Alberta Hansard — 7 March 2012, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 27, Session 5)

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Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Fifth Session Alberta Hansard Wednesday, March 7, 2012 Issue 13 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Fifth Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Zwozdesky, Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC) Allred, Ken, St. Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (W), Wildrose Opposition House Leader Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Hon. Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC) Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Hon.

Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC) Blackett, Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC) Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Official Opposition Deputy Leader, Official Opposition House Leader Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (

W) Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Government Whip Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (AL) Dallas, Hon. Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St. Paul (PC) DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Hon.

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

Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC) Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Hinman, Paul, Calgary-Glenmore (W), Wildrose Opposition Deputy Leader Horne, Hon. Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC) Jablonski, Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC) Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Johnson, Hon. Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL), Official Opposition Whip Klimchuk, Hon.

Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC) Knight, Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC) Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC) Lindsay, Fred, Stony Plain (PC) Lukaszuk, Hon. Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC) Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND), Leader of the ND Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Hon. Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC) Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat (PC) Morton, Hon.

F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC) Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (ND), ND Opposition House Leader Oberle, Hon. Frank, Peace River (PC) O lson, Hon. Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Ouellette, Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC) Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (PC) Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Hon.

Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Premier Renner, Rob, Medicine Hat (PC) Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC) Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (AL) Leader of the Official Opposition Snelgrove, Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (Ind) Stelmach, Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC) Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL) Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL), Official Opposition Deputy Whip Tarchuk, Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC) Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AB) VanderBurg, Hon.

George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Hon. Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC), Deputy Government House Leader Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC) Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) Party standings: Progressive Conservative: 67 Alberta Liberal: 8 Wildrose: 4 New Democrat: 2 Alberta: 1 Independent: 1 Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly W.J. David McNeil, Clerk Robert H.

Reynolds, QC, Law Clerk/ Director of Interparliamentary Relations Shannon Dean, Senior Parliamentary Counsel/Director of House Services Stephanie LeBlanc, Parliamentary Counsel & Legal Research Officer Philip Massolin, Committee Research Co-ordinator Brian G. Hodgson, Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Caughell, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon H. Munk, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Liz Sim, Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard

Executive Council Alison Redford Premier, President of Executive Council, Chair of Agenda and Priorities Committee Doug Horner Deputy Premier, President of Treasury Board and Enterprise Dave Hancock Minister of Human Services Ted Morton Minister of Energy Verlyn Olson Minister of Justice and Attorney General Fred Horne Minister of Health and Wellness Ron Liepert Minister of Finance Thomas Lukaszuk Minister of Education, Political Minister for Edmonton Diana McQueen Minister of Environment and Water Jonathan Denis Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Cal Dallas Minister of Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations, Political Minister for Central Alberta Evan Berger Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Political Minister for Southern Alberta Frank Oberle Minister of Sustainable Resource Development George VanderBurg Minister of Seniors Ray Danyluk Minister of Transportation Jeff Johnson Minister of Infrastructure, Political Minister for Northern Alberta Doug Griffiths Minister of Municipal Affairs Greg Weadick Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Jack Hayden Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Heather Klimchuk Minister of Culture and Community Services Manmeet Singh Bhullar Minister of Service Alberta, Political Minister for Calgary Parliamentary Assistants Naresh Bhardwaj Health and Wellness Alana DeLong Seniors Arno Doerksen Human Services Kyle Fawcett Treasury Board and Enterprise Art Johnston Executive Council Barry McFarland Agriculture and Rural Development Len Mitzel Transportation Dave Rodney Health and Wellness David Xiao Energy

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Chair: Ms Tarchuk Deputy Chair: Mr. Elniski Anderson DeLong Groeneveld Johnston MacDonald Quest Taft Standing Committee on Community Development Chair: Mrs. Jablonski Deputy Chair: Mr. Chase Amery Blakeman Boutilier Calahasen Goudreau Groeneveld Lindsay Snelgrove Taylor Vandermeer Standing Committee on Education Chair: Ms Pastoor Deputy Chair: Mr. Hehr Anderson Benito Brown Cao Chase Leskiw Marz Notley Sarich Tarchuk Standing Committee on Energy Chair: Mrs.

Ady Deputy Chair: Ms Blakeman Hehr Hinman Jacobs Johnston Lund Mason McFarland Ouellette Webber Xiao Standing Committee on Finance Chair: Mr. Renner Deputy Chair: Mr. Kang Allred Anderson Drysdale Fawcett Knight Mitzel Prins Sandhu Taft Taylor Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Chair: Mr. Blackett Deputy Chair: Mr. Lund Blakeman Brown Evans Hinman Lindsay MacDonald Marz Notley Ouellette Quest Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Chair: Mr. Kowalski Deputy Chair: Mr. Campbell Amery Anderson Elniski Evans Hehr Knight Leskiw MacDonald Mason Rogers Standing Committee on Private Bills Chair: Dr.

Brown Deputy Chair: Ms Woo-Paw Allred Benito Boutilier Calahasen Doerksen Drysdale Evans Groeneveld Hinman Jacobs Kang Knight Lindsay McFarland Sandhu Sarich Snelgrove Swann Xiao Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Chair: Mr. Prins Deputy Chair: Mr. Snelgrove Amery Boutilier Calahasen DeLong Doerksen Forsyth Jacobs Knight Leskiw McFarland Mitzel Notley Pastoor Quest Stelmach Swann Tarchuk Taylor Zwozdesky Standing Committee on Public Accounts Chair: Mr. MacDonald Deputy Chair: Mr.

Goudreau Allred Benito Calahasen Chase Elniski Fawcett Forsyth Groeneveld Kang Mason Rodney Sandhu Vandermeer Woo-Paw Xiao Standing Committee on Public Health and Safety Chair: Mrs. Fritz Deputy Chair: Dr. Taft Bhardwaj Blackett DeLong Doerksen Forsyth Notley Rodney Rogers Swann Woo-Paw

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 355 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, 2012 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker Let us pray. We give thanks for the bounty of our province, our land, our resources, and our peop le. We pledge ourselves to act as good stewards on behalf of all Albertans. Amen. : Good afternoon. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Environment and Water. Mrs. McQueen My second introduction, Mr. Speaker.

I am so proud to rise today to introduce to you and through you one of my incredible staff members in the office, Rhonda DaSilva. I have to tell you what an honour it has been to have Rhonda in our office working with me for the past five months. Yesterday Rhonda passed a very special milestone, 25 years with the government of Alberta. Rhonda has worked in a variety of capacities at the Legislature throughout the years, ranging from the Premier’s correspondence to serving as a legislative assistant, assisting committee chairs, working with the former minister, Greg Melchin, and with the former minister and hon.

Member for Medicine Hat. Rhonda has been such an incredible part of our team. We are so proud to have her in our office. I’d like her to rise and get the extreme gratitude of this House for incredible years of service. : Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two introductions today. First, it is an honour for me to rise and introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly some outstanding grade 6 students, teaching staff, and parents from Alder Flats elementary school in my constituency. This is the first half of their group. The others will be joining us tomorrow.

They are here in Edmonton participating in the School at the Legislature program. I am so proud to have our guests here today, and I would ask them all to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. Mr. Marz: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure for me to introduce to you and through you today 48 visitors in all, 41 students from the great Deer Meadow school in Olds. They are seated in the public gallery, behind me. I might say that they have my back today. They are accompanied by teachers Mr.

Greig Connolly, Ms Julia Robinson, Mrs. Joan Atkinson, and parent helper Mrs. Sandra Leatherdale. I’d ask them to rise and receive the warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Rocky Mountain House. Mr. Lund: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure for me to introduce to you and through you to members of the Assembly some 23 very bright grade 5 and 6 students from the Christian school in Rocky Mountain House. They are accompanied today by their teacher, Mrs. Van’t Bosch; assistant, Mrs. Piers; and parent helpers Mr. Harrold, Mrs. deRaadt, Mrs. VanderMeer, Mrs. VanGinkel, and Mrs.

Klooster. I would ask them to now rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour for me to rise today and introduce to you and through you 54 students from Meyonohk elementary school in my constituency of Edmonton-Ellerslie. I ha d the pleasure of meeting these students just before the question period as part of their tour of the Legislature. In speaking with them, I’m assured that the future is in very good hands. They are accompanied today by five teachers – Mrs. Sylvester, Mr.

F airfield, Mr. Xu, Miss Kat, and Miss Houlgrave – as well as three parent volunteers: Ms Hanson, Mrs. Goldthorpe, and Ms Mosher. At this time I would ask all of my guests to please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Culture and Community Services. Mrs. Klimchuk It’s my pleasure to introduce Kirk De Fazio, president and CEO of Alberta Special Olympics, and Dan MacLennan, chair of the Games Organizing Committee fo r the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. They are seated in the members’ gallery.

I’d like them to rise and receive the welcome. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to be able to rise to introduce to you and through you two very noteworthy individuals. These two gentlemen have worked incredibly hard to help pull off a wonderful event that took place February 28 to March 3 in our province, the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. Our province had the honour of hosting this event this year, and without the dedication of people like my guests and hundreds of volunteers it would not have been the success it was.

There’ll be more in a member’s statement later. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker Special Olympics Canada Winter Games : The hon. Member for West Yellowhead. Mr. Campbell Over five days 651 athletes competed in alpine and cross - country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing, and speed skating. These games were a qualifying competition for the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea. There were cheers, hugs at the finish line, medal ceremonies, and an impressive spectacle at the opening and closing of the games.

No less imp ortant was a sense of opportunity, achievement, and pure joy that prevailed among athletes, coaches, team staff, and family and friends. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, from February 28 through March 3, Alberta hosted the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. Events were held in St. Albert and Jasper. It was the first time these two communities had the privilege of hosting Spec ial Olympics winter athletes from across Canada. The province of Alberta was a proud presenting partner of the games. Mr. Speaker, one of the major effects of any type of disability can be social isolation.

Any event that highlights the strengths and capabilities of individuals with disabilities is something Alberta promotes and encourages. The Special Olympics movement has made a big difference in making our society more inclusive of all citizens. This was evident in St. Albert and Jasp er, where the red carpet was rolled out for the games. In the two communities nearly 800 people stepped up to volunteer their time to make the games a success.

356 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 One small but telling example of the priceless social benefit of the games happened in St. Albert. After the last floor hockey event an unofficial pickup game took place between the St. Albert high school students who built the rinks and the Special Olympics floor hockey team from St. Albert. Not so long ago these people might have never met, certai nly not as equals on the field of play, but there they were, spontaneously enjoying themselves, living the lessons that our society has learned. This is the legacy of the Special Olympics, Mr.

