaign in doctors’ offices, in some of the hotels, pubs, bars, and other locations. I certainly hope this member asking the question will support it. Dr.

Taft: That was offensive. That was offensive to the babies who have died and the families who have watched them die. Given that day-to-day issues on treating and preventing syphilis such as how to treat a pregnant woman with syphilis were not being properly addressed because the government, this gover n- ment, stifled its own experts, will the minister admit that the culture of fear and intimidation this government has imposed on health professionals cost human health and even human lives? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if that was the case or not.

If it was, I sincerely hope it wasn’t, b ut I can’t correct the past. All I can tell you is what I’m doing to influence the future, and the future is a very aggressive plan to combat syphilis in this province. We have a syphilis problem. We’re aware of t hat, and we’re doing something about it. Dr. Taft: Well, this minister is boasting about what they’re going to do about the syphilis outbreak, so will he tomorrow table in this Assembly Alberta Health’s plan, a so -called robust plan, for a d- dressing the syphilis outbreak? The outbreak is unprecedented on this continent. Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr.

Speaker, I’m surprised that he didn’t read the five -year health action plan, where on page 27

section 4.18,

section 4.19, and

section 4.20 talk about our exact strategy, which he’s asking about. Perhaps he would like to visit that. We are seri- ous about this problem. I’m thankful that he’s raised it. I don’t like the tone in which he’s raised it; nonetheless, he should know that it is moving forward. The Speaker: We have a point of order arising out of that. The hon. Member for Edmonton -Centre, followed by the hon. Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne. Water Management Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

This gover n- ment creates panel after panel to improve water management and conservation and then ignores recommendation after recommenda- tion. The Water Council’s recommendations, the wetlands policy, and the South Saskatchewan regional plan are all stalled. Even members of the Alberta Water Council say that this go vernment is failing to implement water for life and their recommendations. Fresh water is our most valuable resource. To the Minister of Enviro n- ment: given all of this, who is the minister listening to? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, we listen to all stakeholder s in a num- ber of different areas.

On these particular policies all of the policies that this member has referred to are at various stages in our internal approval process. That’s prudent. That’s the appropri- ate way for us to deal with it. As I’ve said many times before in this House, they will be moving forward into the public domain at the appropriate time. 2:10 Ms Blakeman: Well, that’s why there needs to be more transpar- ency, because these internal processes . . . The Speaker: Is that a

preamble, hon. member? Ms Blakeman: Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. Certainly not, since you gave us instructions not to do that. Why has this minister hedged and reneged on a permanent no- net-loss wetlands policy when wetlands are a significant aspect of greenhouse gas reduction? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. We have a wet- lands policy that is in place in this province, and it applies only to the white zone. It only applies to private land. We’ve been wor k- ing very diligently to be a ble to expand that policy so that it will include Crown land as well.

For this member to suggest that that policy is in place is incorrect. We are in the process of developing that policy. The member is referring to . . . The Speaker: The hon. member, please. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again to the same minister: why would the minister even consider allow- ing a system that gives water to the highest bidder rather than distribution based on need, on who’s rich, not on who’s thirsty? Times have changed; so must the system. Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, apparently we’ve now left wet- lands, and we’re into something else entirely again.

The fact of the matter is that we have had a policy in place for some time, since the introduction of the Water Act, that allows for water licences to transfer from one holder to another. It’s the only way, frankly, that we’re going to be able to have development, to incent conserv a- tion, and to allow for more water users to use the same amount of water that’s available. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne , fo l- lowed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Hunt Farms for Cervids Mr. VanderBurg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the weekend in Whitecourt-Ste.

Anne I met with many residents that wer e co n- cerned about the possibility that hunt farms for domestic cervids are going to be allowed in Alberta. My question is to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Is there a government plan or something within your ministry that’s giving my co nstituents this idea? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely not. In 2002 a cross-ministry initiative that went out for direct input from the public and also from stakeholders in different areas looked at this,

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 449 and the decision was made at that time that this government would not allow cervids, deer and elk, to be hunted on farms. Mr. VanderBurg: Again to the same minister. At the same meet- ing some concerns were also raised about the health of farmed cervids. Can the minister tell us what steps are being taken to e n- sure that farmed cervids are healthy and will be? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hayden: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2002 the decision was made that there wouldn’t be hunt farms for cervids, and of course that remains today and is our position forward.

With respect to the health from 2003 right up to today these animals have been tested, 3,000 to 5,000 a year. They are co m- pletely disease free, and we stay right on top of it. Mr. VanderBurg: My last question to the same minister: again, are you saying that there are no plans, nothing in your ministry plan, for hunt farms for cervids? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s what I’m saying. There will absolutely not be hunt farms for cervids. Period. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre , followed by the hon. Member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake.

Integration Services for Immigrants Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, but in Alberta we seem to be sending mixed messages. Last Friday evening in Calgary we honoured strength in diversity at the imm i- grants of di stinction awards while on Saturday a small but vocal group of people celebrating racism again marched through our streets.

To the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit: other than slogans and special festival days what is your ministry doing throughout the year to promote and preserve and protect Alberta’s diverse cultural heritage? Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, we do a multitude of things. As we debated the human rights bill here a couple of years ago, I said that we needed to have administrative changes so that we can improve the efficiency and equity of the Human Rights Commi s- sion.

What we did was we brought a federal judge to oversee the commission, and we were able to through a national search attract a director of national significance in Philipp e Rabot. What we’ve done is we’ve separated the commission from the department physically. We’ve added new resources to both the director and the chief commissioner. In addition to that, we have provided . . . The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much.

To the Minister of Educ a- tion: given that immigrant students represent the highest statistical dropouts or failures to achieve high school in three years, followed closely by First Nations individuals, what is the minister’s ratio n- ale for undermining language acquisition skills through further cuts to ESL second-language support programs? Mr. Hancock: Well, first of all, Mr. Speaker, I don’t know what the hon. member means by “further cuts.” I’m not aware of any earlier cuts.

What has been proposed in this year’s budget – and we’ll have opportunity to discuss that during estimates – is that the enhanced ESL grant will be eliminated. Members should be aware that there is an ESL grant of about $1,155 per student for language education. The enhanced grant was put in place a few years ago in order to assist school boards to prepare and improve their techniques for teaching English as a second language to immigrant students to . . . The Speaker: The hon. member now, please. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. This next question is to the Minister of Employment and Immigration. Mr.

Minister, given that many in your government caucus have personally experienced the challenges faced by new immigrants, especially around fun c- tional English language literacy, can you justify your ministry’s cuts to English as a second language training programs? Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr. Speaker, there’s a topic I can speak to with a reasonable amount of expertise, having arrived in this coun- try not speaking one word of English.

