Alberta Hansard — 3 March 2009, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 27, Session 2)

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Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Issue 8 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC), Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Allred, Ken, St.

Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Solicitor General and Public Security Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education and Technology Blackett, Hon.

Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC), Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (L), Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Official Opposition House Leader Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (PC) Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Deputy Government Whip Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (L), Official Opposition Whip Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St.

Paul (PC), Minister of Municipal Affairs DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Jonathan, Calgary-Egmont (PC) Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC) Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Minister of Finance and Enterprise Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Goudreau, Hon.

Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Minister of Employment and Immigration Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Groeneveld, Hon. George, Highwood (PC), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Minister of Education, Government House Leader Hayden, Hon. Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Minister of Infrastructure Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (

L) Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC), Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (

L) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Minister of Service Alberta Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Minister of Energy Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Minister of Health and Wellness Lindsay, Hon. Fred, Stony Plain (PC), Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (

L) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP), Leader of the NDP Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Environment Morton, Hon. F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (NDP), Deputy Leader of the NDP Opposition, NDP Opposition House Leader Oberle, Frank, Peace River (PC), Government Whip Olson, Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Ouellette, Hon.

Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Minister of Transportation Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (L), Deputy Official Opposition Whip Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Hon. Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Minister of Justice and Attorney General Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Sherman, Dr.

Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), President of the Treasury Board Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Stevens, Hon. Ron, QC, Calgary-Glenmore (PC), Deputy Premier, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (L), Leader of the Official Opposition Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (

L) Tarchuk, Hon. Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC), Minister of Children and Youth Services Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (

L) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Minister of Aboriginal Relations, Deputy Government House Leader Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Clerk Assistant/ Director of House Services Louise J.

Kamuchik Clerk of Journals/Table Research Micheline S. Gravel Senior Parliamentary Counsel Robert H. Reynolds, QC Senior Parliamentary Counsel Shannon Dean Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms J. Ed Richard Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms William C. Semple Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 183 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2009 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Welcome back. Let us pray. Guide us all in our deliberations and debate that we may determine courses of action which will be to the enduring benefit of our province of Alberta and of its citizens. Amen. Please be seated. head: Statement by the Speaker Anniversary of 2008 Provincial Election The Speaker: Hon. members, today is one of those anniversaries that we would like to acknowledge.

One year ago today, on this date, 31 members were elected to this Assembly for the first time, and two members were re-elected after a slight absence from the Assembly.

I would like to acknowledge the hon. members for Calgary-North West, Edmonton-Glenora, Calgary-Elbow, Airdrie- Chestermere, Athabasca-Redwater, Bonnyville-Cold Lake, Calgary- Egmont, Calgary-Mackay, Calgary-Montrose, Calgary-North Hill, Drayton Valley-Calmar, Edmonton-Calder, Edmonton-Decore, Edmonton-Ellerslie, Edmonton-Manning, Edmonton-McClung, Edmonton-Meadowlark, Edmonton-Mill Woods, Edmonton- Rutherford, Grande Prairie-Wapiti, Lethbridge-West, Livingstone- Macleod, Red Deer-South, St.

Albert, Strathcona, Strathmore- Brooks, West Yellowhead, Wetaskiwin-Camrose, Calgary-Buffalo, Calgary-McCall, Edmonton-Strathcona, and the members for Cardston-Taber-Warner and Edmonton-Beverley-Clareview. March 3, 2009, is the one-year anniversary of your participation in this very esteemed body. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. the Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is indeed an honour to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Legislature 31 very special guests. They are from the Field home- schooling group.

They are seated, I believe, in both galleries, but I know that there are a number in the members’ gallery. They are accompanied today by teachers/gr oup leaders Mrs. Kathy Ansell, Mrs. Paulette Field, Mrs. Patty Marler, Mrs. Lianne McDonald, Mrs. Michelle Flim, Mrs. Roxanne Theroux, and Mrs. Kimberly Walker. The students and parents had an opportunity to visit the Premier’s office, and we had a very good, hearty discussion about the province of Alberta. I can tell you that we are in good hands.

I know that the students participated in the mock Legislature and learned a lot about the operations of their government. Thank you so much. I’d ask them now to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Athabasca-Redwater. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to rise and introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly 27 students and four leaders from Guthrie school, which is just north of Edmonton on the military base.

They are led by their t eachers Chris Layton and Becky Williams and their parent helpers Selina Robb and Rosita LaFrance. I’d like to thank them for coming today and ask them to please rise and enjoy the warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce the students from Eastwood school along with their teacher. I think they were in the Assembly yesterday as well. I would ask that they please rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Foothills. Mr.

Webber: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly Mr. Ken Kent, who is the president of Harley-Davidson of Edmonton. Ken was the first Canadian to run 200 miles per hour, or 320 kilometres per hour, in the quarter-mile top fuel motorcycle drag racing event in the States. He likes to ride fast, and he does that each year at IHRA, Interna- tional Hot Rod Association, racing events throughout North America and the world.

His local Harley-Davidson business on the Yellow- head and Fort Road is where I bought my first Harley, so I thank Ken for introducing me to the world of Harleys. Ken is seated in the members’ gallery along with our friend Brady Whittaker. I’d ask Ken to please rise and receive the warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. Mr. Horner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to the Members of the Legislative Assembly two staff members from my department.

I’m truly blessed to lead a department that is so passionate about education and research in our province. Here are two of our great staff members: Monica Prysko, human resources project assistant, and Simon Underwood, adminis- trative assistant, human resources. They’re taking

part in the public service tour. They’re seated in our public gallery, I believe, this afternoon, and I would ask them to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Likewise, it gives me great pleasure today to introduce to you and through you to the members of the Assembly 13 staff members from Sustainable Resource Development. They work in our lands division taking care of our public lands, two-thirds of this province, and dispositions related to its use.

They, also, are on a public service orientation tour of the Legislature today. They are Christine Giurissevich, Mel Palmeter, Kevin Ball, Susan McGillivray, Karen Scott, Lizette Kaba, Blair Stone, Barb Grunau, Kali Hennessey, Francine Duret, Rubena Hassan, Annette Krumm, and Donna Bambrick. I’d ask them to please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Children and Youth Services. Ms Tarchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise today and introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly five very special guests.

They are registered social workers who are here to represent their profession as we recognize

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009184 National Social Work Week. Social workers are a compassionate and dedicated group of individuals who touch the lives of many Albertans and build brighter futures, and for that we thank them. They are sitting in the public gallery.

I would ask the following people to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly: Lina Filomeno-Melchionna, representing the Alberta College of Social Workers; Sarah Banick, from our Didsbury office; Melissa Zimmer, from our Wetaskiwin office; Rhonda McKinnon, from the Edmonton and area CFSA; and Bailey Puchyr, from the Edmonton and area CFSA. Please join me in welcoming them. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Peace River. Mr. Oberle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My friend and colleague from Calgary-Foothills alluded to it, and I wanted the House to specifically recognize our friend Brady Whittaker.

On behalf of the forest industry, as executive director of the Alberta Forest Products Association he’s working very hard to support a very troubled industry right now, and he’s been a great friend to this Legislature. 1:40 head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne. Fallen Four Memorials Mr. VanderBurg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Four years ago today, four brave young RCMP officers full of promise and hope were shot and killed near Mayerthorpe in the Whitecourt-Ste. Anne constitu- ency.

It was a terrible tragedy when the lives of constables Peter Schiemann, Leo Johnston, Anthony Gordon, and Brock Myrol were taken. Today my thoughts go to the families, friends, and co- workers of these four officers pl us the communities in the Mayer- thorpe and Whitecourt RCMP detachment areas, and all uniformed officers. The Fallen Four Memorial Society in Mayerthorpe determined early that these communities will neither be defined nor defeated by the killings.

They organize a yearly memorial candlelight ceremony to remember Brock, Anthony, Leo, Peter, plus all uniformed officers who have died in the line of duty across Canada. There is also a hockey game between the RCMP and the Mayerthorpe Wranglers to bring the communities together in a fun way to celebrate the once- vibrant lives of our four officers. This year, unfortunately, the Mayerthorpe Arena burned down, but with some help from Northlands the memorial moved to Rexall Place on Sunday, March 1.

It was a very special day, and I appreci- ated assisting our Solicitor Genera l in the lighting of the centre candle for all peace and police officers and soldiers. Thank you also to the Member for Calgary-Hays for joining us that day. I congratu- late the many volunteers from the Fallen Four Memorial Society, the Mayerthorpe Arena Operating Committee, minor hockey, the RCMP, Whitecourt Wolverines, and all donors. I also join the organizing committee in recognizing the generosity of the Edmonton Oilers, Oil Kings, Northlands, Rexall Place, and Ticketmaster.

To the families of Peter, Brock, Ant hony, and Leo and to all of those who have lost a loved one who wears a uniform, I assure you that the brave are never forgotten. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [applause] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Setting the Direction for Special Education Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you. As chair of the Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta Steering Committee I would like to use this opportunity to provide an update on this important initiative. Mr. Speaker, 3,500 Albertans contributed input towards a vision and principles for a new special education framework.

They told us what parts of the current system worked well and shared visionary ideas that demonstrated a considerable appetite for change. We’re now entering phase 2 of Setting the Direction. On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a consultation session in Red Deer, and today, as I speak, approximately 100 people in Medicine Hat are participating in the session. I would like to encourage all Albertans to contribute to this work. Phase 2 consultation can take place online, in person, or through a group or individual print submission.

This phase of work is about engaging in even more challenging conversations about the elements required to build an inclusive education system. Following the second round of consultations, recommendations for a new special education framework that includes policy, accountability measures, and a funding model will be developed. On behalf of my colleagues on the Setting the Direction Steering Committee I will present the framework to the Minister of Education at a forum to be held on June 8 and 9 in Edmonton.

After the June forum is complete, I am confident that we will have a policy framework in place that will propose near-, mid-, and long-term challenges to build one inclusive education system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Battle River-Wainwright. Livestock and Meat Strategy Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to highlight the important work that has been accomplished under the Alberta livestock and meat strategy. The strategy was announced last June and is a framework designed to strengthen the industry and create a more profitable and competitive future.

