Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Third Session Alberta Hansard Monday, February 22, 2010 Issue 9 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

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

Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (WA), WA Opposition House Leader Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Blackett, Hon.

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

Paul (PC), Minister of Infrastructure DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Hon. Jonathan, QC, Calgary-Egmont, (PC), Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Deputy Government House Leader Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC), Deputy Government Whip Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (WA), WA Opposition Whip Fritz, Hon.

Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Minister of Children and Youth Services Goudreau, Hon. Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Minister of Municipal Affairs Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC) Groeneveld, George, Highwood (PC) Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Minister of Education, Political Minister for Edmonton, Government House Leader Hayden, Hon.

Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Hinman, Paul, Calgary-Glenmore (WA), WA Opposition Deputy Leader Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Seniors and Community Supports Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC), Deputy Premier, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, Minister Liaison to the Canadian Armed Forces Jablonski, Hon.

Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Treasury Board Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Minister of Service Alberta Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon.

Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Minister of Energy Lindsay, Fred, Stony Plain (PC) Lukaszuk, Hon. Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Minister of Employment and Immigration Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND), Leader of the ND Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Morton, Hon.

F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Minister of Finance and Enterprise Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (ND), ND Opposition House Leader Oberle, Hon. Frank, Peace River (PC), Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Olson, Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Minister of Transportation Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (AL), Official Opposition Deputy Whip Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Hon.

Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Political Minister for Calgary, Deputy Government House Leader Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), President of the Treasury Board Stelmach, Hon.

Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL), Leader of the Official Opposition Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL) Tarchuk, Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC) Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AL) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education and Technology Webber, Hon.

Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Minister of Aboriginal Relations Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Minister of Health and Wellness, Deputy Government House Leader Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Clerk Assistant/Director of House Services Louise J. Kamuchik Clerk of Journals/Table Research Micheline S. Gravel Senior Parliamentary Counsel Robert H.

Reynolds, QC Senior Parliamentary Counsel Shannon Dean Parliamentary Counsel Stephanie LeBlanc Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Caughell Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon H. Munk Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 201 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Monday, February 22, 2010 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 22, 2010 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon and welcome. On February 18, 2010, John Babcock died at the age of 109 years. He was a Canadian soldier and was Canada’s last living link with the Great War, World War I. In our prayer today let us remember those Canadians who served and continue to serve our country. We give thanks to them and mourn the loss of those who have given their lives for us.

Through Your grace grant them all glory, laud, and honour. Amen. Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, we will now participate in the singing of our national anthem. We’ll be led today by Mr. Paul Lorieau, and I would invite all to participate in the language of their choice. Hon. Members: O Canada, our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

The Speaker: Thank you, all. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Premier. Mr. Horner: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to rise today and introduce to you and through you to all Members of the Legislative Assembly a group of grade 6 students from Camilla school in Rivière Qui Barre in my cons tituency. They’re just embarking upon their week at the Leg., and I can tell you they’re very excited about doing that and very excited a bout the program that you and your group put on.

They are seated in the members’ gallery this afternoon, and they’re accompanied by teacher Mrs. Amanda Murray and parent helpers Mr. David Soetaert, Mrs. Lori Reaville, Mr. Shawn Dolan, Mrs. Bianca Patterson, Mrs. Karen Streeter, Mrs. Monique Perrott, and Mr. Walter DeRudder. They’re in the members’ gallery, as I said. I would ask that they rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Legislative Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Meadowlark. Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s my honour to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly 49 of the hardest working and brightest young people in my constituency from St. Benedict Catholic school. They’re joined by Mrs. Lynne Holzman, Mrs. Tina Letki, Mrs. Kristie Brahim, and Mrs. Niki Hodgins. We had a good chat outside, Mr. Speaker, about the different levels of government, about what we do here. These young people understood the laws that we pass, and we talked about what we’re doing in spring session, defending the budget. Now they’re going to see what we’re doing here today.

We have young people that want to be doctors, teachers, a veterinarian. One young fellow wants to be in the army, a hockey player, but none of them said politicians. Hopefully, we can inspire these young people in my constituency to run for public service in the service of this wonderful province, as many of us have done here. Mr. Speaker, they’re all in the public gallery. I would ask them all to stand and receive the trad itional warm welcome of all of my friends in the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s an honour for me today to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly 27 guests that attended the Girl Guides of Canada 100th anniversary celebration earlier today in the rotunda. Girl Guides of Canada has a rich tradition of leadership and community building in Alberta and Canada. When I joined Girl Guides of Canada 50 years ago, at the age of six, in the city where it all began a hundred years ago, St.

Catharines, Ontario, I didn’t realize that I was to be a member of the largest women’s organiza- tion in the world, and I didn’t know that I was about to have one of the greatest adventures of my life as a Brownie, a Girl Guide, a Sea Ranger, a leader, and a member of Trefoil Guild. On this day, February 22, we celebrate Thinking Day around the world, the birthdate of both Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. Today’s celebration in the rotunda is a testament to the contribu- tions made by the Girl Guides over the last century. Mr.

Speaker, seated in your gallery – I would ask them to stand as I call their names – are Margaret Utgoff, provincial commissioner; Henny Smit- Nielsen, provincial international adviser; Lori Coghill, parkland area commissioner; Pat Guillemaud, provincial PR adviser; past provin- cial commissioners Lissi Westergaard and Kay Clement; the 2010 committee chair, Terri Funk; area commissioners Beverly Simpson Headon and Kathy Batty; Leslie Horton, provincial cookie adviser; Edie Jubenville, provincial program adviser; Sue Fortunka, provin- cial program adviser; and Enidd Isaac, chair, national international selections committee.

Seated in the members’ gallery are the Guiders Marguerite Helps, Mary Gerritson, Margaret Campbell, Liz Barter, Alice Mah, Madelyn Underhay, Laura Balding, Susan Balding, Liz Cotton, Janeen Marko, Isabelle Marko, Annie Desautels, Coral Desautels, and staff members Fennie Fraser and Mary Chibuk. They’re standing in our galleries. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Assembly to give them the warm traditional welcome. The Speaker: I asked the question: how many boxes of Girl Guide cookies per year in the province of Alberta? I was told there were over 250,000 at $4, so that’s over $1 million for cookies.

So let’s enjoy our cookies and milk. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. Mr. Vandermeer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly the winners of the ATCO Olympic contest from my constituency, their family members, and the director of government affairs for ATCO. Representing ATCO is a name that is very familiar to this Assembly. His name is Mr. Roger Mazankowski. I’d ask you to rise. I’ll ask the winners of the contest to rise as I mention their names as well: Lexie Lynn, Enrique Schwanke, and Chanel Perri.

I’d also ask their families to rise with them and receive the tradi- tional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010202 Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to intro- duce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly a very large group of firefighters who are here today in support of Bill 201 and to witness its second reading this afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I believe they’re seated in both galleries. They represent locals from across this province and beyond.

With us we have firefighters from local 4739 Leduc, local 3021 Spruce Grove, local 2494 Fort McMurray, local 237 Lethbridge, local 209 Edmon- ton, local 867 Winnipeg, local 263 Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie local 2770, local 1190 Red Deer, local 255 Calgary, and local 2461 Strathcona as well as the Alberta Firefighters Association. With them are two other very special guests, Sharon Harris and Braxton Harris. They are the widow and son of Edmonton fire captain Alexander “Rainbow” Harris, who passed away, sadly, from esophageal cancer on June 20, 2009.

These are just a sample of the very, very brave men and women across our province who lay their lives on the line every day to keep us and our loved ones safe. I would ask that they all rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. 1:40 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver is a very special time for our country. For those who are able to attend, it will bring memories to last a lifetime.

I’m introduc- ing to you and through you to all members of this Assembly Enrique Schwanke, who won a trip to the Vancouver Olympics, along with Mr. Jason Schwanke Sr., Mr. Jason Schwanke Jr., and Alma Sarmiento. My colleague for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview will be doing a member’s statement to follow about this trip. I believe they are seated in the public gallery. I would ask these four individuals to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Municipal Affairs. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly Mr. Dave Hodgins. Mr. Hodgins started as a volunteer firefighter many, many years ago and was vice-president of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and is now president of Fire Prevention Canada. More importantly, Dave Hodgins is our manager, managing director of Alberta Emergency Management Agency. Mr. Hodgins is here to witness the introduction of Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010, that will be introduced later by our Member for Calgary-Montrose. I’d ask Mr.

Hodgins to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: Are there others? Then join with me in recognizing the hon. Minister of Infrastruc- ture, who’s celebrating an anniversary today of his arrival on Planet Earth. I don’t know the exact date, but I think it’s considerably more than that identified in a very transparent moment by the hon. Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar. Girl Guides of Canada Centennial Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an honour today to rise to mark the 100th anniversary of the Girl Guides of Canada. This past weekend I was honoured to be a part of the celebration held in my constituency and to have the opportunity to learn and visit with Guides and Scouts, the parents, and volunteer leaders and to hear about the awesome job they are doing in my constituency. The Girl Guides of Canada have a powerful and meaningful mission statement. They work to enable girls to be confident, resourceful, and courageous and to make a difference in the world.

In a world where our young women face so many challenges and opportunities, it is important for organizations such as this one to be there to help guide them along the way. The leaders work with the girls and teach them to be honest and trustworthy, use resources wisely, respect themselves and others, recognize and use their talents and abilities, protect the environment, live with courage and strength, and share in the sisterhood of Guiding.

Over the last century hundreds of thousands of girls have been touched by the Girl Guides organization, including two of my daughters, Kristen and Jacqueline, and, as we heard, the hon. Member for Red Deer-North. Girl Guides of Canada has engaged girls and women in fun activities that have built new friendships, allowed them to learn new skills, serve their community, and grow as young women. Perhaps most importantly, Girl Guides provides the tools and resources for the girls of today to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Guides would not be possible without the commitment of thousands of women who dedicate countless hours to this worthy organization. Annually on February 22, which is called Thinking Day, Girl Guides from across the world take time to remember and celebrate the birthday of their founders, Lord and Lady Baden- Powell. I would like to welcome all the Girl Guides and their leaders who are here at the Legislature today to celebrate their hundredth anniversary and to thank the hon. Speaker for hosting the celebration in the rotunda earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Bissell Centre Centennial Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to bring to the attention of this Assembly a very special occasion celebrated recently by an organization in our constituency, the hundredth anniversary of the Bissell Centre. The Bissell Centre is a nonprofit, charitable society that has been serving the community of Edmonton since 1910 with a formal vision statement of neighbour helping neighbour. The centre started as a Methodist Church mission founded by William and Florence Pike.

