Alberta Hansard — 18 February 2004, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 25, Session 4)

20040218

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 7 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 1:30 p.m. Date: 2004/02/18 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Welcome back. Let us pray. Our Father, we confidently ask for Your strength and encouragement in our service of You through our service of others. We ask for Your gift of wisdom to guide us in making good laws and good decisions for the present and the future of Alberta. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introducti on of Visit ors Mrs. McClellan: Mr.

Speaker, I’m pleased to introduce to you and through you to al l members of t he Assembly Mr. Naim Ahmed, consul general of the United States, from Calgary. He’s accompa- nied today by his wife, Linda. There is no d oubt that the United States is Alberta’s most important trading partner and closest friend. Alberta exports to the United S tates over $50 billion in goods annually. This accounts for more than one-quarter of our GDP and includes over 80 per cent of our beef exports. Today, unfortunately, the U.S. border r emains temporarily closed to l ive cattle exports.

However, we remain very optimistic that live cattle trade will resume in the near future. Mr. Speaker, the United Stat es also pr ovides two-thirds of our foreign investment in our province and 60 per cent of our tourists. In return Alberta remains a secure and reliable supplier to the U.S. for many products. This is par ticularly true in the ca se of energy with our oil and gas feeding markets from California to Chicago to New York and many places in between. Alberta’s ties w ith the Unite d States g o far bey ond dollars and cents.

We have shared inter ests and common values as w ell as friends and family on both sides of the border. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all members of the Assembly give our guests the customary and traditional warm welcome. head: Introduction of G uests The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m not sure that my guests have arrived yet, but I wanted to introduce to you and through you to members of the Legislature some people with whom the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development and I had the opportunity to meet earlier today a nd w hom we deal wi th on a gove rnment-to- government basis with respect to the province of Alberta. These are the chiefs of Treaty 8.

We met with Chief Archie Cypr ien, Grand Chief; Chief Bernie Meneen; Chief Francis Gladue; Ch ief Rose Laboucan; Chief Don Testawich; Chief Fred Badger; Elder Francis Meneen; Elder Ga be Meneen; as well, A llan Willi er, Lorra ine Muskwa, Janice Chalifoux, Donna Roberts, and Richard Auger. I had understood that the y would be coming into the galleries today. Perhaps they will, but I’d like this Assembly to welcome the governments of the Treaty 8 First Nations of this province. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Mr. Johns on: Thank y ou, Mr. Speaker.

It’s m y plea sure to introduce to you and through to the members of the Assembly Dan Astner. Dan is chairman of the board of the Battle River R ural Electrification Association and has been for about the last 10 years, I believe. He’s also on the Alberta council of electricity. As the new head office for the Battle River REA is located near Camrose, it’s no surprise that Dan spends a gre at deal of time in my c onstituency. Later on the Order Paper I’ll be giving a member’s statement about the accomplishments of the Battle River REA, and it’s a pleasure to have Dan here for that as well.

So I’d like to welcome you, Dan, and ask the members of the A ssembly to give you a warm welcome as well. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford. Mr. McClelland: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you to colleagues of the House it’s my pleasure to welcome and intro- duce a group of students from the University of Alberta in the Speak Out club. The y are stu dents whose intent is to forge l ines of understanding and c ommunication betw een the el ectors and the elected. May I ask our dis tinguished visitors to please rise when their names are called. Oh, that’s fine: all stand up.

Jung-Suk Ryu, Calvin Loewen, Woo-sun Shim, E.N. Keteku, Joo Yeon Kim, Jung- Woon Whang, Shad Thevenaz, and Anika Loewen. Thank you and welcome. Please receive the warm greetings of the House. The Speaker: Hon. Member for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, would you like to do your introduction now? Mr. Ouellette: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure if my guests have arrived yet, but I would like to introduce them anyway. They will be here a little la ter today.

I’d like to introduce t o you and through you t o all mem bers of the Assembly 136 of the brightest stars from central Alberta from the s chool of Fo x Run in Sylvan Lake. Th ey’re also going to be accompanied by about 24 adults: teachers, parents. I would also like to make special mention of them because the daughter and granddaughter of our own Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Committees, Louise Kamuchik, are going to be amongst them, Danielle Breton and Lynne Breton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. head: Ministerial Statements The Speaker: The hon. the Premier. Dr. Ken Nicol Former Leader of the Official Opposition Mr.