One important component of the strategy is the agency itself. ALMA’s role is to act as a catalyst, and it is responsible for imple- menting specific parts of the strategy. ALMA was created shortly after the announcement, has r ecently become incorporated, Mr. Speaker, and already it has created five industry advisory commit- tees that will help guide their initiatives and ensure the livestock industry’s input. Another working group has been formed as well between Agriculture and Rural Development and the cattle industry that will play an important role in shaping the future of traceability initiatives.

The group has already started developing a traceability implementa- tion plan for 2010 and beyond. The creation of these working groups demonstrates this government’s commitment to revitalizing the livestock industry. It also highlights the importance of industry consultation and involvement as the Alberta livestock and meat strategy is implemented. We all know that change is not easy, but there are already signs that we are on the right track. New markets are beginning to open to Canadian cattle; however, this access comes with the condition of age verification.

Because Alberta’s producers have been able to adapt to change and have begun age verifying animals – indeed, 83 per cent of the livestock has already been age verified, which is an incredible success, Mr. Speaker – we will be able to respond and take advantage of these opportunities as more borders open. I encourage all members of our livestock and meat industry and all of my colleagues here to continue to support the strategy. I also want to thank the minister and the Premier for their clear vision and determination, that have shown that this is incredibly important and

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 185 that working with a progressive industry, Mr. Speaker, has had great successes, that are critical to the future success of the industry in our province. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Workplace Health and Safety Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta is becoming a dangerous place for workers. Workplace fatalities in this province have risen 34 per cent in the last three years, yet the employment minister claims that our workplaces are safer today than they were in the past. The numbers are far too high.

Last year there was an average of one workplace fatality per week. The government has not made sufficient progress in reducing accident rates. Immediate action is needed. First, the government must create mandatory joint work-site health and safety committees. These committees, composed of representa- tives from labour and management, identify and resolve health and safety concerns in the work site. They conduct regular site inspec- tions, accident investigations, and safety education programs, and they meet every month to assess workplace safety.

In Alberta employers are not legally obligated to form these committees. That needs to change. Second, the government must amend the fact that it is not a legal requirement for employers to develop occupational health and safety policies or to post such a policy at the work site. A clear, well- communicated OH and S policy can save lives and prevent acci- dents. The government should require high-risk industries to create and communicate OH and S policies. Finally, accident investigation reports s hould be admissible in court.

The fact that they are not admissible shields wrongdoing and unsafe practices from exposure. Unsafe practices should be brought to light so that they can be corrected and further accidents can be prevented. Last year dozens of Alberta families were confronted with the horror and grief of the loss of a loved one due to an avoidable workplace-related death. This government is not doing enough to bring these numbers down. I urge the government to strongly consider the options we have discussed here today. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford. Persons Case Scholarship Recipients Mr.

Horne: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On February 27 of this year the Alberta government announced that 27 Alberta students will receive financial assistance in their postsec ondary studies through the Persons Case scholarship. I’m very proud to say that two of my constituents are among the recipients: Ms Barbara McLean, undertaking her master of arts in political science degree at the University of Alberta, and Ms Patricia Orizaga-Brocks, who is enrolled at Grant MacEwan College in the diploma in social work program. Mr.

Speaker, these scholarships were established in 1979 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Persons Case victory. In 1929 Alberta’s Famous Five – Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, and Irene Parlby – successfully led the landmark legal case in which the British Privy Council confirmed that women in Canada were eligible to be called to the Senate and therefore qualified as persons under the law. This year marks the 80th anniversary of that monumental decision.

The Persons Case scholarships are awarded each year to students whose studies and career goals will ultimately contribute to the advancement of women or to those who are studying in fields where members of their gender are traditionally few in number. Mr. Speaker, this year the government was pleased to announce that the scholarships’ total funding increased from $20,000 to $100,000 annually. On behalf of all members of the Assembly, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate all recipients of the scholarship and thank them for their continued contribution to life in Alberta.

Thank you. 1:50 head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Oil Royalty Agreement Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the release that Canadian Oil Sands Trust put out last year when Syncrude signed on to the new royalty system, the company states that their after-tax future net profits will go up 12 per cent as a result. Syncrude signed the royalty deal, and the sum of money is vast, over $18 billion extra to Syncrude on top of already proj ected $153 billion profits.

To the Premier: why did the Premier sign this deal that costs Albertans so much? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, to take us back to the royalty review, we had made a commitment that we would not tear up any Crown agreements that were made back in 1997. In fa ct, the opposition there asked us not to, and we didn’t do that. We honoured those agreements. Both companies came to the table, and we renegotiated. As the minister said yesterday, we’re actually getting more money from the development in the oil sands. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A government that was managing this resource in the public interest would have numbers, and they would have told Albertans what it’s costing us. What about the Suncor deal, Mr. Premier? Did we lose more than the equivalent of our heritage trust fund in that agreement as well? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, yesterday when this question came up, I made the comment: how did you come up with the figure of $18 billion 40 years out if no one – no one – as little as seven months ago predicted this whole economic downturn around the globe? Some Hon. Members: We did. Mr. Stelmach: I hear across the way: oh, we did.

Wow, they must have done it and kept it very secret because, you know, there wasn’t one economist in the world. So all of these figures that are being bandied around today are projections. I can’t tell you, Mr. Speaker, 40 years from now what the price of oil will be, but I do know the agreement we have, especially the ability to keep some of the bitumen in kind. We’ll be able to process that here in Alberta, and we can also sell it to other countries, not only to the United States. We might have other markets. Dr. Swann: Well, Mr.

Speaker, these are public documents Canadian Oil Sands Trust put out to their shareholders in trust. They did their homework. The question is whether this government is doing its homework.

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009186 Since the Premier yesterday did not give figures about what the deals are going to cost Albertans, is he saying that the government signed away these billions without working out the implications, or is the Premier hiding from Albertans the scale and the scope of this giveaway? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the hon. leader is referring to an agreement that was signed in 1997. When we renegotiated the agreement over a year ago, all of the information was made public in terms of how both companies came to the table and what the new agreement is, and that was communicated to the public.

The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Royalty Reporting Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, again, this was put out just last year, 12 months ago. Canadian Oil Sands put out the information because they have to update their shareholders, the owners of the company. But the government of Alberta, which manages the oil sands on behalf of the owners, Albertans, does not provide even remotely adequate information on such deals. To the Premier: why do Albertans have to go through corporate filings to get this information?

Why isn’ t the government reporting openly, transparently, to the owners of the resource, Albertans? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I believe we continue to be the only jurisdiction in Canada that legally has to issue quarterly reports – that’s on our revenue stream and our expenses – and we’re proud to do that. That is the best, I think, information stream that there is in Canada. We’ll continue to do that. Also, we’re able to predict to a degree what the next three months will be in terms of some either unanticipated price increases or when the price keeps dropping on our resources. It’s very concise.

It’s information that is available to all of the public, and I believe the public is satisfied with the kind of information we’re giving them. Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, the Royalty Review Panel, the Auditor General, even Peter Valentine told this government that their royalty reporting was weak and inadequate. Why has their advice to fix this serious failing continued to be ignored? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we are not ignoring any advice.

In fact, before the Auditor General talked about the royalty process that we have in place, we already undertook the royalty review in the province, and we followed it up, of course. Coming from the panel was some advice in terms of how we can improve the system and also from the Auditor General. That’s why Mr. Peter Valentine, who is a former Auditor of Alberta, was asked to review. He came up with a report, and we’re following all the recommendations. Dr. Swann: Well, Mr. Speaker, this is an example where clearly they haven’t been following the recommendations.

When will the government fix the broken royalty reporting system and start providing Albertans, the owners of this resource, with comprehen- sive, detailed, transparent information on their natural resource royalties? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we are. But as I said before, following the new royalty framework, there will be a new information system put in place to capture all of the necessary information to ensure that we are collecting the royalties on the right volumes that are produced by oil and gas producers. Of course, the oil sands agreement is different from the conventional oil and gas.

It is a complex area, but we’re doing whatever we can to make the information clear and concise to the shareholders, which are all Albertans. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Blue Cross Premiums Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Starting this July the premiums for Albertans, singles and families, with Blue Cross coverage will increase, and by July 2010 the premiums will be three times what they are now. To the minister of health. This minister is making changes to Blue Cro ss premiums so that they’re more comparable to private insurance.

This could be interpreted as the direction the rest of Albertans’ health care changes will go. Do Albertans not have the right to worry about the direction of increased comparisons to private health care? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, the member is purposely trying to put words in my mouth, because there was never a comparison to private health care.

What we did say was that the Blue Cross program that we offer to all Albertans needs to more clearly be aligned with employer-based plans because currently, today, we have a situation where a number of plans that employees have with their employer cost significantly more than the government plan does, and that’s inequitable. The taxpayer should not be subsidizing that. Ms Pastoor: Will the minister agree that by making this change to Blue Cross premiums, private health insurance may look like the better option for Albertans, making them decide to opt for private health insurance? Mr. Liepert: Again, Mr.

Speaker, the member is having some difficulty understanding the situation because what I just said was that the private-sector employers in this province and, quite frankly, public-sector employers have insurance plans, benefit plans, that are aligned with the Blue Cross plan, which is provided to those who do not have employer benefit plans. The only difference in the two is the amount of premiums that are paid. Ms Pastoor: Many letters and e-mails that are coming to my office say that there is as much public concern about Alberta’s Blue Cross premiums as there has been about the seniors’ pharmaceutical change.

Will the minister commit to re-evaluating the change to Blue Cross like he has for the seniors’ pharmaceutical change? 2:00 Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, if this particular member and that particular party want to campaign in the next election on the fact that the taxpayers of this province should be subsidizing a Blue Cross plan which has premiums that are less than those of employer plans, let them go ahead. The problem is that this particular member and members of that particular party never tell the truth when it comes to how these plans work. Ms Blakeman: Point of order.

The Speaker: I think we’re definitely going to have – no. As a matter of fact, I want to deal with this right now.

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 187 Speaker’s Ruling Parliamentary Language The Speaker: Hon. Minister of Health and Wellness, would you retract what you just said? Mr. Liepert: I’ll retract that statement, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood, followed by the hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar. Election Commitments Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, it’s a year after the election, and it’s report card time. Today an evaluation of this government’s performance gives them a failing grade. The Premier promised to stop shipping raw bitumen and jobs to the U.S.