They worked from a storefront office at 96th Street and 103A Avenue, where the current police station now stands. Programs originally offered included a Sunday school, social groups, and a Ukrainian Sunday service to help Ukrainian immi- grants settle into their new community. The mission later merged with the Presbyterian McQueen Institute, taking the name All People’s Mission in 1925. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, All People’s Mission began to focus its services to support people living on low and modest incomes.

In 1935 the organization was christened the Bissell Institu te after farm machinery baron Torrence Bissell donated $25,000, allowing the centre to move into its new brick building on the northeast corner of 96th Street and 103A Avenue. Throughout its history the Bissell Centre has been an inclusive force for social change; for example, helping Second World War Japanese-Canadians who had been stripped of their property or

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 203 advocating on behalf of First Nations people to protest laws preventing them from speaking their own languages. The Bissell of today at 105 Avenue and 96th Street is a busy and ambitious operation, having expanded to the west and east centres downtown. The Bissell Centre has a powerful philosophy, that is one of hope for human potential and social justice. The Bissell Centre believes that every person has the right to have basic human needs satisfied and that each of us has a responsibility to care for one another. Mr.

Speaker, I invite you and the members of the Legislature to join me in celebrating the hundredth anniversary of this very important, vital institution. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. ATCO Celebrating Excellence Program Mr. Vandermeer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to rise and share a great program with you, the ATCO celebrating excel- lence program, that rewards young Albertans who have demon- strated leadership in their communities.

Students in grade 4 through grade 12 from every corner of the province were invited to share stories about how they make a difference in their communities. Thousands res ponded. Of those thousands, 83 students were awarded laptops, that will assist them in their studies. The other 166, one boy and one girl from each constituency in Alberta, were selected for a once-in-a-lifetime experience this year.

With the support of the Alberta government these young leaders had the privilege of spending a day at the Olympic Games watching competition, a medal ceremony, and visiting Alberta House in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Because of the wonderful things that they do in their communities, thes e students were rewarded with a chance to witness the dedication and the determination of the world’s best athletes.

There is no doubt that they’ve come home inspired by the heroes of the Olympics, and we hope that this experience will encourage them to continue being involved in their communities and making a positive contribution to our great province. Mr. Speaker, I invite all members to join me in congratulating these young people and all of the students who shared their stories through this program. These young leaders are our future, and we are so thankful that they are committed to making Alberta an even better place to live. Thank you.

The Speaker: Hon. members, before moving to question period, I just wish to advise that when I call Orders of the Day in approxi- mately an hour or so from now, I’m going to recognize the hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay to rise and ask for unanimous consent to make a procedural change in the Order Paper. If you look in the Order Paper, we have motions other than government motions 503 and 505. The member will be asking for a switch, that Motion 503 become 505, that Motion 505 become 503.

Unanimous consent will have to be given in order to deal with that procedural matter. 1:50 head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Electoral Reform Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday the Justice minister said that the most important thing for Elections Alberta to do was to ensure that Albertans have confidence in their electoral system. Well, Albertans do not have confidence in their electoral system. They want to remedy 2008’s pitiful 41 per cent voter turnout.

Isn’t the minister concerned that the erosion of democracy in Alberta is happening, enough to commit to allowing postseconda- ry campuses to have polling stations for students? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not believe that democracy is eroding in Alberta. Everyone is entitled to their opinion; that’s what democracy is all about. However, we will be, as I said last Thursday, introducing legislation in due course that will respond to recommendations that have been made by the Chief Electoral Officer. Dr. Swann: Well, Mr.

Speaker, a 41 per cent voting turnout is not a success in most people’s books. That’s a failing grade. Of the 182 recommendations from the former Chief Electoral Officer one key recommendation was to increase accessibility of polls. I would be placing polling stations in high-traffic public locations. Will the minister do the same? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Redford: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, it’s not my job to do that. It’s the Chief Electoral Officer’s job to do that. Secondly, Mr.

Speaker, that question has been raised in this House before, and I’d be happy either now or at some other point in the debate to expand on the impracticalities of that. Dr. Swann: Practical or not, Mr. Speaker, last week the new Chief Electoral Officer said that it wasn’t his job to get people out to vote. This seems quite consistent with this minister’s approach to electoral reform. Was this by design or was this coincidence that you both said the same thing? Ms Redford: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I’m not sure I understood the question, but if the question was, “Did I intend to ensure that people could have sensible and fair access to vote?” then our response to the report will address that in a very full way and ensure that that happens. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Protection of Children in Care Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The $27 million cut from child intervention services will without a doubt adversely affect the care of vulnerable children and youth.

There will be fewer dollars for caseworkers, that are already overwhelmed by caseloads, caseworkers that supervise children and youth in very vulnerable situations, that provide safety a nd security when children need it most. To the Premier: how will the cuts to intervention services not lead to reduced monitoring in homes protecting children? How will it not produce that? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, children are a priority for this govern- ment, especially their safety, and those that are also in the care of government.

The minister has laid out a very clear, articulate plan, and she’d be able to comment further on her plan.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010204 Dr. Swann: Well, to the minister, then: how will the cuts not reduce services and monitoring in homes where children are most at risk? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Fritz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the cuts I can tell you, hon. member, I appreciate your concern, and I can understand that concern. I want you to know very clearly that with the change in this budget, the way the budget has been allocated, the restructuring of this budget will not affect front-line staff, critical workers, which you’re concerned about. It will not affect accreditation of programs.

In fact, the change in programs is because of efficiencies that have been created, and I can share that with you in another question. Dr. Swann: That’s really hard to believe, Mr. Speaker, when we’ve seen 75 per cent cuts in the last three years to in-home supervision. How can the minister justify these comments? Mrs. Fritz: Well, Mr. Speaker, one thing I’ve learned, especially in this session, is that I need to look into the statistic that this member has brought forward. I don’t know if it’s accurate.

Having said that, I can tell you that the efficiencies that have been created with child intervention very clearly have been with the movement of the youth that are in group homes, which on average per youth is $14,000 per month, for more permanency in foster homes. We’ve created over 900 sp aces with foster homes and kinship care over the last 18 months. Foster homes and kinship care are on average about $1,500 a month, so there are savings and efficiencies in that area. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Cabinet Policy Committees Mr.

MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Premier: why are appointments of Conservative MLAs to the Treasury Board and the Agenda and Priorities Committee done through an order in council, which is published, while appointments to the Conservative cabinet policy committees are not done through order in council but done through the Premier’s office? Those a ppointments are done in secrecy. Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, they can’t be secret because everybody knows who sits on what committee, so I’m not quite sure where the member is going with it.

We do have members that are appointed to what we call cabinet policy committees. They’re there to talk about issues that come forward from Albertans, whether it be looking at regulations or laws that some constituents are asking us to put in place. They vet, discuss it, and bring it forward as a recommendation. Mr. MacDonald: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: what legislative authority is the Premier using to appoint and pay Conservative caucus members to the internal cabinet policy committees, which meet behind closed doors? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, the CPCs, the cabinet policy commit- tees, were put together to disc uss issues and policies that come forward and to bring those recommendations. Many of those recommendations lead to legislation, and that legislation ends up here in the House for full and open debate, as does every piece of legislation. Mr. MacDonald: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: is the Premier’s exercise of this authority to appoint and pay cabinet policy committee members a violation of the Legislative Assembly Act, specifically

section 37? Did you read that before you appointed those people? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I always trust you as the Speaker of this Assembly to make sure that nobody at all breaks any legislation with respect to this legislation. The other thing is that I’m sure that across this way and in that party over there, even the party of three, they get paid for a whip, an assistant whip, and a House leader, and all of those things are paid for through the Legislative Assembly.

The Speaker: The payment for whips, though, only applies to officially recognized parties, so in the case of the third party that wouldn’t happen. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood. Bitumen Upgrading Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. This government’s failure to create value-added jobs in the oil sands is caused in part by the raw bitumen flowing to the United States via the Alberta Clipper and Keystone pipelines, taking Alberta jobs with it.

When I asked about this last week, the Energy minister said that no new jobs were being created in the United States because they had existing capacity in the refineries there to handle the upgrading. My question is for the Minister of Energy. Does the minister stand behind the state- ments he made during his estimates last week? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t have in front of me what our discussion was last week, but what is important, what I was trying to get across to the member, is that there is significant excess capacity in the United States.

To just assume somehow that when bitumen is going to the U.S. to be refined, there are new jobs being created is not necessarily correct. If in some way my comments didn’t reflect that, I’ll put it on record as being so now. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Interesting. In budget estimates the minister said that Alberta bitumen could be piped to existing American refineries and that new ones were not being built to handle the flow. The truth is that at least 10 American upgraders are being built or expanded to handle Alberta bitumen.

They’re investing more than $37 billion to increase capacity by more than a million barrels per day and creating more than 23,000 full- time jobs in the process. Why is the minister shipping Alberta jobs south instead of finding ways to give those 23,000 jobs back to unemployed Albertans? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, what I did say to the member during estimates last week is that this is a market decision. If there is an economic business case to be made, the private sector will build upgraders and create jobs wherever they feel is the best return on investment.

The reality today is that with the price of bitumen there is not a great incentive to build, but that could change as time moves on. 2:00 The Speaker: The hon. member.

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 205 Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, it’s not a market decision; it’s a government policy. Unemployed tradespeo- ple in Alberta need to look no further for where their jobs have gone than this government sitting over there. There are at least 10 different upgrader projects in Michigan, Illinois, Oklahoma, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, and Ohio. Alberta’s unemployment rate is more than 6 per cent, and we’ve lost 35,000 full-time jobs in the last year alone.