I have to tell you that not only my personal but this government’s commitment is not only to provide integration services to our immigrants but to actually a t- tract immigrants that will be stimulating our economy for many years to come. However, th at member would be interested to find out that immigrants learn in many different ways, and we’re ex- ploring ways that are actually very accessible to our immigrants. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Bonnyville -Cold Lake , fo l- lowed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. Mine Financial Security Program Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The government just a n- nounced a number of initiatives it is working on to ensure the progressive reclamation of disturbed lands, including the restructuring of Alberta’s mine financial security program. My questions are all to the Minister of Environment. While this program collects significantly more financial security in the long term, aren’t you putting Albertans at risk by collecting less security over the short term? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, I must make it abundantly clear: abs o- lutely not. Albertans will not be required to pay for cleanup.

What the new program recognizes is the value of the resource as an asset. The program is designed to ensure that at no time during the process should that asset-to-liability ratio go below 3 to 1, or with 15 years left in the mine, then we begin to ramp up and collect full value for . . . The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental is to th e same minister. With some critics claiming that even with the changes you’ve made, there still won’t be enough security in the long run, how are reclamation costs determined to ensure that appropriate securities are taken care of?

Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, some of the criticism that we’ve heard is making an assumption that no reclamation takes place during the life of the mine, and as anyone that has been involved in mi n- ing knows, that’s simply not the case. The other point that I think needs to be made is that the cost of security will be dependent upon the actual circumstances in the mine. The cost of reclamation from one mine to another can be significantly different depending upon the nature of the operation. So it’s hard to make a gross a s- sumption about costs in the early stages.

450 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 Mrs. Leskiw: To the same minister: given that only a small parcel of land in the oil sands region has received a reclamation certif i- cate, is the industry not reclaiming the lands it should? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the answer is that there is a treme n- dous amount of work that’s currently under way on the reclamation side. The fact, however, is that reclamation certif i- cates come at the end of the process, not at the beginning of the process. We feel that it’s important that we intr oduce an opport u- nity for the public to have more information than that.

We will be introducing this summer a web-based map that will allow people to have direct access, see for themselves what reclamation . . . The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Hays. Education Funding Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, this government’s recent Education budget reads something like an insurance policy. What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away. At first blush what looks to be a slight increase to the Education budget is just smoke and mirrors.

The real picture is significant cuts to grants provided to school boards, that will end up affecting children’s future. To the Minister of Education: the minister of health likes to talk about how great this government is for providing long-term sustainable funding, so why does this government not do the same for education? 2:20 Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, a number of things in that

preamble would be incorrect. First of all, a 4.7 per cent increase to the Ed u- cation budget is not unsubstantial, and it’s not a cut. This is not going to be an easy budget for education. I’ve mai n- tained that from day one. It’s very difficult. There are programs such as the AISI project that are very important to education going forward that we’re working very hard to make sure get mai n- tained, but we are living in a difficult fiscal time, and we do need to be part of that process and that strategy. Mr.

Hehr: Given that the Calgary board of education, after ad d- ing up all these cuts, is facing a $61.7 million shortfall, teachers will have to be let go, which will no doubt lead to children facing larger class sizes. Acco rdingly, does the minister admit that this will be the result of these cutbacks? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, there are not cutbacks. In fact, there’s a 4.7 per cent increase. However, we have had to eliminate some grants because the increase in the budget was short of what was needed to maintain all of the things that we’re doing now.

We did have to eliminate some grants that we looked at and said: these grants have either fulfilled their intention or are no longer rele- vant. Yes, it’s going to be difficult fo r school boards, and it may well result in school boards doing some things differently and perhaps even fewer teachers. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a fairly simple que s- tion.

Given that in 2002 this government accepted the Learning Commission’s recommendations on class sizes and this government appears now to be moving backwards on this, not forward, has the ministry simply given up on lowering class sizes in Alberta? Mr. Hancock: What the ministry has done, Mr. Speaker, is rec- ognized that in times when there is fiscal restraint and fiscal concern, we need to focus the resources in the areas where they make the most difference.

So we’ve focused the class size r e- sources on K to 3, where the evidence does show that it could make a difference in students’ learning, and in high school classes, where small class sizes are important for safety reasons. We’ve focused there. We still have the expectation that school boards will meet the class size guidelines in the other areas, but we’ve focused our resources in the places where the data show it makes a difference. The Speaker: So that no member of the Assembly misses it, in the afternoon of April 19 the estimates for the Department of Edu- cation will be dealt with in the Assembly. The hon.

Member for Calgary -Hays, followed by the hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere. Funding for Nonprofit Organizations Mr. Johnston: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community facility enhancement program and the community initiatives program continue to provide much-needed funding for many nonprofit and voluntary agencies. This past weekend the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit was in Calgary, where he made announcements totalling $2.1 million in funding to four nonprofits in that city. My questions are all for the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit.

Given the number of applications for funding from across the province how does the minister justify such a large amount of funding provided to four projects in a single municipality in a single year? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, the four agencies or organizations in question all deal with the vulnerable, and we wanted to encourage and reward collaboration. The Calgary Urban Project Society deals with the homeless. The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society: that was for a new building so that they can expand their ESL and com- puter training programs.

The Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta: that was to pay off part of their debt so that they could offer more services in their collaborative efforts. The Community Kitchen Pro- gram was a project of 22 different organizations. Mr. Johnston: Mr. Speaker, given the number of nonprofit and voluntary agencies vying for limited grants, many of them so that they can provide services to some of Alberta’s most vulnerable citizens, can the minister provide some rationale for giving $75,000 to the Airdrie Regional Air Show? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Blackett: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

The Airdrie air show was very successful in 2009. I was approached by Mayor Peter Brown, who said it was very important to the community. At that event we had 40 representatives of sponsors, the volunteers, the board of dire c- tors, and other members at large. It’s one that provides economic and tourism benefits to the area and is supported by the whole community. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Johnston: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

With these government funding programs highly oversubscribed, what is the minister doing to encourage greater private -sector support of community - based nonprofit and volunteer organizations? Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, we join with the different u m- brella organizations around the province. We’ve been working through our dialogue sessions to establish a way to communicate the benefits of the not -for-profit community, the 22,000 that do

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 451 such great work and are the underpinnings of our social safety net, and we are now actively engaged with representatives from the different business communities around the province in seeing how we can collaboratively work together to provide better services. Health Quality Council Review (continued) Mr. Anderson: Mr. Speaker, as reported in the Calgary Herald on Friday, quote, there are people high up in the government who want your head on a platter, unquote. That was the alleged threat by senior health officials in Calgary to Dr.

Lloyd Ma y- baum, president of the Calgary physicians association. There is also a letter threatening the job of Dr. Maybaum for speaking out after the delay of a treatment centre for mentally ill children. To the health minister: do you know who the people are or were high up in government who, allegedly, wanted Dr. Maybaum’s head on a platter? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I’m so glad the member said “al- legedly” because I don’t know if that was the case. What I do know is that the issue that gave rise to this particular doctor writing was mental health capacity in Calgary.

It’s true that initially there were plans for the south Calgary health campus to build a self-standing pavilion for mental health; unfortunately, that wasn’t able to be done. But what is being done is that 33 addi- tional beds are being provided there. Thirteen of them a re brand new additional capacity, and that should help. Mr. Anderson: I didn’t think he would know, Mr. Speaker, so two questions. First, do you feel it is important for Albertans to know which person high up in the government made and directed these threats?