Klein: Thank you, Mr . Speaker. I rise t oday to e xpress the congratulations of the entire government caucus as well as my own personal best wishes to the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, who has recently left his post as Le ader of Her Majesty’s O fficial Opposition and who is expected to leave this House entirely before the end of the year. Over his career in the House the Member for Lethbridge-East has brought great and well-deserved distinction to himself, his constitu- ency, his party, and this Legislature.

As leader of his party he has shown a deep respect for the traditions of this Legislature and a deep commitment to his constituents and his province. To my occasional chagrin he has also shown himself to be a thoughtful and effective debater both on the floor of this Assembly and outside the Assembly in front of the media. Being leader of a political party in a democratic system is a great honour for anyone and I feel humbled by that honour every day and I strongly suspect that the Member for Lethbridge-East has felt that way as we ll. With that honour comes responsibility as well as tremendous pressure.

The hon. member has borne that responsibility

Alberta Hansard February 18, 20048 and pressure with grace and skill. In h is ac tions h e has always fought hard for hi s constitue nts and for his vision f or a bett er Alberta. In hi s a pproach he ha s always focused his a ttention on issues, not personali ties. In h is p ersonal con duct he has always shown that the honour of serving Albertans in this Legislature meant more to him than mere words. Mr.

Speaker, for all those reasons I want to extend the very best wishes to the Member for Lethbridge-East an d to his family, who have obviously stood behind him throughout his career and brought him great strength. This Legislature has benefited from his presence over the years, and he will be missed when he leaves us. I also wish him luck in his next public endeavour, though not too m uch luck. Regardless of how he ends up serving Alberta in the future, serve it he will, I am sure, and he will serve it with the same dedication that he has brought to this Legislature every day. If Mr.

Speaker will allow an exception to the rules of the House, let me simply end by saying thank you, Ken, and may the hopes and dreams of you and your family come true in the future. Thank you. [applause] The Speaker: The hon. Interim Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Massey: Thank you, Mr. Spea ker. On behalf of my Liberal caucus colleagues I am pleased to offer tribute to Dr. Ken Nicol, our leader. In a wor ld of politics that becomes more complicated and challenging every day, Ken represents the opposite. Ken’s values are deeply rooted in rura l Albe rta.

Ken k nows how to govern himself, how to contemplate, and how to create. He has a reputation for thoroughness, concentration, inner discipline, and invention, a talent for thinking things through. 1:40 Financier and philanthropist George Soros said: At the mo ment, people are voting their pocketbooks all the tim e. They are trying to bend legislation to their own financial interests. The common interest gets lost. [I think] there used to be a concept of civic virtue. Soros doesn’t know Ken Nicol. If he did, he would know, like all of us, that civic virtue is not dead.

Guarding the public interest and working for the common good has been the hallmark of Ken’s work in this House. Ken came forward to be Liberal leader at a time when we most needed his help. H e brought to the leadership strong beliefs. He said that gove rnment policy must be base d on what is fair for all citizens, that our task is to view all public policy first and foremost from a sound set of principles, and that we have a special obligation to connect citizens with holders of public office in order to develop policies for the common good.

Much to some critics’ dismay and to his credit he saw no barriers to working in a bipartisan manner with the government in the interests of a better Alberta. Ken is equally at home in the lecture halls of a university, as his work at the univ ersities of L ethbridge a nd Iowa a ttests. H is management expertise sees him welcome in the boardrooms of any business, and he is a respected government adviser on the interna- tional scene, as his work with the Royal Thai government demanded. Most important this past year has been his role as father, grandfather, and Linda’s husband.

Lest this sound more like a eulogy than a tribute, Mr. Speaker , I must tell you and my L egislature colleagues that ther e are times when Ken won’t be missed. Ken won’t be missed when we have one of those caucus discussions on finance that just happens to coincide with his old econom ics 301 lec ture notes, an unfortunat e coinci- dence, my caucu s collea gues all agree. Ken won’ t be mis sed, according to those who sit next to him in this House, on those days when he used to c lean the barn and drive directly to the Assembly without changing boots.