Why won’t the Energy minister stop sending our jobs and our bitumen to the United States and create real, permanent jobs here in Alberta? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, what this member has to remember is that the refining and upgrading that goes on in the United States is to serve a huge market. It takes supplies from all over the world wherever they can get it, including Canadian bitumen. I would just like to reiterate that it’s this particular government, our policies that have created the jobs in the oil sands, not the policies of those two sitting there, who want to shut down the oil sands.

The Speaker: Hon. members, ordinarily on day 4 of the rotation, and this being day 4, the fifth question will go to the hon. Member for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. The hon. member has decided to switch his place today with another hon. member, and that’s the reason why I’m now recognizing the hon. Member for Airdrie- Chestermere. Provincial Budget Caucus Approval Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Prior to me leaving the PC Party in January, the government caucus met to approve the basic parameters of the budget.

One of the things agreed to almost unanimously was to limit the increase in overall spending to the rate of inflation plus population growth, or 3.5 per cent, but Budget 2010 calls for a 6 per cent increase in spending, or about 4.3 per cent if you don’t include the superboard debt payment. In any event it certainly was not what was originally approved by caucus. To the Premier: as your caucus did not meet again until late January, did your caucus approve the spending increase prior to the budget being printed? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the budget was presented by the minister.

It included a one-time payment of all of the deficit that was incurred by Alberta Health Services. It also included a five-year increased funding commitment for the Alberta Health Services Board to ensure that we provide the best health services possible in the country of Canada. All of those will be publicly funded, obviously. Now it’s giving the whole health system continued support, and they are better able to plan for the future. Mr. Anderson: Mr. Speaker, that was not my question.

When I left the government in January, caucus had agreed to limit this year’s spending increase to inflation plus population growth. That decision was altered. What I want to know is whether Albertans’ elected representatives had any say in this change, so I’ll repeat the question to the Premier. Did your caucus approve the spending increase above inflation plus population growth prior to the budget being printed? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, one thing the member should realize is that on the government side this caucus had a full discussion of all of the issues that are facing the Minister of Finance and Enterprise in terms of finding a budget that meets the needs of Albertans. There were revisions made to the budget, and one of them was, of course, increased funding for health because if we are going to make health a priority, as Albertans expect us to do. That’s exactly what we did. We put it in place, and that budget is before this House for debate. The other issue is about caucus or no caucus. It’s not a policy issue.

In question period we talk about how policy is formulated and why we took a particular stand on policy, not when or what hap- pened in a caucus. Mr. Anderson: Well, this is an issue about democracy, Mr. Speaker, and goes to the very heart of what we do in this House. Just to confirm, caucus agreed to keep spending increases under the rate of inflation plus population growth. The government raised spending above that level prior to the budget being printed and then asked caucus to affirm that decision the day before or the week before the budget was presented. Is that what happened, Mr. Premier? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, if I could just take that question and try and move it into a policy area but not talk about caucus delibera- tions, what that party wants to do is to limit spending to population and inflation, which is very good, very laudable, but in this particu- lar instance we had to deal with the incurred deficit of Alberta Health Services. The other thing, Mr. Speaker, that I don’t ever hear coming from any of the other parties when it comes to inflation and population increase spending: what happens if we have the same population, but the age of our population increases?

When we get older, we demand more health services. That means he’s saying that he’s not going to cover it from what I gather from his deliberations. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Hays. Municipal Election Campaign Financing Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government didn’t think through the effect that new legislation would have on municipal election campaigns.

According to the new rules, municipalities are going to hold onto funds for the candidates, but with campaign money not being released to the candidates until just four weeks to go before voters go to the polls, there will be no way to pay for most aspects of a municipal election campaign. To the Minister of Municipal Affairs: how is a candidate supposed to pay for signs, billboards, brochures, and even rent a campaign office without the money to pay for them? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, just as a reminder to the members of the House Bill 203, which was a private member’s bill, was passed in this Legislature.

We are now working to ensure that when it does take effect, it is workable, it is practical, and it aligns with the legislation that we presently have. We will be bringing forward amendments to that effect. Mr. Taylor: Oh, that should work well. We’re bringing forward government amendments to a private member’s bill that the government has proclaimed without consulting with the AUMA and the AAMD and C. Why didn’t you consult with them before proclaiming this legislation? Mr. Goudreau: Mr.

Speaker, again, not to defend the rights of a private member’s bill, but there was a fair amount of consultation that did occur. My understanding is that there were contacts made

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010206 with the AUMA, their executive, and representatives from AUMA as well as AAMD and C, so there was ongoing dialogue that way. As well, there were a number of letters and correspondence that were received from numerous elected officials from across the province as Bill 203 was developed. Mr. Taylor: Well, Mr.

Speaker, if that consultation with members of the AUMA and AAMD and C that the minister talks about, whether, you know, as members of those organizations or individual mayors, city councillors, town councillors, and so on and so forth, actually happened before the proclamation of this legislation – and the minister has already admitted that it needs to be amended, and it will be amended – why did they go ahead and proclaim the legislation? Why not just hold off on it till you’ve got it right? Mr. Goudreau: Mr.

Speaker, what we heard from people across the province is that, you know, generally Albertans believe in account- ability, they believe in transparency, and they believe that our local governments are extremely important in providing the services to Albertans. We are attempting to level the playing field so that all municipal candidates across the province are governed by the same rules.

Now, we are hearing from Albertans who are asking us to move forward with these particular initiatives, and I would dare say that the vast majority of people who talk about it want to see limits placed on such things as election spending. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Hays, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Mr. Johnston: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the current economic situation some Albertans are worried about the status of our govern- ment’s savings. Albertans are seeing their savings dwindle during this recession, and it seems there is no plan.

To the Minister of Finance and Enterprise: to what extent has the global recession diminished our savings in the Alberta heritage savings trust fund during the fiscal year? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member for Calgary- Hays is very justified in his concerns about the heritage savings trust fund. It’s one of the centrepi eces of our party, put in place by the founder of our modern party, Premier Peter Lougheed. Did we lose money last year because of what happened in the markets? Yes.

But the good news, if you look at the third-quarter report that was tabled the same day as the budget, is that this year we’re projecting a $2 billion increase – a $2 billion increase – in the value of the heritage savings trust fund. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Johnston: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental to the same minister. The Canadian dollar is gaining in value. Is this having any impact on our investment strategy? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The change in the currency value for the Canadian dollar vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar has both positive and negative effects. The negative effects are that a lot of the heritage trust fund is invested in U.S. securities, so if the U.S. dollar gets weaker vis-à-vis the Canadian dollar, that decreases our value there; also, most of our exported oil and gas is purchased in U.S. dollars, so again when the Canadian dollar goes up, those U.S. dollars are worth less to us when they come in. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that the rising value of the Canadian dollar signals the rest of the world’s confidence in the Canadian economy and the Canadian financial system. This country is better situated than other countries to recover from the recession, and Alberta is the best situated of all the provinces. 2:10 Mr. Johnston: My final supplemental to the same minister: are there any plans to inflation-proof the heritage savings trust fund this fiscal year? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inflation-proofing of the trust fund is done as a matter of course under normal times.

Last year because the f und lost value, there was no inflation-proofing. This year because there is no inflation projected, there is no inflation-proofing. But for budget 2010-11 $300 million is allocated for inflation-proofing and to protect the value of that money. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo, followed by the hon. Member for Strathcona. Edmonton Remand Centre Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently the deplorable state of Edmonton’s Remand Centre was highlighted in the legal decision Trang versus Alberta, Edmonton Remand Centre.

Clearly the commentary contained in this legal decision is a black mark on justice in Alberta. To the Solic itor General. This Queen’s Bench decision noted the inhumane conditions in Edmonton’s Remand Centre amounted to Charter of Rights and Freedoms violations. Accordingly, what is the Sol Gen doing to rectify these ongoing and persistent violations at the facility? Mr. Oberle: Well, Mr. Speaker, the decision is not a black mark on justice in Alberta.

It’s certainly a cause for concern in the operation of our corrections facility, namely the Edmonton Remand Centre, but it is not a black mark on justice in Alberta. I don’t accept that

preamble at all. Mr. Hehr: Black mark, cause for concern: tomayto, tomahto. Mr. Speaker, the Alberta court noted that a major problem in Edmonton’s Remand Centre was overcrowding, overcrowding that still exists today. Given that the new remand centre is not to be finished until 2012, what interim measures are being introduced to address these issues? Mr. Oberle: Well, Mr. Speaker, the decision in question is still, in fact, before the courts, and Alberta at this point has not decided whether or not to appeal the decision.

However, I can tell the member that we have taken steps to resolve most of the issues in the judgment, and we’ll continue to work on it. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Despite what the Solicitor General says, we all know here that there are 800 inmates in the Edmonton Remand Centre at night. Really, that place is supposed to hold 500. What is he doing besides telling the House

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 207 one thing when another situation exists? What is he really doing to rectify this ongoing Charter violation? Mr. Oberle: I am and my department is working on resolving the issues within the Edmonton Remand Centre, and we’re quite busy constructing a new one if the hon. member would care to go for a little drive, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Carbon Capture and Storage Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The government has been criticized for spending $2 billion on carbon capture and storage when we’re using the sustainability fund to balance the budget. My question to the Minister of Energy: why can’t we eliminate the plan and save some money? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all, I think we need to look at this as an investment and not an expenditure. It’s an investment because not only does it help us meet our environmental challenges, but it will be an important element in extracting oil in the future but, most importantly, I would say long term the opportunity to sell the technology globally.

One thing that I think we have to make clear is that unlike some parties who believe that this $2 billion invest- ment over the next 15 years is not good for Alberta, we happen to believe it is. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question for the same minister. Some people say that CCS is an unproven technology that never has been used effectively. Are we spending money on something that may not work? Mr. Liepert: Well, in fact, it has proven to work in smaller scale projects throughout the province over the last 20 years.

But, you know, there is a major project that has been under way in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, for a number of years – I think it’s some 10 years now – where they’ve injected successfully some 13 million tonnes of CO2. Again, it’s just part of our diversification initiatives, and it will be a success. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Quest: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is also to the Minister of Energy. Despite everything that we’re doing, a lot of environmental group and political opponents continue to criticize this province for contributing to global warming through the oil sands.