One year later this government has failed. Will the Premier stand here today and explain why he has failed to keep his promise and why he continues to ship bitumen and the jobs of Albertans to the United States? Mr. Stelmach: I hope he said “ship” bitumen. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our record over this past year. We’ve completed Canada’s first land-use framework. We’ve undertaken this past year in Infrastructure the most kilo- metres of highway repaved in the last at least dozen years that I’m aware of, maybe even 15 years.

We’ve made tremendous progress with our aboriginal community in signing a first-time agreement with the three treaties. We have accomplished a lot, and in the next question I’ll be able to tell him how much more we’ve accom- plished. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. This Premier promised to renegotiate deals with Suncor and Syncrude to keep a fair share of royalties for Albertans. Instead, we have a massive increase of $18 billion going to Syncrude alone. One year later this government has failed.

Why did this government fail to stand up to two of the most profitable operations in the world to get a fair share for Albertans? Mr. Stelmach: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said before in previous questioning, the agreement is fair. It was a Crown agreement that was signed in 1997. We said that we were not going to tear up those agreements, and we kept our word. We have renegotiated those agreements.

You know, finally, across Canada, especially after today’s poll, all Canadians are realizing that the oil sands are very, very important to the economic well-being of not only Alberta but the rest of Canada, and that speaks a lot for what we’ve done in this great province to support the economy of Canada. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Just over a year ago this Premier said, “Our government will invest $300 million for 600 new beds . . . in seven new long-term care centres across the province.” Just 11 months later they admitted that the number of long-term care beds will remain at the current number of 14,500 for the next several years. Once again this government has failed a year later. Will the Premier stand up today and explain to all Albertans why he has failed to create a single new long-term bed? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I think the member has his information a bit mixed up. We’re continuing to construct housing for seniors.

I know that there’s a propensity by that party there to institutionalize seniors. That is not what we want to do. We want to give our seniors a good quality of life in their last years, so we are increasing support for home care. We are providing options in housing, and these are the kinds of options that are going to improve the quality of life and have our seniors, the seniors that helped build this province, enjoy their last few years in comfort. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-McCall. Home Renovation Contractors Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. The new federal home renovation tax credit has many Albertans thinking about renovating their homes this year to make the most of tax savings. This is certainly good news that will help keep people working in our province. Unfortunately, there are some contractors who see this as an opportunity to take advantage of consumers. My questions are for the Minister of Service Alberta. How is the government protecting Alberta consumers from contractors who may try to take advantage of them? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s certainly true that a lot of Albertans are considering home renovations. Before signing a contract with a renovator, people should first get written estimates from more than one contractor, and after choosing a renovator, they should get a written contract with all the necessary details listed. As well, any contractor who takes payments in advance must be listed by Service Alberta as a prepaid contractor. They also must pass a criminal record check and provide monetary security. Consumers considering hiring a prepaid contractor can call us to find out if a contractor is licensed or not.

The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister. It’s fine to have rules in place, but they’re only g ood if enforced. What is the government doing to make sure that contractors are following these regulations? Mrs. Klimchuk: Service Alberta is very active in enforcing the laws and helping Albertans when someone takes advantage of them. Since 2003 we have dealt with more than 1,000 files regarding prepaid contractors. We have recovered nearly $1.3 million for consumers who have been wronged by prepaid contractors.

The courts have also fined prepaid contractors more than $225,000 under the Fair Trading Act. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. McQueen: Thank you. My final question to the same minister: what is the government doing to ensure that Alberta consumers are aware of their rights when hiring a contractor? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While most contractors are indeed trustworthy and responsible, we want to warn Albertans

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009188 about the risks and what they can do to protect themselves. We have a lot of good information. Our website includes tipsheets on choosing contractors for home renovations. We also have news releases warning consumers on a regular basis. We have also information booths at many of the renovation trade shows. There is good protection in place, but I would encourage all Albertans to do their homework and choose a contractor very carefully. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall, followed by the hon. Member for Strathcona. School Bus Safety Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A tragedy involving a child causes everyone to question how to prevent it from happening again. It is within this government’s control to ensure that standards are in place to protect children who take the bus to school. To the Minister of Transportation: will the minister implement legislation that requires school buses to drop off children at their driveways rather than putting them at risk by having to cross the secondary highways? Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, any time that we have an accident or a fatality involving a child, it’s very, very heart-wrenching for everyone involved.

We did have a fatality by Millarville recently, and my heart goes out to that family. I don’t know all of the exact details about what happened there, but we are investigating within our highway Traffic Safety Act, and we will do what’s necessary. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Education: how will the minister be working with the school boards to imple- ment best practices for school bus safety? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last fall, with our co- operation the Ministry of Transportation did a bus safety report.

It had a number of recommendations with respect to what could be done with school buses to make sure that they were visible to drivers. I can say that I have met with superintendents and chairs of boards across the province, and I’ve always emphasized bus safety as part of our discussions. In the end it comes down to drivers on the road being careful and being aware that at certain times of the day our buses are out with our children and that we should be paying attention to the fact that buses are out there with our children. We need to be more careful on our roads. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr.

Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister again: will the minister specifically target funding to school boards to address school bus safety concerns? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Transpor- tation may wish to address this because he has graciously indicated to boards that his department would provide some of the funding necessary to outfit buses in accordance with the report that was prepared. That work is ongoing.

In fact, some school boards have been ahead of the game in that process in terms of making sure that the reflector tapes and the strobe lights and those sorts of things have already been installed on their buses. Yes, funding has been provided through the Ministry of Transportation to accommodate that. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. 2:10 Nanotechnology Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In May of 2007 this govern- ment announced the Alberta nanotechnology strategy aimed at capturing a share in the world’s nanotechnology market.

My question is to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. Why has this government chosen to invest in nanotechnology? Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, the government chose to invest in nanotechnology based on a partnership with our federal government partners in the National Institute for Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is what they call platform technology that crosses a number of different disciplines. In Alberta, obviously, we’re interested in environmental impacts, energy and alternative energies, health, imaging. All of these things are part of what nanotechnology can build in this province.

That’s why we’re very, very interested in that world market. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental to the same minister. As part of this strategy this government announced their investment in the National Institute for Nanotechnology and the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products, or ACAMP. How do these two organizations differ, or how do they complement one another? Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, NINT, as I mentioned, is the partnership between the provincial government and the federal government and really has a national connection.

It’s the institute, if you will, that is going to do the research on building nanosystems, on materials that can be constructed from nanomaterials. ACAMP, or the advanced micronanotechnology products institute, is really to take the research that NINT develops and turn it into a package that our entrepreneurs can commercialize in this province, turn it into a wealth generator of business here in the province of Alberta. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second supplemental to the same minister: how do we plan to ensure that Alberta remains a world leader in nanotechnology? Mr.

Horner: Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s all about partnerships. Even today at a Prion Research Institute meeting with a number of my colleagues from the Legislature we were talking partnerships. Nanotechnology is no different. We are attracting world-class researchers who have connections around the globe. We’re investing in the infrastructure that is critical to nanotechnology. We now have companies that graduate students can work for in our province. So as you build the cluster here in the province, you build the economy around nano.

You also build those products and services that are related to it, and that provides for sustainable economic development. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder.

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 189 Secondary Ticket Sales Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In the spring I raised my concern that this government does not protect ticket buyers, artists, and stagehands from Ticketmaster’s scheme on Internet and secondary sales. Since then governments in the U.S. and Canada have both convened inquiries and have introduced legislation on this issue. My questions are to the Minister of Service Alberta. What steps has the minister taken since the spring to protect Alberta ticket buyers, artists, and stagehands from Ticket- master’s scheme of secondary sales?

The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to this whole issue Service Alberta is monitoring it on a daily basis. Protecting consumers is very important. When the act is proclaimed – indeed, that is going to be happening. The legislation that we have in place, the Fair Trading Act, does protect consumers, but we are monitoring it on a daily basis because of the ongoing cases that are before the courts. Ms Blakeman: No, it doesn’t protect them, and my question to the minister is: why?

When it has the chance to protect its citizens, to protect ticket buyers, to protect artists, and to protect stage workers, why won’t this government step up and protect them? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, we are stepping up. We’ve got Bill 18, that has yet to be proclaimed, that will indeed do what the hon. member is asking for. In the meantime, ticket selling and scalping of tickets is illegal, and when th at Bill 18 is proclaimed, we’ll be addressing the issues that the hon. member mentions. Ms Blakeman: So the minister wants us to rely for protection on a bill that has not yet been proclaimed.

How is that protecting ticket buyers in Alberta, artists in Alberta, and stagehands in Alberta? You haven’t even proclaimed the legislation. It does not protect them. Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, all I can say is that as the hon. member who has been in this House a lot longer than I have knows, everything doesn’t work as quickly as we would like, but we’ll take time, and when the bill is proclaimed, then we will have the protection that you are looking for. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Regionally Produced Construction Products Mr.

Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, the forest products companies of Alberta have fought a valiant fight to stay afloat in these trying economic times. Commodity lumber prices have never been lower, yet the industry has never asked for direct support. With the limits of the softwood lumber agreement the best thing we can do to help is to buy lumber. My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. Can you please tell me what the govern- ment of Alberta is doing to ensure that the wood used in GOA construction projects is sourced from Alberta mills? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr.

Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the hon. member. Albertans, their businesses, their jobs, and Alberta’s forestry industry are at the heart of our province, and we must support them where we can. In 2006 Alberta Infrastructure actually incorporated a clause into its design guidelines that encourages the use of Alberta forestry products, and using the wood certification system is recognized in Alberta. It’s important to note that we must comply also, though, with building codes in the construction of our facilities.

While wood products may be suitable for many projects, we have to follow the codes in other areas. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental is to the same minister. What is the government of Alberta doing to ensure that the maximum amount of wood possible is being used in government of Alberta construction projects? Mr. Hayden: Well, Mr.

Speaker, my ministry is committed to environmentally sustainable standards in our building, and govern- ment of Alberta construction projects find that using the LEED environmental design standards is one way to meet that commit- ment. Through our LEED guidelines we put a strong emphasis on the use of regionally produced materials for construction such as wood. The more local products you use, the more credits you get for the LEED standard. We use regional materials to minimize the energy emissions related to the transportation of products. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My second supplemental is to the same minister. Will you commit to using wooden framing materials for the interior partiti ons of the federal building renova- tion? Mr. Hayden: Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, building codes require us to use steel studs in the framing construction of interior walls for structures like the federal building. As part of our efforts to recycle materials, the existing wood trim within that building is going to be saved and restored and reused. Wood is extensively used in many of our projects throughout the province.