Nor will Ken be missed by staff who joined him on hi s lon g, lon g car tr ips t hroughout Al berta when Ken preferred to just keep driving in stead of sto pping for coffee or a comfort break. Seriously, Mr. Speaker, one of the great joys of being elected to this House is meeting outstanding Albertans of high integrity serving on both sid es of the a isle. T hey come from every corner of this province, and Ke n Nico l is on e of th em. We will mi ss Ke n’s qualities as a leader but are pleased to have him around a little longer as our friend and our colleague in this Assembly. Thank you.

The Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous consent will have to be granted in order to re cognize t he hon. Mem ber for Edm onton- Strathcona. Would there be any member opposed to granting such a request? [Unanimous consent granted] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Dr. Pannu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the House for this opportunity to say a few words of thanks and pay tribute to the Member for Lethbridge-East, who rece ntly resigne d as Albe rta Liberal leader. I think I know as well as anyone the sacrifices involved in leading an opposition party in the province of Alberta.

Being the leader of an opposition party is very challe nging when y ou’re small in numbers and the resources at your disposal are minute in comparison to the resources at the disposal of the government. The Member for Lethbridge-East has served this Legislature and his constituents with distinction for the past 11 years and since 2001 as Leader of the Official Opposition. I’ve always been impressed by his dedication to public service. He always conducted himself with the utmost integrity. He is a principled person who has earned the respect of his coll eagues on al l sides of this H ouse.

Glancing at today’s headlines, some might say that leaving as Alberta Liberal leader and deciding to run as a federal Liberal candidate is a bit like going from the frying pan into the fire. Howev er, I kn ow that all members of this House know that the Member for Lethbridge-East has never backed down from a challenge. After all, the Member for Lethbridge-East defied t he odds bef ore by gettin g elected as a Liberal in southern Alberta three elections in a row. In conclusion, Mr .

Speaker , I want to th ank the Me mber f or Lethbridge-East for all the service that he rende red to Albe rtans through his presence in this H ouse and by his work outside. Best wishes to you and y our family as you embark on the next stage of your political career. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Would the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East like to participate? I’m sure unanimous consent will be provided. Dr. Nicol: Mr. Speaker, I just want to say thank you to everybody. It’s really an honour for me to have served the province of Alberta with each one of you.

I think each one of us probably sits here in this House and has a vision of h ow we woul d perform as gove rnment. With the 83 members here, if each one of us were a dictator, to say, in a position, we would all have a di fferent Albe rta. But democracy works because all 83 people in this House come t ogether both in their

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 9 government rol e and in their op position role an d work to make Alberta the greatest place in the world. I hope that I can continue to be involved in public service in this province to help the people in this House continue to make Alberta that great place. In conclusion, thanks to everybody. It’s been an honour to work with you. I look forwar d to stay ing in contact. If y ou’re ever in southern Alberta or, hopefully, if you’re ever in Ottawa, look me up. head: Oral Quest ion Peri od The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar.

Government Travel Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the govern- ment said that “ all new g overnment spending w ill be car efully measured.” But documents a cquired by t he Libera l opposition indicate that in the rec ent past i t is the taxpayers of this province who have been taken for an expensive ride by this government. My first ques tion is to the Premier. Was g overnment spending be ing carefully measured when a whoppin g $8,000 was spent on a car service on a four-day trip in New York City in December of 2002? Mr. Klein: Mr.

Speake r, to answ er the ques tion, that m ission involved, I think, about 14 people or m aybe 10 or 12, and for t he length of the mission we had an Econoline van and a Suburban with a driver from 8 o’clock in the morning to midnight. That is hardly luxury. These were not limousines; that is the going rate. If the hon. member has ever been to New York, that is cheap probably at twice the price for transportation.

These people had to get around, both officials and political leaders, and the use of the Suburban and the Econoline van were very effective and very utilitarian vehicles to get these people to their various meetings and other obligations. Mr. Speaker, ministerial travel is part o f the job of any govern- ment, and God knows that the f ederal Liberals know about travel. As the hon. Deputy Premier pointed ou t in her introduc tion of the consul general from the United States, we are an exporting province, and we re ly on capital investment from outside the prov ince.

So having ministers work with business leaders to promote the province is essential to the success and the prosperity of this government and this province and the people of this province. Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member was paying attention yesterday to the Speech from the Throne, he would have noted that one of the pillars is to take advantage of our potential t o add value to the products we prod uce so we can further export them.

