Alberta Hansard — 18 November 2014, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 28, Session 3)

20141118

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

Province of Alberta The 28th Legislature Third Session Alberta Hansard Tuesday, November 18, 2014 Issue 2 The Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Speaker

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

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

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

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

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

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

W) Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Doug, Spruce Grove-St. Albert (PC) Jansen, Sandra, Calgary-North West (PC) Jeneroux, Matt, Edmonton-South West (PC) Johnson, Hon. Jeff, Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater (PC) Johnson, Linda, Calgary-Glenmore (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL), Liberal Opposition Whip Kennedy-Glans, Donna, QC, Calgary-Varsity (PC) Khan, Hon. Stephen, St. Albert (PC) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Kubinec, Hon.

Maureen, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock (PC) Lemke, Ken, Stony Plain (PC), Deputy Government Whip Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Luan, Jason, Calgary-Hawkwood (PC) Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC) Mandel, Hon. Stephen, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND) McAllister, Bruce, Chestermere-Rocky View (

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

W) Prentice, Hon. Jim, PC, QC, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Premier Quadri, Sohail, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona-Sherwood Park (PC) Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rowe, Bruce, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (

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

W) Strankman, Rick, Drumheller-Stettler (

W) Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL) Towle, Kerry, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (W), Official Opposition Deputy Whip VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC), Government Whip Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Wilson, Jeff, Calgary-Shaw (W), Official Opposition Deputy House Leader Woo-Paw, Hon. Teresa, Calgary-Northern Hills (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) Young, Steve, Edmonton-Riverview (PC) Party standings: Progressive Conservative: 61 Wildrose: 16 Alberta Liberal: 5 New Democrat: 4 Independent: 1 Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly W.J. David McNeil, Clerk Robert H.

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

Executive Council Jim Prentice Premier, President of Executive Council, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, Minister of Aboriginal Relations Naresh Bhardwaj Associate Minister of Persons with Disabilities Manmeet Singh Bhullar Minister of Infrastructure Robin Campbell President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Jonathan Denis Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Gordon Dirks Minister of Education David Dorward Associate Minister of Aboriginal Relations Wayne Drysdale Minister of Transportation Kyle Fawcett Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Jeff Johnson Minister of Seniors Stephen Khan Minister of Service Alberta Heather Klimchuk Minister of Human Services Maureen Kubinec Minister of Culture and Tourism Stephen Mandel Minister of Health Ric McIver Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Diana McQueen Minister of Municipal Affairs Frank Oberle Minister of Energy Verlyn Olson Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Donald Scott Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education Teresa Woo-Paw Associate Minister of Asia Pacific Relations

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Chair: Mr. Amery Deputy Chair: Mr. Fox Dallas Eggen Hehr Horne Kennedy-Glans Lemke Luan McDonald Quadri Rogers Rowe Sarich Stier Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Chair: Mr. Casey Deputy Chair: Mrs. Jablonski Amery Barnes Ellis Horner Lukaszuk Mason Sherman Standing Committee on Families and Communities Chair: Ms Olesen Deputy Chair: Mr.

Pedersen Cusanelli Eggen Fenske Fox Fritz Jablonski Leskiw McAllister Quest Rodney Sandhu Swann Weadick Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Chair: Mr. Jeneroux Deputy Chair: Mr. Starke Bikman Blakeman Brown DeLong Eggen Leskiw Quadri Wilson Young Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Chair: Mr. Zwozdesky Deputy Chair: Mr. VanderBurg Forsyth Fritz Griffiths Johnson, L. Lukaszuk Mason McDonald Sherman Towle Standing Committee on Private Bills Chair: Mrs.

Leskiw Deputy Chair: Ms Cusanelli Allen Bilous Brown DeLong Fenske Fritz Jablonski Olesen Rowe Stier Strankman Swann Xiao Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Chair: Mr. Luan Deputy Chair: Mr. Rogers Bilous Calahasen Cao Casey Ellis Kang Olesen Pastoor Pedersen Rodney Saskiw Starke Wilson Standing Committee on Public Accounts Chair: Mr. Anderson Deputy Chair: Mr. Young Allen Amery Barnes Bilous Donovan Hehr Horne Jansen Jeneroux Luan Pastoor Sandhu Sarich Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship Chair: Mr. Goudreau Deputy Chair: Mr.

Hale Allen Anglin Bikman Blakeman Brown Calahasen Cao Casey Fraser Johnson, L. Mason Xiao Young

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 9 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 18, 2014 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Let us pray. Dear Lord, as we begin this first week of work in this Assembly, help us to proceed with the respect and honour that our institution deserves, and fill our hearts and minds with wisdom and determination to always do what is right for our constituents, for our province, and indeed for our country. Amen. Please be seated.

Hon. members, as is our custom, we pay tribute on our first day to members and former members of this Assembly who have passed away since we last met. With our admiration and respect there is gratitude to members of the families who have shared the burdens connected to public office and public service. Today I would like to welcome members and/or representatives of the Stevens family, the Hutton family, and the Diachuk family, all of whom I will introduce to you a bit later.

In addition, I would also like to acknowledge the Alexander family, with whom we have been in contact but none of whom were able to join us in person today. Nonetheless, we know they are here with us in spirit. Mr. Ronald Gordon Stevens, QC September 17, 1949, to May 13, 2014 The Speaker: In 1997 Mr. Ron Stevens was elected to serve as the Member for Calgary -Glenmore in this Assembly. Prior to his election he had a successful career as a civil litigation lawyer and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1996.

He served in this Assembly for 12 ye ars and held the positions of minister of gaming, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, and Deputy Premier from 2007 through 2009. With his strong work ethic and keen intellect, Mr. Stevens mad e many contributions to our province through this Assembly. Of particular note, he sponsored the Holocaust Memorial Day and Genocide Remembrance Act. He also introduced the private member’s bill which ultimately gave us our official dress tartan. Mr.

Stevens resigned in May of 2009 to continue to serve Albertans as a justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench. Mr. Drew Hutton October 8, 1953, to August 18, 2014 The Speaker: Mr. Drew Hutton served as the Member for Edmonton-Glenora from 2001 until 2004. Prior t o being elected, he was the executive director of the Glenrose Foundation from 1998 to 2000 and held various roles within the Alberta civil service for almost 20 years. Mr. Hutton believed in giving back to the community and worked with many charities and organizations, including the Kidney Foundation and the United Way.

He was an accomplished Masters runner and volunteered with the Edmonton Festival Marathon Society and with the Edmonton 2001 ITU triathlon championship committee. Most recently Mr. Hutton w as serving as the director of U.S.A. trade and investment in the Ministry of International and Intergovernmental Relations. Mr. Bill Wasyl Diachuk October 8, 1929, to October 17, 2014 The Speaker: Mr. Bill Diachuk served as the Member for Edmonton Beverly from 1971 until 1986. In his first term he was elected as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees and served in that role until 1975.

In 1979 he was appointed minister responsible for workers’ health, safety, and compensation and held that position for seven years. Throughout his life Mr. Diachuk was actively involved in the community. He served as a separate school trustee, volunteered with numerous organizations and associations, assisted farmers as far away as Brazil to set up sustainable herbal tea cr ops, and helped build a children’s park and a lung clinic in Lviv, Ukraine. Over the years Mr.

Diachuk received many honours, including the Michael Luchkovich award, the Shevchenko medal, the Stars of Alberta award, and was made an officer brother within t he Order of St. John. Mr. Robert Keith Alexander July 23, 1930, to November 12, 2014 The Speaker: Born in Vulcan, Alberta, Mr. Keith Alexander was elected as the Member for Edmonton-Whitemud on November 2, 1982, and served until November 5, 1985. In 1,100 days of service in the 20th Legislature Mr. Alexander made his presence known by chairing the committee on regulatory reform and by sitting on numerous other committees. Mr.

Alexander was a former champion amateur golfer whose many victories secured him a place in both the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1985 and in the Alberta sports hall of fame in 1986. Of particular note was the invitation, which he honoured, to play in the Masters alongside Byron Nelson. In a moment of silent prayer I would ask you to remember Mr. Stevens, Mr. Hutton, Mr. Diachuk, and Mr. Alexander as you may have known them. Please rise. O Lord, grant rest eternal unto each of them, and let light perpetual shine ever upon them. Amen.

Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors The Speaker: Hon. members, continuing onward, we have with us today members and/or representatives from the Stevens, Hutton, and Diachuk families, and I would ask that they rise and remain standing as I call their names, and then we can welcome them all at the end with our thanks through our applause. Representing the Stevens family is Jeremy Chorney, long -time family friend of the family, of course, and of former member Ron Stevens. Representing the Hutton family are Marcy Hutton, wife of former member Drew Hutton; Mackenzie Hutton, daughter of Mr.

Hutton; Jordan Schell, nephew of Mr. Hutton; Stacy Schell, niece of Mr. Hutton; Jodi Schell, sister -in-law of Mr. Hutton; and Andrew Keats, family friend of Mr. Hutton. Representing the Diachuk family are Ollie Diachuk, wife of former member Bill Diachuk; Teresa Diachuk, daughter of Mr. Diachuk; and Brenda Diachuk, daughter of Mr. Diachuk. We also want to reach out to the Alexander family, whom I referred to earlier, none of whom, unfortunately, were able to join us today. Nonetheless, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and with all.

Please join me in welcoming and thanking our guests. [applause]

10 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 1:40 head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: We have school groups, that are traditionally first, and I think we have the hon. Minister of Health ready to make an introduction, followed by Sherwood Park. Mr. Mandel: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to rise today and introduce to you and through you to this Assembly a group of 37 grade 6 students from Monsignor William Irwin Catholic school in the constitu ency of Edmonton-Whitemud, who are seated in the public gallery. These students are here this week to participate in the Legislature school. Their teacher, Mr.

Nick Freeman, and a parent, Mike Smith, are joining them. I ask the students and their teacher fr om Monsignor William Irwin elementary school to please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome from this Assembly. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Member for Sherwood Park. Ms Olesen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m so pleased to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly 58 grade 6 students, very bright and tale nted grade 6 students, from St. Theresa Catholic middle school. They are accompanied by their teachers, Mr.

Kurt Davison and Ms Stefanie Kaiser, and by Cathy Kennard, Trinity Senuk, and Vanessa Jans. I ask that the group from St. Theresa Catholic school please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome from this Assembly. The Speaker: Are there other school groups? If not, let us move on to the next category of important friends, guests, and acquaintances and begi n with the hon. Premier, who, I believe, has an introduction to make. Mr. Prentice: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also acknowledge the family and friends of Ron Stevens, Drew Hutton, Bill Diachuk, and Keith Alexander together with the other guests. Mr.

Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce to you and through you Mrs. Karen Prentice. Mrs. Prentice is my spouse of 31 years, as you may have guess ed. She is a successful personal lawyer in her own right. She has succeeded, while I have been occupied with other matters, in raising three daughters and is now providing the same leadership to raising two grandchildren. She also sits on a number of charitable boards in Alberta and, indeed, across the country. I would ask Karen to please rise – I would not be here without her – and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. Mrs. Towle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two introductions. Would you like me to do them one right after the other? My first introduction. It is my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all Members of this Legislative Assembly Charlene Preston. Charlene is my constituency assistant in Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. She’s a friend, she’s an advi ser, and honestly I could not do as good a job as I do without her help. If Charlene could stand and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. Secondly, Mr.

Speaker, it truly is an honour and a pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all members of this House three very special members of my own family: our daughter Jessica, who is here and has taug ht me more about kindness than I will ever know; our daughter Madison, who is an amazing spirit and a member of the seventh squadron Penhold air cadets and who won the top cadet at summer camp this summer before Penhold closed; and, of course, my mom, Bertha, who has always stood beside me in hard times, good ti mes, knows I’m not perfect and that I make lots of mistakes but who has always been proud of me and makes me want to work hard er each and every day.

I would ask all of you to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this House. The Speaker: The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, followed by the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m proud to be associated with a great group of people who work in my department. They’re very outward looking, and they deal with Albertans every day. They are trained by a group of people within my department who are here today, 16 people from my ag-industry extension and training branch.

I’d like to call their names, and they can rise as I call them and stay standing. They are Lois Hameister, Susan Lacombe, Chris Onciul, Karen Carle, Eugene Ba logh, Stephanie Irvine, Deb Ratcliff, Charles Young, Mark Kelly, John Gillmore, Lee Harper, Caitlynn Reesor, Barb Shackel-Hardman, Lori McRae, Sharon Stollery, and Cameron Horner. These people do great work for the people of the province of Alberta and our department. I’d like to thank them and welcome them here today. I’d ask my colleagues to join in welcome with the traditional welcome of the Legislature.

The Speaker: The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, followed by the leader of the Alberta Liberal opposition. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly two very important people in my life. In fact, if it weren’t for them, I don’t think I would be here. I’d like to introduce my parents, Brian and Gay Fawcett, who have come here for the throne speech and to watch question period today.

They successfully raised three boys – I don’t know how they did it sometimes – with a tremendous am ount of sacrifice, compassion, and understanding. I know that we don’t always say it enough, but, Mom and Dad, I love you and thank you for being here. Please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Alberta Liberals I would like to thank the families of Drew Hutton, Ron Stevens, Bill Diachuk, and Mr. Alexander for sharing them with the province of Alberta. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and you have our sincerest condolences. Mr.

Speaker, I rise to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly Mark Hercina and Trudy Ng. Mark and Trudy are correctional peace officers from Red Deer. Mark sits on the pension committee with AUPE and is a member of local 3. Trudy is a secretary for local 3,

chapter 12. Mark and Trudy are hard-working employees of this great province. As AUPE members they represent the thousands of employees that keep our province safe. Their focus on pension rights illustrates their commitment to serving this province. On behalf of the Alberta Liberals of the Legislature I would ask Mark and Trudy to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the ND opposition, followed by the Member for Calgary-West.

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 11 Ms Notley: T h a n k y o u , M r . S p e a k e r . I t i s m y p l e a s u r e t o r i s e today and introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly my very special guests, Ray Martin and Raj Pannu. It’s a great honour for me to have both Ray and Raj here today to show their support during my firs t question period as leader of Alberta’s NDP. No pressure there at all. Of course, my guests are no strangers to this House. Ray Martin was leader of our party from 1984 to 1994, with Raj leading the charge from 2000 to 2004.

Just like my colleague the Member for Edmonton- Highlands-Norwood, they have bot h left tremendous legacies for me to follow. I’m grateful to have three former leaders as my friends and mentors to help me settle into my new role. I would now like both Ray and Raj to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-West, followed by Edmonton-Mill Woods. Mr. Ellis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly my guests, Mr. Ron Liepert and Ms Lisa Davis.

Former Alberta Finance minister and former Calgary-West representative Mr. Liepert is no stranger to this A ssembly and will be continuing his political career as the Conservative candidate for the new riding of Calgary Signal Hill in the next federal election. Ms Davis managed my by-election campaign and is a recognized community leader and a strong advocate for school infrastructure in Calgary-West. My guests are seated in the member s’ gallery, and I would now ask that they rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Mr.

Quadri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise today to introduce to you two gentlemen who are visiting all the way from Faisalabad, Pakistan: the physician Dr. Najaf Gill, followed by his nephew who is a local entrepreneur. I would request that they please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: Thank you. 1:50 head: Statement by the Speaker Rotation for Questions and Members’ Statements Questions to Members Other than Ministers The Speaker: Hon. members, the clock reads 1:50. That means we have to start question period .

However, before we proceed with the daily Routine and the first question period of this session, I’m obliged to make a brief statement about changes in the rotation for Oral Question Period and for Members’ Statements and the role of legislative secretaries in this Assembly. This statement is further to my November 10, 2014, memo to all members, which included the projected sitting days calendar and the Oral Question Period and Members’ Statements rotations for the Third Session of the 28th Legislature.

I note that my office has not received a House leaders’ agreement varying the rotations outlined in the attachments to that memo, so we will proceed on the basis of those rotations. The change to the rotations since last session is made necessary by the changes in caucus membership. The only difference from the standings when the House leaders’ agreement on rotations was reached in May 2012 is that there is one independent member, who was formerly a member of the Wildrose caucus.

In keeping with the practice of an independent member being entitled to ask one question per sitting week, the Member for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre will be able to ask the sixth question on day 4 of the rotation, which will be Monday, November 24, as today is officially day 1 in the rotation. The Official Opposition is entitle d to the first three questions each day, the Liberal caucus is en titled to the fourth question, and the ND caucus is entitled to the fifth question.

The Official Opposition may ask the sixth question each day except for day 4 in the rotation, when it will be the turn of the aforementioned Member for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. The Official Opposition will be entitled to ask the eighth, 12th, 14th, and 16th questions each day. Members of the government caucus will be entitled to ask the ninth, 13th, 15th, and 17th questions each day. The Liberal caucus may ask the 10th question each day, and the ND caucus the 11th question.

The 18th question will rotate, with the Official Opposition entitled to ask it on days 1 and 3 of the rotation – that would be today and Thursday – with the government caucus asking it on day 2, and the Liberal caucus being entitled to the 18th question on day 4 of the rotation. With respect to the rotation for Members’ Statements this has also been modified to provide for one statement for the independent member every three weeks. This is reflected on the projected sitting days calendar th at I sent to you under cover of my November 10, 2014, memo.

I should also point out that there is a motion on the Order Paper for the sitting to be extended pa st December 4, 2014. If this motion passes, there will be a ne w projected sitting days calendar issued and sent to everyone. Another difference from the last time the Assembly met is that there are now four legislative secretaries and one special adviser, who have been appointed by the government. I want to reaffirm past Speakers’ rulings that have been made on the role of legislative secretaries and/or similar positions.

Essentially, as the occupants of these offices are not members of the Executive Council, they are not entitled to respond to questions during Oral Question Period on matters of government policy. As my predecessor Speaker Kowalski said on April 16, 2008, at page 13 of Alberta Hansard for that day, “Without detracting from the work they perform, for the purposes of the Assembly members occupying these positions are considered private members as opposed to the government.” The point of Oral Question Period is to hold the government to account.

Legislative secretaries are not members of Executive Council a nd therefore cannot respond to questions on behalf of the government. Speaker Schumacher made the same point, and you can find that at page 2854 of Alberta Hansard for November 7, 1994. If members have any questions about the rotations or any other matters, for that matter, regarding things in this statement that I’ve just said, I would encourage you to contact my office as soon as possible. Thank you. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: The hon. Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. First main set of questions. Ms Smith: Mr.

Speaker, I hope you’ll indulge me with a few extra seconds on the clock to first congratulate the Premier on winning the leadership of his party and securing his seat.

12 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 Provincial Fiscal Policies Ms Smith: The Premier claims that we are now under new management, so I will keep this simple and ask him the first question that I asked in the Assembly to the member who was the head of the old management. With oil heading towards $70 a barrel, this government will have a multibillion -dollar hole in its budget. How will the Premier get out of this budget hole? W ill it be by increasing the deficit, by raising our taxes, or by wiping out what’s left of our savings? The Speaker: The hon. Premier. Mr. Prentice: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Let me just respond by thanking the hon. member for her warm and generous welcome. We have all as members of the Assembly arrived here in different ways, on different personal journeys, but we all are here to serve the interests of Albertans. I look very much forward to working with the hon. member and indeed all members of the House. As we’ve seen in the throne speech, this government tends to be very focused on the desires and wishes of Albertans, and I look forward to working together to achieve exactly that. If you might indulge me, then, Mr.

Speaker, to respond to the question, Albertans are already the lowest taxed people in the country by far. This is an enormous advantage, which we intend to maintain. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, I just want a little more clarity on that answer because the pundits are speculating that the Premier is considering new revenue streams. That is code for new taxes. As his party has indicated, they believe Albertans should be paying for all sorts of new things like driving down a highway. Will the Premier assure Albertans that he won’t create any new taxes or raise any of our current taxes to pay for his spending promises? Mr.

Prentice: Mr. Speaker, what I have said publicly and will continue to say is that $75-per -barrel oil represents a low -price environment, that every single family and businessperson i n this province is well aware of. This is not business as usual. This will require some tough decisions on the part of the government. Our government will bring forward an update specifically on the finances of the province relative to this position in the current fiscal year. That will be done by the Minister of Finance in the week ahead. It will provide Albertans with a very clear picture of the current fiscal situation.

It is a time for prudence and caution. Ms Smith: Well, Mr. Speaker, you see that he d idn’t say no when I asked that question. There were also a lot of spending promises in the by -elections as well as yesterday’s throne speech. However, the throne speech did say that the government will maintain the sustainability fund, which, of course, s uggests that they won’t be dipping into our savings. So it’s either going to be higher taxes or more debt or both. Now, the Premier used to be a senior banker. Will he tell us how much debt he thinks it would be prudent for Albertans to take on? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. I think the best authority on matters relating to banking is probably Moody’s Investors Service, which today actually issued a report concerning the creditworthiness of our province and made the very specific observation that even prices as low as $60 per barrel for west Texas intermediate crude carried through for the entire year of 2015- 2016, as a hypothetical, would not impair the triple-A credit rating of the province of Alberta. That’s fiscal strength. We intend to maintain that through prudence and discipline. The Speaker: The hon.

Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. Second main set of questions. Ms Smith: I can summarize that, Mr. Speaker. I guess I would say that it’s yes to both more taxes and more debt. Property Rights Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, all summer we heard the Premier declare that he truly understands property rights and that he would fix this government’s past mistakes. Just yesterday he rose in this Assembly and made the same p romises, and we were hopeful. Albertans were hopeful. Then we saw the seven -word sentence which is the text of Bill 1.

Does the Premier actually believe that one act, that has never even been proclaimed, is the totality of what this government needs to do to fix and protect Albertans’ property rights? Mr. Prentice: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. This hon. member does believe that the land assembly act is a piece of legislation that is overreaching and should be repealed. Of course, that is the effect of Bill 1. More than that, however, Mr. Speaker, as this matter proceeds to committee, the two reports of Alberta’s Property Rights Advocate from 2012 and 2013 will be referred to the committee.

I would expect the committee and indeed all of the parliamentarians who are assembled here to work together to arrive at solutions that respect the process that the government has been through but also the process that the Property Rights Advocate has recommended. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, the problem is that when this government thinks that your property rights might get in the way of what they want to do, they write legislation that allows the cabinet to take away your rights without due process and without full, fair, and timely compensation.

They did that with the bills commonly known as Bill 50, Bill 36, Bill 24, and Bill 2, among others. Why isn’t the Premier addressing the real issues now that he has the chance? 2:00 Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to fair and just and timely compensation, as one who practised law in this area for over 20 years would observe, it really is the provisions of Alberta’s Expropriation Act and the Surface Rights Act which require examinati on. This is what the Property Rights Advocate has recommended. This is certainly what I have heard over the course of the summer in this province.

Those are two pieces of legislation where very specific recommendations will be before the committee relative to how to move forward. That’s the essence of Bill 1, to arrive carefully, with the work of everyone in this Legislature, at how to deal with property rights in our province. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, Bill 36 overrides those acts, and as a lawyer the Premier should know that. On property rights it is clear that the Premier has overpromised and underdelivered, but it’s not too late.

My colleague from Lacombe-Ponoka will be introducing a private member’s motion that would enshrine property rights in the Canadi an Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Alberta. If it passes, a similar motion will be debated in Ottawa. If the Premier is sincere about protecting property rights in Alberta, he can declare his support

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 13 for this constitutional change right now. So how about it, Premier? Are you sincere? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr. Speaker, this is, as the hon. member has observed, my first day in this parliamentary session; however, I have been in other parliamentary sessions. I would observe that it’s good practice to actually comment in this Chamber upon legislation once it’s introduced, and I intend to do that once it’s put forward.

My record over the course of a lifetime in advocating on behalf of landowners and property rights, dealing with the legislative framework that we have in this province is very clear. That is a path that I continue to pursue and pursue as leader of this government. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. leader for her third and final set of main questions. Ms Smith: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. The motion has been introduced; it’s on the Order Paper today. School Construction Ms Smith: In his very first speech this Premier asked Albertans to judge his government on the progress it will make.

To help the Premier, I will regularly ask him about his progress, so let me start with schools. So far they’ve built only 18 of Premier Stelmach’s 22 promised schools. Only one of Premier Redford’s 50 promised schools is actually under construction, and this Premier has now promised another 55 schools. Can the Premier tell us how his new management team will actually get schools built when the same managers haven’t been able to get the job done? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, firstly, as the Premier of this province I have very strong views about the need to build schools and to properly educate our children and to ensure that we have classroom space. So I have spoken very definitively to this, and one need only look at the throne speech of the government to get a sense of the commitments which the government has made and intends to stand by. The ministers of my government have been instructed to proceed on that path. At this point in time across the province we are engaged in the largest construction project relative to public schools in Canadian history.

It is a challenging job. We have excellent ministers, that are hands -on, that are dealing with this. Ms Smith: Mr. Speaker, the Premier has promised to have nearly all of the new schools announced by Premiers Redford and Stelmach ready for the 2016 school year. Now, that’s on top of all of the major renovations that were also promised, but this government has only succeeded in actually building 18 of those schools in the last four years. Can the Premier tell us exactly how his new management team is going to complete the remai ning 49 schools in just 23 months? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member to watch and learn from the process. In the hands of very capable ministers, including the Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister of Education, and othe r ministers, we will be well along. There are innovations that are being made, and these schools will be constructed in the way that has been projected. Ms Smith: Well, Mr. Speaker, I seem to recall Premier Redford saying exactly the same thing.

If you pe ruse the list of promised school projects on Alberta Infrastructure’s website, you’ll see that most of these promised 49 schools don’t specify the construction or design method. Most haven’t been designed. Only a few are at the tender stage, and only one i s under construction although there have been several sod turnings. Isn’t the Premier afraid that when Albertans judge his progress on schools, they will find that he has overpromised and underdelivered? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I trust in the judg ment of Albertans always, as I did in the recent by -elections, and the hon. member can do the same. We’ve struck a very specific cabinet committee that will supervise the construction of these school projects. Nothing is more important to all of us who sit in this Legislative Assembly than ensuring that we have classrooms for our children. We’ll be moving ahead with the construction projects which have been put forward. I trust the ministers to execute on this; I know that they will do so effectively.

Over the course of the next several years 78,000 new classroom spaces will be opened. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the Alberta Liberal opposition. Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to be back. Congratulations and welcome to the Premier and the newly elected government members. Government Policies Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, the Premier talks a lot about ending entitlements and sweetheart contracts, r estoring public trust, and making appointments based on merit, yet his very first act as Premier was to appoint his buddies as emissaries to Saskatchewan, Washington, and Hong Kong.

To the Premier: given your recent record how can you expect Albertans to believe that this talk of new management is anything more than just slick Tory talk all over again? Mr. Prentice: Mr. Speaker, if I might just speak firstly of Mr. Merrifield, who is Alberta’s representative in Washington, there is a critical vote taking place on the Keystone pipeline at 3:30 today, Mountain Standard Time. This is a vote which is critical to our province. It may or may not be the end of that process, but it is critical to the future of Alberta. Mr.

Merrifield is infinitely capable as the most expert person in terms of these affairs in Washington. He agreed to set aside his life and serve Albertans in that position and, frankly, is doing an exceptional job. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, apparently only friend s can make critical decisions. The Pre mier said that his decisions would be based on sound conservative fiscal principles.

When plans for a diversion canal and a dry reservoir west of Calgary were announced, the government said that it would wait for a robust economic appraisal by engineers before deciding if it would proceed, yet just three days before the by-election the Premier jumped the gun and announced that the project was a go. To the Premier: why didn’t you wait until you had all the facts before you made this huge decision? Was this sound fiscal planning or just a by-election tactic? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, perhaps because of changes to our climate, perhaps climatic circumstances, the weather has changed, and we are seeing more risk of flooding in southern Alberta, particularly in spring with the thaw. What’s important in the river basins which we’re speaking of – the Bow basin, the

14 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 Elbow basin, and the Highwood basin – is that we undertake flood mitigation projects which are environmentally defensible, which are cost-effective, and which ca n be actioned quickly because on my watch as Premier I do not want to see another flood in any of the communities that were affected in 2013. That’s the purpose of these projects. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, nobody in this building wants to see another flood, and we all want to make the right decision.

Recently, the Calgary board of education put out a top 10 list of their modular school projects, yet the then unelected Minister of Education used his position to announce the approval of two modular classrooms in the very riding that he was running for public office in. The folks charged with running the education system, the CBE, were not even aware of it and ranked six other projects as higher needs. To th e Premier: how does this decision reflect on your promise to do things differently? Isn’t this the same sort of political trickery that characterized previous PC governments? Mr. Dirks: Mr.

Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. This government is concerned and listens to the priorities of Albertans. That is the value that drives the decisions that we make, whether it comes to building new schools, whether it comes to modular programs for our school boards, whether it comes to maintenance funding fo r schools that need attention. That’s my priority as Minister of Education, to ensure that we’re responding to the needs of parents. The Speaker: The hon. new leader of the ND opposition. Ms Notley: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I would like to join other members in offering my congratulations to the Premier on his new post. However, I would also like to remind him that his authority today depends entirely on the election of his caucus on a very clear set of promises, not the least of which was a commitment to end child poverty, a subject which was ignored in yesterday’s throne speech. This government has broken an unending list of commitments to Alberta families, and thus far it looks like the record will continue. So my question to the Premier is this.

The old management broke promises, and now this management is breaking promises. How is that new management? 2:10 Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr. Speaker, I similarly welcome the hon. member to this Legislative Assembly in her current role. Child poverty is of concern to al l of us and certainly of concern to myself as Premier, and this is something that we intend to deal with. Now, this was a matter that I touched upon in terms of aboriginal issues in the throne speech. We are very concerned about the circumstances of aborigin al children, particularly in an urban context.

I think the throne speech could not have been clearer about the importance of dealing with those issues, the importance of education for abor iginal children but also making sure that these issues are . . . The Speaker: Hon. member, first supplemental. Ms Notley: The throne speech was clear on not talking about the plan to end child poverty in five years. That’s what was clear. Now, two and a half years ago Albertans voted for 50 new schools; not one has been built. They voted for more access to postsecondary education and, instead, got much less.

They voted for 5,000 seniors places and will get about half of that. My question to the Premier: do you or do you not believe that you are responsible for implementing th e platform your caucus was elected on? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I would say to the hon. member that the throne speech was very clear on the five priorities that this government is focused on: a focused commitment to ensuring that we have sound conservative fiscal principles, to ensuring that we restore public trust, end entitlements, to a focus on our natural resources, to a focus as well on being an environmental leader, but most importantly and significantly to a focus upon the people’s priorities, and they include educat ion, they include health care, and they include the living circumstances of people in our urban communities.

Ms Notley: So it appears to me the answer is no. After promising not to be your father’s PC Party, it looks like dad is back in charge. Albertans need to decrease their expectations. They shouldn’t count on PC promises of the past, and after 43 years in government no one could ever have predicted that oil prices might fluctuate. This story is as old as the hills, almost as old as this government. Why should Albe rtans believe anything coming from this government when breaking promises is just business as usual? Mr. Prentice: Mr.

Speaker, over the course of the past six months I have criss-crossed this provi nce, firstly campaigning for the leadership of my party, more recently in the by-elections, which I would also refer this hon. member to. Over the course of that time the priorities of Albertans have been made very clear to me. We have been listening to Albertans.