If so, does the Health Quality Council have the power to subpoena those identified by Dr. Maybaum to find the answers? Or are you counting on the goodwill of those who said these things to just kind of come forward and admit to these threats on their own? The Speaker: That’s three questions in one. Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the Health Quality Council, in setting its own independent terms of reference, added a

section called patient advocacy, and that is an open invitation for anyone t o come forward, even those issues that go back many, many years, which, I suspect, is where this one comes from. I would welcome those people to come forward to the Health Qua l- ity Council, where these issues can be aired and addressed. Mr. Anderson: I’m sure he’ll welcome them, Mr. Speaker, but he can’t compel them. That’s the point.

Given that this minister knows full well that only a public judicial inquiry has the power to subpoena witnesses and compel evidence, will he now call a full, judicially empowe red public inquiry, that can use its subpoena powers in order to verify these threats, identify those involved if they occurred, and restore confidence to the public that their health care system isn’t being run by a gang of goons and bullies? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr.

Speaker, I don’t know why this member is going against his own leader, who on March 11 said words to this effect: I do believe that the work of the Health Quality Council should proceed. That’s what we’re championing, that that work should proceed. They will invite whomever they wish. They will appoint whomever they wish to do the inviting, and I’ll bet they get a very high turnout of participants. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall, followed by the hon. Member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti. Residential Building Code Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last week the Minister of Municipal Affairs suggested that the municipality of Wood Buf- falo was responsible for responding to the Penhorwood condo issue. To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: instead of putting all the blame for the situation on the municipality, will the minister admit that his own failure to introduce corrective legislation in a timely manner was a contributing factor? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, the issues in Fort McMurray ar e centred on the approval process and the quality of work there.

We’re certainly not aware of any issues regarding the content of the building code, but if it shows in the future that the building codes are somewhat at fault, then we would review that as p art of our ongoing reviews of building codes. If there is a need to change the building codes, then we’re prepared to look at that. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we have been doing the reviews for too long.

If the minister could speak to the condo residents, who got just 15 minutes to collect their belongings, would he still hold the same rosy view of Alberta construction standards that he has been putting out in this Assembly? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, we will co ntinue and we are co n- tinuing to take steps to improve residential construction. We are working on a very solid long -term approach that includes things like enforcement and education, some consumer protection and recourse to deal with concerns about buildings. 2:30 Mr. Kang: To the minister again.

Since the minister keeps dod g- ing questions about assisting Albertans affected by shoddy construction practices, will he at least acknowledge that the Safety Codes Act gives him broad powers to act in these cases and that he could do something now if he wanted to? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, you know, just as an example, we’re leading the country and we have led the country in making building code changes. One particular example: we led the cou n- try in terms of the h igh-intensity residential fires. We tend to be ahead when it comes to that.

When it comes to municipal inspections, you know, there ce r- tainly is a need to look at that aspect. Municipalities are responsible and mandated to do the inspections because they’ ve got better reach and they can do more inspections if required. Career and Employment Services for Youth Mr. Drysdale: Mr. Speaker, the Youth Connections program was cancelled for the province. Since then many people, organizations, and private -sector r epresentatives have asked about what will happen when the program ends in the Grande Prairie region at the end of June 2011.

My questions are to the Minister of Employ- ment and Immigration. What arrangements are being made to ensure that the 8,000- plus youth per year who are currently being served in the local Youth Connections office will continue recei v- ing comparable services?

452 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. These young pe o- ple will continue to receive comparable services. This ministry has 59 offices scattered throughout this entire province. We will be providing them with comparable services except that instead of out of stand-alone Youth Connections offices or locations for Youth Connections, we will be doing this out of our offices. Also, Mr. Speaker, our young people now acquire a lot of i n- formation via social media and webcasts and podcasts, and we will be reaching out to them that way as well.

The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Drysdale: Thank you, Mr. Speake r. To the same minister. Questions have been asked by members of the Grande Prairie region about the timing of the cancellation of the Youth Conne c- tions program. Were local Youth Connections offices consulted as to the depth and breadth of services they pr ovided and as to best practices when working with this client group? Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr. Speaker, the timing is not coincidental. This government has made a commitment to have its operating budget balanced, which means that many ministries had to take somewhat of a haircut.

The fact is that the unemployment rate is dropping. Alberta is in second place. Even though young individuals still experience higher than average unemployment rates, job opportunities are becoming more available. We will continue s erving them and matching them with employers through our existing offices throughout the province. Mr. Drysdale: Mr.

Speaker, given the limited capacity of the remaining services available to youth in the region, is there a p o- tential to look at other career and employment options for youth, especially those identified as youth at risk as they might pertain to the Grande Prairie region? Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr. Speaker, we routinely review our programs, and we see what is the best way in which to deliver a program not only to a young person but to any Albertan.

If we identify groups of young people that are not reaching out to our regular 59 offices or if we find that they require a different, a more innovative way of receiving services, we definitely will be open to it. At the end of the day our federal funding has diminished, our provincial funding has been curtailed, and this is the result. Bonuses for AIMCo Employees Mr. MacDonald: By law the minister of finance is responsible for the Crown corporation AIMCo. The 2010 AIMCo annual report disclosed in a rather convoluted way that bonuses of $14.3 million were granted for the 2009 calendar year.

My first question to the minister of finance: why is underperformance rewarded at AIMCo with multimillion-dollar bonuses totalling over $14 million? Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, underperformance is not rewarded. As a matter of fact, AIMCo is working very, very well on behalf of the people of Alberta. If the hon. member wanted to check comparable bonus structures anywhere else in the investment cl i- mate in the world, h e would find that the management of AIMCo are being very prudent with the amounts of and the requirements for the bonuses that are paid to their employees. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr.

MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that target bonuses at AIMCo are being paid for value-added of less than one-quarter of 1 per cent, why are bonus targets set so low? They can’t fail. Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, look at what they accomplished at the end of the year. Look at what they’ve put in the back. They’re performing now at about a 7 and a half per cent rate. Leo de Bever has done a lot of good work attracting very talented people who want to come and live in Alberta, bring their expertise.

He’s pa y- ing t hem well below the scale of Toronto or the New York markets, and they’re performing very well in a very modest fee structure. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again to the same minister: why are there no stakeholder repr esentatives from the pension plans or from your own government now on the AIMCo Board of Directors? Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, we work for these pension funds. They present to AIMCo what they want to accomplish with their funds.

They may identify investme nts that are off base for them – they may be ethical investments or green investments – and then AIMCo goes to work to get the very best return for these pension funds. The board is staffed by some of the most talented financial advisers in the world. That ’s who I hope Albertans would want looking after their money. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods , fol- lowed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Healthy Food Choices Mr. Benito: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Health Check is a food information program of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta.

Food companies and restaurants voluntarily submit pro d- ucts or menu items to be evaluated by the foundation. It sounds like an excellent program, but I have some questions for the Mi n- ister of Health and Wellness. First, what assurance can you give that this new program will receive ongoing support, not one -time support, Minister, as is often the case? Mr. Zwozdesky: Well, Mr.