A couple of r ecent examples are the Royal Tyrrell Museum, their field station, and the Boreal Centre for Bird Conser- vation in Slave Lake. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Public-private Partnerships for School Construction Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last month the Minister of Infrastructure stated that the go vernment’s failure to disclose P3 school contract details benefits “Albertans, the taxpayers, the people that are paying for this.” Albertans, especially during these penny- pinching times, want to know how much of their money will be used to pay for the 18 P3 schools. They also want to know how much of their children’s money will have gone to pay for these schools over the next 32 years. The competition is over. The contract has been signed. To the Minister of Education: whose private interests are your ministries protecting, and why? Mr.

Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, this government has dedicated itself to making information available to its citizens, but it also has in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act specific protections for commercial information. The P3 project with respect to phase 1 is not a one-off. There are other opportunities for people

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009190 to build in this province, and when they build in this province, when they bid on jobs in this province, they want to know that their commercial information, their competitive information, is protected. So it’s very clear that in a commercial contract certain pieces of information are not made public. Mr. Chase: Alberta taxpayers could well be on the hook for bailing out the failing Australian consortium of Babcock & Brown, the main P3 lenders for this project.

Given that according to a recent study, a P3 in British Columbia will cost taxpayers 130 per cent more than it would have had they followed traditional building methods, will the minister commit to releasing the actual costs of building and maintaining the 18 schools? 2:20 Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member’s premise is abso- lutely wrong. Babcock & Brown Australia has nothing whatsoever to do with the P3 project in Alberta, and there would be no circum- stance in which taxpayers in Alberta will bail out Babcock & Brown in Australia. Mr.

Chase: The minister stood with me in southwest Calgary when the lender Babcock & Brown’s initial financing was announced, so how he can deny that connection is news to me. I guess it’s more of the secrecy associated with the deal. Without knowing what the details are of this particular P3 contract, we have no way to know if taxpayers are getting a deal or being hosed. Will this minister commit to transparency and release how much these schools will actually cost taxpayers, and if it’s not Babcock & Brown, if they’ve been erased, who is it? Mr. Hancock: Mr.

Speaker, the hon. member indicates that he was standing beside me. Clearly, he had his earmuffs and his blinders on. The information that was released showed directly what the relationship was between Babcock & Brown in England and the consortium partners that are operating the consortium in Canada, and if he looked at it, he’d have seen that there is no relationship. There is a very small relationship between Babcock & Brown Australia and Babcock & Brown Britain that has absolutely no impact on the contracts in Alberta and no exposure or risk to the taxpayer of Alberta.

He would also have known, had he been listening at that particular time, because we did include him in the process and he was there – he could have heard if he’d been listening – that the funding was put in place prior to the contract being started. Again, there is no risk to the taxpayer of Alberta from that particular partner. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay. Election Commitments (continued) Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to this government’s report card.

A year ago today everyday Albertans went to the polls hoping for a government that would take climate change seriously and actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One year later this government has failed. Alberta is alone in the world in relying on intensity targets that encourage the increase of greenhouse gas emissions. To the Minister of Environment: will you stand up today and explain why you are still letting Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions rise for at least the next 30 years? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, this government is clearly committed to reducing greenhouse gases. [interjection] I remind the hon. member that intensity targets are related to global experience, not individual operators. [interjection] So for each of the 100 large industrial emitters in this province our legislation remains the only legislation of its kind in North America that has legislated manda- tory reductions of CO 2. [interjections] The Speaker: Hon. member, you made a couple of interjections. Your colleague made a couple of interjections. Are we clear now? Are you okay now?

Have you finished everything, or do you have some more questions now? Ms Notley: I do. The Speaker: You do have a question. Ms Notley: Yes, I do. The Speaker: To the hon. colleague sitting right beside you, you listen to what your colleague says, okay? Mr. Mason: Oh, I do, Mr. Speaker. I do. Ms Notley: There’s a reason why there’s only one jurisdiction on the continent that has it: because it doesn’t work, your particular code. Anyway, the government also promised everyday Albertans it would invest $2 billion in green transit. One year later this govern- ment has failed. Instead, the government cut and run.

They got a fast headline, and they axed the Green TRIP program. They’re failing to create new jobs, and they’re failing to take any cars off the road. To the Transportation minister: why won’t you stop failing Albertans and follow through on your promise? The Speaker: The hon. minister. [interjections] Hon. minister, you’ve been recognized. Mr. Ouellette: You know, I don’t know where you’re getting statements like saying that we’ve axed the Green TRIP. It’s straight imagination somewhere that people dream these things up.

In fact, last Friday we were in Calgary meeting with the Calgary Regional Partnership, and we talked all about Green TRIP. You know what? Stay tuned to budget day, and you’ll find out how much we’re going to spend on it this year. Ms Notley: Mr. Speaker, $2 billion to $200 m illion is what most people would call axing. Last spring many motherhood statements were made about protecting Alberta’s children. One year later this government has failed. They’ve failed to create enough child care spaces for working Alberta families. They’ve failed to protect children in care from abuse.

They’ve failed to take the Child and Youth Advocate from under its thumb. To the Minister of Children and Youth Services: how can you justify your government’s repeated failure to meet the needs of children throughout Alberta? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Tarchuk: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased, actually, to address this. You’re right: one of our promises was to create child care spaces. I can tell you that between April 1 and February 20 we created over 5,900 sp aces. We helped 148 communities create spaces. I’ve got all kinds of statistics.

Currently we have 2,500 people registered in our online orientation course.

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 191 Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Initiative Ms Woo-Paw: Mr. Speaker, the Alberta nonprofit and voluntary sector initiative was officially announced in 2007 with commitment from the government of Alberta and the sector to forge ongoing dialogue and enhance collaboration. I have spoken previously about the roles, challenges, and contributions of this third sector in our modern-day society. My question is to the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Would you please tell us what has taken place under this initiative?

What key developments have taken place under this initiative since the announcement was made on the project charter? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, this is a groundbreaking initiative as for the first time we are talking directly to this sector about challenges and opportunities and how we can face them together. This sector is important to all Albertans and to our government. The purpose of the framework is to engage the government of Alberta and the not- for-profit and voluntary sector in a collaborative effort to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Some of the activities currently under way are developing a comprehensive knowledge database of the Alberta not-for-profit and volunt ary sector, 19,000 organizations, which we didn’t have, implementing a workforce strategy for the nonprofit and voluntary sector, and co-ordinating discussions between the sector and funders looking at the impact of the current economic climate and how it affects the sector. Ms Woo-Paw: What will the minister do to ensure this important sector has the capacity and resources to continue to support our communities and vulnerable citizens in these challenging economic times? Mr.

Blackett: Mr. Speaker, the work we are doing to help the nonprofit and voluntary sector make it through these economic times is not just in our ministry. Working collaboratively with several other ministries of interest, the comprehensive database that I mentioned will help us to identify the needs that exist in the different subsectors, whether it be sports, whether it be faith-based organiza- tions, whether it be social or arts and cultural organizations. The workforce strategy will help the sector attract and retain the people they need, and discussions are not limited to the government alone.

We’re talking with all different people, and that just goes on top of the different programs that we have that are available for funding. Seizure of Illegal Firearms in Vehicles Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard from members of law enforce- ment and legal practitioners, and they have told me they are unable to get convictions in instances when illegal firearms are found in vehicles. The people charged simply deny that the gun was theirs.

Accordingly, can the Minister of Justice explain how the victims of crime legislation will work against gangbangers in a rental car or a stolen car with illegal firearms therein when they deny ownership and knowledge of the guns being there? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This legislation is two months old. We’ve been working with the police on this.

We believe that as the police begin to make investigations with respect to these circumstances, they’ll have perfect opportunities under the Criminal Code to charge these people with appropriate violations. Mr. Hehr: That’s contrary to what my people who are working in those institutions tell me. [interjections] Well, thank you. It is common knowledge that oftentimes these gangbangers are generally young individuals, not the criminal masterminds of an organization. Given that these individuals probably have no assets to take under the victims of crime legislation, what will be their punishment in Alberta?

Ms Redford: Mr. Speaker, I’m not going to speculate or make presumptions about whether or not people that are committing criminal acts may or may not hold property. The intention of this act is to seize property, to seize instruments of crime, to seize property that is likely to be used as an instrument of crime, and to sell it to compensate victims. If we spend the next three months in this Legislature trying to come up with every particular scenario that may or may not work, we might as well all be back in law school again. 2:30 Mr.

Hehr: I think it is wonderful legislation as well, and I applaud the minister for implementing it. However, we’re not talking about something hypothetical. We’re talking about guns on the streets and that people are dying in constituencies like mine. How can we close this apparent loophole that is present in your bill, which again I applaud? Ms Redford: Mr. Speaker, this government does not need to be lectured on what’s going on in the streets and in communities across this province. We are taking steps under safe communities legisla- tion.

We have passed legislation that has been asked for by the police within six months to take action against what is going on. It is wrong for us in this Legislature to be debating and to be crying out about the panic in the streets. We know what’s going on. We’re responding to it, we’re doing it in partnership with the police and with Crown prosecutors, and we’re having an impact. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Bow, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Carbon Capture and Storage Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Carbon capture and storage is a popular subject around the water cooler and in the media these days for good reason. Some are questioning why we are continuing with such a significant investment in a time of financial uncertainty. Others are focused on the proposals of President Obama to spend $2.5 billion on carbon capture. Now, my question is to the Minister of Environmen t. How is the province justifying spending $2 billion in such a narrow field when the world’s fiscal situation is so uncertain? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I think the simple answer is that if it was the right thing to do prior to an economic downturn, it’s still the right thing to do during an economic downturn. The purpose of this investment is to contribute our efforts that will lead to real reductions in CO 2, real effects on global efforts related to climate change. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My support of carbon capture and storage is because it’s a very ec onomical thing to do in terms of the payback that we will be getting, but there are

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009192 questions around what impact CCS will have in reducing emissions in the oil sands. I, unfortunately, read a recent media report that the potential capture rate for the oil sands is possibly as low as 10 per cent. How does the minister respond to these statements? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, I think that the report that the member refers to was perhaps based on the past and forgetting a bout the future. Let’s not forget that the future of oil sands is not in the giant mines that everyone associates with oil sands today, but it’s in in situ.