Speaker, one that Alberta is proud to have supported and shared last week. Finally, I’d like to congratulate the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers for their hard work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo Integrity in Government . Mr. Boutilier I’ve seen a lot over the years but nothing quite like the culture of corruption that has taken hold of this PC government. It’s why I’m now on this side of the House. I’ve always been proud to stand up for my constituents.

That’s what I think we’re all elected to do, and deep down I think that everyone in here would like to do that, but that’s not allowed over there. : Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour and a privilege for me to rise and say how proud I am to serve the community of Fort McMurray both in this House and as the former mayor and councillor. I was kicked out for standing up for seniors, for doing exactly what MLAs are elected to do. My colleague from Airdrie- Chestermere and my colleague from Calgary-Fish Creek walked away from this government because th ey could no longer stand the smell.

The former Treasury Board president, now the independent Member for Vermilion-Lloydminster, got sick when the Premier used hard -earned Alberta tax dollars for a $70,000 pre-election junket at the Jasper Park Lodge. School boards, municipal politicians, and doctors are now all coming forward and calling this government out for its culture of bullying, intimidation, and corruption. Mr. Speaker, a government that is only interested in power will do anything to try to keep it. That’s what Betty Turpin, the superintendent of the Holy Family Catholic school division, experienced when she spoke up for school children.

That’s what the AUMA president, Linda Sloan, experi - enced when she told the truth about this government’s pork-barrel politics and intimidation of doctors, and that’s what Linda Slocombe and the Alberta Medical Association is protesting right now. It all points to a culture of corruption, Mr. Speaker. The Premier said things would change, but the tone hasn’t. The Speaker 1:40 Provincial Fiscal Policy : The hon. Member for Strathcona. Mr. Quest Mr. Speaker, this is no coincidence.

This government has created an economic climate where investors are willing to risk their capital, where businesses want to expand, and where people from around the world want to locate. For one, it’s Alberta tax advantage that is a significant component of this success. Albertans and Alberta businesses continue to enjoy the lowest overall tax b urden of all the provinces. Albertans and Alberta businesses pay the lowest income taxes in the country, the lowest fuel tax, no payroll tax, no capital tax, and no provincial sales tax.

This low tax environment has spurred activity across this province, which is contributing to the revenue that funds the services that Albertans expect. Additionally, Budget 2012 projects a balanced budget next fiscal year and forecasts a surplus of $5.2 billion for 2014-15. : Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a more positive note, today more than ever I am proud to be an Albertan. Everywhere you look, people are working, earning a living, and contributing to Alberta’s success. In fact, Alberta is leading this country in economic growth.

Alberta accounted for about half of all the new jobs created in Canada over the past year and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, at 4.9 per cent. Furthermore, Albertans continue to earn the highest wages in the country, almost 20 per cent above the national average. While the opposition speak gloom and doom about A lberta’s prospects, Albertans know for themselves that today’s Alberta is one where they can fulfill their dreams and look to the future, knowing that under the sound economic planning of this government, Alberta’s best days are yet to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Nose Hill Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie . Dr. Brown Au cours des derniers jours plusieurs communautés à travers notre province ont organisé des levers de drapeaux à l’occasion des Rendez-vous de la Francophonie.

Alors que nous hissons le drapeau franco -albertain à côté du drapeau albertain, j’encouragerais tous les Albertains à réfléchir au rôle important que la communauté francophone joue dans notre province. : M. le Président, aujourd’hui je me lève à l’Assemblée pour souligner le début des Rendez -vous de la Francophonie, une célébration nationale de la culture, de la langue, et du patrimoine français qui se déroulera du 9 au 25 mars.

Établis en 1999, les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie témoignent des importantes contributions de 9.5 millions de Canadiens francophones et font la promotion des liens étroits qui existent entre les communautés francophones et les autres groupes sociaux au Canada.

Avec plus de 225,000 résidents qui parlent français, incluant notre Première ministre, la francophonie albertaine représente un groupe fort qui se tient ensemble et qui continue de croître, et des événements comme les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie nous aident à rappeler le rôle important que les francophones jouent dans notre société et leurs contributions à notre histoire et à notre croissance continue. Dans les semaines qui suivront, je souhaite à tous les francophones des bonnes célébrations. Merci. [Translation] Mr.

Speaker, I rise in the Assembly today to recognize the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, a national celebration of French culture, language, and history that runs from March 9 to March 25. Established in 1999, the Rendez -vous de la Francophonie reflects the important contribution of Canada’s 9.5 million francophones and promotes strong ties between francophone communities and other social groups within Canada. Over the past few days communities across our province hosted flag-raising ceremonies to kick off Rendez-vous activities.

As we fly the Franco-Albertan flag alongside Alberta’s flag, I encourage all Albertans to reflect on the important role Alberta’s franco - phone community plays in our province. With more than 225,000 French -speaking residents, including our Premier herself, Alberta’s Francophonie is a strong, close -knit group that continues to grow, and events like the Rendez -vous de la Francophonie serve to remind us of the important role French- speaking individuals play in our society and their contributions to our history and continued growth.

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 357 I want to wish all French -speaking individuals de bonnes célébrations in the coming weeks ahead. Thank you. [As submitted] The Speaker cSPACE Projects : The hon. Member for Calgary-MacKay. Ms Woo-Paw Creative reuse of school facilities for the expansion of the arts benefits our community in immeasurable ways, Mr. Speaker. It will preserve a historical sandstone school. It will ensure that more affordable workplaces exist for artists to create, rehearse, produce, and collaborate, enhancing cultural vibrancy in our city and our province. : Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today I’m please d to stand and speak about a creative initiative for and with Calgary’s creative sector. The project is the result of an innovative partnership between the Calgary Foundation and Calgary Arts Development, who together purchased King Edward school, a distinctive heritage building, from the Calgary board of education for cSPACE Projects, founded as a nonprofit real estate enterprise dedicated to developing a network of multidisciplinary creative workspaces across the city of Calgary. As H.L. Mencken said: “The artist is not a reporter, but a Great Teacher.

It is not his business to depict the world as it is, but as it ought to be.” If artists are teachers, it is only fittin g that many of them will soon be walking the halls of the King Edward school building. I truly believe that nurturing the arts in our communities is fundamental to the educational and social development of our citizens as well as the cultural and spiritual well-being of our society. I eagerly anticipate the transformation of this school into an exciting arts hub.

I would also like to highlight to the House that this project would not have been possible without the support of the municipal sustainability in itiative, which enabled the city of Calgary to invest $5 million in support of this project. Our government is proud of the investments we are making in our cities, and I hope to see many more projects like this in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Vermilion-Lloydminster Level of Debate on Health Services . Mr. Snelgrove Mr.

Speaker, I don’t think anyone has ever been elected to this House that didn’t come here with the best of intentions, trying to do better for the health care system from every party that’s in here, and I think Albertans expect from us the respect that they’ve shown us in electing us. I would say to those who use the challenges that face health care that those with all the answers don’t fully understand the questions. That’s the way it is. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to make a plea to our colleagues in this House to return the debate on health care to the civil discourse that it needs to enjoy.

It’s the most important issue that any of us will deal with in our lifetime here and in our private lives. We’ve let it become a political football that serves no purpose. The questions and responses are unbecoming, in my opinion, of what needs to happen. It is also a little troubling to me when you have an association like the AMA, who complains about political interference, take out an ad a week before an election and pretend that that’s somehow not political. I would ask all those who have the interest to get politically involved in health care to take a pill. Let the people who can deal with it deal with it.

It’s a very good health care system in Alber ta. It can be better, and it will be, but it won’t be if we treat it like a second-rate issue in here. head: Notices of Motions The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Hancock

Be it resolved that : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to give oral notice of a motion, which I hope the House will deal with tomorrow pursuant to a memo that you had sent to all House leaders:

(1) Mr. Rick Hansen be invited to the floor of this Chamber to address the Legislative Assembly on Monday, March 12, 2012;

(2) This address be the first item of business after the singing of O Canada; and

(3) The ordinary business of the Assembly resume upon the conclusion of Mr. Hansen’s address; and be it further resolved that Mr. Hansen’s address become part of the permanent records of the Assembly. I trust we’ll be able to deal with the motion in the House tomorrow. head: Introduction of Bills The Speaker Bill 204 Land Statutes (Abolition of Adverse Possession) Amendment Act, 2012 : The hon. Member for St. Albert. Mr. Allred Bill 204 would abolish from Alberta legislation all mention of the common law doctrine of adverse possession.

This bill purports that the doctrine of adverse possession, often known as squatters’ rights, is an outdated law that is arguably incompatible with the land tenure system in the province of Alberta. Abolishing adverse possession would assure Alberta landowners that they will not be at risk of losing land to a neighbour who has accidentally or intentionally been trespassing on their property. Alberta is the only Torrens jurisdiction of land registration in Canada that still recognizes the doctrine of adverse possession. Therefore, Mr.

Speaker, Bill 204 seeks to remove outdated legislation, helping to ensure Alberta’s laws are current and effective. : Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce Bill 204, the Land Statutes (Abolition of Adverse Possession) Amendment Act, 2012. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Motion carried; Bill 204 read a first time] 1:50 head: Oral Question Period The Speaker Advocacy to Government : First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At Monday’s press conference the Premier spoke about the Member for Dunvegan- Central Peace’s threatening letter to a local school superintendent. The Premier said, “If I have asked anyone who is a member of my caucus to take on any sort of leadership responsibility, I want their approach [to what they are doing] to reflect my values.” To the Minister of Education: when you scolded the Holy Family school division because you didn’t like their video showing the truth

358 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 about the desperate conditions of the rundown school in Grimshaw, did that reflect the Premier’s values? Mr. Lukaszuk: I don’t know, Mr. Speaker, what province the Leader of the Opposition is in that he thinks that I scolded anybody. As a matter of fact, the school board has produced a video. I have indicated to th e school board that instead of producing a video, just invite me to the school. They have, actually, and I visited the school. I crawled underneath the gym basement and went into every nook and cranny of that school that you can find. That’s how we do business.

School boards invite me, I show up, and we work in collaboration. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, it was that $7,000 video and a scolding that was required for the government to look at the school. To the Minister of Municipa l Affairs: when you scolded and bullied the AUMA president, Linda Sloan, and threatened to have the entire government caucus boycott the AUMA breakfast because you didn’t like something she said, did that also reflect the Premier’s values? Mr. Griffiths: Mr.

Speaker, the Premier’s values have always been one of working in collaboration, not working on issues through the media or making insi nuations that are completely inappropriate and incredibly inaccurate. We’ve always taken criticism on the budget or any othe r issue. But making slanderous accusations that aren’t founded or warranted in any way, shape, or form: that’s not the way we operate. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, only in this Legislature do facts become insinuations. To the Minister of Finance. Another fact.