The throne speech, which we tabled yesterday, could not ha ve been clearer that we are responding directly to the priorities of Albertans when it comes to the issues that concern them relative to their quality of life: education, health care, attending to senior citizens, and the quality of our life in urban and rural Alberta. The Speaker: Thank you. Thank you for observing the 35-second rule. We’ll now proceed to question 6. No

preambles after this, please. The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Hospital Occupancy Rates Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February of 2012 the Health Quality Council released a report on emergency department overcrowding. It said clearly: reduce hospital occupancy rates to below 85 per cent, or you’re putting patients at risk. Back then the government accepted this reco mmendation, and they pledged action, yet hospitals across this province today routinely run at 110 per cent capacity, emergency departments are jammed, and surgeries are being cancelled.

To the Minister of Health: why is patient safety still at risk two and a half years after Albertans were promised action? Mr. Mandel: Mr. Speaker, recently the government of Alberta issued applications for new long-term care facilities, which allowed us to look at how we’re using acute-care beds in hospitals. We’re moving people from there into long-term care beds. This will allow us to open up facilities for those individuals that are dealing with the concer ns of emergency facilities.

Those emergency departments will then have 20 per cent set aside so that people can move into the departments in a way that they’ll be properly taken care of. Thank you.

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 15 Mrs. Forsyth: No, Minister. Well, even the CEO of Alberta Health Services doubts that your plan will work. Given that the day after your announcement she said, and I’m going to quote: truly, I don’t think we’ll ever get to the 85 per cent occupancy rate, but if we can smooth it out where we have 98 per cent occupancy and then there’s an occasional blip where we have too many patients, well, that would be better. Minister, are jammed hospitals and blips in the system really the best Albertans can hope for from an $18 billion health care system? Mr. Mandel: Mr.

Speaker, I’m not su re that was an accurate quote of what the head of Alberta Health Services said. She has always indicated that 95 per cent would be a proper number to search for within our system. Thank you. Mrs. Forsyth: I’ll be sure to send that quote to the minister, M r. Speaker.

Given that the two -and-a-half-year-old Health Quality Council report spells out the solutions for you – reduce occupancy rates by accurately estimating the number of acute and long-term care beds required now and over the next decade – has thi s estimate been done, Minister, and will you table it so Albertans know what’s happening? Mr. Mandel: Mr. Speaker, we’re in the process of valuating the long-term implications of the need for acute-care beds. We’ve recently set up a program where we’ve been able to move 750 people out of acute care into long -term care beds.

The start of that process will continue as we move down the process in order to create more acute-care beds as a result of the development of long-term care facilities. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary -West, followed by Chestermere-Rocky View. Keystone Pipeline Project Mr. Ellis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier on behalf of the people of Calgary -West. We know that market access is critical for this province because it’s important to get our oil to customers who need it. One of those opportunities is the Keystone pipeline in the United States.

What has your government done to advocate for this important project given that it faces a critical vote in the U.S. Senate today? Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr. Speaker, our prosperity in this province depends very much upon our access to the most integrated energy marketplace in the world. And I would just say that there will be a vote today at 3:30 in the U.S. Senat e on Keystone. The results are uncertain as we speak at this point in time. We have been working together with members of the American legislative branch.

Specifically, I spoke yesterday with Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who is a Democrat senator and a cospons or of the bill, and also with Senator Hoeven, who is a cosponsor of the bill, which is in the Senate. We remain hopeful and optimistic, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: First supplemental. Mr. Ellis: Thank you. My first supplemental, Mr. Speaker, is again to the Premier. If the Keystone vote in the Senate is successful today, what are your next steps to get Alberta oil to market? The Speaker: Mr. Premier, it’s a hypothetic question, but proceed. Mr. Prentice: Mr.

Speaker, this is a project which is certainly in the interests of our province and our country. It’s also a project which is in the interests, I would submit, of the United States of America since under the free trade agreement our prosperity is based upon this project and our integrated energy system. I would also point out, Mr. Speaker, that we have other allies in the United States: Governor Christie. Of course, the governor of New Jersey will be coming to Alberta on December 4. I’ll be meeting with him.

We’ll continue to work in a constructive way with senators, governors, and representatives in the United States. The Speaker: Thank you. Final supplemental, hon. member. Mr. Ellis: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my second supplemental is again to the Prem ier. If the Keystone vote is not successful in the Senate today, what are your next steps to get Alberta bitumen to U.S. refineries? The Speaker: Again, there’s some hypothesis in there, but please proceed with your answer anyway. Mr. Prentice: Well, Mr. S peaker, market forces have of course continued to be inexorable.

Canadian oil, Alberta oil, indeed, is making its way through to the Gulf coast by rail, and this will continue to be the case. The real debate in the context of the Keystone pipeline is not w hether Canadian oil will be carried by market forces to the Gulf coast but whether it will be carried in the most safe and efficient mechanism possible, which is by pipeline. So we remain optimistic. We will see what happens in the days ahead, but we remain cautiously optimistic, Mr. Speaker. Mr. McAllister: Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Education minister.

Might I start by congratulating the minister on his election victory and welcoming him to the Chamber. 2:20 School Construction (continued) Mr. McAllister: Since the last election, Mr. Speaker, this government has promised to build 105 new schools in the province: 50 from the former Premier, 55 from the current Premier. I’d like to ask the Education minister: of those specific 105 schools announc ed since 2012, how many of them are under construction, not in the planning stage but under construction, and is that cause for concern? Mr. Dirks: I thank the member opposite for his important question.

One of the things that this government has said is a top priority is to ensure that we are responding to the growing enrolment pressures that Alberta is facing as we have 40,000 new people moving to our province every year, and that equates to 18,000 children and 25 new schools that we need every year going forward. So we have made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to respond to the pressures that are before us, and we will continue to do that in the years ahead. Mr. McAllister: The number is somewhere around zero, Mr. Speaker.

Given that the price of oil is now south of $75 a barrel, a lot of people are skeptical of this government’s promises. In fact, their own members are skeptical, given that when the Pr emier made the school announcements, the now jobs minister said, and I quote: he’s acting like a candy man handing out so many promises. Will

16 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 the minister go on record today, then, and guarantee Albertans that these 105 schools will be built and open for our kids in September of 2016 as they promised? Mr. Dirks: Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that the parents and residents in Cochrane and in Airdrie, where we just turned sod on three new schools, believe that we are moving in the right direction, and so do the parents and the teachers and the students in the many other communities across our province that are going to be receiving new schools in the next few years. That is our commitment. We’ll continue to build.

We’ll continue to ensure that every community that needs a school is going to get a school. That’s our priority. Mr. McAllister: Mr. Speaker, the minister is doing a lot of shovelling, but I don’t think it’s sod that he’s turning. During the by -election campaign he approved modulars for a school in his riding even though that school was way down the list, at number 7 on the priority list for the Calgary board of education. Albertans are cynical, calling it blatant electioneering. Boards are elected to make these decisions. Does the minister recognize that this was wrong?

Will he apologize for this misuse of power and assure us that he won’t do this thing going forward? Mr. Dirks: Mr. Speaker, my commitment is to ensure that we are responding to the priorities of Albertans. Now, Albertans said very clearly, “We need new schools; we need new infrastructure; we need modulars for those schools that are experiencing student enrolment pressures,” and as minister I am committed to ensuring that we are responding to the priorities to Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary -East, followed by Calgary-Buffalo. Mr. Amery: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, would like to congratulate the Minister of Health on his election and appointment to cabinet. Health Care Wait Times Mr. Amery: Now the questi on. Mr. Minister, during the recent by-election campaigns in Calgary and Edmonton, health care was the number one issue on voters’ minds. They told us that we do have an excellent health care system provided that they get through emergency departments. We had issues with wait times in emergency rooms when our Health budget was $3 billion; we are still having problems with a budget of over $18 billion.

What are the minister’s plans to improve the situation in our emergency rooms? Mr. Mandel: Mr. Speaker, fir st of all, the steps we are going to take in the city of Edmonton. We’ve put in some transition beds, which allow ambulances to come to the facility, drop off their patients, have proper care. They’ll go into transition beds so they don’t have to back up t he emergency departments. We’re looking at contracting the delivery of transfer systems in rural areas, which allows us to have more ambulances available. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. member, first supplemental. Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Fami ly care clinics were supposed to alleviate hospital emergency wait times. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case. What is the minister’s plan for the family care clinics? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Mandel: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government approved three family care clinics, and we’re in the process of dealing with nine other ones. We made a decision that the professionals within the health care industry do not support family care clinics. We believe that primary care clinics are the way to go, and that’s what we’re going to focus on. The Speaker: The hon. member, second supplemental. Mr.

Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Minister, since many of our constituents blame the long wait times on the shortage of doctors, is the minister planning to accelerate the accreditation of foreign trained medical doctors? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Mandel: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The College of Physicians & Surgeons is the one that accredits various physicians. We are dealing with them and trying to encourage them to bring more people in, but there is a three -month study period. It takes time, and they are the ones that approve it. School Infrastructure Priorities Mr. Hehr: Mr.

Speaker, in the dying days of the by -election the Minister of Educatio n circumvented the normal process of allowing school boards to set priorities for their local community and ordered two new modular classrooms to be put up at William Reid school, this despite the fact that the Calgary board of education had an extensive l ist of schools that needed modular classrooms ahead of William Reid, coincidentally located in Calgary-Elbow. Can the minister tell me why he made this decision that directly undercuts local autonomy of school boards? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Education. Mr. Dirks: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. As I’ve indicated in the House today on a couple of occasions, a great priority of ours is to respond to the needs of Albertans, to listen carefully, to hear what they have to say, and the n to ensure that we’re providing the school capital infrastructure that we need, whether that’s new schools, modulars, or maintenance upgrades. That’s my commitment as minister, to continue to do that in collaboration with school boards across the province. Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, I hope the minister listens to the question this time. He’s seemingly having trouble hearing today.

William Reid needed modulars, but you know let’s delve a little deeper. There were 16 school projects that needed modulars ahead of William Reid school, again located in Calgary -Elbow. Why was the decision made, and are you going to continue . . . The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Dirks: Mr. Speaker, over the last number of weeks we as a government have responded to numerous capital needs for schools and school boards across the province. Many of those have come to me as Minister of Education.

In consultation with my cabinet colleagues, we have made the decision to respond to those that are urgent, that are critical. And we’ll continue to do that, whether it’s modulars, as I have indicated, whether it’s new schools that need to be built, whether it’s upgrades, maintenance, infrastructure renewal. We’ll continue to make that our priority in the days to come.

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 17 Mr. Hehr: Well, Mr. Speaker, that is categorically false. The only decision he has made is to provide two modular classrooms to William Reid school. What other decisions have you made as Minister of Education besides that that dire ctly saw those modular classrooms go to the Calgary-Elbow riding? Mr. Dirks: Well, I thank the member opposite for his supple- mental.