There are huge opportunities for CCS for in situ operations. There are huge opportunities for the application of CCS at the upgrader level, at the refinery level. There are a myriad of ways that CCS will apply not only to electrical energy but also to oil sands within Alberta. Our estimates – and we stand by them – are that there should be application of CCS for anywhere from 60 to 70 per cent of CO2 emissions from oil sands operations. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My second supplemental to the same minister.

The Americans are expected to come out with aggressive climate change policies soon that could have an impact on Alberta. In fact, the federal Minister of the Environment is in Washington as we speak to discuss the U.S.- Canada clean energy dialogue. Why is the province putting its eggs in the carbon capture and storage basket if we don’t yet know what is going to come out of the U.S.? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, Alberta has not been waiting for the U.S. to get engaged in this file. We’ve been actively involved in CCS and the climate change file now for quite some time.

It’s encourag- ing for us to see that the Obam a administration is now working towards, among other things, the application of technology. It’s also encouraging to us that there is an agreement between our national government and the U.S. national government to engage in a North American dialogue that will eventually lead to the application of much-needed technology in this field. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Fort. Employment Insurance Benefit Program Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In December 2008 only 1 in 4 unemployed Albertans was eligible to receive EI benefits. My first question is to the minister of employment. Will the hon. minister support the Official Opposition to request the federal government to change the EI rules for Alberta by lengthening the benefit period and reducing the barriers to qualify for EI benefits? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As labour ministers, the ministers responsible for employment in Canada, we don’t need to rely on the opposition to move forward with our work.

We’re continuously working with our federal counterparts to make sure that the employment benefits are applicable to Alberta. We’ve made some suggestions to our federal counterparts and are continu- ing to work with them to assure ourselves that benefits come to Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again to the same minister: given that the unemployment level for construction workers in this province is now over 9 per cent, the unemployment level for young people is over 9 per cent, how can the province work with the federal government to increase job skills training through the EI benefits program? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, we’ve got a number of agreements that have been signed with the federal government, and those agreements were signed a year ago and are being added to as we speak.

The intent of those par ticular agreements is to provide ongoing training, ongoing support to those individuals who are losing their jobs. It’s always sad to hear of individuals losing their particular positions, but our mandate is to help them try to find additional work experiences, additional training and to try to move them on to other jobs that they might be suitable to do. Mr. MacDonald: Speaking of finding work, Mr.

Speaker, again to the same minister: will the minister organize a job fair – it’s something you’re very good at – in Borger, Texas, to showcase the skills of the unemployed construction workers here in Alberta who specialize in heavy industrial construction so that they can partici- pate in the boom that’s going on in Texas with the upgrader construction? We’re exporting our bitumen, building the upgraders in Texas. That’s where the jobs are. Will you go to those places? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, I think we’re doing our best to make sure that Albertans are working.

You know, to go where this particular member is going, I don’t believe that his comments are worthy of additional responses. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Municipal Sustainability Initiative Mr. Cao: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. The municipal sustainabil- ity initiative is an unprecedented program, to the tune of $1.4 billion if I recall correctly. This MSI funding assists municipalities to manage growth and also long-term planning and sustainability. My question today is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

How does the government ensure the MSI dollars are spent effectively on high- priority projects? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Danyluk: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This government is committed to supporting municipalities. The province has set project categories: transit, underground infrastruc- ture, roads and bridges, police and emergency facilities, recreation and cultural facilities like libraries. Municipalities decide what the projects should be on their priorities. Municipalities are accountable to their ratepayers. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Cao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My first supplemental question is to the same hon. minister. My constituents in Calgary-Fort would like to know how much money Calgary has received under MSI and some of the projects that have been funded. Mr. Danyluk: Well, Mr. Speaker, MSI is having a real impact on helping municipalities plan. Calgary has received $270 million.

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 193 The mayor in his State of the City address at noon today stated that one of the centrepieces of the Calgary infrastructure program is the west leg of the LRT. Fifty-four million dollars of that expansion comes from MSI. MSI helps build strong communities each and every day. 2:40 The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Cao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last supplemental question is to the same hon. minister. My constituents also would like to know if the provincial MSI program will be affected by the decrease in public revenue due to the current downturn of the economy. Mr.

Danyluk: Well, Mr. Speaker, as you are well aware, April 7 is budget day. I would like to say to the hon. member that at that time we will reveal the ministry’s budget, but I want to stress that this government will continue to support municipalities, as it has in the past. The Speaker: Hon. members, that concludes the question period. There were 94 exchanges today. In 30 seconds from now we will continue with our Routine. I’ll recognize the last of six members to participate in Members’ Statements. head: Members’ Statements (continued) The Speaker: The hon. Member for Red Deer-South.

Business Awards of Distinction Mr. Dallas: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to draw attention to some of Alberta’s top businesses that were honoured last Friday during the 18th annual Alberta business awards of distinction. The event was hosted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce and featured awards spotlighting the exceptional achievements of 10 businesses. The evening’s most prestigious honour was the Premier’s award of distinction, presented by the Minister of Employment and Immigration. The Premier’s award went to Rogers Insurance of Calgary for its innovative human resources strategies.

Other winners included Muskwa Productions & Consulting of Tsuu T’ina for the aboriginal woman entrepreneur award; Hy-Tek Computer Sales and Service Ltd. of Rocky Mountain House for the aboriginal youth entrepreneur award; Frito Lay Canada of Lethbridge for the diversity leadership award; Canada Safeway Limited of Calgary for the employer of persons with disabilities award; Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery of Calgary for the employer of youth award; Mathieu Hryniuk of Peace River for the small business award; Spindle, Stairs & Railings of Calgary for the marketing award; ESS Support Services of Calgary for the aborigi- nal relations best practice award; and last but not least, Samson Management Ltd. of Hobbema for the aboriginal relations eagle feather award.

I’d like to ask all members of this Assembly to join me in recognizing the winners of these awards for their exceptional performance. head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Premier. Mr. Stevens: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the Premier it’s my pleasure to table copies of the Alberta’s Promise annual report. This report summarizes the fifth year of this project’s activities and highlights the achievements of our Promise partners.

Today 1,164 service organizations, businesses, and communities throughout the province are working together to do more for Alberta’s children as partners in Alberta’s Promise. The work of our dedicated Promise partners over the past five years has resulted in many outstanding success stories that have had a positive impact on the lives of Alberta children and youth. I know the hon. members will enjoy reading about these activities and achievements. The annual report is also available at www.albertaspromise.org. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Mr.

Blackett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to table the appropriate number of copies of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission annual review for April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2008. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Children and Youth Services. Ms Tarchuk: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to table the appropriate number of copies of the responses to motions for returns 10 and 11, both asked for by the Member for Calgary- Varsity on October 20, 2008. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Egmont. Mr. Denis: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

As you may recall, on February 19 I rose pursuant to Standing Order 29(2)(

a) to speak to the hon. Member for Calgary-Montrose’s response to the throne speech. In doing so, I rose with my BlackBerry and I quoted from it, which was from a page from the hon. Member for Calgary- Montrose’s Facebook. I have a copy that I’m tabling with you, which is a quote dated the same day, February 19 – it’s on page 3 for this House’s reference – and which I’ll pass to the page. I trust that this will conclude this new

chapter in the history of this Assembly. I’m proud to do so, to make some sort of history, however small, being referenced as a young gun. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m rising to table a number of working-short reports. These forms are to draw attention to the issues of short-staffing in extended facilities. I have several to table which indicate in many cases that baths, in particu- lar, and urgent personal care for residents of long-term care facilities were not provided as a result of short-staffing those facilities.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today. The first is Evaluation of Public Private Partnerships in B.C., the 130 per cent cost overrun which I referenced in my question. I’m very grateful to the Auditor General for looking into the 18 P3 schools. My second tabling. This past week my wife and I had the pleasure of attending the updated, augmented Alberta Ballet’s production of Joni Mitchell’s and Jean Grand-Maître’s creative collaboration of The Fiddle and the Drum.

The ballet dealt with the troublesome themes of war and environmental degradation but, true to Alberta tradition, ended on a note of hope and possibility.

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009194 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. Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness, pursuant to the Public Health Act the Public Health Appeal Board annual report 2008 and pursuant to the Health Professions Act the Alberta Dental Associa- tion and College 2008 annual report, the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta 2008 annual report, and the College of Hearing Aid Practitioners of Alberta annual report 2007-2008.

Calendar of Special Events The Speaker: Hon. members, this will be the first opportunity in the month of March, basically, to talk about what events will be celebrated this month, but prior to that, a few comments with respect to the year 2009 as members oftentimes wish to stand up in Mem- bers’ Statements to do recognitions. The year 2009 is the International Year of Reconc iliation, the International Year of Astronomy, the International Year of Human Rights Learning, and the International Year of Natural Fibres. It’s the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac.

It’s the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. It’s the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. It’s the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. It deals with the United Nations Literacy Decade, with the theme Education for All. It’s also part of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Develop- ment, and it’s part of the Second International D ecade of the World’s Indigenous People. It’s also part of the International Decade for Action with Respect to Water for Life.

March is National Liver Health Month, National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, National Kidney Month, National Nutrition Month, National Social Work Month, Fraud Prevention Month, Youth Science Month. We’re part of and have just finished participating in Canadian Landmine Action Week. This week, February 26 to March 7, is National Engineering and Geoscience Week. It’s also Social Work Week in Alberta, as it is Pharmacist Awareness Week. March 2 to 8 is International Women’s Week, culminating on March 8, International Women’s Day. March 2 to 8 is also Health Ethics Week. March 6 is the World Day of Prayer.