Ministerial missions occur in order to promote Alberta businesses, products, and services to internati onal customers; attrac t investm ent to the province; encourage new businesses to set up shop in Alberta; meet with international government and business leaders to inform them about Alberta and infor m them positively about Albe rta; promote cultural ties w ith friends and neighbours around the globe; a nd reciprocate visits that are made to Alberta by foreign dignitaries. Mr. Speaker . . . Well, I’ll wait for the next question. 1:50 Mr. MacDonald: In light of that, Mr.

Speaker, the next question is: how are Alberta’s interests being served by this delegation going to the Cornell Club in Madison Square Garden? What were you doing in those places to enhance Alberta’s exports? Mr. Klein: I don’t know anything abo ut the Co rnell Clu b. I’ve never heard of the Cornell Club in New York City. Perhaps one of the other ministers on that mission can respond. But perhaps I was at that club, and I was giving a speech to a group of investors, or one of the ministers was giving a speech to a group of investors. Mr.

Speaker, I want to put t his thin g totally an d absolutely in context, and if the Liberals were honest, they would put it in context too. By the Liberals’ own estimate the government has spent $1.1 million on all mi ssions over the last three years. Now, to put that into perspective, listen to this: over three years this entire caucus has spent only one-fifth of the $5.3 million that the Governor General of Canada spent on one single mission – one single mission – and that mission was concocted and designed by the federal Liberal govern- ment, the soulmates of Alberta’s Liberals. Mr.

MacDonald: Given that the next comparison is probably going to be to George Radwanski, how can this government consider that they are spending money carefully when the Pr emier and his staff have forked over ove r $1,100 of tax payers’ money to m aids in Mexico when you refused even to put the minimum wage up in this country? Mr. Klein: Well, first of all, $1,100 is a lot to me, and it’s probably a lot to that member, but, Mr. Speaker, the matter of $1,100 spent on tips to hotel staff in Mexico City in 2002 is also very explainable.

In Mexico, if the hon. member has ever been there, service charges are added automatically to the bill. We estimated what our total bill would be for that mission and, as I understand, got a dea l on the service charges. I’ll have the hon. Minister of Economic Develop- ment explain the deal that was achieved. But you have no choice because the tip is added to all the bills, and when you . . . Mr. MacDonald: Put the minimum wage up. Mr. Klein: This has nothing to do with the minimum wage. I don’t know where this guy gets of f; I’m telling y ou t hat, Mr. Spea ker.

You know, he’s over there chirping about the minimum wage, and he’s talking about $1,100 for tips for one full week for a full mission, tips that are added automatically to a bill. I’ll have the hon. minister explain. Mr. Norris: Well, you know, Mr. Speaker, I would really encourage the hon. member to focus more on what’s happening in Alberta than Mexico. The trip was a remarkable success.

I want to say here right now to the House that Alberta is remark- ably fortunate to have a Premier who understands international markets and our international marketplace and spends so much time on these missions because it’s vital to the success of Alberta. I want to say thank you, sir. Thank you. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speak er. This government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars globe-trotting at Alberta’s taxpayers’ expense.

Now, if we want to focus on Alberta, let’s focus on Alberta seniors, students, and health care patients that are being told by this government to do with less. To the Premier: how does this Premier justify jacking up seniors’ long-term care fees when this government spends over $8,000 on car services in New York City? Tell that to seniors. Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, I’m sort of curious. Is the hon. member saying that we ought not travel, that we ought not sell Alberta, that we ought not sell Alberta products, that we ought not concentrate on adding value to our products and travelling the market, that we can

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200410 find all of the officials, the 22,000 employees, many of whom are in different parts of the globe right now selling Alber ta – not politi- cians; we’re stuck here. At any minute of any hour of any day of any week of any month of any year we have numerous officials, probably hundreds of officials, in different parts of the world selling Alberta. Is this hon. member saying: stop all of that right now? If that’s what he’s saying, let him stand up and say so. Let him stand up and say so. Mr. MacDonald: Mr. Speaker, I want this government to be careful not careless.