Are we a major obstacle to reducing greenhouse gases? Mr. Liepert: Well, again, it’s important to get the truth out, Mr. Speaker. The oil sands really, I think, produce about one-tenth of 1 per cent of all the global greenhouse gases. You know, as an example, the oil sands are responsible for about 5 per cent of Canada’s overall greenhouse gases

whereas the transportation sector is about 25 per cent. So my guess is that on any given day there’s more greenhouse gas from the tailpipes of vehicles on the streets of Montreal and Toronto than there is out of the oil sands. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Glenmore. Energy Efficiency Rebate Program Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, meeting climate change goals is more than carbon capture and storage. It must include energy efficiency measures.

The province is partnering with the feds through EcoEnergy to offer rebates to home and condo owners on boilers, hot water, and insulation, but the feds will also cover windows. Given that the purpose of rebates is to incent people to make improvement they wouldn’t otherwise make and that windows are responsible for up to 50 per cent loss of energy efficiency, not including them is a big error. To the Minister of Environment: has the government moved any closer to funding window repl acement as part of the energy efficiency rebate pro- gram? Mr. Renner: Mr.

Speaker, the consumer rebate program has been up and in operation for some time now. Unfortunately, it does not include windows. I can’t advise the member of anything different than that. It’s a matter of getting the maximum amount of efficiency out of a limited amount of dollars. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you. Back to the same minister. Although they meet the under-three-storeys requirement, most three-floor walk-ups are not eligible because they’re rental units. Why doesn’t the government include these under the rebate program? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, the issue around rental units is a good one. I, frankly, would welcome some feedback and some suggestions from the opposition on how we might deal with that because in most rental units it is up to the tenant to pay for the cost of utilities. There’s really no incentive even if there is a consumer rebate in the hands of the owner of the building. So it’s necessary to try to point the rebate to the person who has the responsibility. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The minister is exactly right.

The individual renter has to pay the utilities but has no control over the energy efficiency of the building. That goes to the apartment owner, and they have no incentive to do anything because they’re not paying the utilities. My recommendation to the minister: will he consider creating a special category for these kinds of rental buildings? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’d be happy to create a special category, but as I just enunciated and the member confirmed, a category is not what’s needed. What is needed here is being able to target the funds to the individuals that have control over making the decisions.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Glenmore, followed by the hon. Member for Rocky Mountain House. Health System Utilization Review Mr. Hinman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health has talked about a cost-benefit review of public versus private facilities doing certain medical procedures. We can have a debate about this in the House, but if the review is done properly, then the numbers won’t lie. My question is to the Mi nister of Health. When did the cost-benefit review begin? Was it after he came to this portfolio, or was it started by the previous health minister? When will it be completed?

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010208 Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge costings have been done off and on throughout the time that the former minister was there and the former minister before the former minister. It’s just ongoing. What I specifically asked for was to add the word “bene- fit” to the word “cost” so that we would know not only the cost, but we’d also know more about the benefits. Some of that might have to do with convenience or distance or wait times. There are a number of other things to be considered in answering that question. Mr. Hinman: Mr.

Speaker, the government is now talking about activity-based funding. It’s nice to see that after five years of our party promoting activity-based funding, someone on the government side has finally come around to the Wildrose way of thinking. Proper utilization is also important , and that is a priority this government has missed. We need to know the capacity of our operating rooms and diagnostic equipment in order to address the wait times. Will the minister launch a full system utilization review? 2:20 Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, we’re consta ntly reviewing things. We’re constantly making improvements.

As for whose idea it was, it matters not to me whose idea it was. If it was theirs, good for them. If was ours, which I suspect it might well have been, then good for us. The point is: if it’s a good idea, we’ll do it. Mr. Hinman: Mr. Speaker, he missed the question. That was the

preamble. We need a full system utilization review to know if, in fact, our facilities are being utilized properly. We also need a labour review to see if we have the labour to utilize those fac ilities. W ill the minister launch a full system utilization review to know if we’re using our equipment to the best? Mr. Zwozdesky: Well, I said that we do reviews all the time, so I thought I’d sort of addressed that. But we’re going to be doing more. For example, the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Rutherford is about to engage in a province-wide blueprint for action, that will be determined by the end of September, that will culminate in the Alberta health care act. That’s the type of consultation, input, and ongoing engagement Albertans want, and that’s what they’re going to get. There’ll be more of that going on in the future. There’s some good, effective evidence to show that evidence-based decision- making works, and that’s what we’re pursuing. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Rocky Mountain House, followed by the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Environmental Regulations Mr.

Lund: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Albertans have always been very, very protective of their environment, the pristine environment that we have in the province, and that’s why the Lougheed adminis- tration put in place the first environment department in Canada. It’s also why in the Getty administration, as they were going through the whole exercise, the minister of environmental protection, the Hon. Ralph Klein, introduced and passed the most comprehensive environmental legislation in the country, that being, of course, the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Now, of course, we’re still under attack from outside the province. To the minister of environmental protection: do you see any connection between the volume of regulations and the protection and enhancement of the environment? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, there certainly is a relationship between the number of regulations and the protection of the environment, but sometimes, frankly, the regulations can get in the way of protecting the environment. That’s why we’re committed to streamlining the process. But let me be very, very clear.

Streamlin- ing the process has absolutely nothing to do with reducing our very strict standards. We will hold industry accountable, and we’ll do so under a streamlined process. Mr. Lund: Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased to hear that, but I’m curious why it is that we continue to add regulations if, in fact, there’s another way of doing it. I would encourage the minister to give us examples where, in fact, we can do it in a different manner. Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, I think there are a couple of examples that I’d like to give if I have time. First of all, on the innovative side.

Right now if a company wants to use waste heat to produce electricity, the regulations that we have require them to have a separate approval for each facility along the line. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The other is to reduce a number of redundancies where we have duplicate processes in place. Once is enough. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Lund: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m really curious how you’re going to incorporate the new technologies into helping to reduce the number of regulations. Mr. Renner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I guess as the Minister of Environ- ment challenge is something that we welcome with open arms, and this will be yet another one. I’m not for a moment suggesting that it will be easy. I’m not for a moment suggesting that it’s not complex. What I am suggesting is that it’s absolutely critical that we do it. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, followed by the hon. Member for Battle River-Wainwright. Assessing Supports for PDD Clients Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In this year’s budget debate for Seniors and Community Supports the minister stated that over the next three years all of the 9,200 people supported by Persons with Developmental Disabilities will be reassessed using the supports intensity scale, SIS, to determine how much support they receive. To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: what will be the total cost of performing the reassessment of PDD individuals, and will this be comi ng from the department’s budget or from the PDD community boards’ budget? Mrs. Jablonski: Mr.

Speaker, the cost of implementing the SIS supports assessment tool is very minimal. We did have to hire four people, but they’re hired temporarily to help us get through the next few years in the assessment process. The cost of the assessment will come from the PDD budget. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the minister explain where the supports intensity scale came from and what the cost is of purchasing it and using it?

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 209 Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, I understand that the cost for the SIS supports – the software that we have and the computer, the training, all of that – is very minimal. We did purchase it; I’m not sure what the name of the company is. The reason we purchased the SIS assessment tool is because it’s a very well-researched program. It’s used in 23 different states, and it’s used in two other provinces. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Pastoor: Thank you. I guess my point on that question was that I believe it’s American.

Will the minister inform the House how the level of PDD supports was determined before SIS and whether there’s an evaluation process to track the difference between the new SIS and the previous method? Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, once a person is determined to be eligible for PDD, there is an assessment process. We have six different regional community boards, and the evaluations they use have evolved throughout the years. They’re not n ecessarily the same, and they’re not necessarily consistent.

We felt that it was very important that each individual in Alberta is assessed in a very consistent way, so we have a process now where somebody in Grande Prairie or a person with similar disabilities in Lethbridge can be assessed equally and fairly through the same system. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Battle River-Wainwright, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. School Class Sizes and Utilization Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

After doing a little bit of research, it came to my attention that from 2004 until 2009 there was an increase of 3,300 t eachers in Alberta’s school system, but there was only an increase of 12,000 students. That represents a 10.5 per cent increase in the number of teachers, but the student population only went up by 1.4 per cent. To the Minister of Education: what would drive such a huge increase in the teacher population relative to a small growth in the student population? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a very clear answer to that, the class size initiative.

We’ve hired almost 3,000 teachers in order to meet the class size policy that was put in place after the ACOL report, Alberta’s Commission on Learning. Almost all of those teachers that you’re talking a bout are in response to meeting the class size initiative. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Cities like Las Vegas have realized that an exceptional growth in their student population warranted more schools, but they also realized that they did not have the budget to build or maintain those needed schools.

To better utilize taxpayers’ dollars, they’ve opted to educate students in shifts and run year-round schooling to better utilize the space they have. Our school buildings, new or old, sit empty for a third of the year and half the afternoon and evening. To the minister: have you considered adopting some of those well-developed methods to better utilize the school sp ace that we currently have so that Education dollars go to educating students rather than to buildings and maintenance? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In fact, there are a number of situations around the province where school boards have put in place programs either to do year-r ound schooling or to extend the school day, in some cases even considering whether double-shifting might be possible, to use the school on two different school days within one date, so to speak. Of course, there are always the issues of change management, which have to be dealt with. We’ve become used to the concept that we go to school for certain months of the year and for certain times of the day, but that really, clearly, has to change. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr.

Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We spend a lot of money building, running, and maintainin g school buildings. I think the minister has picked up from my previous question that I have concerns about how we focus our expectations and performance requirements usually on the building rather than on outcomes. To the Minister of Education: do you have plans in place to help with that change management that will refocus our attention to the fact that our province’s future rests on well-educated children, not on whether a community or neighbourhood has an attractive building to stand in?

The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I’m firmly of the opinion that public buildings should be attractive and should be the hub of the community and should be a place that we can be proud of. The hon. member is absolutely right. As we go through the Inspiring Education process, talking about what kind of education we need to be successful in the future, we also have to look at our physical platforms and say: are the schools that we have performing the function that we need?