When you yelled profanities at Airdrie Alderman Allan Hunter at a public meeting because you didn’t like the question that he asked you, did your rude and offensive behaviour reflect this Premier’s values? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I don’t recall this member being at the meeting. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, a non answer is the only answer they can give. Judicial Inquiry into Health Services Dr. Sherman: Thank you.

Everybody knows that we have among the best health care staff in the world, and once patients get into their hands, it’s great care. Everybody also knows that we urgently need a fully independent judicial inquiry into why our health care system is broken, who broke it, and which politicians are responsible for the bullying of doctors and political interference. The Premier knows it. She promised it. The backroom puppet masters made her back down; anot her blunder. To the Minister of Health and Wellness.

Now that the AMA has taken out a full-page ad slamming the Premier for breaking her promise to include bullying of doctors in an inquiry, tell me: why do you continue to disrespect Alberta’s doctors? Why, Minister? Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, this province and this government have a very proud tradition of not only respecting but working collaboratively with our physic ians, a history that includes a trilateral master agreement that had eight years’ duration, a history that includes an agreement that saw the beginning of primary care networks, now numbering over 40, across the province.

This government does respect doctors. This government is working with doctors. This government is not using our doctors as a political football in this Assembly. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, given that we’re on the planet Earth, I’m not sure which planet this minister is on. The Health Quality Council clearly stated that there’s a culture of fear and intimidation and found “bureaucratic and political interference” in our health system.

Could the Minister of Health and Wellness please enlighten this House as to where the polit ical interference comes from and why those guilty of this political interference should neither be investigated nor face consequences? These are bullies. Mr. Horne: Well, Mr. Speaker, I won’t take the House’s time by responding to mischaracterizations of the Health Quality Council report offered by the hon. member. Th e fact of the matter is that the Health Quality Council investigated these allegations thoroughly. They provided a seri es of recommendations, which the government has accepted, to address that issue.

What this government is interested in and what Albertans are interested in is action on those recommendations to improve the culture in which all health professionals practise. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, I can’t believe the minister just stood up and said that what the Health Quality Council said was a mischaracterization. Again to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Perhaps it would be better to ask you this. Have you kept the issues of doctor intimidation and political interference out of the judicial inquiry into health care because you and the Member for Calgary-West are too terrified to testify?

Come on, Minister. Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, what I find remarkable, as a matter of fact, is the fact that this hon. member, who a little over a week ago dismissed the Health Quality Council report as a whitewash, has the audacity to stand in front of his colleagues today, attempt to cite the report using his own word s and characterizations, and cite it as a basis for further action. The government has accepted the recommendations. We accept the findings for what they are, and we’re prepared to move forward along with our doctors and other health professionals. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question.

The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, the government’s handling of the report is an absolute whitewash. Provincial Budget Advertisement Dr. Sherman: Well, Mr . Speaker, the blunders just keep coming. The PC scandal of the day: we had Donationgate; now we have Adgate. With an election call merely days or weeks away the government is ripping off Albertans to the tune of $425,000 by wasting it on pre-election camp aign ads.

Scott Hennig of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called this ad, quote, bad in general and horribly insulting, unquote, while the Deputy Premier says that it’s not about shamele ss self-promotion at all. Yeah, right. To the Finance minister. Ta lk about rude and offensive. Why do you continue to insult the intelligence . . . The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, when the President of the Treasury Board and I travelled this province in the fall, what Albertans told

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 359 us was that they wanted to know more about what the budget would contain. They wanted to have input. They wanted to know if they were listened to. What we are doing is ensuring that Albertans understand what’s in the budget, because what we hear from the opposition is clearly not what’s in the budget. The one way we have to communicate is directly with Albertans, not through the media, not through the opposition. That’s why we are undertaking a campaign to ensure that Albertans fully understand what is in this budget. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. To the Minister of Finance, one of the ones who broke the health system: given that, as you may be aware, the budget has not even passed yet, a budget you can’t balance because you broke health care – although the good Lord knows this government has the votes to pass it on that side – just whose votes are you trying to buy with this $425,000 ad campaign mere weeks or days before an election? Mr.

Liepert You know, it’s very interesting to hear this member because we heard this member earlier in this House making a whole bunch of allegations that the Health Quality Council found were inappropriate and outright not provable. Where are those questions these days from this hon. member, who sat in the back making these kinds of accusations, Mr. Speaker? Now he doesn’t have the courage to stand up and apologize to this Assembly. : Mr. Speaker, this government is very proud of thi s budget.

What I have heard when I’ve travelled this province since we introduced the budget is that Albertans are very proud and very pleased to be living in this province when you consider what’s happening around the world. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr.

Sherman Given that this PC government passed a law limiting third-party advertising yet according to the report on the March 3, 2008, provincial general election of the 27th Assembly it states on page 77 t hat the act is also silent on “the suspension of Government advertising during elections,” to the Minister of Finance: how many more taxpayer dollars does this government plan to waste on pre -election advertising, and will this government be running election ads during the election campaign itself? : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Put Dr. Winton and Dr.

Ciaran McNamee on the stand and you get on the stand, and you’ll get the answers. Mr. Liepert 2:00 MLA Remuneration : Mr. Speaker, this government asked the Health Quality Council to investigate exactly what the allegations were that this particular member made. The Health Quality Council did an excellent job in reviewing all of the accusations, came forward and said that there was no foundation to the accusations that this particular member made when it came to people dying on waiting lists and doctors being paid hush money.

He does not have the courage to stand up in this Assembly and apologize for that, and until he does, we won’t respond to those questions. Mr. Anderson This government is renowned for finding ways to give themselves pay increases and then hiding it from the average Albertan.

To repeat what the Wildrose has been advocating for the last two years: MLAs should be paid a single, taxable salary – no extra committee pay, no tax -free allowances, just a monthly paycheque like all regular Albertans – MLA severance should also be cut by two-thirds, and the 30 per cent increase to cabinet salaries voted for by this Premier must be reversed. Premier, will you roll back your 30 per cent pay increase, cut your severance, and combine all MLA pay into one taxable amount that Albertans can easily understand? : It’s good to see everybody in such a good mood this afternoon. Mr.

Horner I would point out, Mr. Spe aker, that the taxes that we don’t pay would actually end up going to the federal government. : As I recall, one of the people who asked for the review of MLA salaries was that opposition member and the opposition parties. In fact, our Premier has said that we will have a judicial review of the MLA compensation package, which you yourself, Mr. Speaker, have initiated as chair of Members’ Services of this Assembly. We are fully aware of what’s going on out there. We anticipate that that report is going to come back through the Speaker, and we will adjust that at that point. Mr.

Anderson Given that this government has found a way to delay having to vote on Justice Major’s MLA pay and perks report until – guess what? – after the election, will your government join with the Wildrose Party and commit that should Justice Major’s report come back with a net increase in pay or perks for MLAs or cabinet, you will vote against such a recommendation? Show some leadership: you’ll only take lower, not higher. : That’s interesting. I like that one. Mr. Horner: Mr.

Speaker, I find it incredible that the opposition members would call for an inquiry, call for a justice committee, call for it to be independent, and then say: oh, by the way, whatever he comes up with, you can’t accept it. Mr.

Anderson Given that you claim to be listening to Albertans and given that 79 per cent of Albertans in a public opinion poll released last week want the current MLA severance packages tossed and 85 per cent say MLA salaries should be fully taxed, will this government commit today that you will cut the MLA golden parachutes, roll back your highe st in Canada cabinet salaries, and pay MLAs one taxable monthly salary instead of this labyrinth of tax -free allowances and committee pay? : So you refuse to commit to no new taxes and to not raising your pay. Sounds like a great election platform. Good one. Mr.

Horner I say again: what kind of hypocritical party would come out and say, “G et an inquiry going,” and then say, “I don’t care what it says; you’ll do what we say”? Mr. Speaker, they’re hypocrites. : Mr. Speaker, this hon. member has just proven why we have to have the advertising and the communication t o Albertans. Because he once again is either ill informed or is not telling the truth about the fact that there are no new taxes in this budget. There are no new taxes in this budget. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona Full-day Kindergarten Programs . Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In last summer ’s bid for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party the Premier promised Alberta’s young families full -day kindergarten. Well, the budget has come, and once again we see that there’s no money for full -day kindergarten and that the Education minister is making no specific commitments for the fall of 2013. To the Education minister: why should young families trust the Conservatives after yet another broken promise?

360 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr. Speaker, I had plenty of opportunity to answer those questi ons yesterday. I have reassured that member and the entire Assembly that the Premier’s commitment to full - time kindergarten has not only been met but is being delivered on. We are working with school boards on making sure that they can unroll kindergarten. The member may not appreciate it, but teachers have to be hired, classrooms have to be located, classrooms have to be equipped. We will be rolling it out and making it available to Albertans over time. Ms Notley: Well, Mr.

Speaker, given that 25 per cent of kindergartens in Alberta are already full -day at the expense of the school boards and given that many communities already have more than enough space to accommodate full -day kindergarten, why won’t the government at least start to keep their promise by funding these areas this year? Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr.

Speaker, again, having gone over my budget yesterday, I hoped that the member would have noticed that the government of Alberta and the Ministry of Education have increased early childhood education fu nding to make paying for full-time kindergarten for those parents who are able to enrol their children in this upcoming year available. Ms Notley: Mr.

Speaker, given that the Conservatives were told to start full-day kindergarten as early as 2003 and they’ ve been making Alberta’s children wait ever since and given that this minister is clearly ducking and weaving on making commitments for this year or next year, how can Alberta’s young families expect to believe they will ever have full -day kindergarten under this PC government? Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr. Speaker, let me make this perfectly clear to this member. The Premier has made a commitment. I have made a commitment. We are unrolling right now kindergarten through school boards.

Kindergarten will be available to any child in Alberta, and it will be rolled out in co -operation with school boards. Twenty -five per cent of school boards already have it. Money is allocated in the budget. I have no idea why this member is concerned. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mountain View , followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay Judicial Inquiry into Health Services . (continued) Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This health minister is clearly in denial and desperately wants this inquiry debacle to go away.

He knows that a task force and another plan are not going to create a, quotes, just culture in health care after a decade of abuse. A public inquiry with individual accountability and personnel changes in the system is the evidence that health professionals need to restore trust and start working on the problems together. To the minister: was it the Premier or the cabinet that decided to betray her promise to inquire into bullying and intimidation? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. Mr. Horne: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hardly a question of government policy.

But for the benefit of the hon. member once again I would submit to him that the findings that are necessary to understand the problem that exists with respect to physician advocacy and the potential problems for advocacy by other health professionals are to be found in the Health Quality Council report.