How does this Prem ier justif y soar ing tu ition and crowded classrooms while his government spent over $5,900 on accommoda- tion, food, and services at the Sheraton hotel in New York City? Mr. Klein: Fifty-nine hundred is not very expensive in New York City, I’ll tell you that f or sure, Mr. Speaker . His Li beral cousins have spent that in one night on hotel rooms in Ottawa. Mr. MacDonald: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: how does the Premier justify increasing health care premiums and contemplating other user fees on seniors while this government forks over $1,100 in tips to maids in Mexico? Mr. Klein: Mr.

Spe aker, y ou know, I c ould go on if the hon. member would promise to publish all of the information on the web site. I can tell this Assembly about the value of any mission. As a result of one mission by the Learning minister to southeast Asia, many Vietnamese students are choosing Alberta institutions as a place to study, both in postsecondary institutions and primary. It is estimated that t he potential number of students from Vietnam could bring in $2.7 million in revenues for our learning institutions.

That one mission alone would therefore result in revenue for Alberta more than two times the total estimated cost of all – of all – ministe- rial missions over the past three years. That one mission. On a mission to the U. S. in 2001 the Ministe r of Econom ic Development and I took

part in discussions that led to some Alberta businesses signing lucrative business deals in California. Energy-related missions have led to face-to-face meetings with the vice-president of the United States to talk about how Al berta ca n contribute to th e new U .S. energ y strategy. They ’ve also led to literally thousands of key decision-makers around the world learning a great de al about the energy sector in Alber ta and inve stment opportunities.

As a matter of fact, we now see either on stream or contemplated about $50 billion – $50 billion – worth of new investment in the oil sands, much of that investment coming from the United States. A 2001 miss ion to C alifornia primarily to prom ote the A lberta energy and film industries resulted in successful negotiations for a Disney miniseries that is being shot this spring near Okotoks. Many other Alberta film deals followed on the heels of that mission. Mr.

Speaker, the list goes on and on and on, and I would like a commitment from the hon. me mber to p ublish the suc cess of all these missions on their web site. 2:00 The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Interim Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Massey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In ligh t of the hundreds of thousands of dollars this government spends on globe-trotting, it’s clear that the promise to carefully measure spending rings hollow. In fact, this is a government hiding travel expenses from the scrutiny of Alberta taxpayers. My questions are to the Premier.

Why has the government not publicly released itineraries for 79 out-of-province trips taken since March 2001? Where are the itineraries? Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak for the other ministers. I do know that this government is probabl y one of the most, if not the most, open and transparent governments in the country.

If it weren’t for this government, the Liberals wouldn’t have put our officials to the great expense – and I don’t know how much their FOIP requests cost our offi cials in t his gover nment, but if it w eren’t for this government, they w ouldn’t ha ve been a ble to get any of this information. Relative to the openness and transparency of this government I’ll have the hon. Minister of Finance speak to it. Mrs. Nelson: You know, Mr. Speaker, back in 1992-93 when our Premier took over as Premier, we introduced as Bill 1 the open and transparent Financial Accountability Act in this province.

We have led the nation by putt ing in place not only

an act tha t governs openness and transparency but also through the Auditor General Act even an e xternal audit comm ittee that meets with the Auditor General and r eviews the policies and procedures that are in place with this government. If there are diff iculties, the y have been identified and rectified. Insofar as opennes s I can te ll you tha t there isn’t any other government that ha s had as many filings a s we do in this House, well, since Dece mber of 1992. On a quar terly basis w e bring Albertans up to date with all the expenditures.

We explain various analyses where we hav e varia nces fr om bud get to a ctual on a quarterly basis. We identify the costs that are coming through our government. We deal with pressure points. We deal with emergen- cies. We are open and transparent. It was Bill 1 under this Premier. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Massey: Thank you. Agai n to the Prem ier: why has the government not publicly disclosed the costs of 26 out-of-province trips taken since March 20, 2001? Mr. Klein: Mr. Speaker, I will attempt to get the answer, really.

We do as a m atter of policy r equire ministers to issue a n ews release relative to the itiner ary for inte rnational mis sions as w ell as the estimated costs. Now, we don’t issue news releases for government travel within Canada; that is, out of province but within Canada. I n almost all cases when ministers or I travel to other parts of Canada, the trips are to attend m eetings with fe deral and pr ovincial c ounterparts or various committees: the hon. Member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake, for instance, the fra ncophone ma tters; y ourself, Mr. Speake r, the parliamentary sessions.