If he had been carefu lly watching what had been happening, he would know that there have been a number of announcements that have been made providing infrastructure for a variety of school boards across the province, and that includes jurisdictions like Rocky View and Calgary and others that we’ve been working with. Wherever there are priorities when it comes to education infrastructure, this minister and this government will be listening and will be responding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood, followed by Airdrie. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

And I add my congratulations to the Premier and other members who have been recently elected to this Assembly. Postsecondary Tuition Market Modification Mr. Mason: Since the 1990s tuition in Alberta has nearly tripled while this province continues to have the lowest postsecondary participation rate in the country. Alberta’s young people are being priced out of their own adva nced education system. The government put a cap on tuition in 2006, but they are again leaving the door open to even more increases through so-called market modifiers. My question is to the Premier.

Will you commit to enforcing a real cap on tuiti on by rejecting these proposed increases, or is this just another broken promise from this PC government? 2:30 The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education. Mr. Scott: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question. Our goal in Alberta is to have an excellent post- secondary education system, a nd that’s exactly what we’re achieving. A top-quality postsecondary education system gives our graduates the skills that they need to excel in Alberta’s economy.

An individual learner’s education is a shared investment between taxpayers and students. Market modifiers are one tool that is used to ensure that our programs remain competitive with other top-quality programs across the country. The market modifier applications are currently under review. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much for that non answer. The question is this. You put in place a cap on tuition. The post- secondary institutions are appro aching you with so-called market modifiers that will jack up tuition for students at the U of A, in some cases by more than $5,000 a year.

Are you going to stick to the cap that you promised Albertans and keep the freeze on tuition, or are you going to allow the U of A and other institutions to jack up tuition to make education unaffordable for the kids of this province? Mr. Scott: Mr. Speaker, our goal is to have a quality education system in Alberta. That’s got to be the goal of Alberta’s post- secondary education system. I spent the last few months travelling across Alberta. I’ve heard that from both students and from the institutions. They want to make sure that our education system maintains its quality and excels at its educational goals.

One point that I want my friend to realize is that we also have a great system of funding postsecondary students. We have a great system that lets them access the money that they need so that they can get a great education in Alberta. Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, we’re getting quite an education here today from this minister, I’ll tell you that. This government cancelled th e remission program, so student debts are higher than ever. It’s clear that many Albertans can no longer afford to attend the universities and colleges that they and their parents pay taxes for, and that’s just wrong, Mr. Minister.

So will you take a clear stand against further tuition increases and reject these market modifier proposals? Yes or no? Mr. Scott: Mr. Speaker, our government invests in scholarships, bursaries, grants, and student aid to make postsecondary education accessible to those facing barriers. Once again, I’m going to repeat: we need to make sure that we have a quality education system in Alberta. That’s got to be the goal. We want our students to continue to enter the workforce so that we are providing the workers that our economy needs for tomorrow, and we’re going to continue that work.

We have received applications for tuition modifications. Those are going to be considered carefully. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Airdrie, followed by Edmonton-Decore. Mr. Anderson: Congratulations to the Finance minister as well on his new role. Provincial Debt Mr. Anderson: As you know, my Wildrose colleagues and I have repeatedly, almost da ily, warned your government about the budget predicament we would be in if oil fell to the $75 range. We said that the waste and mismanagement had to stop or we would be facing tens of billions in debt .

Well, that day is now here, and we are staring at structural defic its that will in just a couple of years from now result in the highest provincial debt in our history. Minister, your government is responsible for putting us in this mess. How are you going to get us out? The Speaker: The hon. President of Treasury Board. Mr. Campbell: Well, thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me start off by saying that we will balance the budget this year. Let me say that my mandate from the Premier is to make sure that we return to fiscally prudent, conser vative principles in budgeting, and we’ll do that. Mr.

Anderson: Sorry, Minister, but you and your government have been giving that same pla titude for five years now. We need action. Let’s start with this. I brought a bill forward last year on behalf of the Wildrose that would cap severance for all government employees, not just political staffers, at $100,000 for less than five years of work to a maximum of $200,000 for anything over five years. It is a simple, common-sense solution that will save Alberta millions of dollars each year. Will you agree to implement that policy? Mr. Campbell: Well, Mr.

Speaker, let me say that right now we are in the process of looking at different efficiencies throughout

18 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 the government of Alberta, and we’ll continue to work on that plan. It’s a plan in progress. I would suggest that the member stay tuned for our fiscal update on November 26. We’ll continue to work to make sure that we have a balanced budget moving forward and that we’ll have a balanced budget for 2015 and 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Anderson: Oil is at $70 a barrel. You need $110 oil just to not go further into debt and balance the budget. This is a simple and straightforward way to save a lot of money without affecting front-line services.

Given this Premier’s commitment to ending the culture of PC entitlement, will you take the first step in doing so and commit right now to ending obscene severance packages for all government employees, including senior AHS officials and other quasi -government agencies, and not just for a few dozen political staffers? Surely you know this is the right thing. Mr. Campbell: Mr. Speaker, I can’t be any more clear that we are now looking at efficiencies within government. We will have a fiscal update next week, and we’ll continue to work toward balancing our budget for 2015-16. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Decore, followed by Cypress-Medicine Hat. Education System Mrs. Sarich: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The relationship over the past year between teachers and their association and our Education ministry can perhaps be best described as challenging. Can the Minister of Education tell us what actions he plans to take to restore a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with teachers and their professional association? Mr. Dirks: Mr. Speaker, our gover nment is committed to ensuring a bright future for all of our children.

After parents teachers are, of course, the single most important contributor to student success, and I value the excellent work our teachers do each day across the thousands of classro oms in our province. Working with education stakeholders is a very significant priority for me. I’ve already met with a number of them in the past weeks, and I will continue to engage with our teachers and with their representative organization to ensure t hat we secure a positive future for all kids. Mrs. Sarich: Mr.

Speaker, to the same minister: given that hopes were very high for progress in meeting the needs of special -needs students after the high profile special -needs review and given that there has s ince been wide disappointment amongst many parents and teachers, what will the minister do to fulfill the promise of developing the full potential of students with special needs? Mr. Dirks: I thank the member for the question, Mr. Speaker.

Every student in Alberta deserves a high-quality education, and as a national leader in education funding our commitment is strong in this regard to ensure that we are providing the kind of education we need for special -needs children. Total funding this fiscal year for special needs is over $400 million. We trust our school boards to make the very best decisions to meet the special -needs education requirements for our children, and parents who have concerns about special -needs programming are encouraged to work with their school boards to address those issues. Mrs. Sarich: Mr.

Speaker, to the same minister: given that the Premier and minister have made public commitments to build substantial numbers of new schools, what steps will the minister take to ensure that school bo ards have the necessary financial resources to make sure that these new schools have appropriate levels of staffing? Mr. Dirks: I thank the member for the question, Mr. Speaker. One of our government’s top priorities certainly is education and preparing our kids for the future. We will continue to invest in schools and students.

We have been tasked with coming up with a long-term, stable, predictable funding plan for education. We know this is the right approach. We are a national leader in education funding. Government invests nearly $40 million every day for our students in our schools. We’ll continue to ensure that all of our new schools are appropriately staffed and that every student in those schools receives the high-quality education that they deserve. Medical Laboratory Services in Medicine Hat Mr. Barnes: The Medicine Hat Diagnostic Laboratory has been providing high-quality local care in Medicine Hat and Brooks for decades.

This government’s decision to end lab testing in this centre shows that the new PC regime still supports the same failed centralized planning methods in health care. I have a petition with 11,605 signatures, which I will be tabling later, from people upset that this centre, which serves up to a thousand patients per day, will be closing. To the minister: why have you decided to ignore the needs of more than 11,000 Albertans and move diagnostic testing in Medicine Hat? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health. Mr. Mandel: Thank you. Mr.

Speaker, we’ve invested a great deal in new facilities in the Medicine Hat hospital, and we think that that’s a place where we can make sure that proper care is taken. The Speaker: The hon. member, first supplemental. 2:40 Mr. Barnes: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Given that this government incorrectly believes the decision to centralize diagnostic services in Medicine Hat may save $5 million after start -up costs but has assigned no dollar value to these start -up costs or what could be very, very expensive re-establishing collection services throughout Forty Mile, throughout Cypress county and Medicine Hat, does the minister have a business plan to ensure his planned savings don’t disappear after the costs of re- establishing collection take effect, or is he just throwing our taxpayer money away? Mr. Mandel: Mr.

Speaker, the operation of the health care system is under the guise of Alberta Health Services. They are the ones that are in control of making sure that these investments are made in areas t o ensure that they’re done in an effective, efficient manner. Mr.

Barnes: Given that even Alberta Health Services has stated that the Medicine Hat Diagnostic Lab provided excellent, high - quality service and there doesn’t seem to be a plan and given that the minister campaigned on a health care system that provided more regional control and access, will the minister really do something new, keep an election promise, and stop shutting down professional local providers in favour of more centralization? The Speaker: The hon. minister.

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 19 Mr. Mandel: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has been quite clear in his direction to myself that we are to look at how we can decentralize the system, to be able to put more services in local areas, ensure that each community h as input into the system. We will continue to do that. It’s my hope that we will over the next little while begin to look at how we can work with local communities to deliver greater services so that at the end of the day they feel more comfortable and mor e passionate about their health care system.

This government is committed to community health care support. We will continue to do that. I truly believe the answer is working with communities to solve problems. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. member for Calgary -Mackay-Nose Hill , followed by Cardston-Taber-Warner. Special-needs Assistance for Seniors Dr. Brown: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My office has been hearing from seniors who are experiencing considerable delays under programs for lower income seniors in the province. These are the special-needs assistance program and the Alberta aids to daily living program.

One senior was told that consideration of assistance to replace a hot water tank would take approximately 12 weeks, then in October he was told that the program was catching up on applications from the end of July. My first two questions are for the Minist er of Seniors. Why are some seniors waiting so long for decisions on their applications for special - needs assistance? Mr. J. Johnson: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It’s a good question, and I commend him on being such a great advocate f or his constituents and for seniors across the province.

The special -needs assistance is a great program. It’s there to provide financial assistance to eligible low -income seniors, for assistance with purchasing things in their homes like hot water tanks o r other things. I am advised that the process applications were taking a little bit longer throughout the summer. It generally takes three to four weeks. However, between July and October we’ve had heavier demand. Unfortunately, it has been taking 12 weeks, which is unacceptable, and we’re taking steps to deal with that. Dr.

Brown: Hon. minister, what can be done to speed up the consideration of those applications and to make sure that those essential payments go out in a timely manner? Mr. J. Johnson: Mr. Speaker, I’d agree that that’s very important. We’ve made changes to speed up the application process, which includes hiring additional staff. We also prioritize the applications so that we can get some of them through faster that are more critical, things like a roof replacement or a pending utility disconnection. Some of those things have a higher priority than other items that are in the queue.