Speaker, the first assurance I would give this member is that in addition to the $560,000 that I spoke about over the weekend and at the press conference on Friday, I’ve just augmented the funding by another $340,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, who are doing a tremendous job with this program. The second point is that this specific program is mentioned in our five -year health action plan as a long -term commitment. So we will be there today, and we will also be there tomorrow to ensure that whatever help possible gets to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and to the restaurants who are participating. Mr.

Benito: To the same minister: how will we know if this pr o- gram is accomplishing its goal of making healthier food choices? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, we’ll see some consumer surveys that will yield some important information. We hope to see a growth in the number of restaurants who are participating with the red circle and white check mark inside it that tells you it’s a Health Check food item. Thirdly, we’ll know by the number of people going to restaurants and using these particular menu choices. Today we have SAGE Savouries, a food company here in

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 453 Edmonton, that is participating, and we have 13 Husky restaurants across Alberta. That’s already a good indication that it’s working. Mr. Benito: To the same minister: given that healthy food choices are only one part of wellness, why aren’t you promoting other areas like physical activity programs, for example? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the short fact is that we are pro- moting other aspects of wellness because we know that healthy food choices is an important one, but it’s only one.

We are pro- moting better knowledge and awareness of what it takes to be healthy, including the food items that are talked about. We’re also doing a program called Communities ChooseWell, which has activity as one of its central points. We’re also promoting and funding a program called health y school community wellness fund, which is about active living and positive mental well-being. The Department of Education is al so working hard with us on the Healthy U campaign. So we have a number of ministries that are focused on a lot more than just eating. Municipal Zoning Exemption for Universities Dr. Taft: Mr.

Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Ad- vanced Education and Technology. As I explained last week, this government’s legislation gives a handful of Alberta universities complete exemption from all muni cipal zoning, including traffic and parking, density, design, and everything else. No developer, no private citizen, and no business gets this remarkable privilege. Will the minister please explain this week what he didn’t explain last week, which is: what is the justification for this policy? Mr. Weadick: Well, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question.

It centres around the legislation unde r which those universities were created. That legislation has been in place for many, many years. In fact, the University of Alberta was created around the same time as the province. At that time certain rights and privileges were given within those universities, which is consistent with universities across Canada and in other parts of the world. Dr. Taft: Well, Mr. Speaker, given that it’s not consistent with legislation across Canada – in fact , it’s not even consistent with legislation in Alberta – let’s pursue this issue.

Since NAIT, Mac- Ewan University, and all othe r postsecondary institutions in Edmonton do just fine without this exemption, why does it still exist for the University of Alberta? 2:40 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It also exists for the other residential universities in the province of Alberta. Our col- leges and technical institute s are developed under other legislation, and they fall under the Municipal Government Act in areas of planning and other things . So our colleges and technical institutes do fall within that le gislation.

As you know, MacEwan University and Mount Royal University were both created under that colleges legislation. Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, this is going to be a long debate. I am asking the minister to justify this law. Saying that this law is justified because it’s the law is not an answer. What is the justi- fication for a complete exemption by the universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge from all municipal zoning? Why do they get the privilege? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know this is an issue within the riding in Edm onton because of south campus and that there have been some discussions around access to programs and to projects being built. We be lieve that the university in Ed- monton continues to work with the city and with neighbours to ensure that that facility is being developed in the best interests of both the city and the neighbours as well. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lesser Slave Lake. Job Preparedness in Northern Communities Ms Calahasen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pardon me. I almost fell over.

Alberta Employment and Immi gration announced closures of three Alberta Job Corps sites in the northwest and will continue to close them all is my understanding. Alberta Job Corps has pro- vided numerous people with the opportunity to develop employment skills, particularly in the trades, and helped them get jobs. My question is to the Minister of Employment and Immigra- tion. Where are unemployed Albertans going to get the supports they need so that they can . . . Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m glad to know that the hon. member is falling over me. That’s really good. Mr.

Speaker, we have made a decision to make sure that ade- quate services are provided. In some parts of the province we have facilities that could be better utilized by Advanced Educa- tion to allow Albertans to develop skills and certificates in areas such as welding and other professions, but we continue to be committed to providing Albertans with foundational learning as we have in the past. Ms Calahasen: Mr. Speaker, just like all men, he wishes.

To the same minister: now that you’re taking away the tools to help many people prepare for the workforce, what are you intend- ing to do to replace that preparedness which has worked so well in the past? Mr. Lukaszuk: And I shall continue wishing, Mr. Speaker. I will tell you that foundational learning is very important to individuals that perhaps haven’t ha d a chance to be fully engaged in employment, and there are many different means by which we can provide foundational learning .

Even though the responsibility for Job Corps has now been transferred, the facilities have been transferred to Advanced Education, where they will be able to better utilize those facilities, in many cases very expensive, well- equipped facilities. We will provide foundational learning in more appropriate settings through more appropriate vendors. Ms Calahasen: As much as I’d love to keep . . . The Speaker: Aw, come on. No more

preambles. Ms Calahasen: My last question is to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. Are you co-ordinating with the Min- ister of Employment and Immigration to ensure that colleges like Northern Lakes can access that equipment so they can in- crease access to postsecondary education, especially in northern communities? Mr. Weadick: I’d like to assure the member that we are working together to ensure that programs are available in northern commu- nities. We know it’s critically important to have training available, and these facilities are extremel y fine facilities. A good example would be in the community of Slave Lake, where the facility that

454 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 has been mentioned will be transferred to Campus Alberta, to Northern Lakes College. They’re going to deliver carpentry and welding programs for the students there and continue the good work of Campus Alberta. The Speaker: Hon. members, 19 memb ers were recognized to- day. That was 114 questions and responses. We have one additional busine ss, though, arising out of the question period last Thursday. The hon. Minister of Municipal Affairs would like to supplement an answer. That will allow the member who was involved with the minister to raise an additional question.

The hon. minister. Telecommunications Tower Siting Mr. Goudreau: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to clar- ify a comment that I made last Thursday during question period, and that was to questions from the Member for Calgary-North Hill. I indicated to the member that I was still waiting for a re- sponse from the federal government. In fact, I had received an answer from the hon.

Tony Clement, the Minister of Industry, whereby he did indicate to us that land-use authorities – and that’s concerning the telecommunications towers – are encouraged to facilitate the implementation of radio communication services by establishing their own consultation process for the siting of an- tenna systems. I just wanted to put that on the table.* The Speaker: Okay. Hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill, if you wish, you have a question. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you very much for the information. I don’t have any further questions. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: Hon. members, we have seven today.

Because of the time we’re going to proceed immediately. The hon. Member for St. Albert. Safe Digging Month Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. April has been designated in many jurisdictions across the continent as Safe Digging Month. Alberta has one of the most co mprehensive and complex systems of underground infrastructure, that provides the essential electric- ity, natural gas, communications, water, and sewer to our homes, businesses, and industries.