Everything we have done – the report; the acceptance of the recommendations; the calling of the public inquiry into the remaining, unexplored allegation of queue-jumping; and all of our work with health professionals today – is designed to do one thing which we s hould all be interested in: improving health care for Albertans. Dr. Swann: Again, Mr. Speaker, what is the minister trying to protect? Who are you trying to protect? Mr. Horne: Well, Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding that the insinuations appear to continue, n obody is trying to protect anything.

What we have said as a government quite clearly is that we accept the findings in the report for what they are. The Premier said so on a number of occasions last week. We are interested in moving forward. We are interes ted in moving on the very actionable recommendations. The steps are laid out in the Health Quality Council report. I think that is what our health providers want, and I think that is what results in better quality care. Dr.

Swann: Will the minister finally admit that he has been intimately involved with health care delivery for 25 years in this province, knows about the abuse in health care, and it’s you that is trying to protect yourself from the health inquiry? Admit it. Mr. Horne: This minister, this Pre mier, and this government are fully accountable for health care in this province, and we will continue to be so in the future. I think where the twisted logic lies, Mr. Speaker, is in the answer to the question: how do we move forward?

How do we create the just and trusting culture that the Health Quality Council report talks about? That is what I would expect a health professional, particularly someone who is a health professional and a member of this Assembly, to be most interested in. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity Cancer Drug Shortage . Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A Canadian drug manufacturer has recently ceased production of medications that are critical for cancer patients so that they can manage their pain and nausea.

Many Albertans are very concerned that they will not have the right medication for their treatments or that their treatments may even be cancelled. To the Minister of Health and Wellness: can you reassure Alb ertans that you are working on a solution? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Horne: Yes, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the hon. member for the question. A generic drug manufacturer in Canada, Sandoz Canada, is currently refitting a number of its plants in Canada and the United States in order to comply with regulations of the federal drug administration in the United States.

We are experiencing nationally a shortage of some drugs, not drugs that are used in direct cancer treatment but antinausea drugs that are administered to patients prior to chemotherapy. There are a number of other injectable anaesthetics and painkillers involved. 2:10 Ms Woo-Paw: Also to the Minister of Health and Wellness. I’ve learned that there’s a reason that these drugs are inject ed and not taken orally. Are these substitute medications sufficient for the

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 361 pain and nausea that they may experience, and how will Albertans get access to them if they are outpatients? Mr. Horne: Well, Mr. Speaker, we currently have two antinausea drugs that were previously made available to patients through injection, and we have had a situation arise where a number of patients have been asked by their physicians to switch to an oral medication t hat provides the same effect. This is being accommodated at present. We’re monitoring the situation closely.

Health Link Alberta is available to any Albertan who has questions about the situation both with respect to the medications that are involved and what other steps they may need to take in terms of contacting their physician to see how this could affect them. Ms Woo-Paw: To the same minister. These medications are essential in our health care system. Why is it that the province has not sourced drugs from other manufacturers? Why have we put all of our eggs in one basket when it comes to these essential medications? Mr. Horne: Well, Mr.

Speaker, earlier this morning I spoke to the federal Health minister about this very issue. A number of the provinces and territories are looking to the federal government to take a greater role in helping us to collectively secure alternate supplies of many of these drugs. While it is true that Health Canada licensed many companies around the world to produce these drugs, not all of those companies actually produce them because they lack sufficient volume in order to justify their business case to ramp up production.

This is an issue that I’ll be pursuing tomorrow when I lead a call of provincial ministers from other jurisdictions. It’s something that we must address, I believe, nationally. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-East Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped . Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Vulnerabl e Albertans waited three long years for an increase in the benefits they’re entitled to receive under the province’s assured income for the severely handicapped program.

Now we learn that residents of long-term care and other continuing care facilities won’t be receiving the $400 a month increase recently announced. To the Minister of Seniors: why aren’t those AISH clients who live in our continuing care facilities receiving the increase? Mr. VanderBurg: Mr. Speaker, as you know, the AISH increase was announced. The cheques will be going out March 27. Those that qualify for it medically and that qualify for it financially will receive their benefit. Mr. Chase: Why don’t they all qualify?

Given the Premier’s threat to remove the cap on accommodation fees in t he province’s long-term care facilities, how are vulnerable Albertans supposed to afford the continuing care they need? The sky is the limit. Mr. VanderBurg: Listen, Mr. Speaker. It’s very, very clear that this government protects vulnerable Albertans and low-income Albertans. We have programs in place. We have not changed anything as far as the accommodation rate, and I don’t plan on changing anything on the accommodation rate.

I’ve made it very, very clear to everybody that until there is a massive, provi nce- wide and in here debate on accommodation rates, we’ll leave them alone. Mr. Chase Why have the prescription, dental, and other health benefits AISH provides only been increased this year by 1.8 per cent? : I hope voters remember those words. Mr. VanderBurg: Again, Mr. Speaker, the programs that we have under our AISH program are the most comprehensive programs around this country. We stand by them.

There’s an increase in the budget to make sure that we have adequate supply of supports for our AISH clients, and I stand by them, sir. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-East, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo Pharmaceutical Benefit for Seniors . Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A large number of seniors in my constituency have asked me about the status of the seniors’ drug plan that was proposed a few years ago. They remain uncertain about the government’s intention about this plan. They don’t know whether it was shelved, delayed, or cancelled.

To the Minister of Health and Wellness: can the minister provide an update to the seniors in my constituency and to all Alberta seniors about the status of this plan? Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, the government has no plans to make any changes to the seniors’ drug plan in Alberta. Seniors continue to re ceive premium -free coverage for prescription medications, ambulance services, and coverage of $300 per year for psychological services as well as $200 per year for home nursing care. The government pays 70 per cent of the cost of each prescription.

Seniors pay the remaining 30 per cent to a maximum of $25 per prescription. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister. Many seniors who are on fixed incomes are having difficulty paying for their prescriptions and oftentimes are not getting prescriptions refilled because of the cost. Is there any assistance provided through the current plan to assist these individuals? Mr. Horne: Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is. There’s a program called the special -needs assistance for seniors administered by the Alberta Seniors ministry.

It provides assistance for what seniors pay for prescription medications who cannot afford to pay the regular copayment. Funding is available for low -income seniors for prescriptions above $45 per month for single seniors and $90 per couple. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also to the same minister: can the minister provide the Assembly with greater details about recent enhancements to the seniors’ drug plan? Mr. Horne: I’m delighted to provide that information, Mr. Speaker. Recently we announced funding for diabetic test supplies for insulin-treated seniors in Alberta.

This includes coverage of up to $600 per year. It will be made available to all seniors and their dependants for test strips, needles, and syringes. We believe that if we want people to participate actively in managing chronic diseases like diabetes, we need to give them the tools to do it.

362 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 MLA Remuneration (continued) Mr. Hehr: Several years ago this government was rightly ridiculed for paying their backbenchers tens of thousands of dollars for sitting on committees that never met, produced no documents, and made no recommendations. To the Deputy Premier. This government has now received the Teddy award for having a standing committee on privileges and elections that has been paid about a million dollars over the last four years for never meeting and never getting to the point of anything.

I was wondering if you could comment on this and whether any corrective action will be taken by this government. Mr. Horner Having said that, the independent MLA compensation review, that we spoke of earlier today, is going to take a look at all of those committees, and we expect, Mr. Speaker, that there will be some recommendations brought forward that may indeed deal with this issue when it comes forward. : Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m i n a bit of a quandary given the fact that this is an Assembly committee. This is a committee that falls under Members’ Services.

It’s an all -party committee, and as such the committee falls under the purview of yourself. Mr. Hehr: Well, nevertheless, we have no idea what that report is going to say, and this could, in fact, still be an issue outstanding. This issue makes us all look bad, Mr. Deputy Premier. I was wondering if we could get a commitment from you that if this is not dealt with in that report, we could have some sort of situation in place to end this practice, that would stop making us look this bad. Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, whether I agree or disagree with the hon. member isn’t the point.

If he would like, bring a motion forward to the floor of this Assembly as it relates to the committees of this House or bring a motion forward to the Members’ Services Committee. They have members on that committee, and I would encourage them to sit down and have that discussion with yourself. Mr. Hehr Can we see some commitment by you, Deputy Premier, to maybe lead this charge to eliminate what is seen by the electo rate as wasteful spending? : We also know that our standing committees are a majority vote, and the majority is controlled by this government. Mr. Horner: Mr.

Speaker, again, I seem to be debating something that should be debated at the committees. As I would point out, all of these committees are recorded in Hansard, as I understand it, and the public can review for themselves whether or not these hon. members have ever brought this issue up at their committee meetings in the past. I doubt that they have. Playing to the media is not really playing to the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lesser Slave Lake, foll owed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona Safe Communities Initiative . Ms Calahasen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The $60 million safe communities innovation fund provided three -year funding to 88 projects to support safe and strong communities by reducing and preventing crime through community and police partnerships. My first question is to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. How will the recently announced bridge funding make a difference in Alberta communities, especially those that are within my constituency? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The safe communities innovation fund is an example of the innovative approach that our government has been taking in terms of crime prevention and crime reduction. The three-year program of the safe communities innovation fund was to find these innovative projects around the province. We’re nearing the end of the three years, so it’s necessary for us to now analyze the data that’s been given to us by those projects that were funded in the early years. We need a little bit of time for them to get their information to us, and we need some time to analyze it, so that’s the purpose of the extension. Ms Calahasen: Mr.

Speaker, to the same minister. My organizations which receive this funding want to know: will bridge funding be extended to pilot projects from the second and third rounds once their funding expires? 2:20 Mr. Olson Our focus right now is on the 28 projects that were funded in the first ye ar. We’re going to give them some extra time. Then if they apply for additional funding, we will be able to help them. : Well, Mr. Speaker, we’re focused right now on the projects that are nearing the end of their three years.

We expect that we will not have the same issue in the second - and third-year funding because we will be encouraging, if not requiring, those projects to finish their data presentation at an earlier time so that we have time to analyze it before the end of the year. Ms Calahasen: Again to the same minister: given that the safe communities innovation fund is a significant commitment in accountability and transparency, that people are always wondering about, what evaluation tools are in place to ensure that pilot projects are providing value to their communities? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr.

Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s an excellent question, and it’s one that we’re working very hard on because we take that part of it very seriously. That’s why all of these organizations are contractually obligated to provide us with this information. We are working on a model for social return on investme nt, which is an innovative model. We would like all of these organizations to then work on a business case so that they can be accountable not only to us but also to other funders in their community. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Riverview Grimshaw Holy Family School . Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A school that the Minister of Education admits must be bulldozed is being used to provide education to children. All parties agree this school has serious problems. The minister himself says that it needs to be, quote, junked. Will this minister commit to this project getting under way this year, and if not, will he specifically provide a commitment of a time as to when that school can expect to finally get the assistance and support it needs? Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr.