March 6 to 22 is Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, or National Francophonie Week. 2:50 March 8 is also daylight savings time initiation. From sunset on March 8 to sundown on March 9 is Mawlid an-Nabi, the birthday of Mohammed. March 9 is also Commonwealth Day. March 9 and 10 are Purim, part of the Jewish tradition. March 11 to 14 is Canadian Music Week. March 11 to 17 is Canadian Agriculture Safety Week. March 12 is Wold Glaucoma Day, as it also is World Kidney Day. March 14 to 20 is National Farm Safety Week. March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. March 16 to 22 is Brain Awareness Week. March 17 is St.

Patrick’s Day. March 20 is Journée internationale de la Francophonie. It’s also the spring equinox. It’s also Interna- tional Sun-Earth Day, and it’s also World Storytelling Day. March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as it is World Poetry Day, as it is the first day of the week from March 21 to 27, known as the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination. March 22 is World Water Day. March 23 is World Meteorological Day. March 23 to April 12 are the Easter Seals Paper Egg campaign weeks. March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day.

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. March 27 is World Theatre Day. Before we go to Orders of the Day, I believe, hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, that we dealt with the point of order that you were going to raise? It was cleared? Ms Blakeman: Yes. Thank you. head: Orders of the Day head: Consideration of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor’s Speech Mr. Johnston moved that an humble address be presented to His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor as follows. To His Honour the H onourable Norman L.

Kwong, CM, AOE, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Alberta: We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly, now assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session. [Debate adjourned February 19] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Mr. Taylor: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It is my pleasure to rise today with my response to the Speech from the Throne and to thank His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor for delivering the Speech from the Throne that opened this session, the Second Session of the 27th sitting of the Alberta Legislature. I also want to pass along my best wishes at this time to all of my constitu- ents in Calgary-Currie. It is a great honour to represent you in the Alberta Legislature.

We have many challenges before us, but the people of Calgary- Currie continue to demonstrate the type of resilience and willingness to work together to solve problems that I think gives this province its character. As was noted in the Legislature earlier today, Mr. Speaker, one year ago today we were elected to serve the people of Alberta. Many of us were re-elected; 31 of us were elected for the first time. How things have changed in that past year, especially on the economic front. It is true that we are going to experience some tough times this year.

Albertans have overcome huge challenges in the past, and we will get through this one, too. But if I have one message as Official Opposition finance critic today, it is this: there is a right way and a wrong way to overcome challenges. We need a plan, Mr. Speaker, a strategy to lighten the impact of this crisis, to stimulate the economy, to support people who are hurt by the downturn, and to keep people working.

We need to keep investing in infrastructure – roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and public transit – because infrastructure puts people to work in real jobs, building and main- taining real things that we can use. We need to diversify and green our economy. We need to invest in health, education and workforce training, housing, and human services so that no Albertan gets left behind. To do that, we need to cut out all the wasteful and unneces- sary spending and reallocate those dollars to the programs and the priorities that work, to the programs and the priorities that count.

The government of Alberta spends 23 per cent more per capita than the national average, Mr. Speaker, and I think it’s time we had more to show for it. Let’s learn from this. Oil and gas is not stable at any price and will not stay stable at any price. This means we need to start saving our nonrenewable resource revenues when prices are soaring so that we have a cushion when times get tough. It’s the only way we’re ever going to get off the boom-and-bust roller coaster. I know there are some experts who have said that the

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 195 government of Alberta, quite frankly, can’t afford to embark on a savings program this year. I would suggest that they can’t afford not to. Were this a family that we were planning a financial plan for, we would understand that you have to do three things simultaneously. You have to pay your debts, and you have to make those debt payments on time. That’s an obligation you have to your creditors. You have to meet your daily and monthly expenses.

And you have to set aside something for the future for whatever purpose you’re saving for, whether it’s your retirement, your kids’ education, a down payment on a house, whatever. Sometimes when times are tough, when the money is a little bit thin, you can’t save as much as you would like to. You can’t put as much into your retirement plan as your salary would indicate that you could, but you have to put something in there because it’s about getting into the habit as much as anything. We need to get into the savings habit in this province in a way that we never have. Mr.

Speaker, the Holy Cross centre in Mission has been a valued community landmark and health services provider in my constitu- ency for years. This is why the fate of the site remains a top concern of mine as plans proceed to attempt to have it rezoned and perhaps to redevelop the site. I’ve heard from many of you, many of my constituents, who wish to have a continued health care presence in the community, and I agree. The province has invested millions of tax dollars in the Tom Baker cancer centre. The people of Calgary- Currie must see a return on their investment.

They deserve to have the current health care services preserved in any redevelopment plans. Furthermore, with the economy cooling and job losses beginning to mount, the need for affordable housing will continue, and the Holy Cross site is a perf ect candidate to help address this need. On the topic of affordable housing, Mr. Speaker, it’s true that housing prices have started to decline, but a $280,000 condo now is no more affordable to someone on the street or someone without a job, someone without prospects than a $300,000 c ondo was last summer.

We are going to see an increased demand for housing as the economy slows, and we’re going to have to use ever more innovative ways to help the economy recover, I think. It therefore makes sense to preserve construction jobs – and, as my colleague from Edmonton-Gold Bar pointed out a few minutes ago, construc- tion unemployment in this province now tops 9 per cent – and at the same time get people out of the shelter and off the street. So let’s make affordable housing development a moral deed that pays this year. Like most Calgarians I am tired of having our city’s reputation tarnished by reports of gang violence.

That’s why I support initiatives to give law enforcement more of the basics: more cops, tougher penalties, more stringent bail conditions, and passing my colleague the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo’s Bill 201 to allow police to take additional effective action against gangbangers who transport guns in vehicles, whether that happens to be a vehicle they legitimately own or a vehicle they stole from somebody else. In Calgary-Currie we’re also especially interested in cutting gangs off at the source by ensuring that our kids aren’t being recruited into the gangs, recruited by gangbangers.

We need more after school programs, Mr. Speaker. The minister for children’s services gave some statistics in the House earlier today about the number of child care spaces, daycare spaces that have been created. We have made progress on that file. Where we really need to make progress, I believe, in the coming year is in before and after school care. I repeatedly hear from law enforcement and social service workers who tell me that unsupervised youth are the biggest targets for gang recruitment. While mom and dad are at work, our kids need something to occupy their time. Let’s make sure it’s safe and supervised.

About health care, Mr. Speaker. In the 1990s the people of Alberta were told repeatedly that if we made some short-term sacrifices, we would see long-term gains. We are still waiting. Health services were cut, hospitals closed, doctors lost, nurses fired, and now the health minister is telling us to stop whining about the fact that these things haven’t been replaced, these things and these people. Well, if hospitals don’ t get built and if beds don’t get staffed, Albertans don’t get the health care that they deserve for their tax dollars. End of story.

Times are tough enough without having to worry about our health care or that of a loved one. Let’s not burden Albertans with another worry. Let’s continue to invest in health care. Mr. Speaker, to end, I just want to note that it’s good to see legislation in this session that will allow postsecondary institutions in the baccalaureate and applied studies institutions sector to finally apply to be able to name the elephant in the room; that is, to become authorized, on jumping through the necessary hoops, to call themselves what they are, universities, if they wish.

Bill 4 will finally allow the rest of the nation and the rest of the world to recognize Mount Royal, of which many of my constituents are proud to call themselves students, faculty, support staff, alumni, and their families, for what it has already effectively become, an excellent undergraduate university focused on t eaching. It has been a long time coming, and I know my constituents and I look forward to the day when Mount Royal becomes officially Mount Royal University. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Hon. members, Standing Order 29(2)(

a) is available. Then I’ll call on the hon. Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. 3:00 Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you. I’m very happy to be able to stand today to respond to the 2009 throne speech delivered by His Honour Norman Kwong, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. I would like to thank His Honour for his work as our Lieutenant Governor. In the throne speech he read: Alberta is a beautiful and blessed province that has attracted people of courage and determination, dreamers who saw opportunity here.

I wonder if His Honour realized that he was describing himself, a person of courage and determination, a dreamer, an Albertan who saw the opportunity and seized the day. He is an inspiration for all Albertans, one of only a very few that have won both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup. Thank you, Your Honour, for being an inspiration to all Albertans and Canadians. You have shown us that whatever the mind can conceive, the person can achieve. I wonder sometimes if we ever thank our families enough for supporting us in our roles as MLAs.

In many ways it is as if the Crown receives two persons for the price of one as our spouses and significant others support us in the many activities that we undertake to meet and greet our constituents and their concerns. I want to now once again let my family know how much their love and support mean to me. I would not be able to help other people as an MLA or as a minister without their unconditional love. Bob, Jeremy, Amy, Krystin, Amber, Tyler, and my five incredible grandchildren – Taiya, Hannah, Kaden, Camryn, and Morgan – thank you for your love and support. You are the wind beneath my wings.

I would also like to thank the people of Red Deer-North for allowing me to have the privilege of serving them in a fourth term as their MLA, and a special thanks to all the volunteers who have

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009196 stood by my side for the past four elections and nominations. Helen Keller was right when she said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” I came to Red Deer in 1980 thinking that one day I would return to Ontario, the place of my birth. It didn’t take me long to realize that if I was searching for paradise on earth, I had found it. Al- though I believed that Red Deer was paradise, as I have come to know Alberta better, I realize that Red Deer is the centre of paradise. Red Deer is like living in the country in the middle of a city.

The friendly wave from your neighbour or a friendly wave from a complete stranger, a warm smile from the commissionaire as he places another parking ticket on your windshield, and the helping hand of a passerby as he stops to open a door for you tell you that you are in the right place. Nowhere else in Canada can you live only an hour and a half from two NHL teams, two CFL teams, two international airports, and two Jubilee auditoriums and not have to put up with rush hour traffic jams or drive-by shootings.

Although things are changing and the innocence and charm of our city is threatened by increasing criminal activity, I take great comfort in the safe communities program, that will provide a new law enforcement framework that will make it very uncomfortable for gangs and organized crime to grow and prosper in Alberta. Alberta has drawn a line. We have drawn a line not in the shifting sands but in solid rock, in the f oothills of the Rockies and in the fields of wheat and in the cities and in the towns. Albertans will not put their heads in the sand and ignore the signs all around us.