Today’s society depends heavil y on the safe operation of all these buried facilities, which are estimated to span more than 1 and a half million kilometres within Alberta, including 400,000 kilometres of high-pressure pipeline. We are always one improp- erly conducted ground disturbance away from a fatality. These countless transmission and production lines can be just a few feet below the surface. Failure to call before you dig is the most fre- quent cause of facility damage.

The Alberta Damage Prevention Council is dedicated to mini- mizing damage caused to underground facilities from unauthorized contacts and is ma ndated to promote safe working environments for all agencies involved in development and con- struction. When an individual or organization is planning any ground disturbance, they must c ontact Alberta One-Call in ad- vance of the construction to have all buried pipes, cables, and other facilities marked on the ground to ensure that they do not come into contact with those facilities, causing damage to the facility and/or danger to themselves.

There’s no cost for the ser- vice. Costs are all borne by the individual utility companies. For something as simple as pl anting a tree, putting up a fence, or installing a mailbox, call 1-800-242-3447. Call at least two working days before you plan to disturb the ground. Then Alberta One-Call will notify the buried-facility operators, who will then mark their facilities. Only then can you safely dig. It’s better to be safe than sorr y. Be safe. Call Alberta One-Call before you dig. Safe digging is no accident.

Next week being con- stituency week, I challenge members to take this message back to their constituencies. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Meadowlark. Kirti Kumar Sherman, 1939 to 2011 Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After a life full of joy, love, happiness, and hope, yesterday, Sunday, March 20, my father, Kirti Kumar Sherman, completed his journey at the age of 73. He is sur- vived by his loving wife of 54 year s, Santosh, his four sons, and nine grandchildren. He is predeceased by his sister Vijay and sur- vived by his sister Krishna and numerous relatives and friends.

Born in Sakruli, a humble village in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, the son of Pandit Bal Mukand and Parsini Devi, my father was an accomplished state-level athlete and soccer player. He graduated with a master’s degree in political science from Punjab University, where he studied with India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was politically active and became dear friends with President Giani Zial Singh. He went on to become a schoolteacher and in 1965 emigrated to Vancouver, Canada, in search of a better life for his young family.

He worked as a mailman in Prince Rupert, a prison guard at Oakalla penitentiary, and held numerous jobs at the mill in addi- tion to being a member of the vo lunteer fire department and union rep for the IWA at the Weldwood lumber mill in Squamish, B.C., until his retirement. He comes from a family of public servants. As a 17-year-old his father arrived in Canada in 19 06 and took a leadership role in B.C.’s lumber industry, India’s freedom movement, and as a sup- porter of Prime Minister Mackenzie King.

Dad’s grand-uncle Munshi Ram was a passenger aboard the Komagata Maru ship in 1914, an unfortunate incident in Canadian history for which Prime Minister Harper apologized. His finest qualities were honesty, integrity, and hard work. He will be remembered for his jovial nature and sense of humour and commitment to his family. He instilled in his children the same values that his parents instilled in him, the duty to serve. He had a deep and abiding love of life and for all the people within it. He’ll be dearly missed by his family and all those who came to know him.

My family and I would like to thank Edmonton EMS, all the health care staff, including his nurses and doctors, for the excellent and compassionate care that he has received over the years and ask Albertans to make a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Dad, we thank you for all you’ ve done for us. We love you and bid you farewell. May God bless you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Bow. 2:50 Ward of the 21st Century Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Many in this Assembly have heard me talk about the amazing health research happening in Alberta, and today I’d like to tell you about an amaz- *See page 429, left column, paragraph 4

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 455 ing place where health research is being put into action, Calgary’s ward of the 21st century at the Foothills hospital. Mr. Speaker, the W21C, as it’s fondly known, is where health care providers, researchers, and innovators work together to test new products and ideas for improving care. What makes this facil- ity special is that it’s also a real, functioning medical unit where doctors and nurses help patients every day.

The ward of the 21st century gives researchers and innovators an opportunity to test how new a pproaches to care and new tech- nologies can work in a real hea lth environment. Right now the ward is home to more than 20 active projects supporting this prior- ity, projects like specialized computer keyboards that limit the spread of infection and mats that allow caregivers to continually monitor pressure points that are a primary cause of bedsores.

This unique facility allows health care providers and patients to interact with tomorrow’s tools of medicine and improve upon made-in-Alberta health innovations, and that makes it something all of us as Albertans can be proud to call our own. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-East. East Calgary Health Centre Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the recent opening of the east Calgary health centre in the eastern quadrant of the city.

The centre ope ned last fall, a nd residents of Calgary-East are very appreciative of the new facility because of the essential services it provides to the whole community. The highly dedicated health team at the east Calgary health centre provides standard public checkup examinations and other services such as chronic disease management, language, addiction, and men- tal health services, just to name a few. In all, more than 30 different clinics and programs are available at the facility.

I must concede that it would be even better if there was an emergency centre attached to the facility, but having this new 75,000-square-foot site still pro- vides many very essential services under one roof. New health centres are made possible through the five-year fund- ing plan put forward by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which allows for continued access to hi gh-quality health care services throughout the province. Mr. Speaker, the east Calgary health centre is truly a great model of community-based health care as well as a facility that works for patients, the staff, and the community.

The government of Alberta has taken into account the diverse needs of all Albertans and has strategically i nvested in the health system to support patients and communities to stay healthy, and the opening of the east Calgary health centre is a wonderful example. Mr. Speaker, looking forward, it would be ideal, again, if an emergency centre could be added to take the pressures off the hospitals as well as provide such essential services locally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill. State of the Health Care System Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The rhetoric in this House over the last several weeks has caused me to think very seriously about how lucky we are as Albertans. This is because what I’ve been hearing from Albertans does not match the health care apoca- lypse being espoused by the opposition here in the Assembly.

For example, I’ve recently spoken to a constituent who shared the following story with me: on March 10 I went to the emergency room of the Rocky View hospital in Calgary; when I arrived at the hospital, the triage nurse took my blood pressure, which at that time was 195 over 120; I was imme diately taken to a bed and within moments was being mon itored by several nurses and a doctor; my wait time was under fi ve minutes, and the care I re- ceived was excellent. Just to show me that this story was not an exception to the rule, she followed up with this story, Mr.

Speaker: during the H1N1 outbreak my son, who is a type 1 diabetic, had a fever of 40 de- grees Celsius, and his blood sugar was around 22; normally the level is 5.5; after calling Health Link, I was advised to take him to emergency; we waited about 10 mi nutes in the ER before being seen; he was stable and home in about four hours with Tamiflu. Mr. Speaker, also, on Sunday I had the chance to visit my grandmother at the new Michener Hill Village seniors’ home in Red Deer. Wow, what a great facility, and the staff there are pro- viding great care.

My grandmothe r, despite some health-related issues and the natural uneasiness of having to move from a famili- ar situation at the age of 86, is very happy with her surroundings. However, I was appalled last fa ll when certain hon. members of the opposition and special-interest groups attempted to exploit the uncertainties and fears of seniors making this transition to this facility, all in the name of political gain. Mr. Speaker, there’s no doubt, even with the evidence of all the good things happening in health care today, that we do have chal- lenges.