Speaker, unlike the h on. member my only priority is to make sure that the children receive adequate space for learning as soon as possible, in as short a time period as

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 363 possible. I will be working right now with the school board to find out what are the best options. Yes, I am making a commitment that they will have appropriate space as soon as possible. We will be working in collaboration not only with the school board but also with the municipality. We have already engaged in discussions. I wish the member w ould join us constructively and actually contribute some positive ideas as opposed to trying to turn an issue of kids in schools into a political issue. Ms Notley: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I would suggest that what would be constructive would be getting some specifics out of this minister, oh, just once. Now, given that it’s taken lo cal people to bravely speak out publicly about this unsafe and unhealthy school and given that we’ve already seen evidence of how this government operates to make sure school boards otherwise stay quiet, how can we believe that the refusal of this Minister of Education to make any kind of solid, specific commitment is anything other than continued retribution for this board’s need to speak publicly? Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr.

Speaker, speaking of commitment, this member is the Education critic. I have yet to receive one memo, one letter, one phone call, or a visit to my office from this member to share some positive, constructive criticism or ideas. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I’ll tell you what I’m doing. I met with that school board on a number of occasions already. I met with the locally elected muni cipal council. We’re looking at a solution to provide children with space that the community will be proud of and that the kids will enjoy on Monday morning going to school. Ms Notley: Well, Mr.

Speaker, given that we’ve got no commit- ment yet, clearly, meeting with this minister provides no solution. Now, given that there have been years of underfunding for maintenance and given that we wouldn’t know about the health and safety hazards to the children at Holy Family had it not been for the public advocacy of that school board, why won’t the minister make public all other schools where assessments have demonstrated significant health and safety issues that are threatening our children? Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr.

Speaker, obviously, the school board finds a lot of value in meeting with me because they have met with me on several occasions. The school board is as committed as I am to making sure that kids receive adequate and appropriate space in as short a period as possible. We will be working on it. But I do sincerely try to enga ge this hon. member. If she has any constructive ideas on how we can provide kids with that space sooner, I would more than welcome hearing them. Conflict of Interest Guid elines for Universities Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the minister of advanced education.

There are con cerns about conflicts of interest in Alberta universities where professors and researchers are being paid by both universities and corporations. For instance, when research into lung cancer is funded by a tobacco company, there are pretty obvious problems. To the minister: does this government, which provides billions of dollars to postsecondary institutions, have a policy on conflic ts of interest at postsecondary institutions? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Weadick: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the member knows, we have board-governed institutions in this province, and they do manage their internal operations. Many of the professors and researchers do work for a multitude of clients, including private sector and public sector, as they do their research. Often this research is done jointly and even between institutions both within this province and across the country and around the world. Dr.

Taft: Well, given the real-life instance, for example, of the head of the U of C School of Public Policy, Professor Jack Mintz, writing under the banner of the University of Calgary about oil royalties and the need to lower corporate taxes and simultaneously being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to serve on the board of Imperial Oil, won’t the minister admit this is a conflict of interest that should be brought to an end? Mr. Weadick: Mr.

Speaker, the fact that many of our academics and researchers have extreme tale nts and skills, which can benefit both public- and private-sector members of this country, I believe helps us to maybe get our message out from this province as well as across the country that we have people engaged in all levels and aspects of both business and academia. Dr.

Taft: Given that Imperial Oil is clear that it pays company directors some $200,000 annually to advance th e best interests of Imperial oil, doesn’t the minister see that when professors like this get themselves into positions of divided loyalties by taking substantial personal payment dire ctly from private corporations while also holding senior positions at universities, the indepen- dence and credibility of universities is cast in doubt? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Weadick: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that our universities do maintain that academic freedom and that ability to question.

These folks will have to be re sponsible for the decisions that they make with respect to their ethics, but I’ll tell you that the institutions that I work with hold high ethical standards, and they expect the same from their employees. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Energy Demand-side Management Mr. Fawcett: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We’ve heard a lot of talk in this Assembly and in Alberta in general around the cost of electricity and the need for transmission in this province moving forward.

What we do know is that there is going to be a huge increase in demand because of population and growth in the economy. My question is to the Minister of Energy. What demand-side management initiatives does his department have in place that would drive change in consumer behaviour, reducing energy demand overall and at p eak times and ultimately reducing cost to consumers? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to commend the hon. member for that question.

Demand-side ma nagement and other related policies that achieve efficiencies in energy consumption are actually the best way to reduce both cost and emissions. Accordingly, the government of Alberta through Alberta Innovates: Technology Futures is working with both Enmax and EPCOR on studying the benefits of real-time electricity consumption monitors and ways in which this could

364 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 help residential consumers reduce their consumption. This work is largely completed, and we expect . . . The Speaker: I think we’ll move on now. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the same minister.

Given that demand -side management is the cheapest cost of electricity that can be brought online to meet growing demand, does it not make sense to send a strong signal to the Alberta Electric System Operator and the AUC to work with electricity and natural gas retailers and distributors on providing appropriate incentives for demand-side management initiatives? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton With respect to the larger industrial and commercial users they already have the opti on to track hourly rates and, accordingly, the incentive and the ability to manage use accordingly.

They can go on and off the grid when they think it’s appropriate or have local generation and generate locally when they can, when rates are too high, or go back on the grid. So on that score, we’re already . . . : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I certainly agree with the hon. member’s

preamble. With respect to residential customers I’ve addressed that question in my first answer. The Speaker: The hon. member, please. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My final question is actually to the minister of environment. Given that energy demand-side management is one of the least expensive strategies for consumers and taxpayers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will the minister vigorously pursue such initiatives in moving forward the province’s climate change strategy? 2:30 Mrs. McQueen: Thank you to the hon. member for the question.

I can tell the hon. member that I’m happy to say that through the Ministry of Environment and Water, through Agriculture and Rural Development, through Sustainable Resource Development, and Energy we are going to continue on with the next generation of energy efficient programs in this province. Alberta will remain a national leader. We’re going to build on the successful programs that we’ve had. We’ve prevented some 1.5 million tons of GHGs from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to 300,000 cars on the road.

We’re looking forward to bringing this program forward and building upon the great work that has already happened. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek , followed by the hon. Member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake Proclamation of Health Legislation . Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The problems in our health care system have this government’s fingerprints all over them. This government told Albertans that they would have a health advocate and a health charter to turn to when they passed Bill 17, the Alberta H ealth Act, over a year and a half ago.

But here we are today with the law still not proclaimed, with no health advocate, no charter, and our doctors being left behind. Will your minister then please explain to Albertans why this government has put advocacy on the back burner as our health care system continues to suffer? Mr. Horne As the hon. member knows, the legislation includes a specific requirement for consultation around any regulations that are introduced as part of that act. In the spirit of what is so often called for on the other side, we intend to honour that commitment to the consultation. It will take place. : Well, Mr.

Speaker, this government did extensive consultation in the development of the Alberta Health Act. We fully intend to proceed at the appropriate time with both proclamation of the act and, more importantly, the implementation of the health advocate office. Mrs. Forsyth: Given that the health advocate would have given doctors and other health professionals a mechanism to air instances of bullying and political meddling, does the health minister want to explain to Albertans and the health professionals in this province why the Health Act has not been proclaimed? Mr.

Horne We made a commitment to continue consultation with Albertans on this. We have done so, Mr. Speaker, and when the appropriate consultation is completed, we will bring forward the regulation to this House, and we will proclaim the act. : Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s a very interesting question given that the hon. member and her colleagues very vigorously opposed the Alberta Health Act and, if I recall correctly, suggested to this House in so many words that the office didn’t have sufficient teeth to be of value to our physicians and our other health professionals. Mrs.

Forsyth Given that over the past year and a half several instances of doctor intimidation occurred on this government’s watch, did you not proclaim this bill because you already knew about the bullying and political interference? : With all due respect, Minister, you’re wrong. Mr. Horne We also intend to proceed with the recomm endations in the report that call for the creation of a just and trusting culture for our physicians and other professionals. : Mr.

Speaker, while it’s refreshing to know now that the hon. member is in fact supportive of the legislation and the office of the health advocate, with respect to the hon. member’s question, as members will recall, the health advocate was designed to assist Albertans with navigation of the health care system and to provide them with a place to go with respect to concerns that they have with the system. We intend to proceed with that act. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake , followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-McCall Keyano College Land Trust . Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My first question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. Two weeks ago this government announced the transfer of land into the land trust for Keyano College in Fort McMurray. This is obviously a great step for this postsecondary institution that will generate a long -term revenue for the college. Will this land be used to help address the needs for more housing in Fort McMurray? Mr. Johnson: Mr. Speaker, it certainly is a great step, and I was very pleased to be in Fort Mc Murray a short time ago with the minister of advanced education to announce this.

The college plans to use the 600-acre trust for much -needed new residential and commercial development in addition to the revenues it’ll generate for the college. It’s an innovative move. It’s a testament to the collaboration between our government and the institution and the community and is a real testament to board chair John Wilson and President Kevin Nagel and all the folks with the

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 365 Alberta government and the oil sands se cretariat that worked hard on this. The Speaker: The hon. member, please. Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you. To the same minister: given that that Keyano land is just part of the land in the Saline Creek area that could be opened up for development, is the government planning to release more adjacent land in the area for Fort McMurray? Mr. Johnson: Yes, Mr. Speaker, indeed. We’re preparing and working hard on a strategic land release. We’re going to do it in a strategic way, and we hope to do that very, very soon.

The people of Fort McMurray deserve to see a plan, a plan that outlines what land will be released and in what phases. This strategy will help stabilize land prices, result in more housing and retail spaces at affordable prices, and help Fort McMurray keep affordable and sustainable as a community for years and generations to come. Mrs. Leskiw My last question is to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. How will Keyano College use the additional funding they are getting from this land transfer? : Thank you for that. The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Weadick On top of that, Mr.

Speaker, this relationship between Keyano and the town will also provide an $80 million to $120 million endowment to the Keyano College. : Thank you very much. I’ve got to tell you the smile on Mayor Melissa Blake’s face when the Infrastructure minister and I were in town a couple of weeks ago to announce this was unbelievable. To a packed room we announced that this land trust was going to go ahead. I’ll tell you that it was a very exciting time for me. It allows us to fulfill a promise that we made to Fort McMurray to create land availability that would allow them to develop residential and commercial.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall Impaired Driving Legislation . Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few short months ago this government pressed ahead with new impaired driving legislation. The reason for the new law was to save lives. The Minister of Transportation spoke passionately on how this new bill would protect Alberta’s citizens. To the Minister of Transportation: if this bill was passed to save lives, why is it not in force on our streets today? Mr. Danyluk: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said in the House when the bill was brought forward, the bill is going to be brought forward in stages.