We will take a stand to make our communities strong and safe, for what is the worth of a village that cannot protect its own? The throne speech states that Alberta “is made up of vibrant, inclusive communities, places of opportunity, culture, and belonging where families and children are supported, where the vulnerable are cared for, and where people feel safe.” Fostering strong and sustainable communities includes supporting children and families, helping Albertans through tough times, and supporting seniors and persons with disabilities.

As Minister of Seniors and Community Supports I’m very honoured and humbled to represent seniors and persons with disabilities in Alberta. I would like to thank my very competent and dedicated staff in my office and throughout my ministry, who work so hard to serve seniors and persons with disabilities. I know how important it is for a community to care for its most vulnerable members, and I know that our ministry, with the help of many others, is doing just that. You have all heard the quote that it takes a village to raise a child.

Well, I say to you that it takes a village to raise a child to care for an aging person and to care for a person with disabilities. Together we have a shared responsibility, a shared responsibility between the person, the family, and the village. [Mr. Mitzel in the chair] One shared responsibility of my ministry is to help Albertans to age in the right place. We have f ound through consultations with Albertans through the Demographic Planning Commission, chaired by the very capable MLA for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne, that Albertans want to live in their homes for as long as possible.

One day on my way to my office a gentleman stopped me and told me about his wife of 45 years. He told me that she was showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Then with great passion he said that he would crawl across broken glass to be able to keep her at home. He would look after her and care for her, only he needed some help, and he asked if I could help him. Between the family, the community, and the government we will find a way to help this man love and care for his wife in their home for as long as possible. This is where the new continuing care strategy becomes so important to Albertans.

This new strategy is in response to our Premier’s mandate to improve the quality, improve the supply, and improve client choice in the continuing care system. Improving the continuing care system is a top priority for me, and because of this strategy we will have more community living supports in place so that seniors like the couple that I just spoke about and those with disabilities can receive care in th eir homes, where they are most comfortable, and have a place to go when they need some more help.

Along with the new continuing care strategy our government understands the importance of seniors’ centres in our communities. I’ve had the opportunity to visit many of these centres in Alberta, and I’m very impressed by the number of people who work together to help seniors maintain a good quality of life. In Cold Lake I met a gentleman who told me about moving to this community and going to the seniors’ centre for the first time and sitting alone in the back of the room. Another senior noticed him and asked him what he was doing sitting at the back of the room all by himself.

He said he didn’t know anyone, so she invited him to sit at her table. She asked him if he knew how to dance, and he said, “I can’t remember,” so she got him up to dance and discovered that he was indeed a good dancer. He hasn’t missed a dance since and is always the first one up, encouraging others to get up and dance. I hope he keeps dancing. Being active with other people helps seniors to remain healthy and happy. Health and happiness are both essential elements to a good quality of life.

To further support our shared responsibility, as you heard in the throne speech, we will be presenting updated legislation this session. The Supportive Living Accommodation Licensing Act, sponsored by the very competent MLA for Red Deer-South, introduced as Bill 10, will promote the safety and security of seniors by updating legislation that oversees residential living, lodge living, assisted living, and enhanced assisted living. The act will also continue to require facilities to comply with the accommodation standards. I’ve spoken to many seniors in Alberta who have requested and encour- aged this legislation.

In addition and related to our efforts to increase the supply of supportive living units, we are providing more than $92 million to create more than 870 new units, to modernize 200 units, and to improve seniors’ lodges across Alberta. This funding will provide more options for people to rema in in their communities and have more affordable alternatives. Another piece of legislation that will be brought forward by Seniors and Community Supports during this session is the Protec- tion for Persons in Care Amendment Act.

This legislation will continue to highlight the shared responsibility that we all have within our village by strengthening the existing legislation to ensure the safety of adults receiving care by making it a duty for a person to report abuse. There are also several other initiatives related to our commitment and shared responsibility of assisting both seniors and persons with disabilities within this village known as Alberta. This includes preparing for an aging population.

Did you know that research in the United Kingdom shows that people who prepare a will will live on average 10 more years than those who don’t? This is one good reason for you to prepare a will. That looks after your wishes after you die, and a personal directive takes care of your wishes when you’re not able to speak for yourself and you’re still alive. 3:10 My ministry is promoting personal directives and has developed an online registry, the first of its kind in Canada, to encourage adults to detail their wishes in case they become unable to make personal

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 197 decisions. We will continue to support Albertans with disabilities through programs like the assured income for the severely handi- capped, or AISH, and the persons with developmental disabilities program, or PDD. The Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, chaired by Marlin Styner and the capable MLA from Edmonton-Rutherford as the deputy chair, is a very important connection to the disability community and to the future. I know that we have a long way to go to make our communities more accessible to those with disabilities.

Just last week I had the very humbling experience of needing a wheelchair to get around after I tore a ligament in my knee. Do you know how many places in Alberta do not have universal access? Alt hough I was in the wheelchair for only two days, it became very clear to me that there are many places in Red Deer and Alberta that are not wheelchair accessible. I was forced to cancel a number of a ppointments because I had no way of going up and down stairs. As baby boomers age, we will add to the numbers of those who require universal access just to make a day.

The throne speech states: “It is Alberta’s people that make our province unique: people who are dynamic and genuine, optimistic and open-minded, people who share the freedom to create and the spirit to achieve.” Alberta is all of this and more. Alberta is a big village where people share responsibility with courage and determi- nation, where dreamers see the opportunity and work together to seize the day. Peter Seeger, the American folk singer who wrote Turn! Turn! Turn! , said, “I want to turn the clock back to when people lived in small villages and took care of each other.” I would tell Mr.

Seeger that instead of turning the clock back, all he needs to do is move to Alberta – Alberta – a big village where people live and take care of each other. I am proud to be Albertan. I am proud to be Canadian. As we continue to build this province fo r those who will inherit this land that we love, I hope that we will always remember to dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, and to love with all our hearts. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: Five minutes are available under Standing Order 29(2)(a). Seeing none, the hon. Minister of Education. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, am pleased to have the opportunity to rise today in response to the speech delivered by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor showed considerable emotion in starting his speech and noted that it was his fifth. I can only say in starting a response that we have been well served by this particular Lieutenant Governor and that he has done well for both the institution and office and for the people of Alberta. One year ago today was Alberta’s 27th general election. I was honoured and privileged to be returned to this Assembly for a fourth term by the constituents of Edmonton-Whitemud.

It remains a privilege for me to continue to serve those constituents and all the citizens of Alberta as a member of our Premier’s government. Anniversaries are always an opportune time to reflect, and the past year has certainly provided ample food for thought. The past six months have been particularly difficult for many Albertans as events in the global energy and banking sectors have brought unexpected uncertainty into our homes and businesses.

While today we are concerned about how the economy will impact our families and our neighbours, we must continue to look to the future with the certainty of better times ahead. Now more than ever is the time for faith and foresight as we form that future. A great challenge for Alberta is to ensure that our future is economically and environmentally sustainable. There is no better way to succeed in tackling this challenge than to invest our resource- based wealth into our people so that we become a key part of the global knowledge economy.

A knowledge economy depends not just on the creativity of people but on the facilities, the institutions, the universities and colleges, where knowledge is developed. In recent years Edmonton has become a world-renowned centre for nanotechnology, energy and natural resources technology, diabetes, cardiology, cancer prevention and treatment, and ambula- tory care. Of course, many other parts of Alberta are renowned for what they deliver to the research agenda and the knowledge agenda.

The cutting-edge research conducted at our universities, our community facilities, our businesse s is garnering international acclaim while generating ec onomic spinoffs and reducing our environmental impact while improving the daily lives of Albertans. Of course, continuing to build an economy based on knowledge will not be easy.

We can and must build on our successes – the best schools, world-class universities, a province-wide fibre-optic network, unique endowment funds, and state-of-the-art facilities for medical, science, and engineering research – to ensure that every Albertan has the opportunity to su cceed to the best of his or her abilities. Alberta has a strong record on which to build a better future, but there’s more work to do. In all of this there is one crucial founda- tion, our basic education system. Leading in learning is central to a successful story.

This means making certain that our educational opportunities are second to none, that every child can find his or her passion and grow up to be a caring, contributing, confident member of society. When all Albertans strive together in a shared desire for our children to succeed, we will ensure that our province reaps the benefits of maximizing its human potential.

The timeless promise of education everywhere is to nurture and stimulate, to enrich and fulfill the innate potential in every human being, and that is why we strive to ensure that every child looks on the world with wonder, is fascinated by constant surprises, and is challenged and uplifted by the search for truth in all things. That’s why our schools must be places of delight and dedication, diversity and depth, places of dignity and vitality in which we can gather and celebrate, aspire and achieve. Yet education is not solely about what happens in schools. It infuses and informs the whole of life.

It is about preparing each student for life as a citizen, teaching them to appreciate their entitlements, capita lize on their opportun ities, and fulfill their responsibilities. Instilling hope, respect, dignity, and humility in our young people is thus a task that cannot be undertaken solely by educators. The entire community must actively contribute. Mr. Speaker, education exists not just for the child but for the community. Every Albertan has a stake in what happens in our schools today.

Years from now the toddler you passed on the street today may be the nurse caring for you in a hospital, the youngster ahead of you in line at a grocery store may be the police officer keeping your community safe, and the teenager who helps you with your computer may employ you at the next big Alberta company. Education does not become any less important when our children and our grandchildren graduate from school. It is a never-ending and noble task for only through education do we bolster the shared bonds of community and citizenship.

Our province is unique because of the content of our characters and the sense of purpose of our souls. It is therefore imperative that our children learn to honour our heritage and dedicate themselves to the future. Only in an education system that is open to all Albertans regardless of gender, race, religion, class, or geography can our

Alberta Hansard March 3, 2009198 students come to appreciate the value of diversity and to learn to make judgments about things that truly matter. People come to Alberta from all over the world because of the opportunities that are available here, especially in our schools. That is why it’s essential that every person has the opportunity they need to learn, adapt, and develop new knowledge and new skills, and it makes it absolutely critical that those learning opportunities are high quality, accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all Albertans. 3:20 Mr.

Speaker, the Lieutenant Governor said, “The freedom to create our own future and achieve our dreams so often rests on our enthusiasm for education.” To this end we’ve undertaken a project called Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans, ably chaired by the Member for Athabasca-Redwater and an Edmonton school- teacher, Brent McDonough, a former U of A senator. We undertake this effort not because there is anything wrong with our sc hools. Indeed, education is one of those things of which Albertans can be rightfully proud.