But, like I said, we’ve added staff, and we want to get the timeline to get these applications through down to a more manageable and reasonable time frame. Dr. Brown: Mr. Speaker, my second supplemental is for the Minister of Health. What guidelines, Mr. Minister, exist for the timeliness of decisions to be made on the Alberta aids to daily living program and the payment from them? Mr. Mandel: Mr. Speaker, the aids to daily living program provides medical equipment to Albertans with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The program has a variety of clients with special needs.

The problem with the program is that these clients have special needs, and therefore it’s difficu lt to quantify each individual, so we do that on an individual basis. For example, those with hearing aids could be done in one day, while other problems might take longer, so it’s really a matter of the individual and how we can put the program to deal wi th their challenges. The Speaker: Hon. members, I believe we concluded all the introductions that were on my sheet at least. If there are any others, we could revert.

Does anyone object to reverting to Introduction of Guests quickly? [Unanimous consent granted] head: Introduction of Guests (continued) The Speaker: Hon. Member for Calgary -Buffalo, you have an introduction? Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you some great public servants, the trustees from the Calgary board of education. With us here today I think we have Joy Bowen -Eyre, the chair of the committee. We also have Lynn Ferguson, Amber Stewart, Trina Hurdman, and Pamela King. Also with them is Judy Hehr, vice -chair.

While doing that job, she also serves as my mother, and she is also a grandmother to three great boys. Please rise and accept the warm applause from this House. Thank you for standing up for public education. The Speaker: Thank you. Are there others? No others? Calgary-Hawkwood, we noted that you were listed to speak and introduce some guests. For the record do you want to mention who they were? I know they’ve left. Mr. Luan: Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I really appreciate that.

I’m very pleased to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly two hard-working and committed businessmen in Calgary’s Chinatown. They both are community leaders, too. Both are well known to a number of my colleagues in this House. The first one is Mr. Peter Pat, wh o is the owner of the famous Peking Garden restaurant in Calgary and also the former president of the Chinese business chamber of commerce. Mr. Pat travels frequently between Shanghai and Calgary promoting business and trade between China and our province. The second guest is Mr.

Peter Lau, who is also a famous feng shui master. For those who know, that’s fortune -telling. He continuously is blessing all of us in this House, working hard and making the best decisions for Alberta. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to acknowledge them. Because of a last-minute incident they couldn’t make it here, but they appreciate the warm welcome from this House. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: Let us proceed with Members’ S tatements. Calgary-Lougheed, followed by Calgary-Shaw.

20 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 Addictions Awareness Mr. Rodney: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We live in a breathtakingly beautiful province blessed with incredible, invaluable opportunities, but with this come growing pains, pitfalls, and problems. As past chair of AADAC and in the portfolio of wellness I learned first-hand of the horrors of addiction. However, we also witnessed Alberta’s evolving and life-saving treatment, education, and prevention programs. I rise today to mark National Addictions Awareness Week, the focus of which is youth substance abuse prevention.

Our teenage and adult years are a crucial time of growth, change, and brain development, and substance abuse during these years can result in addictions, mental health problems, and chronic disease. Despite warnings of dangers 15 - to 24 -year-olds report the highest past -year use of illicit substances and are five times more likely than older adults to report harm due to drug use. Substance abuse also costs Cana dians many billions of dollars in direct health care costs every year.

Thankfully, Creating Connections: Alberta’s Addiction and Mental Health Strategy guides the government’s actions in addressing addiction and mental health issues, and our provincial wel lness framework, Health for All, Wellness for Life, is also a leader in this respect. These strategies enhance the ability of the government to work closely with families, schools, and community partners towards reducing the impacts of addiction and mental illness. Mr.

Speaker, our government is committed to advancing care and services for addiction and mental illness needs while reducing and preventing substance abuse in the first place, and I encourage all Albertans to utilize the online resources of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and to join in the conversation during National Addictions Awareness Week as we consider how in the past, present, and future we prevent substance abuse amongst our precious young Albertans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. Calgary-Shaw, followed by Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. Official Opposition Achievements Mr.

Wilson: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2012 we in the Wildrose were asked by Albertans to serve as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, and we hav e been diligent, focused, and principled in our service. We have done what an Official Opposition is supposed to do. We have opposed, exposed, and proposed.

We have opposed on behalf of Albertans but not simply for the sake of opposing, we have exposed on behalf of Albertans what historically will be considered some of the most egregious examples of waste and mismanagement this province has ever seen, and we have proposed on behalf of Albertans, with well over 100 amendments to government legislation and through positive policies, ideas, and solutions that put Albertans first. 2:50 Recently we have seen many of our policies and good ideas put into place, implemented with great success and public appreciation.

Whether it is the lunacy around the government fleet, the pettiness of the licence plate debate, or the reversal of the cold-hearted closure of the Michener Centre, it seems that this government may just be listening for the first time. Following another Wildrose lead, we see the promise of new schools and new long-term beds. One can hope, for the betterment of all Albertans, that these are real, genuine promises that will result in real, genuine schools and real, genuine beds.

These are big commitments, and I would remind the Premier that we will continue to represent all Albertans, regardless of whom they voted for, as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, holding this government to account. Now, it is clear that the governing party is no fan of the opposition. The Premier himself seemed to question the nee d for an opposition at all, calling opposition seats in this House misrepresented, a startling reminder of just how arrogant this government can be, which is odd on so many levels given the fact that without this opposition, where would the governing party be?

Certainly not under new management. Albertans deserve good government, and, Mr. Premier, they also deserve good opposition. We’ve done our job. We’re waiting to see if you can do yours. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Fort McMurray -Wood Buffalo, followed by Leduc-Beaumont. Fort McMurray Northern Kickoff Game Mr. Allen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2014 Grey Cup game is just around the corner, and while some of us are taking out the old chili pots, I’m extremely pleased to introduce yet another CFL game that’s quickly approaching us. On Saturday, June 13, Fort McMurray will host the 2015 northern kickoff game.

As part of the grand opening of Shell place, the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders will take to the field for a head-to-head showdown in what will prove to be an exciting rematch of this previous Sunday’s western semi -final game. This preseason exhibition game will be the most northern CFL game ever played, and it’s just the kickoff to a full

schedule of community events over a four-day period. This October we were delighted to see the completed installation of the field turf on the SMS equipment stadium. Once that green turf was down and the white lines were painted, you could really see what a beautiful accomplishment this will be for our city. Shell place is a forward -thinking facility designed for a growing and vibrant community.

Facilities like the shared social profit space, a hub for community organizations to operate affordably, has been designed to showcase the creative and collaborative values that the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo has become known for. The Nexen stage, partner to the SMS stadium, is characterized by a striking curved canopy structure designed to mimic the northern lights and will become the main stage for endless possibilities of sporting events, concerts, festivals, and community events. Fort McMurray is buzzing, Mr.

Speaker, and I invite all of my fellow colleagues to mark June 13 in their calendars and come up to Fort McMurray to experience this energy for themselves. We already anticipate that the northern kickoff gam e will be sold out, and the beautiful amenities at Shell place should not be left to the imagination. Fort McMurray is not only a great place to do business, but it’s also a great place to live, raise a family, and make lasting memories. I don’t mind sayin g it again because it’s the truth: community is at the heart of Wood Buffalo. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Leduc -Beaumont, followed by Edmonton-Manning. School Wellness Initiatives Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve long been an advocate of wellness as a fundamental plank in the delivery of our health care services. Currently more than half of adult Albertans and

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 21 nearly one-third of Canadian youth are overweight or obese. The health risks associated with obesity such as diabetes, hear t attacks, cancer, and strokes cost Albertans an estimated $1.27 billion – that’s billion – a year. Alberta’s suicide rate is the second highest in Canada, suicide being the leading cause of death among males 10 to 49. I firmly believe, Mr. Speaker, that if we can instill a culture of physical, mental, and social wellness in our youth, these statistics will decrease.

I’m pleased to say that in the constituency of Leduc -Beaumont and across the province dedicated people are working towards this goal. The mi nistries of Health and Education are part of a joint initiative with the University of Alberta in the Alberta healthy school community wellness fund. The wellness fund enables school districts to infuse this into schools by focusing on healthy eating, active living, positive social environments, mental health, and healthy relationships. To date the wellness fund has provided support for 239 projects.

I’m very proud to say that within my constituency Black Gold regional schools has been a leader in promoting health and wellness in our youth. Starting with the healthy hearts initiative in 2004, they were recognized in 2013 with an award of distinction from the healthy school communities award program. Their Healthy Schools Committee, created in 2008, continues to instill this mantra. I’m very pleased to say, Mr. Speaker, that this culture of wellness has taken a foothold in schools in my community and many others. It is my hope that this attitude will continue to infect all Albertans. Thank you.

The Speaker: Thank you. Before we continue on, I’m going to recognize quickly the Government House Leader. Mr. Denis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d ask for unanimous consent of this Assembly that we waive rule 7(7) so we can continue with the Routine past 3 p.m. [Unanimous consent granted] The Speaker: Let us move on with the next speaker, Edmonton- Manning, followed by Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate the Premier and my colleagues th e hon. Minister of Health, the hon. Minister of Education, and the hon. Member for Calgary-West.

School Growth Pressures in Edmonton-Manning Mr. Sandhu: I rise today to speak on the issues of education spaces in my riding of Edmonton -Manning. Last month’s schools announcement did address the need for new school spaces, out of which one school, Pilot Sound, is in my riding, which is one of the fastest growing communities in our province. We are aware of the shortages of schools within northeast Edmonton as we have a growing community. Working with school trustees and city councillors, we have spent many hours debating how to reduce enrolment pressures. As a group we know it is time for a new way of thinking.

We also know we need to involve all community gro ups, including government, developers, leagues, parents, and residents, to encourage input on a shared-use space for everyone in the community. The benefits of a joint -use agreement for schools between both the public and Catholic school boards must be co nsidered. These joint ventures would allow for the sharing of facility space, including libraries, gyms, playgrounds, transportation services, community meeting spaces, and even daycare spaces, Mr. Speaker, yet each school board could still keep their own individual learning spaces separate. Mr.

Speaker, sharing resources means savings in terms of cost and tax dollars, land, and manpower. Sharing resources builds trust, teamwork, and strong communities, which brings a new way to build the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. New Premier Mrs. Towle: Under the old management we saw a government that was removed from everyday Albertans, often dismissing advice from opposition, front-line workers, and Albertans who did not fall in line with the PCs. It created a g overnment that looked old and tired.

The Premier talks a lot about being under new management, saying that things would be different, and we all had high hopes that it would be different, respecting elected officials and working together to move Alberta forward. Sadly, the new management is looking a lot like the old management. This past weekend the Premier called ridings that were not Progressive Conservative misrepresented. It’s the same kind of language Premier Redford used when she called ridings orphaned or when Premier Getty called the opposition un- Albertan.