However, I can stand here today with more conviction and say that the rhetoric of the past several weeks has not contributed even one bit to improving our health care system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar. Pigeon Lake Ice Golf Tournament Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past Saturday, March 19, Jim and I had the pleasure of attending the ice golf tournament in Mulhurst Bay on picturesque Pigeon Lake in my constituency of Drayton Valley-Calmar.

It was an absolutely wonderful day to get outside and ha ve a great time with family, friends, and constituents, with over 145 registered golfers. This annual tournament is a popular event for many who live in the area, and this year was the 15th annual tournament, which made it even more special. The unique 18-hole course was carved out of ice and snow on Pigeon Lake. The tourna ment was fun for all ages, with a Texas scramble. The golf tournament was supplemented by a delicious dinner, an awards pres entation, and a silent auction.

There were many prizes, trophies, and raffles, which were a great deal of fun for the more competitive golfers and those of all ranges of abilities who just wanted to come out and have a good time. I am not sure how, but our team managed to come in second, and I know it was not my skills but those of my fellow teammates. For those who wished to enjoy the day in Mulhurst Bay but were not avid golfers, there were family sleigh rides on the lake, concessions on the beach, and restaurants to sit down and enjoy a bite to eat.

I would like to thank the Pigeon Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce for putting on this fantastic event and the entire com- munity of Mulhurst for hosting it. I was proud to be a part of this event as the whole community pulled together to support this event from several local businesses and volunteers. Everyone had a great time enjoying the warmth of spring, fun and exercise in the outdoors, and fellowship with golfers and their neighbours. Special thanks to all the golfers who participated and to City TV and the Pipestone Flyer for coming out and promoting our event. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

456 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Pythagorean Theorem Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The hon. members for St. Albert, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, Edmonton-Manning, and others are likely all very familiar with Pythagoras and his theorem, which states that the sum of the squares of the sides of a right triangle are equal to the square of the hypotenuse. As a quick r e- fresher, the hypotenuse is the triangle’s longest side, the legs being the other two sides, which meet at a right angle.

This the o- rem, as most will recall, can be written as an equation relating to the lengths of the sides a, b, and c, and thus we have the Pythag o- rean theorem of c2 = a2 + b2. This theorem and its rath er intimidating moniker is nothing more than the elegant and universal 6 -8-10 rule, which skilled tradesmen use every day to square a wall, calculate the length of a stair stringer, or commence a boundary survey of real property. It is such a beautiful and flexible thing that you do not have to si m- ply stick to 6 -8-10. You can use any division or multiplication of this sequence.

For example, 3-4-5 or 12-16-20 can also be used. Pythagoras died in 500 BC, but his rule influences us today, about 2,500 years la ter. Even today we have direct evidence that the work of Pythagoras was accurate. His law has stood the test of time, and it is comforting to know that there are things that are reliable and can be spoken of with absolute precision. I find this a rare thing, Mr. Speaker. Our work in this House is not based on such reliable laws as Pythagoras but, more likely, upon Beauchesne’s Parliamentary Rules & Forms,

section 494, which begins, “It has been formally ruled by Speakers that statements by Members respecti ng the m- selves and particularly within their own knowledge must be accepted” and ends by saying, “No imputation of intentional falsehood is permissible. On rare occasions this may result in the House having to accept two contradictory accounts of the same incident.” There we have it, Mr. Speaker, proof that freedom ex- ists for members of this Assembly to take contradictory positions, even with themselves, whenever they find it convenient to do so.

Thank you. 3:00 The Speaker: Hon. members, our standing orders read, 7(7) . . . Ms Blakeman: Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Yes. Sit down. . . . “At 3 p.m. the items in the ordinary daily routine will be deemed to be concluded and the Speaker shall notify the Asse m- bly,” and the Speaker is notifying the Assembly. Now the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I had sent a note to the Speaker earlier requesting that I be acknowledged b e- cause I would like to ask for the unanimous consent of the Assembly to waive Standing Order 7(7), which is the one that has us proceed immediately at 3 o’clock and which the Speaker just read out. We have other business to conclude in Routine, and I would appreciate the support of the Assembly with unanimous consent to complete the Routine today. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre has asked that the Assembly declare unanimously its desire to waive 7(7) so that we may continue the Routine.

I will ask the question so that it will allow only one answer, and the question will be the follow- ing: does any member oppose the waiving of Standing Order 7(7), allowing us to go back to the Routine? If so, simply say no. [Unanimous consent denied] The Speaker: We did have a point of order, though, and it’s a l- ways been my practice to deal with points of order, so we’ll deal with that. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Point of Order Factual Accuracy Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I called the point of order on the Minister of Health and Wellness, and I will cite our standing orders plus Beauchesne.

The sections of the standing orders that are relevant are 23(h), (i), and (

j) and particularly 23(h), which refers to making allegations against another member. Two pas- sages in Beauchesne : the first paragraph I want to refer to is 417, “Answers to questions should be as brief as possible, deal with the matter raised and should not provoke debate,” and as well Bea u- chesne 97, which I think is quite powerful.

It says: The Speaker has stated: “While it is correct to say that the go v- ernment is not required by our rules to answer written or oral questions, it would be bold to suggest that no circumstances could ever exist for a prima facie question of privilege to be made where there was a deliberate attempt to deny answers to an Hon. Member, if it could be shown that such action amounted to improper interference with the Hon. Member’s parliamentary work.” With those in mind – and I can come back if you like, Mr.

Speaker, to Beauchesne 97 because it’s so powerful – I thought, first of all, I would briefly set the context and then address my concern. The context was around a series of questions concerning the intimidation of medical staff who work in my constituency. One in particular had raised concerns about being st ifled and i n- timidated when they raised their own concerns about how the syphilis outbreak was being handled or, as it were, mishandled by this government. That provided the general context. I think it’s important to note that I’m quoting the particular expert here. His name is Dr.

Stan Houston, a globally recognized specialist. He said just the other day, quote: How are our syphilis rates doing? They’re not improving at all after five long years. End quote. My question specifically concerned a report – and I don’t know if I need to table this, Mr. Speaker, because it is a government of Alberta report – dated December 2010. It’s titled The Syphilis Outbreak in Alberta, and it’s from the office of the chief medical officer of health. Now, the minister alleged I had not read a different report, the five-year action plan, as he calls it. In fact, Mr.

Speaker, I have read it, and I am aware of two things. First of all, the five -year action plan was actually published before the report called The Syphilis Outbreak in Alberta, so it’s logically not possible that the five-year action plan would have addressed a report that came out after the five- year action plan was made public.

I think it’s also worth noting that the five -year action plan does not ever refer to the word “syphilis,” and when it addresses sexually transmitted diseases, it does so in a very cursory and brief manner, just a few short lines as opposed to this long, multipage, and very detailed report that came out after the five-year action plan. I think it’s worth noting that The Syphilis Outbreak in Alberta report makes a couple of crucial, indeed, Mr. Speaker, life-and - death statements. I will quote from page 1.