There are numerous others including some that the me mbers of the opposition a ttend as w ell. But f or any mission sponsored by my office a full report on the mission and what was accomplished is posted on the web site. The International and Intergovernmental Relations department is responsible for producing that web site, and it’s provided in othe r ways as well, through th e media, newsletters, and so on. So our caucus, if there are any shortcomings . . . Ms Blakeman: Twenty-six of them. Mr. Klein: Send us the 26. I hear the chirping ov er there again: there are 26. Identify the 26.

We’ll have a look at them, and we’ll review the matter of publicly releasing detailed receipts and detailed

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 11 accounts of missions if it’s absolutely necessary within and without Canada, but normally we don’t issue news r eleases relat ive to meetings within Canada. I’m going to Vancouver next week for a meeting of the Council of the Federation, which is the former Premiers’ conference. Now, do you object to that? D o you wan t me to s tand up an d, you know, explain? I usually do a new s conference before I leave f or those meetings. I do stand up a t the uni-m ike while I’m there.

You’re welcome to take a car and drive out to Vancouver and watch all the Premiers in action if you want to, but I don’t see where it would be worth while in any event to stand up and say that I need the Liberals’ permission to travel to Vancouv er or to f eel: oh, m y God, this is going to make it 27 now; oh, good Lord, what are we going to do? The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Massey: Thank you. Then in the interests of accountability, Mr. Premier, w ill you today agree to report all Executiv e Council expenses to the Public Accounts Committee? Mr. Klein: Mr.

Speaker, we have been very, very good in my office about reporting all Executive Council, at least as it pertains to my office. We will do it to the best of our ability. Lookit; I have to sit here and face the music relative to public accounts and the question- ing that com es from the opposition, s o I’ll be pr epared for any questions they have to ask me, and hopefully I’ll be able to provide them with the proper answers. The Speaker: The hon. leader of the third party. Alberta Blue Cross Dr. Pa nnu: Thank you. Mr.

Speaker, last Thursday the New Democrat opposition blew the whistle on changes that will pick the pockets of 1 million Albertans with Alberta Blue Cross coverage. A major change being proposed forcing Blue Cross to make payments in lieu of taxes is contrary to the advice of the Blue Cross Review Committee, chaired by the Mem ber for C algary-Lougheed. My questions are to the Minister of Health and Wellness.

Why is the government going against the advice of its own review committee, which argued tha t the chang e in Albe rta Blue C ross’s tax-exempt status would result in a transfer of costs to Albertans and would not be appropriate? Mr. M ar: Well, Mr. Speaker, I want to note that the committee chaired by the hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed looked into the matters of the operations of Alberta Blue C ross in a grea t deal of detail, and I thank her for her work and the dedication that was spent in coming up with the recommendations that are coming forward and are being implemented. Mr.

Speaker, there is s ome erroneousness about what the hon. member has said with respect to the number of clients that would be affected by these changes, but the long and the short of it is that where Alberta Blue Cross ’s efforts are i n competi tion with the private sector, we felt that it was most appropriate since the private sector was paying these premium taxes, in order to level the playing field, Alberta Blue Cross should do the same.

Now, the impact on a per-client basis is that for individuals now paying roughly $140 a month, depending on the package of Blue Cross that they decide to take, it would resu lt in a $3 change to such an indi vidual, a v ery reasonable amount of money. 2:10 Dr. Pannu: Mr. Speaker, why won’t the minister admit that the so- called level playing field is code for high premiums, which is being done for no other reason than to allow the private health insurance industry to take business away from Alberta Blue Cross? Mr. Mar: Mr. Speaker, I wouldn’t admit that because it’s an asinine suggestion. Dr.

Pannu: My final question t o the same minister, Mr. Speaker: why is the government forcing Albertans with Blue Cross coverage to pay more just so that Tory friends in the private health insurance industry can make more profits by grabbing a b igger share of t he market? Mr. Mar: Mr. Speaker, Alberta Blue Cross is a valued service to individuals who are in the province of Alberta, but they, of course, should have the choice as to where they get their services from. It appears that Albert a Blue Cross does provide a very solid service, and that’s why Alberta Blue Cross has many, many clients. Mr.