There would have to be a lot of review on what an education facility looks like while recognizing that we have those facilities; they’re impor tant to communities in terms of libraries, gymnasiums, and the other things that are essential. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. 2:30 Northland School Division Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government disbanded the board of trustees of the Northland school division last month.

Since then Albertans have been learning more and more about the social and economic challenges facing residents of Northland. My questions are to the Minister of Education. Given that the challenges facing Northland were beyond the capacity of the trustees alone to address, would you please describe the efforts your ministry has made to involve other ministries such as children’s, Aboriginal Relations, and employment to support the work of the board of trustees, and will the minister table evidence of this previous . . . The Speaker: The hon. minister has the floor. Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr.

Speaker, we work very closely with Health and Wellness, with Children’s Services, with Aboriginal Relations, and with other ministries to make sure that we don’t operate in a silo whether it’s in the Northland school division or any other school division in the province. The absolute ability for us to co-operate in

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010210 the interest of children is one of our primary purposes. The first phone calls I made after the changes to cabinet were to the Minister of Health and Wellness and to the Minister of Children’s Services, talking about the need for us to continue our collaborative processes supporting children in the education process. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you. Part of the question that you may have missed was the tabling of those initiatives prior to the disbanding of the Northland school board.

Given that the previous efforts of the trustees and the government did not succeed in pr oducing acceptable academic results in Northland, what new resources and supports is the government placing at the disposal of the official trustee appointed last month? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I think it’s very prudent not to give people answers while you’re still asking the questions. We have a review team in place that’s visiting each and every one of the communities involved in Northland, talking with the families in the communities, talking with the educators in those communities, working with the official trustee.

Rushing in with a dump truck load of programs before we’ve asked all the questions and analyzed what we can best do to create the community engagement, the community value for education that’s so necessary to succeed I think would be imprudent. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you. This problem has existed for over 20 years. The government took very dramatic action, blaming the trustees. It would be nice to know what some of the remedies are.

Finally, when the inquiries committee’s six-month deadline is up, will the minister release the report to the public immediately along with a timeline for acting on the committee’s recommendations? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I take offence to the idea that anybody blamed the trustees. I was very clear that I wasn’t blaming trustees. What we were looking for was another way to deal with a very, very important issue so that the children could be put first and we could find a way to move forward with results for the children.

The trustees that were involved are still in pl ace, as a matter of fact, as chairmen of their local councils, to which they’re elected. We still hope that they w ill participate in this process. It’s not about the trustees; it’s about the children. We’ll focus on that and make sure that we get it right. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Payday Loans Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Payday loan companies seem to be growing rapidly in our province.

In this challenging economy many Albertans are struggling to make ends meet and might turn to these high-cost lenders to help pay the bills. My questions are to the Minister of Service Alberta. What are you doing to protect people who borrow from payday lenders? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year I introduced the payday loans regulation that established strong, clear rules for the lenders. One of the measures is that it caps $23 per $100 for the amount of money borrowed. The federal government had to approve the maximum amount before it became effective.

We r ecently received that approval, and effective March 1 that’s the cap that will be in place. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Capping the cost of loans is certainly a good step, but what are you doing to help Albertans to stay out of this vicious cycle of borrowing at such a high cost? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cap is, indeed, only one part of it. The other areas that are excluded are that there are no longer rollovers and discounting.

That is when the lender withholds part of the loan, and often consumers receive less than they thought they were getting. It’s about giving the consumers the right information to make better choices. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My final question to the same minister: how is the minister making sure Albertans know their rights when they borrow from payday lenders? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the best ways to protect consumers is to ensure that they know their rights when they do go into a payday loan business.

One of things that will happen on March 1 is that all of this rate will have to be posted on the walls or on the windows. As well, we have a tipsheet. We also have what’s called a payday loan calculator, so a consumer can go on the Service Alberta website and actually see what they’re getting into when they do need to take one of these loans. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Postsecondary Education Ancillary Fees Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Alberta’s university students are currently charged an average of almost $1,000 a year in unregu- lated extra student fees, the highest of such fees in the country. Students and families can’t budget for education when schools are allowed to increase fees in this arbitrary and excessive way. To the minister of advanced education: why won’t the minister follow the leads of provinces like Manitoba and Ontario and start regulating these auxiliary fees? Mr. Horner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, indeed we are working with our student associations to ensure that we have an affordability frame- work for postsecondary education for all students and all institutions. I’m aware of a couple of institutions in the province right now that are floating proposals of ancillary fees. We’re continuing to monitor that, and we’ll report back. Ms Notley: Well, Mr. Speaker, we need more than monitoring. As the minister mentions, the University of Calgary is now considering plans to copy the U of A’s move to raise unregulated student fees by

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 211 another $500. Add that to tuition, and postsecondary education in this province is right back to being the most expensive in Canada. Why won’t the minister of advanced education regulate these school fees, respect the tuition cap, and stop creating barriers to education? Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, we are respecting the tuition cap. I’ve said in this House that the cap is near about 1.5 per cent this year. We’re respecting that cap. She also mentioned in her

preamble that these are considerations and proposals. It’s hypothetical at this point. Ms Notley: Mr. Speaker, on one hand universities are looking at what is, in effect, a 10 per cent tuition increase. At the same time they’re asking for huge, expensive exceptions to the tuition cap in certain programs. This will mean that fewer Albertan kids can afford education. Why won’t government start focusing on access by saying no to both these increases and adequately funding institutions so they stop going after students for the money they need? Mr. Horner: Again, Mr.

Speaker, the students and the taxpayers in society are the clients of these institutions. Obviously, we’re going to make sure that we keep them focused on what they need to do, and that’s affordability, that’s access, and that’s quality. All of the things that the hon. member has mentioned are proposals at this point in time. We’ll see what happens when they come forward. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek, followed by the hon. Member for St. Albert. Registered Nursing Graduates Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nurses in this province are a critical part of our health care system.

If I’m in the hospital, I want an RN to assess me properly, identify what my nursing care needs are, get me healthy, and get me home. Nurses who are currently in school are coming to me with their concerns over having a job in Alberta when they graduate. My question is to the minister of health. How many nurses are graduating this spring, and what percentage will have a job here in Alberta? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I expect several hundred are probably graduating. I don’t have the exact number, but I’m sure we can find it for her.

On average I think about 70 per cent, that I last heard, of our Alberta graduating nurses were finding employment with Alberta Health and Wellness or with Alberta Health Services or some related function that we’re responsible for. There are other jobs for nurses such as in private facilities and such as in laboratories and so on. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In August of 2009 Alberta Health Services hired only 40 per cent of the registered nurses who graduated that month.

British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have benefited from Alberta nurses leaving Alberta to find work. My question is to the same minister. What is this minister doing to ensure that nurses who are graduating can find work here in our province? Mr. Zwozdesky: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m in fact meeting with the United Nurses of Alberta. I’ve met with them already once, maybe twice, and we’re meeting again on Wednesday to address this very issue. I’ve also met with the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta, CARNA, and addressed the same issue with them.

I’ve met with the health sc iences folks, who look after the training aspects to a large degree, or at least the program develop- ment. I’m doing everything I can to speak and meet with nurses and find out what some of their ideas and solutions are as well. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the announcement last week to address wait times in surgery and the shortage of home care, can the minister of health tell us if a long-term health plan will also include more home care for patients when they leave the hospital? Mr. Zwozdesky: I believe that is the plan, Mr. Speaker.

Home care is a critical part of the way that we help deliver services and extended services and follow-up services to Albertans in need. Without home care a lot of our folks would not be back at their jobs as fast as they would be, they wouldn’t be back on their two feet, as the expression goes, as quickly as we would like them to be, and a lot of general improvements otherwise would not be occurring. But we are confident that they are now, and I’m quite sure that home services will be increased in the next tranche. The Speaker: The hon. Member for St. Albert. 2:40 Property Assessment Appeals Training Mr.

Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs with respect to the new property assessment complaints system that the province has adopted and that went into effect at the beginning of this year. Can the minister explain why appeal board members and assessment review board clerks need enhanced mandatory training? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Goudreau: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of January 1 there is only one level of assessment appeal with three separate boards to hear different types of property assessment complaints.

We have implemented a mandatory training component to ensure that those hearings are accountable, that they are done in an effective, efficient, and timely manner. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My first supplemental is also to the same minister. Who is responsible for the cost of this enhanced training for these appeal board members? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The provincial govern- ment is covering the cost of training materials, the instructors, and meals during the training sessions, but the municipalities are responsible for the incidental travel costs that are involved. I want to be clear that training to ensure competent education is very essential, and that’s because a lot of those decisions could eventually be appealed to the Court of Queen’s Bench. The Speaker: The hon. member.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010212 Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question, again to the same minister, has to do with the locations of these training sessions. Are these training sessions held in each municipality across the province? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, presently these sessions are being held or have been held in five central locations across the province, and that’s in Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, and Grande Prairie.

Now, we’ve had several hundred people trained in 41 different sessions, and we are trying to minimize the cost to municipalities and are prepared to look at maybe other municipali- ties or other locations for training. The Speaker: Hon. members, 19 different members were recog- nized today. That was 114 questions and responses. Of the 19 members 13 came from the various opposition parties and six from private government members. We will continue with the Routine and members’ statements in 30 seconds from now. head: Members’ Statements (continued) The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning.

National Flag of Canada Day Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A symbol of Canada that is known around the world is our flag. The Maple Leaf flag officially became Canada’s flag on February 15, 1965, during Hon. Lester B. Pearson’s time as a Canadian Prime Minister. Our government thought that Canada needed a flag that was different from the Red Ensign. The Red Ensign had flown through- out our country for many years and showed our ties to Britain. There were many different designs that people wanted for the flag before the present flag was chosen.

On December 15, 1964, a motion to adopt a national flag for Canada passed the House of Commons. The Senate of Canada approved the motion on Decem- ber 17, 1964. Mr. Speaker, since I moved to Canada in 1979, the Canadian flag has been a very important part of my life. I have placed the Canadian flag in both my house here in Edmonton and my native home in Punjab, India. I am so proud as a Canadian when I see the flag each and every morning. When I see the flag, I remember the troops who have fought for our country for freedom in the past and those who are still fighting today.