It does take time to bring bills forward. We need to go through the education portion. We need to have consistent training. We need to work with our traffic safety partners. We need to also work on a tracking system and consultation. Mr. Kang: Mr. Speaker, my understanding was that the b ill was supposed to be in force before the Christmas season to save lives. To the minister again: well, sir, what was the rush to pass the bill if this government had not properly consulted on the implementation of the bill with the public, industry groups, other stakeholders, or the education process you were talking about?

What was the rush? Mr. Danyluk: Well, Mr. Speaker, I think I’ve been very clear about what was necessary to bring this bill forward. I will say that the penalties for the .08 and above will be in place around July 1, and we’re hoping that the .05 impairment penalties will be in place around September 1. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister again: with the deepest of respect, do you not find this a bizarre situation, having a law that was passed in the House to save lives still not implemented because of a lack of consultation or any other issues you have with it?

Mr. Danyluk: Mr. Speaker, I think this is very interesting coming from the hon. member because some members opposite say that it’s too soon, as the hon. member did. Some say it’s taking too long. Some say it shouldn’t. This bill is about saving lives. This bill is about safety on our roadways. We need to get it right, and we need to ensure that we are consulting with the stakeholders. We need to ensure that all of the stakeholders know what the process and direction are. The Speaker Parent Link Centres : The hon. Member for St. Albert. Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question i s to the Minister of Human Services. Parent link centres have been established in the Edmonton area and, I presume, throughout the province to provide assistance in parenting, particularly to new parents. I understand that no new funding has been allocated for new PLCs since 2006-2007. Is this program being mothballed? Mr. Hancock: No, Mr. Speaker. The parent link centres are very important. There was a plan to create 60 new parent link centres across the province. In fact, 46 centres have been established.

We know that access to parent link centres is doing great things, helping parents with the assistance they need in special circumstances. We’re working with the 10 child and family services authorities to identify locations for new centres, and we’re revi ewing our existing programs, including parent link centres, to determine how well they’re meeting the needs of young children, youth, and families in Alberta communities. There’s no plan to mothball them.

In fact, helping families raise their children, helping them with the struggles that they have is a very important part of what we need to do. 2:40 The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister mentioned that only 46 have been established, but the original plan was to create 60 new parent link centres. What is the plan for the future expansion of the program? Mr. Hancock It’s a matter of making sure that communities have access to the services that they need, that parents and families have access to the services that they need.

If the parent link centre is the best way to do it, then that’s what we’ll proceed with. If we can collaborate and work with others who are already in the community doing it, that’s what we’ll do. There’s not a one size fits all, but we’re committed to : Well, at this point there have been additional areas identified such as southwest Edmonton, St. Albert, and other areas in the province. We’ve been working with other organizations. For example, through the CFSA in St. Albert the St. Albert family resource centre is providing some of the services.

366 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 the concept that if we can assist parents in the struggles that they have from time to time and the particular things that they need to help support their families, that’s what we’ll be doing. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the minister has almost answered my question in mentioning St. Albert. Given that there have been considerable requests to provide services in St. Albert and that Edmonton PLC offices often refer St. Albert residents to the St. Albert family resource centre for parenting assistance, can St.

Albert expect to get funding for a parent lin k centre in the very near future? Mr. Hancock: As I said, Mr. Speaker, what we’re trying to do is not necessarily establish new situations where there’s somebody already doing the job but work collaboratively with the resources that are in the community, map the resources that are in the community so that we know what communities are missing and help to build on those resources. The family resource centre in St. Albert is doing a great job with assistance from the child and family services authorities.

We are helping fund through the student health ini tiative partnership to train two staff members to deliver the Stepping Stones Triple P program, which is a parenting program for families who have a child with a disability. There’s also online at www.parentlinkalberta.ca or www.triplep - staypositive.net. There are resources available, and we’re working to continue to build right across the province a good network of supports so that parents can raise their children and get the help they need when they need it.

The Speaker In a few short seconds from now we will continue the Routine. : Hon. members, that was 18 members who were identified today to participate, 108 questions and responses. head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Dr. Taft Thank you. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ’m tabling the appropriate number of documents to support the question I asked in question period today. The document is form 10-K of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, dated December 31, 2010, for Imperial Oil Limited.

It explains the philosophy and objectives of Imperial Oil’s directors’ compensation program, which is to ensure alignment with shareholder interests. It indicates J.M. Mintz received $218,000 in total compensation that year and has a total combined at-risk value of holdings valued at $636,000 at the time of this filing. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase My second tabling, Mr.

Speaker, is a letter and a notice from Robert Lee, chair of the Elbow River Watershed Partnership, addressing misleading and false information contained in a letter from SRD and sent to members of the public with concerns about the proposed logging in the Bragg Cree k area. The partnership was not presented with the harvest plan and has not undertaken any assessment of the impact of the forestry activities upstream from Bragg Creek, as SRD claimed in its letter. : Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have three sets of tablings.

I am tabling e -mails and letters from the following individuals who are concerned about the proposed logging in the west Bragg Creek area, all of whom believe clear -cutting will damage essential watershed and recreation area that thousands of Albertans use to promote health and fitness and be detrimental to wildlife and natural species. These come from Brian Rossetti, Susan Belyea, Joan Stauffer, Dean Cockshutt, Stephanie Hrehirchuk, Josefine Singh, S.

Lawrence, Leanne Ross, Michele Hardy, Tania Sablatash, David Taylor, Tim O’Sullivan, Sharon Bayer, Eric Lloyd, Emma Barry, Nora McTague, Bill and Kitty Stillaway, Stu Schultz, Shelley Armeneau, and Mike Medwid. My last tabling, Mr. Speaker, is a retabling from Mauri ce Gaucher, Adam Storms, Susan O’Shea, Laryssa Warne, and Eric Tromposch, concerned about the west Bragg Creek area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. Mr. Hehr I have an e- mail from Mr. Mike Perz. He’s concerned about logging in the Castle special management area. : Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have four sets of tablings. The first one is from Mr. Doug Moston, who is concerned about AISH and his federal pension being continued until age 67 should and when the federal government makes changes to OAS. I have a copy of a letter sent by Mr. Jim Pissot to the hon. Premier in regard to the bear population and how it can be compromised by logging in the Castle-Crown area.

I have a copy of an e-mail sent to me by Brenda and Dave Pernitsky, and it’s regarding an issue they have with the motor vehicles complaint review process, considering it redundant and a switching of money and are suggesting improvements to the way the system could be handled. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following document was deposited with the office of the Clerk. On behalf of the hon. Mrs.

Klimchuk, Minister of Culture and Community Services, additional information pertaining to Motion for a Return 4, asked for by Ms Blakeman, the hon. Member for Edmonton- Centre head: Statement by the Speaker , on March 21, 2011. Calendar of Special Events The Speaker T here are designations awarded to a number of days. March 1 was Self-injury Awareness Day. March 2 was the World Day of Prayer. March 4 was the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. March 4 to 11 was International Women’s Week. March 4 to 10 was Nat ional Social Work Week, as it was Pharmacist Awareness Week.

March 8 is Holi in the Hindu culture. March 8 is also International Women’s Day and is also Purim, a Jewish observance.

It’s also World Kidney Day. : Hon. members, on a monthly basis I usually read into the record the da ily events or the weekly events or the monthly events that occur as some members do get up and do offer extensions of congratulations, but to make sure that no one is left out, might I just bring to the attention of all members that March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Fraud Prevention Month, Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, Kidney Health Month, Liver Health Month, National Engineering & Geoscience Month, National Epilepsy Month, National Social Work Month, Nutrition Month, Youth Science Month.

March 9 to 25 is Semaine nationale de la francophonie. March 11 will be daylight saving time, as it begins once again. March 11 to 17

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 367 is also Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, as it is World Glaucoma Week. March 12 is Commonwealth Day. March 12 to 18 is Brain Awareness Week. March 14 to 20 is National Farm Safety Week. March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. March 18 to 24 is National Poison Prevention Week. March 19 is Sun-Earth Day; that’s the annual equinox celebration. March 20 is French Language Day at the United Nations. March 20 is also Journée internationale de la Franco phonie, as it is also spring equinox, as it is World Storytelling Day.

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as it is the International Day of Nowruz, as it is World Down Syndrome Day, as it is World Poetry Day. March 21 to 27 is 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 24 is World TB Day.

March 24 is also the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. 2:50 March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as it is also the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members. March 26 is Purple Day, the global day of epilepsy awareness. March 26 to April 1 will be World Salt Awareness Week. March 27 will be World Theatre Day, and on March 31 at 8:30 p.m. we will celebrate Earth Hour. head: Orders of the Day head: Committee of Supply [Mr.

Cao in the chair] The Chair [Unanimous consent granted] : Before the chair gets on to the business, I would like to ask for your consent to briefly revert to Introduction of Guests. head: Introduction of Guests (reversion) The Chair: The hon. Member for Calgary-East. Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all hon. members for the unanimous consent. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly two gifted, intelligent, and famous poets all the way from Lebanon. As you know, Lebanon is my birthplace. Today we have with us Mr. Tali Hamdan and Mr. Victor Mirza.

These two individuals have written so many books over the years that really enriched the arts and culture in the Middle East. Accompanying our guests we have Mr. Nizam Saab, the president of the Yanta community association, and Mr. Kumal Shtay, the vice -president of the association. We also have Ziad Abultaif, Hayel Shtay, and Wassem Jaber, very prominent members of the Lebanese business community. My guests have risen.

I would like to ask all members to give them the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. [Remarks in Arabic] The Chair head: Main Estimates 2012-13 : The chair shall now call the Committee of Supply to order. Health and Wellness The Chair: Hon. Minister of Health and W ellness, before I recognize you, I want to remind you that we have 20 minutes for the Wildrose Party, 20 minutes for the NDs, and the first hour is for the Official Opposition.

Also, for the exchange between the minister and the other members you can have a choice of 20 minutes in combination or 10 minutes each, so let the chair know that in advance. Before I call on you to start your speech, you may want to introduce your staff. Mr. Horne I’m also very proud, Mr. Chair, to introduce members of my staff who are seated in the members’ gallery: Dr. Carol Anderson, my executive assistant; Mr. Matthew Hebert, who is a special adviser in our office; and Ms Lindsay Wozney, who is a special assistant in our office.