In Alberta in 2009, there have been seven confirmed cases of in- fants born with congeni tal syphilis; another six infants remain

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 457 under investigation. By contrast, in 2009 there has been one case of congenital syphilis reported in one other Canadian province. That gives you a sense of how far out of standards Alberta is with all the rest of the country. I did raise that in my question, and that’s what’s motivating my question. Then this report also goes on and gives several pages of rec- ommended actions. It says, and I quote from page 5, “Our response needs to be bold, innovative and compassionate.” Then it addresses a recommendation to reduce the risk of getting the dis- ease.

It has subrecommendations: e ducating populations at higher risk, exploring more innovative ways to promote condom use, reducing transmission through screening and early prophylactic treatment. It addresses sex trade workers, aboriginal communities, examples of other screening and prophylactic treatment opportuni- ties, and it addresses tracking infected individuals and partner notification, improving access to STI services province-wide, and finally . . . The Speaker: Please. Please. I have now permitted nearly eight minutes. I’m still waiting to try and determine what the point of order is.

That eight minutes to rise on a point of order is an inordi- nate amount of time to begin with. Points of order are not to be used to continue debate in a subject. I would like to know what the point of order is, please. Dr. Taft: I did mention partway through, Mr. Speaker, the justifi- cation for my point of order: the allegation by the minister that I had not read and should have read the five-year action plan is simply untrue. He made a false statement against me.

Beyond that, Beauchesne 97 says, “While it is correct to say that the govern- ment is not required by our rules to answer written or oral questions, it would be bold to suggest that no circumstances could ever exist for a prima facie question of privilege.” I didn’t raise a privilege, but I could have. The Speaker: No, sir. Please. You misunderstand the intent of these points of order. Sorry, but , due respect, we understand what the point of order is. The point of order has to do with a member of the Assembly saying that you did not read something. Is this correct? Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, that’s part of it.

The other

part is that he did not address the issue, and as a point under Beauchesne 97 that’s an unfortunate offence of the tradition. The Speaker: Yeah. Okay. I understand that. Government House Leader, do you want to participate in this? Mr. Hancock: Well, thank you Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe there’s a point of order there.

With respect to the first point – and I did pick up that that was what the hon. member was concerned about – that there was an allegation that he wasn’t doing his homework or that he hadn’t read the five-year action plan, the minister may well be within his right to have assumed that given the nature of the debate. But as you have said many times in this House, an hon. member is to be believed, and the hon. memb er did say that he has read the five-year action plan. I think that takes care of it.

On behalf of the minister I would be prepared to apologize to the hon. member for an insinuation th at he didn’t read it when he has clearly said that he did read it. That will leave aside any ques- tion of whether he understood it or whether or not it had any relevancy, and we can get into a discussion in another place on that particular topic at some appropriate time. 3:10 The question that’s most importa nt here, though, is the very important question that the hon. member raised about the outbreak of syphilis in Alberta and what’s happening about it.

The minister did say – I heard him respond to that question today as I heard him respond earlier – that there is a plan in place, a campaign to alert Albertans to the seriousness of this issue. In fact, I think that today in the Blues it will show that he indicated that the public relations campaign will be in doctors’ offi ces but also in bars and other public places. So the issue with respect to whether this govern- ment is taking the issue of the syphilis outbreak seriously I think was very clearly answered by the hon. minister.

If the hon. member is really talking about what took place two or three or four years ago relati ve to the question, that may be another question that he may want to raise at another time, but clearly the gist of what I heard him ask today was: are you taking this very important issue seriously? Clearly, the answer was that we are. The Speaker: Thank you. I’m going to repeat what I said earlier. The purpose of points of order is not to continue debate. I heard a withdrawal or an apology. That almost in all cases deals with the matter, so that matter is finished.

I also, though, want to make so me clarification, and I ask the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar to return to his seat. If hon. members would look at Hansard on March 17, 2011, at page 433, I wish to point out to all members that I am guilty of mishearing something, and I want to make sure that the record and Hansard actually have it clarified. There was an exchange on Thursday last when the Government House Leader stood up and the Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar was speaking. The hon. Government House Leader said that he was rising on a point of order.

I was listening, I thought atten- tively, and I thought I heard the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar say: there certainly is a point of order. What the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar said was: “There certainly isn’t a point of order.” I heard the “is” but not the “n’t.” Then I got up a little later and I said: well, both members agree that there was a point of order. Then there was an exch ange about the hon. member’s mother, and I had some fine words to say about her.* I just wanted to clarify in the Hansard that the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar did say, “There certainly isn’t a point of a order,” when I thought he said: there certainly is a point of order. I want the Hansard to read that because I don’t want some archae- ologist 4,000 years from now to come in here and, you know, get totally confused about what happened. That clarifies that. head: Orders of the Day head: Written Questions [The Clerk read the following written questions, which had been accepted] Jackfish Oil Sands Wellhead Failure Q1.

Ms Blakeman: How much oil was spilled as a result of the wellhead failure at Devon Energy Corporation’s Jackfish oil sands site, which sent a plume of bitumen-laced, high-temperature steam into the air for nearly 36 hours on July 10 and 11, 2010? *See page 433, left column, paragraph 10

458 Alberta Hansard March 21, 2011 Previous Wild Rose Foundation Grants Q2. Ms Blakeman: Which groups that previously received funding from the Wild Rose Foundation but were no longer able to receive funding after the program was cut were unable to obtain similar funding through publicly funded grant programs such as the community initiatives program? Land Expropriations Q11. Ms Blakeman: How many times and under what circumstances has the Lieutenant Governor in Council authorized expropriation of land under

section 9(2)(

h) of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act? The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Occupational Health a nd Safety Prosecutions Q6. Mr. Chase asked that the following question be accepted. How many occupational health and safety cases has the Ministry of Employment and Immigration sent to the Minis- try of Justice with a recommendation to prosecute for each of the years 2003 to 2010? Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the hon. Minister of Employment and Immigration would like to read his amended proposal. The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Lukaszuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Indeed, the member is correct in his presumption. I move that Written Question 6 be amended by striking out “cases has the Ministry of Empl oyment and Immigration sent to the Ministry of Justice with a recommendation to prosecute for each of the years 2003 to 2010” and substituting “investigation files has the Ministry of Employ ment and Immigration sent to Alberta Justice between 2003 and 2010 for its review to determine whether the evidence supports laying charges.” Mr.

Speaker, the reason I’m doing this is that it should be well known to all members of this Assembly but also to all Albertans that all a ministry from which an investigation arises can do is lay the information before the Crown prosecutors’ office. It is unbi- ased information that is deemed to be factual by the investigators.

Then having reviewed not only the evidence put before them but also the applicable law, it is the Crown prosecutors’ office, in isolation from the Minister of Justice and in isolation from the minister for whom an investigati on arises, that makes the ultimate determination whether charges will or will not be laid. In this case the question suggests that somehow this minister influences the Crown prosecutors’ office in whether they should or should not lay charges, and that simply would be misleading in its question. The Speaker: If I recognize the hon.