I urge all Canadians to place the flag in their homes and businesses to show their pride in this great country of ours. Canada has been a great home for me and my family and will continue to be a great home for future generations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay. Culturally Diverse Health Services Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The second national transcultural conference, Multiple Voices for Enhancing Health Equity through Research, Policy, Education, and Clinical Practice, to be held in Calgary in the spring of 2010, is hosted by the child and women’s health diversity program in collaboration with a number of stakeholders in Calgary and southern Alberta. Some people may question why such a conference is needed. Well, according to the organizers, while many parts of our country, including Alberta, are working to create more effective multicultural or inclusive health policies and practices, gaps in services exist.

There is a need to share experiences when working with others to begin to identify national standards in the field.

The upcoming national transcultural conference has the following four objectives: examining current and emerging practices and strategies that are used to make health care institutions culturally viable; assessing the essential role of evidence-based research in the development of future transcultural diversity practices and policies; developing cultural competency, knowledge, and skills in health service delivery to reduce inequity in health care; and bringing together policy-makers, health car e professionals, administrators, educators, and community representatives from across Canada to discuss cultural competency in a broader spectrum collectively.

Organizers believe that improving culturally and linguistically appropriate services will ensure that children and their families will access services at a level closer to their Canadian-born counterparts. One of the benefits of this change is improved health prevention, which will help to reduce the long-term burden on the health care system. Mr. Speaker, a culturally competent system is one that possesses a set of behaviours, attitudes, policies, and procedures that enable an institution to effectively work with and serve a diverse community.

These knowledge and skills are transferable to address issues of age, gender, ability, class, and other issues of diversity. Developing cultural competency will benefit our institution’s overall capacity to serve our changing demographics in measurable ways in the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed. Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre Mr. Rodney: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the crown jewels in Calgary-Lougheed is Fish Creek provincial park.

Like so many others from our c onstituency and aro und the world, I’m always spellbound by the beauty of the great outdoors. But during a recent visit I was also mesmerized by the great indoors at the newly, extensively renovated Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre. It all adds up to a greener centre for all Albertans, which is even more connected to its environment than before. The project replaces dated construction materials and increases overall space while maintaining the look and feel of the original building.

It serves as a model of sustainable and innovative construction through progressive technologies in design, including Skyfold walls that provide convertible classroom and presentation spaces; Nana doors, which open rooms to the out door environment; high-effi- ciency heating, cooling, and water fixtures; a green roof upon which plants replace shingles; new educational technologies such as video conferencing; a celebration of each of Alberta’s six natural regions and the plant and animal species found in them; and vibrant expressions of art courtesy of local students and artists.

School programming is already under way and, again, offers curriculum-based programs modelled on research, best practices, and a dedication to connecting students with their environment. Mr. Speaker, over 800,000 students, t eachers, and volunteers have enjoyed award-winning programming at this important Calgary facility since 1982, myself included. I trust that all members of this House will join me in thanking and congratulating all involved as they celebrate the grand reopening of the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 213 head: Presenting Petitions Dr. Brown: Mr.

Speaker, as chair of the Standing Committee on Private Bills I request leave to present the following petitions that have been received for Private Bills under Standing Order 98(2): (1) the petition of the Lethbridge Community Foundation for the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta Act; (2) the petition of the Calgary Olympic Development Association for the Canada Olympic Park Property Tax Exemption Amend- ment Act, 2010; and (3) the petition of the board of management of the Lamont health care centre for the Lamont Health Care Centre Act. 2:50 head: Introduction of Bills Bill 5 Appropriation (Supplementary Supply) Act, 2010 Mr.

Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, I request leave to introduce Bill 5, the Appropriation (Supplementary Supply) Act, 2010. This being a money bill, His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor, having been informed of the contents of this bill, recommends the same to the Assembly. [Motion carried; Bill 5 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Montrose. Bill 6 Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010 Mr. Bhullar: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to request leave to introduce Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010.

This bill is part of our government’s res ponse to strengthen the emergency management system across our province. This bill will extend the good-faith liability protection currently provided to firefighters to search and rescue workers and their organizations while they’re providing emergency rescue services under the act. Alberta’s search and rescue workers contribute greatly to the safety and security of our communities. Another amendment will focus on the language of the act to change the current negligence standard for providing emergency services to one of good faith.

This matches the language found in the Municipal Government Act. This will provide additional legal defences to the minister, local authorities, and their agents and will help limit their exposure to lawsuits. Finally, Mr. Speaker, changes to the act will focus on regional emergency service delivery and will allow communities to work together. This administrative process will help with the financial and the training burden that’s placed on municipalities today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Motion carried; Bill 6 read a first time] Mr. Renner: Mr.

Speaker, I move that Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010, be moved to the Order Paper under Government Bills and Orders. [Motion carried] head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today. The first is an e-mail that I received from a constitu- ent, Milena Laban. This constituent is urging funding not to be cut to public schools. The second tabling I have is from a constituent also, Grace Parr on 67A Street. This is an e-mail correspondence to the former Minister of Health and Wellness.

It is regarding funding cuts to PDD service providers. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the appropri- ate number of copies of several news releases and articles related to 10 upgrader expansions in the United States. The articles state that the projects will be upgrading Alberta bitumen. My colleague from Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood referred to these projects in his questions earlier today. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the office of the Clerk.

On behalf of the hon. Dr. Morton, Minister of Finance and Enterprise, pursuant to the Northern Alberta Development Council Act the Northern Alberta Development Council annual report 2007-2008. On behalf of the hon. Mrs. Klimchuk, Minister of Service Alberta, pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy annual report 2008-2009 and the Alberta Vital Statistics annual review 2008. head: Orders of the Day The Speaker: Hon. members, now, if I can have the attention of the hon.

Member for Calgary-Nose Hill, I will deal with an issue that I gave notice of. I said I would be recognizing at this point in time the hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay, who wants to ask for the unanimous consent of the House. The hon. member. Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I respectfully request unanimous consent of the Assembly to change Motions Other than Government Motion 503 to 505 and 505 to 503. I have consulted with the Member for Battle River-Wainwright. The Speaker: It’s okay. There’s no debate required in this. You need unanimous consent. I’m going to ask one question. Is any member opposed?

If so, say no. Okay. Done. [Unanimous consent granted] head: Public Bills and Orders Other than Government Bills and Orders Second Reading Bill 201 Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010 The Speaker: Before I call on the hon. member – I will call on the hon. member; he’ll be the first speaker to move this bill – nine members have also indicated their desire to participate. I will outline those remaining eight after the hon. member has moved his bill. The hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010214 Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to rise today and open debate on Bill 201, the Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010. Bill 201 is an important piece of legislation and would require two cancers, primary site esopha- geal and primary site testicular, to be added to this province’s list of presumptive cancers for firefighters. Presumptive legislation can be seen all across Canada. In fact, Alberta was one of the first to introduce such legislation in 2003.

The Workers’ Compensation Act was amended in 2003 and states, in essence, that if a firefighter is diagnosed with a cancer where the primary site is among the lists in presumptive legislation, the illness shall be presumed to be an occupational disease. Without presump- tive legislation the onus would fall on the firefighter to prove that their cancer was caused from their occupation and all too often be required to specify and prove at exactly which fire the cancer took hold, a daunting and impossible task, Mr. Speaker. In simple terms, a firefighter’s work environment can be the cause of the cancer development.

This government has recognized this, and as a result eight cancers are currently listed in regulation as presumptive. These cancers include bladder, urethra, kidney, colorectal, and lung for nonsmokers, as well as leukemia and non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Mr.

Speaker, as stated, these cancers are listed in regulation, and as such this bill would require the Lieuten- ant Governor in Council to amend this regulation to include primary site esophageal and testicular cancer. [The Deputy Speaker in the chair] Bill 201 builds on what this government has already achieved to protect our firefighters; however, advances in medical science are giving us new information in regard to cancer and its causes. All around North America in the last five to 10 years there has been an increasing amount of long-service firefighters and veterans being diagnosed with cancer.

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters there are approximately 10 firefighters that lose their lives annually as a result of job-related cancers in Canada. Mr. Speaker, many have attributed the increase in cancers to the greater use of synthetics in building materials. The risk is not necessarily from the inhalation of fumes; rather, it’s absorption of these dangerous chemicals through the skin. Just to illustrate this, I know that several members in this Assembly today participated last fall in the MLA firefighter for a day event.

One of my colleagues who participated in that event commented that the smell of smoke permeated his skin despite the protective gear that he donned and that even after three showers that odour was still present. This is despite the exceptional advances that have been made in the protective gear worn by our firefighters. This exemplifies to me the risk that firefighters are faced with each day. Firefighters are typically some of the healthiest people around. In fact, it is a job requirement that they be fit. This is why any spike in cancer is abnormal.

Cancer is a devastating disease, and I believe that by passing Bill 201, we can provide comfort in a time of uncertainty. Mr. Speaker, last year Edmonton lost two of its finest to cancer, all in the course of two weeks. In fact, it was the sixth in the span of a few years, an all too stark reality that reminded firefighters of the hidden dangers in their jobs. One of these individuals was Captain Bob Chalmers, who passed away last July from leukemia. May he rest in peace. He was a 35-year veteran of the Edmonton fire department and, sadly, only 60 years young.

I’m very pleased to add that as a result of this Assembly’s work in 2003 Captain Chalmers was able to receive benefits while undergoing treatment for his cancer. While fighting his six-year battle with the disease, and in typical fashion of the many men and women like those in our gallery today, he stated that he would not hesitate again to devote his life to firefighting. 3:00 The other hero we lost was Captain Alex “Rainbow” Harris, and I mentioned that his wife and son were here, Mr. Speaker. He was 53 years old. Mr. Harris passed away from esophageal cancer.

However, as he was unable to pinpoint the exact fire where the cancer took hold, his claim was denied. This is a tragedy, Mr. Speaker, two firefighters who devoted their lives to their community in similar fashion and who were treated differently by the rules. In Calgary, of the 21 members of the Calgary fire department lost since 1923, 12 of those have been from cancer. This includes Captain Ed Briggs, who passed away from leukemia in 2004. Mr.