I’m very pleased to have all of them here today as well as my communications director, Mr. Andy Weiler. : Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I’m very proud to introduce staff from my department and staff from my office as well who are here today: Marcia Nelson, Deputy Minister of Alberta Health and Wellness; David Breakwell, assistant deputy minister of financial accountability; Line Porfon, acting assistant deputy minister of health policy and service standards; Glenn Monteith, assistant deputy minister of health workforce; Martin Chamberlain, assistant deputy minister of corporate support; Margaret King, assistant deputy minister of community and population health; Mark Brisson, assistant deputy minister of health information technology and systems; and Charlene Wong, executive director of financial planning for the department.

The Chair: All right. Minister, now you have the floor for 10 minutes. Mr. Horne Mr. Chair, the 2012- 13 Health and Wellness budget will make investments in people and communities. It reflects our government’s commitment to making fundamental services in our health system work better. It will give Albertans more access to the health system close to home, will support greater services in mental health and addictions, and will enhance home care so that seniors can stay in thei r own homes, where they’ll maintain their independence and are, of course, most comfortable. : Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I certainly appreciate the opportunity to make a few opening remarks and then, of course, look forward to the main purpose of this exercise, to answer the questions of my colleagues opposite and in the government caucus as well. Mr. Chair, there are many priorities outlined in the budget that is before the House at this time for Alberta Health and Wellness. As I said, it focuses on servic es that meet local community needs, promote wellness and supports, and also enable Albertans in the choices they make for themselves and their families as we all strive together to achieve better health.

The proposed budget makes three key strategic invest ments – primary health care, addictions and mental health services, and continuing care – and I’ll talk more about each of them a bit later. Total spending in 2012- 13 will be $16 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion, or 7.9 per cent, from 2011-12. This includes $15.9 billion in operating expenses and $118 million in capital equipment grants, amortization, and vaccine usage. The largest part of the budget, $10.2 billion, or 64 per cent, will be allocated to Alberta Health Services to deliver health care to Albertans.

Alberta Health Services will also be receiving an additional $0.3 billion, or 2 per cent of our budget, for operating costs at the south health campus in Calgary and at the Edmonton clinic south, both due to open later this year, and $3.4 billion, or 22 per cent of our budget, will go towards physician compensation and development. As you know, I recently announced a one -year

368 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 funding increase for physicians in our province that will go into effect on April 1. There will be a primary care network per capita funding increase of $12 per patient from $50 to $62. Fee -for- service and alternate relationship plans will increase by 2 per cent. The total increase in support for physicians resulting from these changes will be $93 million, Mr. Chair. We will also extend funding for all other programs and benefits currently in effect until March 31, 2013. We anticipate that our ministry will be able to find the additional $93 million in our 2012-13 budget.

We’ll look at demand-driven programs that may come in lower than we had estimated, and we will reduce discretionary spending as much as possible.

The ministry will evaluate its financial position in late 2012, and in the event we cannot fund the additional $93 million, we will discuss options for Treasury Board as well as any other discussions that may be necessary in the event a long-term agreement is reached. 3:00 One billion dollars, or 6 per cent, of our budget will go toward drugs and supplemental health benefits for Albertans, including pharmaceutical assistance, cancer therapy drugs, specialized high - cost drugs, ground ambulance, prosthetics, and orthotics.

The remaining $1.1 billion, or 6 per cent, of our budget is spent on everything else we do, from vaccination programs and tissue and blood services to healthy living programs and cancer research. Looking at Alberta Health Services, they will receive $10.2 billion in base operating funding for front -line health services, which is a $578 million, or 6 per cent, increase. Mr. Chair, 2012- 13 marks the third year of a five -year funding commitment that will see Alberta Health Services receive 6 per cent base operating increases in each of the first three years and 4.5 per cent increases in years 4 and 5.

This is the first long -term stable health funding arrangement of its kind in Canada. Two hundred thirty -two million dollars will also be provided to Alberta Health Services for operating costs at the south health campus in Calgary and $35 million for operating costs at Edmonton clinic south. The funding reflects a commitment made to Albertans last year that when the south Calgary hospital and all other new facilities are ready to come on stream, the operating funds will be there in stages as they are needed. As I said, one of our top priorities is increas ing Albertans’ access to primary health care.

Improving primary health care is about providing more front-door options for Albertans so they can make that first point of contact with the health system. Through this proposed budget we’re investing in people and in programs that will mean more ways to go through that front door. We will provide $75 million for projects that will strengthen primary health care throughout Alberta. Funds will be used for a range of innovative health care approaches such as enhan cing our very successful primary care networks or adding more community - based primary health care providers.

In addition, Alberta Health Services will be using $15 million of its existing budget to establish three pilot family care clinics that will be operational by April 1. They will address local community needs through teams of health providers working under one roof to provide individual and family -focused care. Family care clinics will include an emphasis on wellness, addictions, mental health, and c hronic disease prevention and management. We’ll be announcing more details on these pilots very soon. Another way we will improve primary health care is to enhance the role of our pharmacists.

Starting July 1, Albertans will be able to go to their local p harmacist for prescription renewals. The change means Albertans will have more access to the health care system, more timely access to medications, and more convenience. Pharmacists will be finally recognized, Mr. Chair, as a full part of Alberta’s health care team by working to the full extent of their education, skill, and experience. We will spend $20 million to compensate pharmacists for this service and enable them to continue their collaboration with physicians in delivering care of the highest quality.

Investments in pharmaceutical programs will come from savings by negotiating better prices for generic drugs. To help pharmacists in Alberta’s remote communities expand their services and adjust to the lower generic drug prices, $5.3 million will be available in 2012 -13 as part of a new three -year, $16 million remote pharmacy access grant. Mr. Chair, a second priority for our ministry is to build healthy communities by increasing access to addictions and mental health services. I announced details abou t this $25 million investment on Monday.

Initiatives include increasing access to psychology and other counselling services in primary care networks, expanding addiction and mental health capacity in our schools, investing in housing supports and homeless initiatives, and providing support for complex needs in the community and at facilities through Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Our third priority relates to continuing care. We will invest $25 million in enhanced home care and rehabilitation services so seniors can stay in their own homes longer and avoid premature or unnecessary admissions to continuing care facilities and, most especially, our hospitals.

To help seniors maintain their good health, we will also invest $7 million in subsidized chiropractic services for seniors, effective July 1. To conclude, Mr. Chair, this budget supports our goal of more community-based care. It will give Albertans more and better access to the health system close to home. It will support greater access to mental health and addiction services. It will enhance home care so seniors can stay in their own homes, where they will continue to maintain their independence and where they are most comfortable. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I look forward to the questions from my colleagues. The Chair The next hour is reserved for the Official Opposition. Hon. Member for Calgary-Mountain View , do you want a 20-minute dialogue? : Thank you, Minister. Dr. Swann: I would appreciate an exchange so that we can actually have specific questions and specific answers if that’s possible for the minister. The Chair: All right. Go ahead with 20-minute chunks for an hour. Dr. Swann Health is obviously on the minds of all Albertans.

It’s the largest budget item, it’s considered the major issue for all governments, and it’s a great concern to the professionals working in the system also. Three things we look for: access, quality, and cost-effectiveness. Those should be the basis for our measurements, our outcomes, and those are the standards to which we should be measuring ourselves. : Very good. Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman.

Overarching all of this, of course, in the present context is the current focus and concern about the intimidation and bullying within the health care system over the last decad e and the tremendous challenge this minister has had in dealing with this issue. Not only was I experiencing it, but others have come forward increasingly over the last decade and have raised the important initiative of a public inquiry – the Medical Association,

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 369 the Health Sciences Association, together representing about 30,000 people in this province, those working on the front lines – indicating that there is only one way to restore confidence and trust in the system, and that is to hold a public inquiry. Unfortunately, the Premier has betrayed those health workers by initially, during her campaign, saying yes and now saying no.

I’m afraid to say that this minister, too, who was proud, and said so last night in the forum, of 25 years of contributing to health care policy and involved intimately with the health care system, has not removed himself from the decision-making and is in conflict over this very issue and avoiding the notion of a public inquiry at which he himself would be forced to testify.

This places a real conflict for Albertans and for the health care professions in looking at this minister, who continues to argue that there was no commitment, in the first instance, to a public inquiry looking into bullying and intimidation and, in the second instance, that he has no conflict of interest around this.

It clearly smacks of disingenuity, lack of serious commitment to the role and the responsibility he has taken on, and an unwillingness, in the first instance, to put himself on the front line to address some of the questions and challenges that only people under oath would be able to raise and question. This colours everything, I think, in this coming year, and it has no direct bearing on the budget except to say that without a public inquiry we will not get to the kind of quality, access, and cost-efficiency that I think we all want to see.

So I leave that question with the minister and entreat him to recognize that you do not create a culture of trust and justice and camaraderie by setting a task force to draft new guidelines and new plans for those working in the system. When those workers are going back into the situations where they experienced abuse, where they saw abuse, where they saw the promotion of the very people that were guilty of the abuses, you do not fix a system this way, and you perpetuate a sense that there is no accountability, no transparency in this ministry and no ability to actually solve problems and move on.

This minister continues to protect those in his cabinet who were involved over the past decade, the Premier herself, and himself. It’s a shame for the people of Alberta that we cannot move to what has clearly been a commitment and now a betrayal and has been recommended very strongly and demanded by those working on the front lines. 3:10 Having said that, I think one of the challenges that this ministry continues to face is clarifying roles and responsibilities between Alberta Health and Wellness and the Alberta Health Services Board.

Part of the challenge has been ambiguity, interference to some extent, some ministers taking a larger role since 2008 and some a smaller role, some intervening when the heat is turned on in a specific area. We saw the results of that with the resignation of some board members over the past few years. It also reflects, I think, the way the original constitution of the Health Services Board was created without adequate health services expertise. I think that continues today.

I think we’ve had too strong a focus on business acumen, business background and not enough on a clear sense of management relative to policy at the health department, too strong an emphasis on bottom -line dollars and not on relationships and clear roles and responsibilities and accountabilities within the system. As a result, I think we’re going to continue to limp along until that kind of clarity and that kind of expertise are there on the Health Services Board, so I would enjoin the minister to look seriously at how critical these next couple of years are.

I think he knows very well the kinds of disasters that are emerging in our system because of those two areas, the lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities and adequate health services expertise and research infusing the Health Services Board. In terms of qu estions about spending, it’s clear from looking at some of the data that our health system is shifting in terms of its public-private ownership. According to a recent publication Canada ranks fifth after the United States and Switzerland in terms of its in vestment in private health services in Alberta.

I guess that’s a challenge to us to have said that we are committed in Alberta to a publicly funded system when we rank actually fifth in terms of the amount of investment in private health care. We are actually 18th globally in terms of per capita funding for publicly funded services, so anyone who says that we are dominated by too much socialism in this province or too much publicly funded service I think has to look at those statistics.