Member for Calgary- Varsity, that in essence closes the discussion and the debate on the amendment. Does any other member wish to participate before I call on the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity? Then you, sir, close the debate on the amendment. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for this opportu- nity to discuss the amendment. I am aware that there is a different responsibility for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Em- ployment and Immigrati on. I’m also aware that in the past year only nine files were sent along for the ministry to potentially prosecute

whereas at the same time in Saskatchewan 47 files went forward from the labour ministry to the Minister of Justice for prosecution. I understand what the Minister of Employment and Immigration is saying in terms of what his responsibilities are versus those of the Ministry of Justice. However, my concern is that it’s up to the Minister of Employment and Immigration to forward files, and if the Ministry of Justice doesn’t receive the files, they can’t then go forth and prosecute.

However, to the minister’s credit, I appreciate the fact that he will be supplying the information indicated in his amendment to my written question, and I’ll look forward to receiving that information. [Motion on amendment carried] The Speaker: We’ve got discussion and debate here now and a motion as amended. Additional speakers? Should I call on the hon. Memb er for Calgary-Varsity to once again close it all or call the question? Mr. Chase: Thank you.

Speaking to the motion as amended, while it does not distinguish between the rules of the Ministry of Employment and Immigration and the authority of the justice system, it is up to the minister to decide which cases he thinks should be sent along based on hazards, injuries, and deaths at a workplace. The information that he’s willing to provide will be of some help, and therefore I am accepting the amendment because to not do so, Mr. Speaker, would mean I would have nothing. [Written Question 6 as amended carried] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. Bitumen Royalty in Kind Program Q7. Mr.

Hehr asked that the following question be accepted. What are the monetary values attributed to bitumen, per grade per barrel, for each company included in the Alberta bitumen royalty in kind program? Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m asking the govern- ment to provide some very important information. I find that this would be very pertinent for us in the opposition to have as at this time we are moving forward with great speed on our Alberta bi- tumen royalty in kind program. I for one find it a very good program that we should in fact be capitalizing on, possibly ex- panding.

Getting the information of which companies are taking part and what the amount is of the value-added materials we are getting from this bitumen royalty in kind program could really serve my purposes as Energy critic. It would be very helpful 3:20 If you look at where we are today, we’re still upgrading roughly about 67 per cent of our bitumen here in this province. In my view, we should continue ramping that up.

If we just stay where we are today, even with the announcement of the North West up- grader project, if we just stay with that one project, even with what’s going on up at the Suncor plant, we could be back in a situation where we’re only upgrading 60 per cent of our bitumen here in this province within 10 years if we don’t continue to work on striving to produce more of this bitumen, which, in my view, is very important to this province’s future, maximizing every dollar we can get out of this one-time gift.

If you want to take a look at oil and gas resources in that view, we should look at maximizing what they can do for the Alberta people. That’s what the Alberta bitu men in kind program could and should do. Hence, getting this information from the government

March 21, 2011 Alberta Hansard 459 would be very important for me. For instance, we can look at whether we can stimulate other companies to take

part in this, whether it be a suggestion from the opposition on how to incent the marketplace or whether we are talking about, with the Minister of Energy, whether there is, in fact, right now an open place in the marketplace where possibly some government investment in an actual upgrader may actually be wise at this time and to have that discussion and debate. If we look back to a situation like it was in 1970, when Premier Lougheed started the Alberta Energy Company, is it time for us to do that with an Alberta bitumen company?

I don’t know, but it’s something to be discussed and somet hing where this information would go a great ways towards enhancing the opposition’s know- ledge and at the same time, then, enhancing all Albertans’ knowledge on this very important issue. Those are my comments, and I’d wait to hear the government’s response to this matter. The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Government House Leader. Mr. Denis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m rising today on behalf of the hon. Minister of Energy with a few points that I’d like to make with respect to this particular question to the Member for Calgary -Buffalo.

First off, bitumen values in the market fluctua te on a daily basis, just like pretty much every other commodity on the open market. Another issue is that we’re still developing administration of the bitumen royalty in kind program and that the process of how we implement this is the focus of the curren t consultation with the industry. Over the course of this year we will continue to develop the rules and regulations of implementing the BRIK program, and I can assure the Member for Calgary -Buffalo that Albertans will receive the best value for their

part icular resource. We must also keep in mind that the information on bitumen valuation provided to us from specific companies would be con- sidered confidential information pursuant to the Mines and Minerals Act of this province. Mr. Speaker, we can’t really answer this member’s question, and I would suggest that we respectfully reject it. In the meantime, in order to get a sense of the market values for bitumen, I would respectfully advise this member to check out publicly available data with respect to the western Canada select and Lloydminster blend heavy crude prices.

In fact, the Minister of Energy has o f- fered to send him a note outlining some websites that publish that information. The Speaker: Hold on, hon. member. If I recognize the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo, that closes the debate on this matter. Is any other member wishing to participate? Then the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo to close the debate. Mr. Hehr: Well, I thank the hon. member for the comments given on behalf of the Minister of Ener gy, and I can say that I’m disa p- pointed. I think I outlined a reasonable case why the opposition should have this information and should be privy to it at all times.

Yes, I guess there probably is some opportunity for me to gain knowledge on what the price of bitumen oil is, but whether I would have the knowledge of the government on who exactly we’ve made contracts with, who exactly we have accepted bids for, and who exactly we are doing the upgrading at, that is infor- mation that they would have. Further, I understand that there was some reference to the Mines and Minerals Act and how this would somehow be classified i n- formation. I don’t accept that. This would really be one of those cases, in my view, where the information could be provided very easily.

I think that referring to some obscure passage in the Mines and Mineral Act that may apply to this information, that should be readily available to members of this House, is simply borderline ridiculous. I think this information should be provided, in parti cu- lar on something that is going to affect Albertans going forward for a long period of time. In my view, the traditional oil and gas sectors are on their d e- cline and, in fact, on their way out of production.

If you look at what we’ve done over the last 4 0 years, what you can say is that we’ve significantly found a way to spend every last dime of fossil fuel resources that has come into this Legislature’s hands. For better or for worse, I think we’ve got to get a handle on how we manage that resource in the future to try and get some sort of long- term, sustainable mechanism that recognizes this is a one-time opportunity to maximize a resource for the Alberta people. One of the ways to do that is through the bitumen royalty in kind program. I think it’s an excellent program that the gover n- ment has come out with.

I think it can lead to development of an upgrader industry here in Alberta, that we can upgrade more bit u- men, but in order for the opposition to do its job, to provide maybe some options for the government to do something, to maybe lead a public debate on it, to discuss it reasonably and rationally, we need some of this information.

On that front I’m disappointed that the government didn’t give the information right now, but at the end of developing these rules and regulations, I will again, if I am so honoured to be in this Legislature at that time, put another r e- quest on the Order Paper, and maybe the information will be forthcomin