Perhaps the Premier has forgotten his own time in the House of Commons, when voters elected him to misrepresent the federal riding of Calgary Centre-North as an opposition MP from 2004 to 2006. One of the things that Albertans found so off -putting about the PC government was arrogance. This Premier has chosen not to learn the lessons of the past and to attack Albertans at their core, their right to democracy. Mr. Speaker, the Premier may want t o talk to the almost 725,000 Albertans who did not vote for a PC government in the last election, the same Albertans that exercised their right to vote for change.

Insulting them and democracy is not a respectful start to show the PCs are under new management. The Wildrose believes we need a new generation of leaders that focuses on the future, doing what is right, doing what is fair, and putting Albertans first. We believe that all of our colleagues are public servants, voted to be here by Albertans from across our great province. There is so much we can do in this province by working together, by once again focusing on principled and caring government.

In the days when we see people giving up their lives for the right to vote, the right to choose, and the right to democracy, no leader should question those freedoms. 3:00 head: Presenting Reports by head: Standing and Special Committees The Speaker: The hon. Member for Sherwood Park. Ms Olesen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As chair of the Standing Committee on Families and Communities I am pleased to table five copies of the committee’s report dated November 2014 regarding the committee’s review of the draft publication ban (court applications and orders) regulation.

This review fulfilled requirements found in s ection 131.1 of the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and was undertaken following a request by the Minister of Human Services. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the committee for their contributions to the review process . I would

22 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 also like to thank the staff from Alberta Human Services who shared their expertise with the committee and the LAO staff for their support throughout the review process. Finally, I would like to thank all the stakeholders who contributed their ideas and opinions to the review. The Speaker: Thank you. head: Notices of Motions The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I had on November 12 sent you a letter notifying you that I intended to raise a point of privilege under Standing Order 15(2) at the earliest opportunity when the House reconvenes. I will give you notice now that I intend to raise that point of privilege at the appropriate time following Routine, and I will hand over to the pages the notices that can be handed out to everyone else. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you. head: Introduction of Bills The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Bill 3 Personal Information Protection Amendment Act, 2014 Mr. Quadri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I wish to introduce Bill 3, the Personal Information Protection Amendment Act, 2014. This bill will authorize a trade union to collect, use, and disclose personal information about an individual if related to a matter under a labour relations dispute. This amendment to PIPA addresses the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that if PIPA restricts collection for legitimate labour relations purposes, it is in breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I believe that with this bill this government will be protecting Albertans’ personal information while balancing a trade union right of freedom of expression.

Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 3 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Denis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I move pursuant to Standing Order 75 that Bill 3 be moved to the Order Paper under Government Bills and Orders. [Motion carried] The Speaker: The hon. President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance. Bill 4 Horse Racing Alberta Amendment Act, 2014 Mr. Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce Bill 4, the Horse Racing Alberta Amendment Act, 2014. The proposed changes will strengthen Horse Racing Alberta’s governance structure.

They are in line with the Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act. They also support the Premier’s commitment to strong public agency board governance and increased accountability and transparency. The proposed amendments will decrease the total board membership from 12 members to 11 members. This new board structure will also see an increase in public members from three to six, including the board chair. It will consist of five industry - nominated members. It is also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that all appointments to HRA’s board will be based on merit and experience as promised by the hon. Premier.

Affirmatively, these modest changes to HRA’s governance structure strike the right balance between public accountability and industry representation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 4 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance. Bill 5 Securities Amendment Act, 2014 Mr. Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce Bill 5, Securities Amendment Act, 2014.

As you know, the regular review of amendments to Alberta’s Securities Act is required to keep pace with changes in technology, new products, and market innovations and to support the ongoing reform of the system. The amendments being proposed in Bill 5 will ensure the Securities Act is improved where inefficiencies or other impediments to the effective regulation of Alberta’s capital markets have been identified.

The amendments are related to a variety of topics, including continued harmonization of general derivatives provisions, incorporation of representatives of registered brokers and advisers, enhanced enforcement provisions, recognition of oversight of the Canadian Public Accountability Board as an auditor oversight organization, fee study provisions, and consequential amendments to related legislation. Mr. Speaker, Albertans want a security regulatory system that balances the need to protect investors with the need to operate our capital market efficiently to help grow our economy.

They also expect provincial security commissions to work co -operatively for the good of investors across Canada. These amendments support both of these objectives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Motion carried; Bill 5 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Bill 6 Statutes Amendment Act, 2014 (No. 2) Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to request leave to introduce Bill 6, Statutes Amendment Act, 2014 (No. 2). The bill brings together minor and housekeeping amendments to a number of acts under three different ministries.

The amendments are intended to streamline and provide efficiency, clarity, and consistency for the individuals and businesses who are affected by the acts. The acts included are: from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs changes to the Safety Codes Act; from the Ministry of Jobs, Skills Training and Labour changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act; and from my ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, housekeeping amendments to combine the Farm

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 23 Implement Act with the Farm Implement Dealerships Act and repeal of the omnibus Dairy Industry Act of 2002. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Motion carried; Bill 6 read a first time] head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: Hon. Member for Edmonton-Southwest, I under - stand you have two tablings. Mr. Jeneroux: Yes, Mr. Speaker. As chair of the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices I’d like to table five copies of each of the following reports. In accordance with

section 19(5) of the Auditor General Act the report by the Auditor General titled Report of the Auditor General of Alberta, October 2014. Copies of this report were distributed to members previously. In accordance with

section 4(2) of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act the report by the Chief Electoral Officer entitled 2013 Annual Report of the Chief E lectoral Officer: The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act for the 2013 Calendar Year. Copies of this report were also previously distributed to members. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you. That completes that. Calgary-Buffalo. Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today with the appropriate number of copies.

The first is the 2015-16 modular classroom plan passed by the Calgary board of education, which clearly shows William Reid way down the list of those schools that need modulars. I have an open letter from the by -election from the Minister of Education to parents of Elbow Park and William Reid and Earl Grey schools describing the process he went through to come to that decision. Those are my tablings. The Speaker: Thank you. I have Edmonton-Centre, followed by Calgary-Fish Creek. Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I have three tablings today on various topics.

The first is from a father who was very concerned about the treatment of his severely autistic son during repeated visits to the Stollery centre this summer. It looks like four visits in all. The second is a letter that was forwarded to the constituency of Edmonton-Centre from the federal constituency office. Delphene Buhr would like her issue brought to attention in that the amount that is granted to diabetics for testing strips, needles, and syringes is only $600 and it has been that for the last 10 years.

She’s finding that a great strain. 3:10 Finally, near and dear to my heart, this is directed towards all members of the Assembly. It’s produced by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees pay equity committee. It just talks about what we have failed to do around the i ssue of pay equity in this Assembly and affecting all Albertans. Thank you very much. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m pleased to rise and table a follow -up to the question that I asked the Minister of Health when I said it was clearly said about the 85 per cent versus the 95 per cent, and I’m pleased to table the comments that were made by the CEO at the time, Vickie Kaminski. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you. Are there others? The hon. Member for Chestermere-Rocky View. Mr. McAllister: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table five copies of an

article that was in Calgary Metro entitled Promises, Promises, five things the Premier would do should he become Premier. I referenced it in the questions; probably appropriate that I table it. The one sentence that I referred to, where the then leadership candidate, now minister of jobs, wondered if it’d be possible, given the province’s financial situation, to build the schools, says that the now Premier was acting like a candy man, is here in the Metro, and I’d like to table five copies. The Speaker: Are there others? If there are no others, then I ’ll table something as well.

Hon. members, it’s my pleasure to in fact table five copies of the Property Rights Advocate’s annual report, which was distributed to members electronically and was also deposited with the Clerk as an intersessional tabling on June 2, 2014, all in accordance with

section 5(3) of the Property Rights Advocate Act. Thank you. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the office of the Clerk. On behalf of the hon. Mr. Olson, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, pursuant to the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council annual report, 2013-14. On behalf of the hon. Mrs. Klimchuk, Minister of Human Services, responses to written questions 42 and 43, asked for by Mr. Wilson on December 2, 2013.

Written Question 42: “From May 1, 2009, to May 1, 2013, how many individuals were trained to complete supports intensity scaled interviews, and what specific training is required in order to qualify them to administer the interview?” Written Question 43: “From May 1, 2012, to May 1, 2013, how many clients did the persons with developmental disabilities programs serve, and how many completed the supports intensity scale interview process?” The Speaker: Thank you. We have no points of order, but we do have a point of privilege. Let me recognize the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre.

Privilege Obstructing a Member in Performance of Duty Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you and to speak to members of the House regarding the point of privilege that I’m raising. Specifically, in referencing the letter that I sent giving notice – I do hope that I managed to send this on to e very member that was in fact part of the point of privilege; I certainly tried to do that. Specifically, on March 11, 12, and 13 members for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, Edmonton-Rutherford, and Spruce Grove-St.

Albert interfered with the ability of all members of the Assembly to fulfill their duties, specifically the Leader of the Official Opposition and the leader of the third party in that they specifically questioned on this issue. What is at question here is a trip to Grande Prairie,

24 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 Alberta, on October 25, 2012, where no government business was scheduled or took place. Let me give a brief context, Mr. Speaker, of what happened. The Premier or other Executive Council books a plane for use by members of the government for October 25, 2012. This was a trip to Grande Prairie. There were no media events scheduled. There were no events scheduled at all except for a partisan event. The plane also carried the Member for Edmonton-Rutherford and the Member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, among others. I can refer to the manifest as to who was on the flights, Mr.

Speaker. I’m sure you have access to this, but I’m happy to table it if you’d like. I will make sure that copies are tabled, and I will supply you with a copy of it. Now, on March 11, 2014, on page 164 of Alberta Hansard, a question was asked by the Leader of the Official Opposition, and in the response the Member for Edmonton-Rutherford said, “I was one of the cabinet ministers that was present with the Premier in Grande Prairie at that time.

We made an announcement, as the hon. members should know, with respect to the expansion of the Grande Prairie hospital.” Later he says, “This is one example of the important government business that we do using the aircraft that are funded by the taxpayers of [Alberta].” Mr. Speaker, on page 203, which takes place on March 12, 2014, in Alberta Hansard, we have the Member for Spruce Grove- St.

Albert saying, “As the Deputy Premier has been saying, we do separate out the party business f rom the government business, and this is a clear case of that, actually.” He goes on to say, “The members who were on the plane going up to Grande Prairie were on government business.” I continue on, Mr. Speaker, to page 239 – oh, no, I’ve missed one, sorry. I know I’ve missed one. I did. On page 204 of Alberta Hansard, also spoken in the Assembly on March 12, 2014, the Member for Spruce Grove-St.