Speaker, this legislation, in all reality, is not so much for the firefighter as it is for their families, families who, when cancer strikes, drop everything to fight this disease alongside their loved one. Families face additional emotional stress as they battle for their loved one’s life. Without workers’ compensation these families are often faced with considerable financial stress. I believe that each of us in the Assembly has met or knows a firefighter and has seen the immense impact that they have in our communities.

These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect Albertans, and we thank you for that. Firefighters do more than just fight fires. They attend medical emergencies, chemical spills, aid in natural disasters, and provide educational tools to the community. The firefighters of this province have been very instrumental in having esophageal and testicular cancers added to the presumptive list of cancers that are currently listed in the legislation. They have been advocating government for these changes for several years.

By adding the aforementioned cancers, we are giving firefighters peace of mind, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank all the Alberta firefighters for their dedica- tion to the people of this province and the many who are here with us today who have been instrumental in this fight. Many of these cancers are often silent, discovered too late. Let us not be silent anymore on this issue. Firefighters fight to protect us; we should fight to protect them. Mr.

Speaker, it is a small measure that this Legislature can do by passing this legislation to attempt – and I stress, attempt – to repay the tremendous debt that the people of Alberta owe to these dedicated men and women who are so instrumental in the safety of all of our citizens. I look forward to further debate on the bill, and I pledge my support to firefighters with this bill. I would move second reading, and I would humbly ask all hon. members to support passage of Bill 201. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Deputy Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

First, I too would like to get on the record regarding Bill 201, Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010, and thank the hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon for his work on this amendment. I think it is appreci ated not only in this House but across the province in the firefighting community if we could call it that. Certainly, Bill 201 will require the Lieutenant Governor in Council to amend the firefighters’ primary site cancer regulation to include esophageal and testicular cancer.

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 215 The hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon listed off the other cancers that are recognized as an occupational hazard or an occupa- tional disease, and this is, in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, not the last time we will be looking at an amendment in this House. I suspect, as research will hopefully prove me correct, that we’re just begin- ning to understand the consequences of this very, very h azardous occupation for firefighters. Firefighters have no idea when they report to work exactly what they’re going to face, Mr. Speaker. In the course of their shift anything could happen.

It could be a chemical spill as a result of a truck accident. It could be any amount of hazardous material that’s inadvertently spilled that they are responding to. There are fires not only in residential neighbourhoods but also in commercial and industrial locations that they have to respond to. When we look at some of the materials that are now being used to construct our residential buildings, whether it’s the epoxies and the glues that are in OSB, whether it’s chemical additives to carpets so they don’t mould, so they don’t catch on fire, there are any number of expo- sures that a firefighter may encounter.

Bill 201 is certainly further direction from the previous legislation, and I would encourage all hon. members to support this legislation. Now, there are those that say differently, but surely we must recognize that there is strong scie ntific consensus that firefighters face a higher risk of developing a long list of cancers. As a result, not only Alberta but a number of other provinces have created presumptive clauses allowing firefighters to claim workers’ compensation benefits if they should contract particular types of cancers that are defined in the regulations.

The types of cancer that we’re hopefully going to add as a result of Bill 201 appear to be within, certainly, the national mainstream. The hon. member is not asking for anything that has not already been discussed and debated in other Legislative Assemblies. British Columbia and Saskatche- wan to our knowledge include testicular cancer in their regulations. Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick are examples of provinces that include both testicular and esophageal cancer in their compara- ble regulations.

Certainly, when we look at this, we realize, again, that Alberta firefighters place themselves at great personal danger for our citizens, and they deserve legal protections that recognize the harm they face almost on a daily basis. I have no problem supporting this amendment, and I again would like to thank the hon. member for his work on this.

Now, I was told that the officials in the Department of Employ- ment and Immigration, the ones that keep their eye on the Workers’ Compensation Board and the Workers’ Compensation Act, are doing a study to see how other sectors of the workforce are affected by exposure in the workplace to various chemicals or various repetitive activities that may lead to the development of a cancer. I have requested a number of times that the Department of Employment and Immigration once and for all do a long-term study on the hazards of welding in particular.

To my knowledge, if this is proceeding, it’s proceeding far too slowly. I would certainly like to see the province and the Department of Employment and Immigra- tion, which oversees the legislation that governs this, have a look at what occupational health and safety laws and regulations need to be changed to ensure that all workers are protected. Firefighters, in my opinion, are a good first step. It’s needed.

It’s necessary. 3:10 The idea of adding additional compensation coverage for all workers if their workplace has caused them to be susceptible to cancer: we need to examine this issue, we need to study this issue, and we need to act. Certainly, when you look at some of the welders – and I’m going to use that as an example – there are far too many welders at a very young age being affected by throat cancer to start with, and I think we need to look at that. Hopefully, the department that I mentioned earlier is working on that as we speak, and they have yet to make the results of their work public.

Certainly, in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, this is a very good bill. It takes protection of firefighters an additional step. I don’t think we will stop here. If there is a need for additional protection at a future date, hopefully this Assembly will deal with it straightaway as it’s needed. Again, thank you to the hon. member. I hope this bill receives speedy passage through this Assembly. Thank you. The Deputy Speaker: Hon. members, I have a long list of speakers here. I just want to read it out, and then I will recognize the next member.

The next members will be Calgary-North Hill, Calgary- Varsity, Lacombe-Ponoka, Calgary-Fish Creek, Calgary-Hays, Edmonton-Strathcona, Airdrie-Chestermere, Drayton Valley- Calmar, and Cypress-Medicine Hat. You are next, Calgary-North Hill. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to provide some input to this important piece of legislation. Bill 201 is a great idea, and I know that there’s an incredible degree of support for this bill. Bill 201 seeks to broaden the coverage for firefighters against potential hazards of their job, a job that I personally have a great deal of admiration for.

Through prior legislation we have committed to ensuring fair workers’ compensation for firefighters for a variety of cancers related to their firefighting. It is an honour, Mr. Speaker, to stand up here because I know it was my predecessor in Calgary-North Hill, Richard Magnus, that brought forward the original piece of legisla- tion. Today there are new findings indicating that two additional types of cancer, esophageal cancer and testicular cancer, should be included along with the eight types already covered in the legisla- tion. It is fitting, then, Mr.

Speaker, that Bill 201 seeks to have those cancers included, following the same logic as put forward by my predecessor in prior legislation. Firefighters provide an invaluable service, as we all know, and when the time comes, they act selflessly to save others, sometimes at great risk to their own well-being. Our firefighters should not have to be concerned that despite their courage and dedication they may not be compensated fairly if they acquire an illness as a result of their work. I’d like to provide some background, Mr.

Speaker, on the important mechanism that Bill 201 relies on as well as the prior legislation brought forward by my predecessor in 2003, that included the first types of cancer in this legislation. Bill 201 relies on presumptive legislation, as does the legislation currently in force. Presumptive legislation alleviates the burden of proof for the worker, in this case firefighters, for the purposes of workers’ compensation.

It presumes that if a firefighter acquires an illness potentially related to the hazardous materials he or she may have encountered and has been in the profession for a sufficient length of time, then the illness is a result of the occupational hazards. In the case of firefighters these hazards will primarily consist of toxic substances in a fire, burning chemicals and materials. Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that presumptive legislation is not misplaced in its assumptions.

There is both statistical and scientific support for the assertion that certain cancers are heavily correlated with a number of hazards faced by firefighters.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010216 I was fortunate to participate in the MLA firefighter for a day that the hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon mentioned earlier, and I can attest that it’s very obvious to me just from that very short experience that this is something that’s real and is not something that is a myth. While there is probably a very small chance that some of these cancers are not correlated, I do not doubt at all that in the vast majority of cases there is sufficient cause from an actuarial stand- point to support this legislation. The problem, Mr.

Speaker, is that the burden of proof is definitely difficult in most circumstances, virtually impossible. Consider smoking, for example, and its association with various types of cancers. There is overwhelming evidence that the toxins in cigarettes cause various cancers, and the messaging from the health community is consistent with this. Essentially, it is accepted as a fact that if every smoker develops certain types of cancers, it is a result of their heavy smoking. Of all the smokers who have been diagnosed with correlated cancers, did none of them acquire the cancer from exposure to something else?

Well, maybe. More likely than not a small number acquired the cancer from something else other than smoking, maybe radiation or genetic predisposition, without which they would have never acquired the cancer. But how does one even prove that, Mr. Speaker? We know that in a vast majority of cases certain toxins cause certain cancers with sufficient exposure. This is entirely true for firefighters, just as it is for smokers, Mr. Speaker, although I’m sure the firefighters have a different attitude towards toxic smoke than most smokers do. Mr. Speaker, presumptive legislation does not just assume causation.

Presumptive legislation infers causation based on extensively studied correlations be tween two factors, in this case certain cancers and toxic substances in a fire. In circumstances which our firefighters face, fair compensation requires this presump- tive legislation. The burden of proof in individual specific cases is just simply not feasible, nor is it fair to treat our firefighters this way. Mr.

Speaker, I wasn’t here earlier for the introductions but, you know, I was graciously hosted during our MLA firefighter for a day by an old school buddy of mine, Todd Russell, who is part of the Grande Prairie local 2770. I want to say hi to him. You know, I haven’t seen him in a long, long time, and it was great to not only learn about their profession but to catch up with him. I went to elementary school with him and attended high school with him with the hon. Member for Calgary-Montrose.

I think that it’s very, very important that we treat Todd and his wife and family and all of his colleagues up in the gallery and that they work with on a day-to-day basis in a way that’s fair and respectful to the way that they put their lives on the line every day for us. Mr. Speaker, I hope I have shed some light on why Bill 201 is so important. It’s this reason for relying on presumptive legislation: if these two types of cancers are indeed tied to hazards in firefighting, then I believe it is our duty to include them in the firefighters’ coverage. With that, I look forward to further debate. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to give my wholehearted support and that of my colleagues to Bill 201, Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010. I’d also like to give credit where credit is due to the Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon, who, as far as I am concerned, has basically completed the third volume in the trilogy of firefighter protection. As the hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill noted, volume one came from a former MLA, Richard Magnus of Calgary- North Hill.