In the transition, also, between the original Alberta Health and Wellness and the nine regions to the Health Services Board there was a notion and an argument by the former health minister that we’d be saving some money. We would reduce administration. We would reduce boards and oversight, administration. In fact, we overspent by $1.3 billion just in making the transition, and given the consistent increases year to year – and we’re now committed to four or five years more of consistent increases – I don’t see that we have saved anything on administration.

I’d be interested to hear the minister’s comment on how much now has gone into front -line services versus administration in our current system. I see that almost two -thirds of the budget is under Alberta Health Services. The y’re not here to answer to questions, so all we can do is hope to get them to Public Accounts at some point. They take the lion’s share of the budget, and they’re not accountable to Albertans, so that means that the minister has to be for why we’re spending the same or significantly more and what we’re getting for that in terms of front-line services.

Might this not have something to do, then, with the delays in access and concerns about quality as well as cost-efficiency? I’ll maybe leave it there, Mr. Chairman, and see if the minister wants to respond to any of those concerns. The Chair: The hon. minister. Mr. Horne This was not the only one, of course. There were other allegations that were made with respect to deaths on an alleged waiting list for lung cancer surgery, f or example, that were found to be unsubstantiated in the review. There was an allegation with respect to harmful effects of extended emergency department wait times on patient care.

That was investigated thoroughly. The report of the Health Quality Council made 21 recommendations, Mr. Chair. The government has accepted all 21. : Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I’m pleased to respond to all of the things that the hon. member raised in the first 10 minutes. I’ll begin with the first issue he raised, which is his desire for a public inquiry to include investigation into physician advocacy and allegations of intimidation in our health system.

As we have said, we asked the Health Quality Council, with the support, I believe, of all members of this House on all sides, to look into the allegations that were made. With respect to the specific issue around the public inquiry I will say again that the government accepts the findings in the report with respect to physician advocacy. We intend to act immediately on all of the recommendations that were put forward by the Health Quality Council.

With respect to the process of the inquiry I’d remind the hon. member that this House, in fact, passed a bill last fall called the Health Quality Council of Alberta Act. It confers upon the Health

370 Alberta Hansard March 7, 2012 Quality Council a number of new duties and responsibilities. At the request of cabinet that includes the requirement to appoint a board to conduct a health systems inquiry. The powers of that panel, once appointed, include many of the same powers that are found under the Public Inquiries Act; namely, the ability to compel witnesses. I would remind the House, Mr.

Chair, that anyone, including any member of this Assembly – be they a member of Executive Council, be they a private member in the government caucus, or be they a member in one of the opposition caucuses – equally has the potential to be called and the duty to appear if subpoenaed by a panel under the Health Quality Council of Alberta Act.

With respect to the hon. member’s specific concern around how the allegations with respect to intimidation of physicians and impediments to their ability to advocate for patients could be addressed, this panel has every opportunity to look at that issue as it relates to alle gations of improper preferential access to health care treatment. If there are physicians in this province, Mr.

Chair, that have been threatened or influenced or intimidated or otherwise prompted to act to make a decision to refer someone for medical care that they ought not to have made – in other words, a decision that is not based on assessed medical need – then this inquiry is going to have the ability to discover that. And any member of this Legislature could potentially be called to testify in that or in any other regard. The point of the legislation, Mr. Chair, as you know, was to set up an independent process – independent of government, independent of the Assembly – to carry out these sorts of investigations.

We have every desire and every intentio n on this side of the House to respect that legislation, to respect the independence of the panel, and to allow them to carry out their work without interference by way of public comment, without interference by any other means. We look forward to them presenting their report, which they are required by law to table with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly by the deadline of April 2013.

The hon. member also talked about the issue of roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the system: Alberta Health and Wellness, Alberta Health Services, the College of Physicians & Surgeons, and, I dare say, many others that are involved in the provision of health care or the governance of our health care system. I think the hon. member would probably k now that the Health Quality Council dealt with this quite extensively in their report. They made a very specific recommendation about a task force to address this question of role clarity.

I will say to the hon. member that I do think it is a significant issue. We look back to the decision to form Alberta Health Services. We’ve seen many benefits as a result of moving to one health region for the entire province, but the Premier and I and many of my colleagues have acknowledged that the time for the transition was very short.

As we’ve seen in the discussion about the cultural dimension of the health care system as outlined in the report, there was not a lot of time for our physicians and our other health professionals to have what they might consider meaningful input, an active role in making decisions about how this new entity would be shaped, and, most importantly, what kind of culture they wanted to build for themselves in order to support the delivery of the excellent care that Albertans receive each and every day in our health care system. This is one of the 21 recommendations that the government has accepted.

We intend to move on it quickly. I can report to the hon. member and to my colleagues that this is something that I’ve discussed extensively with the board of the Health Quality Council, I’ve discussed it extensively with the board of Alberta Health Services, and I’ve had some discussions with the College of Physicians & Surgeons as well. All are in agreement, Mr. Chair, that this is absolutely a critical issue. 3:20 One of the things that arises from this – and I think the hon. member mentioned it in his speech – is the question of who is responsible for assurance in our health care system.

That responsibility, in my view, Mr. Chair, is that of th e government. The assurance that the services provided are safe, that they are of high quality, that they are delivered in an appropriate manner, that there is appropriate funding for them – and we do have the first five-year funding plan in Canada to support the delivery system in health care – all of those things are clearly the purview of government. In addition to that and, I think, arguably just as important, the role of the long -term policy direction for the health system is also the role of governme nt.

I take great pride in the work that my department continues to do to plan not only for the needs of the health care system in the next two years and three years and five years but, in fact, looking 20 years down the road, taking an active role in the m andate of the Minister of Human Services to develop a social policy framework for this province, looking at best evidence and applying that evidence to decision -making, including decisions that I need to make as Minister of Health and Wellness so that Albe rtans can have confidence that the services we offer are comparable to the best anywhere in Canada and beyond.

I’m very proud of that.

The hon. member also made some comments with respect to the board of Alberta Health Services and expressed an opinion that the role of the board should not necessarily be a corporate responsibility in the traditional sense or in a business sense, that the board actually has a responsibility to chart the future course of Alberta Health Services, to understand quality as it r elates to health care delivery at the community level, to have an understanding of quality factors that need to be addressed in our system on an ongoing basis, to have an understanding of what it takes to build a just and trusting culture for health professionals.

In that regard, our current board membership includes a third of members whose terms come up every year. Each year we work with the board to identify the necessary skill sets and capacities and then recruit suitable individuals to fill those needs. I think the knowledge component of the board in the future with respect to health care is going to be increasingly important, and in that respect I agree with the hon. member that these competencies need to be well represented on our board. Equally, Mr. Chair, the stewardship of a budget of well over $10 billion is not a small responsibility.

We do need people with appropriate financial expertise. We do need people who understand appropriate performance indicators, who understand governance issues at a high level, who are in a position to ensure that the stewardship of the vast majority of our health care resources that are afforded to Alberta Health Service are used wisely. I view it very much as a role of the board to not only fulfill that responsibility as it relates to AHS but to assist me in my role in being ultimately accountable for the health care system in Alberta.

So we intend to continue this discussion through the task force about the competencies that are needed on the board, about role clarity among the various stakeholders that I mentioned earlier, and to continue to pursue issues that were not addressed in the transition that need to be addressed in an inclusive way, involving not only the board and the stakeholders I mentioned but, most importantly, the very health professionals that deliver the care. With that, Mr. Chair, I’ll take my seat.

March 7, 2012 Alberta Hansard 371 The Chair: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mountain View. Dr. Swann What kind of support for change in terms of thes e health risks are we investing in schools, workplaces, and communities? I see that you’ve provided a 22 per cent increase in community programs and healthy living. What does that mean in concrete terms, and how are we measuring outcomes in terms of that investment? I see a 72 per cent increase in immunization support. Where is this going? : Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the minister.

In his message last night the minister highlighted the risks to the coming generation, alluding to the fact that they may be the first generation to have a lower lifespan than the current generation, and I agree with that. With 3 per cent of our budget invested in prevention, how do you explain this as a priority to Albertans, and what level of support are you currently giving to high-risk groups in the province to try to reduce the toll on our young people but also on our health care system?

Perhaps we could focus for the next 10 minutes on some of the prevention and health promotion issues and how well we’re moving in that direction. The Chair: The hon. minister. Mr. Horne Here are a few examples of some of them: the provincial healthy weight strategy for children and youth, which has been developed and is in the government of Alberta approval process; the aboriginal wellness strategy, which I think is well known by many members.

A new version is under development with a purpose of creating a collaborative and more comprehensive strategy and action plan to improve the wellness of aboriginals living in Alberta. The Alberta nutrition guidelines for children and youth and the Alberta nutrition guidelines for adults assist Albertans in making healthy food choices. They promote appropriate portion sizes and set out ways to recognize foods that meet the criteria of the choose-most -often, choose-sometimes, and choose-least-often selections. The Healthy U food checker is another example. : Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and thank you to the hon. member for raising issues that I know we mutually care about quite deeply. Specifically with respect to the last few questions Alberta Health and Wellness is currently working on a number of prevention initiatives. With respect to immunization Alberta Health Services delivers immunization programs, as the hon. member likely knows.

When influenza immunization was made universal by this government – that is, immunization being available to all Albertans six months of age and older – Alberta Health Services requested $9 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year based on predicted expenditures to administer the influenza vaccine. AHS used approximately one - third of this funding during the 2010-11 flu season. The remainder was carried over to support immunization during 2011- 12. AHS has indicated that they will be using the entire amount and will provide a full written report by June 30 of this year.

We anticipate the need to provide additional support of approximately $3 million for the 2012-13 influenza season. Just on this point, Mr. Chair, one thing that we are concerned with and we continue to investigate ways to improve is the tak e- up, if you will, of the influenza vaccine among our population. As I’ve just mentioned, we have had less than predicted expenditures in the past on immunization in Alberta.

We’re working very vigorously with Alberta Health Services to investigate ways th at might further incent Albertans to take up the vaccine themselves as well as to look at opportunities for their children and their parents to take the vaccine.

I think so far this flu season, based on the reports that have been provided to me by the chie f medical officer of Alberta Health and Wellness, we have fared fairly well with respect to the incidence of influenza although we have seen situations within continuing care facilities where there have been outbreaks that have resulted in temporary disruptions to access to continuing care beds, and that is of concern for the future. If we take a moment to look at some of the selected health indicators among our population, we can see some tremendous pro

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20120307
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L27 S5 20120307 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
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Source	PROVINCIAL
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