Albert said, “The flight in question was for members who were on government duty.” Later he says – and let me quote the whole sentence here – “Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, there were a number of items that were scheduled to happen that day in Grande Prairie.” On page 239 of Alberta Hansard, on March 13, 2014, we have the Member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti making the statement that: This gives me the opportunity to talk about all the flights I took around Alberta that week.

That week I flew to Lethbridge, I flew to Medicine Hat, I flew to Edson, I flew to High Prairie to announce hospital announcements, and the fifth one in that roll of announcements happened to be in Grande Prairie. And there is one other one that I have misplaced, and I apologize to you for that. Those were the statements that were made in this House, I think very clearly demonstrating those m embers saying that they had gone to Grande Prairie on a government plane to do government business.

Now, with the benefit of the report of the Auditor General released in August 2014, the Special Duty Report on the Expenses of the Office of Premier Redfor d and Alberta’s Air Transportation Services Program, we, in fact, do find on page 27 a very helpful chart and additional information, in which it noticed that for the event, the northern Alberta leaders’ dinner, taking place on October 25, 2012, in Grande Prairie, in answering the question of whether government business was also conducted at the location, the answer is no.

So the Auditor General has said: no; there was no government business conducted at this location. He does make a note that on three of t he dates in the table multiple government aircraft flew to the same destination as a partisan event, and he includes that particular example. No question, there was no government business that took place, Mr. Speaker. 3:20 Now, they took this government plane to a partisan event, which was, as I said, a northern Alberta leaders’ dinner, with no scheduled or actual government business taking place.

The Auditor General did investigate and states that no government business took place. There was no government event. There was no media notice. There was nothing on the Premier’s schedule. There was a press release that came out, but it had nothing. It had no media availability that went along with it. There was no indication that there would be someone speaking to it in person or responding, appearing in public, appearing before the media in any way, shape at all. I will point out that there was a partisan media event that was held in the lobby of the venue in which the fundraising event was taking place.

I will look for the description, but it was something along the lines of a typical media event that takes place introducing members of caucus when they are doing a fundraising event in a given location. So the only media event that happened, Mr. Speaker, was a partisan media event. So, Mr. Speaker, we have three ministers involved at the time, some of them not, so I’m referring to everyone by their constituency name. But I will note the three departments that are involved: Executive Council, Treasury Board, and International and Intergovernmental Relations.

The Auditor General on page 17 of his report notes that enforcing the policy that was brought forward in October of 2012 is the responsibility of the department of Treasury Board and Finance and that the minis tries of Executive Council and IIR are responsible for approving expenses incurred by the Premier and office staff, but I’m assuming that also extends to other ministers and ministries.

Then it goes through the guiding principles, and I’ll give you three out the six. “Travel, meal, hospitality and other expenses must support government business objectives.” Another one. “Prior approval to incur expenses is obtained where appropriate,” and “claims should be able to withstand scrutiny by the auditor general of Alberta and members of the public; be properly explained and documented, reasonable and appropriate.” Those are three of the six policies that are to be followed and are overseen and okayed by the three departments that I have mentioned.

So one way or a nother these three departments book, co-ordinate, or pay for the use of the government planes. So, Mr. Speaker, when we go to see why this is a point of privilege in particular, I go to the House of Commons Debates. Points of privilege exist in this book anywhere between pages 88 and 139, but it seems to me that the two privileges that are granted to us that have been interfered with are the ability to do one’s duty, which is obstruction, and also freedom of speech.

In particular, I want to draw the Speaker’s attention to page 98, where it talks about how important it is that members are prudent and careful with that privilege of freedom of speech and don’t abuse it and about why there are long -standing practices and traditions observed in the House to counter the potential for abuse. Speaker Parent is quoted that he expects “that members would always bear in mind the possible effects of their statements and hence be prudent in their tone and choice of words.” So we have, as mentioned at other times, a test , and the test is three points.

One, was there a misleading statement? Two, can it be established that the member knew that it was a misleading statement? Three, did the member intend to mislead the House? I would argue that all three of those tests have been met in this case. Certainly, it was a misleading statement, and I’ve given you the statements that were actually made in the House according to Hansard. They are very clearly stating that the government plane

November 18, 2014 Alberta Hansard 25 was used for government busine ss. I’ve also given you the references to go and look up in the Auditor General’s report in which he says: no; there wasn’t.

Now, I will note that the Auditor General makes a note on page 1 of his report, in which he says that he had access to schedules, reports, staff, bookings, and a number of other things, which he wa s able to use to ascertain that in fact there was no government business that took place there, and that does indeed appear on page 1 of his report: “interviewed employees of the Ministry of IIR,” records from Treasury Board, records and meetings with staf f. He names a number of other places he went to look for expertise.

As for the question of whether the members knew that this was an inaccurate statement, a misleading statement, I would argue that I don’t know how they could not have known. All members in this House are busy. I’ve never heard an MLA say that they weren’t busy. I’ve always heard about how busy they are. Therefore, we live by schedules, Mr. Speaker, all the time. Our schedules are done by our staff, but we know there’s a schedule, and we’re constantly checking it to see what we do next.

Now, in this particular case, with all of these highly scheduled people and with the backup of the Auditor General having looked at all of these records, schedules, and reports from these three, including, Mr. Speaker, on page 26, where the Auditor General makes notice that, in fact, “office staff told us that the dates for Progressive Conservative Party fundraising dinners held throughout the province are well known in advance,” the members certainly knew that they had a partisan fundraising event that day.

There was nothing else scheduled, so when those members made those statements in the House, they had to have known they had a partisan event scheduled and they had no other events scheduled. What’s the other reason that you — against the fact that they thought that they were going to do some media and therefore this trip was okay. Well, I know that this particular government has a platoon of aides to help them with media. I think that at one point they had more than George Bush ’s entire staff working for the Public Affairs Bureau.

There is no lack of people to assist them with media, and in fact that is done all the time. You cannot go to a media event without there being many staff there to assist these people. In fact, no one was assigned to help anyone do media that day, so I would argue that the ministers know when they have media, and there was no in-person media availability for govern- ment that day, and they knew it. They knew that saying that they were there for government business was a misleading statement. All right then, final question. Did they intend to mislead the House? Mr. Speaker, I think their own words give that.

There are quite a few examples in Hansard on the dates and pages that I gave to people in which there are other examples of how to answer the questions that were asked without giving a misleading statement saying: I was on government business. I would say that the Member for Spruce Grove-St. Albert was the superstar there. He can sidestep like nobody’s busi ness. You know, here’s one of the answers that he gave, appearing on page 164 on March 11 of Alberta Hansard. Actually, Mr. Speaker, we care a great deal about what the taxpayer is charged for travel around the province.

We also care about getting to other areas of the province that cabinet ministers are expected to get to. Yes . . . cabinet ministers use our planes. That’s what they’re for, for us to get us around to meet with Albertans and greet Albertans. Lots of talk. That was his answer to the question. Never once did he say: “I went to this place. I went to Grande Prairie on this date for government business.” So, clearly, members are able to get around to pivot, to redirect, to misdirect the attention and the understanding of people using other ways to talk about this. 3:30 There are lots of very fine examples.

This government is practised at it. If I had to give them a gold star for something, it would be for their ability not to answer questions. They are very, very practised at it. So there are examples here of where they answered the same questions even in the same sequence, Mr. Speaker, from the same people without making misleading statements. I argue to you that if they could do it without saying those statements, they knew when they made those statements that they were misleading the House because they knew there were other ways to say this.

When they said things like, “I was one of cabinet ministers that was present with the Premier in Grande Prairie at that time. We made an announcement, as the hon. member should know,” – a little bit of sarcasm in there – “with respect to the expansion of the Grande Prairie hospital,” well, they didn’t. I believe that these members knew. For three days they answered questions in this House, and they knew that sta ting that there was government business that was done on October 25, 2012, was an incorrect statement.

I ask you to find that there is a prima facie case of privilege, specifically against the Members for Spruce Grove-St. Albert, Edmonton-Rutherford, and Grande Prairie-Wapiti, on the reasoning that they misled the House and interfered with members’ ability to fulfill their duties, specifically the Leader of the Official Opposition and the leader of the third party. Dr. Swann: Calgary-Varsity apologized. Ms Blakeman: Calgary-Varsity apologized? Oh, yes. I know what you’re saying.

Yes, indeed, one of the other members that was involved with a return plane trip, also not on government business, did declare publicly th at she should have done better homework as to whether it was for government purposes or not. Given that, Mpr. Speaker, I woul d ask you to find this case of privilege. I would sincerely hope that the members are able to apologize to the House. I hope that can be an outcome from this, but I will wait for your decision on this issue. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Denis: Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

I’m pl eased to rise on Standing Order 15. My colleague from the Liberal opposition has dealt with much of the law on this, but I do have some comments that I would like you to respectfully consider. The matter for debate today is whether or not the House was in fact misled by the members in question. The term “misled,” as you know, is a prohibited term in debate, particular ly in question period. It is one of the items listed in Beauchesne’s, one of the items you can’t say in normal circumstances.

I do agree with the member that this is a serious matter and that this type of decorum, of course, must always be kept in this particular Chamber. To succeed, though, on this point of order, Mr. Speaker, requires the member opposite to demonstrate indisputably not only that members misled the House but that they also intended to do so, as she has indicated, thus members in question would have had to have made statements in the House which they knew at that time – the key, again, is “at that time” – to have been incorrect. The details surrounding the particular events in question, of course, Mr.

Speaker, have been the topic of much discussion over

26 Alberta Hansard November 18, 2014 recent months, both within these walls and beyond, and it’s important to know that over the course of the new discussion, new information has emerged. As stated in the letter to you from my colleague in the Liberal opposition, the new informati on that became available for the Auditor General’s report was released on August 7, 2014, months after the statements in question were made. Of course, there is an active investigation under way into this matter, and I will speak no further about that for obvious reasons.

I will point out that this report, as suggested by the member herself, became available months after statements were made in the Assembly, and at no point in the Auditor General’s report is there even a suggestion that any of these three members knew any different than the statements that they made in the House. It stands to reason, therefore, Mr.

Speaker, that if there were discrepancies between the information presented by the members on the dates in question and the information revealed by the report, these are differences of perception, and there was not an intent to mislead the House on the dates in question. I have done a bit of research on this, Mr. Speaker.

According to Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, third edition, there are three elements to be established when it is alleged that a member is in contempt by reason of a statement that the member has made: the statement must, in fact, have been misleading; it must have been established that the member

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20141118
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L28 S3 20141118 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	dc010374f862abc4ed831a965a94162b19f14a5d

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