People come to Alberta from all over the world to see our school infrastructure and to observe how our children learn. International tests often place Alberta as one of the top five educa- tion systems in the world. Clearly, the hard work of students, teachers, parents, administrators in our sc hool commun ities are deserving of celebration. However, new times demand new approaches, and the time has come to establish what educational excellence looks like in the next part of the 21st century.

Inspiring Education is both a process and a product, an invigora- tion of learning in our province and a legacy to leave to the next generation. We seek to renew public appreciation for the value and importance of education in Albertans’ lives and to build understand- ing of how education is increasingly the basis of a prosperous society and economy.

We must develop a broadly accepted and clear understanding of what it will mean to be an educated Albertan 20 years from now, and we must look beyond our immediate needs and interests to develop a policy framework which describes the overall direction, principles, and long-term goals for education in Alberta over the next two decades. Mr. Speaker, by reaching out to Albertans to explore their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for their children, we will ensure that education enables every one of our citizens to face the future with confidence.

We will know that we have succeeded when our children are inspired to be imaginative, inventive, inquiring, inclusive, informed, independent, and industrious. With education Albertans will continue to have the freedom to create and the spirit to achieve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Acting Speaker: Under Standing Order 29(2)(

a) five minutes are available. The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity under Standing Order 29(2)(a). Mr. Chase: Thank you very much. Earlier during question period the hon. Minister of Education suggested that this past summer, when sod was being turned for a P3 school in southeast Calgary, I was potentially wearing earmuffs and blinders because I confused the Babcock & Brown financing. I would just ask the minister: was I wearing earmuffs and, potentially, blinders during the Speech from the Throne? I don’t recall having heard any reference about full-day funding for kindergarten.

I don’t r ecall hearing any reference to funding for half-day junior kindergarten. I don’t r ecall any refer- ences being made to catching up on defrayed infrastructure for schools. The Calgary public board of education, for example, is $630 million behind. If I was in fact missing these points, as I obviously did in the summer, were these ideas mentioned in the Speech from the Throne? Was there any mention, Minister, of getting rid of the publication of achievement test scores? Could you please clarify if I somehow missed those points in the throne speech? Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr.

Speaker, as has been just said to me, there is absolutely no way to tell how many ideas this fellow has missed. But, in fact, if the Speech from the Throne was simply a litany of programs and things to be done, if that’s all that was in the Speech from the Throne, the true meaning of a Speech from the Throne, in my view, would be missed. The Lieutenant Governor when he delivers the Speech from the Throne, yes, talks about the agenda for the next year, but what he’s really talking about are our hopes and dreams for the future of the province.

In Inspiring Education, which was mentioned by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, he truly encompassed the things that we need to do to plan that future for the children of this province to make sure that they get the kind of education that they need. The hon. member can list all of the issues, and certainly there are issues in education. No one is denying that there are things that need to be done. Notwithstanding the comment from Red Deer-North earlier, Alberta, although a wonderful pl ace, is not necessarily a perfect place. There are things that we can do to make it better.

There are things that we can do to make education today better. But what I was addressing my remarks to was about making sure that as we move forward into tomorrow, we understand what the world of tomorrow for our children is going to be like and what things we need to do to make sure that our children and our grandchildren can live here and work here and enjoy the environment here, the place that we’ve come to know and love. The fact of the matter is, Mr.

Speaker, that I was at a conference in London, England, with 65 ministers of education from around the world, one of the few subnational ministers of education there, and it was very affirming because those ministers of education were aspiring to have what we have in Alberta: wide broad-band connec- tivity for all of our schools, good curriculum, strong teaching, those things which make the education system strong. Do they have challenges as we have challenges of keeping up with the school infrastructure? Absolutely. Are there more things that we could do on a day-to-day basis? Absolutely .

Do we need to work more on early childhood and addressing issues, identifying concerns? Absolutely. But we’ve got a pretty great place, and we’re going to make it even better. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you. When you were in England attending the conference with the 65 ministers, did they mention a program where children who scored very poorly in standardized achievement tests in Britain received grants of £9,000 apiece, each school, to raise the level of the children who were having such difficulties with testing as opposed to simply publishing their test scores?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, in terms of publishing their test scores, I would have to say this: the government of Alberta does not publish children’s test scores. We have a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which allows people to get access to information, and members opposite, including that member, routinely ask us to give out more information. Well, one of the pieces of information that we, unfortunately, have to give out are the test scores, and then the Fraser Institute publishes them and ranks schools. But I routinely say, when asked, that those reports ranking

March 3, 2009 Alberta Hansard 199 the schools is a wrong use of the data, inappropriate use of the data, and I will continue to say that. I will say in response to his other question, about what I learned, that I learned a lot about things we could do, things that we could do better. In fact, I had the opportunity to go up to Sheffield in England – and I know you’re wanting me to wrap up. They’re rebuilding their secondary system, and in doing so, they’re mandating wrap- around services. There’s a thing we could learn from them. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere. Mr.

Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an honour today to rise on behalf of the constituents of Airdrie-Chestermere and respond to the Sp eech from the Throne. It really has been a very interesting first year and a very memorable first year. I learn lots every day from my constituents, and it’s been an honour to serve with the members from this House. Mr. Speaker, these are sobering times. Today Albertans and the rest of the world are experiencing feelings of great anxiety and feelings of unease at the state of the world’s economy.

Jobs are being lost, and incomes are tightening, and a mountain of consumer and government debt is piling up. I know that many Albertans, including many of my own constituents, are hurting, and many more are worrying that they or their loved ones might become the next casualty of this economic downturn. However, we must not allow undue pessimism or negative thoughts to become self-fulfilling prophecy. As Albertans we must do what we have done in times before: we must stand up, we must get to work, and we must turn these daunting challenges into opportunities.

It is these opportuni- ties that I wish to address today. The hardships we face present us with a chance, I think, to refocus, to replan, to set goals, and to aspire to new achievements. As government revenues shrink, we as a fiscally conservative province should re-examine the ways in which we deliver core services to Albertans. Throwing around more money and regulation at tired and antiquated ways of delivering health care, education, and infrastructure will not solve our problems.

Rather, we must without preconception, as we are doing in these areas right now, learn of the best and most innovative practices from around the world and have the courage to implement them. Similarly, crippling our resource-based economy with overregula- tion and wealth redistribution schemes will do nothing to help the world’s environment and certainly will not stimulate an economic recovery.

As our Premier has indicated, committing Albertans’ hard-earned money to an international trading scheme run by the same kinds of geniuses that brought us the credit crisis and subprime mortgage meltdown is simply not a sensible course of action. Rather, the key to dealing with our environmental challenges will be found in new i nnovation and new tec hnology. It’s funny.

Where many critics see the oil sands as a threat to our world’s environment, Albertans see the potential wealth and technology derived from the oil sands as the very solution to the environmental challenges the world faces. 3:30 It is this sort of innovative thinking and leadership that has made Alberta today one of the best positioned jurisdictions in the world to successfully weather the current economic storm. We have in times turned challenges into opportunities, and we need to do so again.

For example, in the recession and commodities bust of the early 1990s, while governments in this country and around the world increased spending, increased taxes, and built up debt, Alberta took a very unique and decidedly different approach. The Progressive Conservatives under then Premier Ralph Klein curbed spending, lowered taxes, and began implementing a plan to pay down the provincial debt. The result: the economy recovered and a prolonged boom ensued. But our party did not stop there. Our government stuck to the plan to pay off the debt and paid off the entire balance.

It also invested close to $14 billion in our rainy day sustainability fund and capital account for exactly this sort of economic downturn. In short, Albertans and we as their government made the fiscally prudent and innovative decisions n ecessary to place ourselves in the enviable position we find ourselves in today. We turned a fiscal downturn into an opportunity to become better fiscal stewards for the long term. Now, not everything was handled perfectly, obviously. First, it is safe to say that some core programs were cut too deeply.

It is likely that almost the same cost-cutting could have occurred without so much pain had the cuts been better planned and focused. Our current Premier has made it clear that he will take a more prudent and measured approach during the current downturn. Second – and this is a problem that I believe we’re still facing today – is the issue of bringing government spending under control and to do so permanently. This is the key to the long-term success of our province, and it is this opportunity that we have before us today.

That is why I will be urging our government to legislatively limit overall government spending to the rate of inflation plus real GDP growth. This type of legislation has several advantages. It ensures that spending does not get out of control, while providing the funds necessary for continued strong core social programs. In fact, if former Prime Minister Paul Martin had kept his promise while then Finance minister in 2000 to cap government spending to the rate of inflation plus growth, the federal government would be expecting a surplus this year rather than a $34 billion deficit.

In Alberta, where our total provincial spending has increased 140 per cent since 1996, it is clear that had we institute d adequate spending controls, we would be announcing surpluses even during this world-wide recession and corresponding low oil and gas prices.

Another advantage to spending control is that it would provide clear benchmarks and have the effect of curtailing the size and scope of government bureaucracy as departments look for innovative ways to provide more efficient and better services by reallocating existing funding rather than simply asking for more funding while outdated and wasteful programs linger on. Most importantly, though, this type of legislation could act as a cornerstone of a new, long-term financial plan for Alberta.

By controlling spending in this way, it will only take a few short years of modest growth and commodity price recovery for our provincial revenues to greatly outstrip expenditures. This would allow us to grow the heritage fund substantially by investing unbudgeted surpluses therein, and as the fund grows over time, the annual interest returns from the fund would eventually eliminate our reliance on oil and gas revenues, which are both volatile and nonrenewable. This sort of forward thinking will save our children and grandchil- dren from having to either substantially raise taxes or cut core social programs.

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful gift to our children and to our grandchildren if by enacting such a plan, we turn what was once a sea of nonrenewable oil and gas revenue into a mountain of permanent investment capital compounding with interest each and every year? From that point the possibilities are endless. We could grow the heritage fund further for the purposes of substantially lowering income taxes. We could invest in infrastructure, health care, education, and other co

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20090303
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L27 S2 20090303 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	e16c709a43b69ccc283c5f330f0b56e060d0bdc3

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