I believe that volume one was contributed to by the Member for Edmonton-Castle Downs last year with a continuance of firefighter recognition and protection legislation. 3:20 Again following in the footsteps of the hon. Member for Calgary- North Hill, I have gone to school with, worked with, and played with a number of firefighters over my years. The first significant individual that I’d like to mention is Rob Tomlinson. In 1966 Rob and I were attending Ernest Manning high school. I was upgrading, and he was completing his high school.

We worked at Woodward’s in the parcel pickup, so I worked with him, and I also went to school with him. In the fall of 1967 I began my university career, which took me towards a bachelor of education. While I was attending university classes, Rob was doing his training as a novice firefighter for the Calgary fire department. Rob’s friendship continued throughout the years, and he played a pivotal role at my wedding to my wife, Heather, of going on 41 years. He played the role of best man at our wedding. Rob recently retired as a captain from the Calgary fire department.

I mention Rob because Rob talked to me a bout some of the tremendous obstacles he fought as a firefighter. One that comes to mind very strongly – and chemicals were involved – was putting out a fire in downtown Calgary at a restaurant called the Beachcomber. Now, the Beachcomber was probably the seventh or eighth name that that location had, and it had several false walls to it. Rob described in great detail crawling along the floor with his mask on and seeing a phone melting off the wall from the intense heat of the fire.

So the chemicals that firefighters face are bey ond a doubt a serious concern that leads to cancer, and this type of legislation, which does not require proof, is absolutely essential to protect our firefighters, who spend every day protecting us. Other firefighters who I’ve had the pleasure of coming into contact with are Keith Hart of the famous Hart wrestling dynasty that Stu Hart founded in the city of Calgary. Keith and I were on opposite ends of propping for the Sar acens rugby team. Another firefighter-cum-rugby player that I had the pleasure to associate with and who is also a teacher is Adrian Smith.

I played rugby with Adrian on the U of C Stags. Most recently, a firefighter who I’ve come to know and tremendously respect is Greg McDougall. Greg McDougall was a firefighter for a number of years for the city of Calgary. Greg went through a series of very traumatic experiences, which he also shared with me. My hope, Mr. Speaker, is that the type of firefighter protection that we’re seeing today in Bill 201, the Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010, will be extended to provide firefighters who are currently on the job as well as those who retire with support for posttraumatic stress syndrome.

A number of firefighters, unfortunately, have been driven to suicide because of the stress that they faced on their job. It has led to marital breakup. Anything that we can do to provide treatment for firefighters, whether on the job or when they’re forced to leave because of stress, I think is absolutely essential. Right now the federal government has a program that recognizes posttraumatic stress syndrome for our military and also for our RCMP, but no such provincial regulation exists to provide firefighters, municipal police with this kind of counselling and support and likewise.

Another area that I’d like to see this extended to is to first responders in general. While it’s the firefighters that put themselves in the most immediate danger in the centre of a burning building or in the centre of a spill, I don’t want to leave out the fact that we have also police on the scene and we have paramedics frequently on the scene where these chemicals are very much in the air. The firefight- ers have the equipment in terms of the gas masks that they put on when they enter the building. In some cases they’re almost better

February 22, 2010 Alberta Hansard 217 protected in their first response circumstances than policemen who are cordoning off the area or paramedics who are waiting to assist the firefighters as they retrieve the individuals from the hazar dous circumstances that they find themselves in. I would urge the government to extend this legislation to cover first responders as well. I’m sure that firefighters would support the extension to their first responder colleagues of this recognition that today we are affording to firefighters. There’s no doubt about the danger they face.

They s hould not be worried as they go into a burning building or clear up a chemical spill as to whether their insurance company will cover their situation and especially in the event of their passing continue to support their spouse and children. This is a wonderful piece of legislation. As I say, volume three in the firefighters protection trilogy. Again I want to thank the hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon for following in the footsteps of his predecessors in fighting for firefighters. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Deputy Speaker: The hon. Member for Lacombe-Ponoka, followed by the hon.

Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Mr. Prins: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m also pleased to have an opportunity to join in debate on Bill 201. I would like to acknowl- edge the hon. Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon for his efforts in bringing forward the Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010. The legislation complements a broader initiative our government has been advancing which focuses on building safe and secure communitie s. Leading this initiative are those individuals who live and work in Alberta’s communities. They know their communities best and what is needed to make them succeed.

As a government we need to continue to offer s upport to our communities and the individuals who help to protect them. Individuals such as firefighters embody the greater qualities of community service. I also want to acknowledge all the firefighters that are with us this afternoon watching this debate. They are a very strong part of our communities and add to the quality of life in our communities. Professional firefighters in larger centres do their jobs on a daily basis. Smaller communities, such as Lacombe and the area that I live in, often depend on volunteer firefighters for their services.

They are also highly trained individuals that serve their communities from time to time. They receive calls at any time of night or day to respond to emergencies of many kinds, often fires but sometimes motor vehicle accidents and other emergencies. Mostly they don’t know what they’re getting into or what risks may confront them when they leave their homes. In a past life I was a reeve of the county, and I want to say that I was part of the regional fire service in the Lacombe county that co- operated between the Lacombe county, Lacombe town, and other municipalities within the c ounty.

I spent some time with the firefighters there attending their practices and going to meetings with them. I understand the pressures and the dangers that they f ace in their jobs, and I want to acknowledge that. I also want to say that they are highly trained.

We always enjoyed visiting with these firefighters when we would bring them a new piece of equipment like a big ladder truck, tandem tandem, about a million dollars. “You can tell the importance of the boys by the size of their toys,” we said, and they appreciated that. 3:30 I want to acknowledge and thank the firefighters that are with us today in our gallery and all the firefighters that serve our communi- ties from day to day. They perform their roles with the bravery and courage their daunting work requires. Our government will ensure that these men and women know that we’re behind them.

Bill 201 serves this end as it enhances the efforts that have been previously taken by the Alberta government. Alberta was one of the first provinces to introduce presumptive legislation for firefighters. We’ve already heard what presumptive legislation is. Our government remains focused on the task of helping our emergency personnel who are on the front line of protecting our communities and assisting Albertans in times of vulnerability. Through enacting this legislation, we would join other jurisdictions in Canada that allo w firefighters to claim workers’ compensation for esophageal and testicular cancer.

R ecently Manitoba and New Brunswick added these two forms of cancer to their presumptive list as well. Mr. Speaker, these additions are an acknowledgement of the potential dangers of firefighting. Comprehensive studies have shown that there is an increased risk of firefighters developing different forms of work-related cancer. The Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board statistics indicate that almost 75 per cent of work-related firefighter deaths since the year 2000 have been due to cancer.

The work of firefighters requires these individuals to respond immediately to emergency scenes that are often complex and dangerous. We want to ensure that firefight- ers have the best support for whatever repercussions may result from their duties. This is why we took steps before to implement effective workers’ compensation benefits. This legislation is an extension of that previous support. We know that firefighters are often cast into different environ- ments that sometimes pose inexplicit consequences.

Smoke from a burning structure can contain numerous toxins that will have lasting effects on all who are exposed to it, but this does not deter firefight- ers, who are trained to put the safety of those they are rescuing ahead of themselves. In the past we have seen firefighters enter into these situations with the goal of saving lives regardless of the conse- quences of engaging harmful fires. I also want to say, Mr. Speaker, that I’ve experienced this personally myself. I had a farm – well, I still have a farm – and some years ago a large fire engulfed some of my barns with a lot of animals inside.

We phoned the firefighters. They were there within a few minutes – you know, 15 minutes from town – and they just went right into this fire and put it out, saved an enormous amount of property, not human lives at that time but lives of animals. They put their lives on the line. I have been very, very thankful for the help that they provided for myself and my family. History has demonstrated this time and again. Perhaps the most vivid example is the fire that consumed the World Trade Centre on 9/11. On that day several New York fire departments battled blazes in the Twin Towers in a heroic effort to save lives.

It was a time of crisis, and these individuals enga ged in the treacherous situation nevertheless, as all firefighters so often do. It is only years later, when the dust settles, that firefighters are faced with the repercus- sions of putting themselves in harm’s way. Mr. Speaker, 9/11, like many serious fires, caused long-term effects to those who were embattled in dowsing the flames. There are now several docu- mented cases of firefighters who have been afflicted with higher than normal rates of cancer directly as a result of fighting those fires. This is an unfortunate reality of firefighting.

The work involves taking serious risks. As a government we’ll continue to provide support to comfort and compensate those brave individuals who take on such roles here in Alberta. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is our obligation to create a reasonable legislative framework that will allow these individuals to be compensated for damages suffered through keeping our commu- nities safe. Bill 201 enhances the support for those who work to provide the relief, assistance, and rescue that Albertans need. It’s difficult work, but that’s what these men and women sign up for.

Alberta Hansard February 22, 2010218 They never shy away from the hard and sometimes hazardous work their occupation requires. We know that when the call comes, our firefighters will be there. It’s the Alberta way. Through this legislation Alberta will again be leading in providing compensation benefits for our firefighters. In an emergency it’s important to stick together and help each other out. That’s how strong communities are built and protected. This is how fire departments approach each day together, united in an effort to take on whatever may be ahead of them.

They often don’t know all the dangers within a burning building, but this does not deter them. They still dutifully enter it as it is their job, and this is what they’re trained for. So when the flames die out and these brave individuals return home, if they are afflicted by illness as a result of their efforts, I believe they should be allowed to apply for compensation. They have demonstrated their resolve to support our communities, and I think it is only fitting that we in turn offer support through these measures as proposed in Bill 201. With that, I would again like to acknowledge the hon.

Member for Leduc-Beaumont-Devon for his work on Bill 201. It is an important piece of legislation that serves to assist those who help make our communities safe and secure. I’m also encouraged by the support of all members of this Legislature. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I will be offering my support as well for Bill 201. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Deputy Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Hays. Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m pleased to rise in the House in strong support of Bill 201, the Workers’ Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act, 2010. As a result of our elected positions, many in this House have had the opportu