Speaker, the hon. m ember’s suggestions are simply unsub- stantiated. They are untrue, and as I said, it’s perfectly reasonable to be looking at levelling the p laying field bet ween A lberta Blue Cross’s operations a nd the priva te sector vis-à-vis other priv ate- sector insurance operators. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-West, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Protection for Persons in Care Ms Kryczka: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my time as an MLA I’ve learned much about t he complexities of elder abuse, whether physical, financial, mental, or emotional.

It can occur at any time, whether deli berately or innocently , and by a nyone, even in one’s own home by a family member. Last month a senior resident at the Jubilee Lodge Nursing Home in Edmonton appears to have died as a result of burns to her legs. I understand that among other investi- gations Community Development’s protection for per sons in care branch has completed its investigation. My main question is to the Minister of Community Development. What was the outcome of the investigation by the protection for persons in care branch? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Zwozde sky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker .

Let m e begin by expressing my personal and colle gial sincerest condolences to the family who has suffered the loss of a loved one in this particular instance. I also want to bri efly explain tha t the Protecti on for Persons in Care Act, over which I have responsibility, is required to review all cases o f alleged abuse or outright abus e that are submitted to us where a particular client may reside in a publicly funded care facility.

Of course, I can’t comment on the specific details of any single case, such as the one that is being referenced, but I would like to say that after a preliminary investigation of the particular case that has been asked about, we did ask the PPIC branch people to consult with the local police depa rtment. They did that, and i t was de termined to hand that fil e over to the Edmonton Police Se rvice. They did do that, and then shortly after that the Department of Justice a lso became involved, and the Minister of Justice may wish to augment where the process went from there. The Speaker: Hon.

Minister of Justic e, you’ll have to guide the chair. Anything sub judice in here at all?

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200412 Mr. Hancock: No, Mr. Spe aker, no s ub judice at the moment. I won’t comment on the police investigation other than to say that yesterday I signed an order calling for a public fatality inquiry into this particular situation. We made that re quest pub lic today after notifying the fam ily that the inquiry would be called. Of course, members of the Legislature will know that public fatality inquiries do not proceed unt il other inv estigations, particularly police investigations, are completed.

So when it’s actually held, the timing of it will be after that has been completed, but a public fata lity inquiry will be held. The purpose, of course, of a publ ic fatality inquiry and the reason why it follows the other inquiries is because it does not find fault. It finds the facts and makes comment if any with respect to how these types of situations can be avo ided in the future. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Kryczka: Thank you. My next question is also to the Minister of Comm unity Dev elopment.

If A lbertans ha ve conce rns about potential abuse in publicly funded care facilities, how can they get Protection for Persons in Care involved? Mr. Zwozdesky: Well, Mr. Speaker, the short a nswer is that they can call our reporting line, which is toll-free. I believe the number is 1-888-357-9339. They will be assured of some follow-up because it is the mandated requirement of the protection for persons in care unit to in fact follow up on every reporting of abuse or alleged abuse. We will then usually contact an investigator who will look into the details and provide a report back to us for further action.

However, I should tell the member that if someone feels they have a relative or a loved one or an acquaintance who is in some immedi- ate danger, t hey should immediately contact t he lo cal police department to have that issue looked at. The final point, I think, is that there are several other act s that might come into play which people should also consider reviewing. So anyone who is re siding in a publicly funded care facility has protection from a number of other avenues besides the Protection for Persons in Care Act. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Kryczka: Yes. Thank you.

Also to the same minister: how can you improve and strengthen protection for persons in care? Mr. Zwozde sky: Well, Mr. Speak er, when the Protection for Persons in Care Act cam e in approximately five years ago, it wa s already determined that within five years it would be reviewed for the very purpose that the hon. member is raising the question. So a couple of years back I did appoint an MLA-led committee which was chaired by the hon. Member for Cardston-Taber-Warner. As a result of that, a report did come out which I think all members of the House are aware of. We then sent it out for public feedback.

We’ve received that. We are now analyzing it all. We’re looking at and consider ing chang es to do the v ery thi ng the m ember is asking, and that is to look at the mandate of the act, to look a t the

definitions of abuse, the

definitions o f intent, to look at the scope and coverage of the act, and perhaps also expand the act to provide greater coverage to more individuals who may need it which the act currently does not cover. Climate Change Initiatives Ms Carlson: Mr. Speaker, in January the Minister of Environment sent a letter threatening industry leaders. He stated that if companies failed to consult with the province on any federal Kyoto initiatives, tax credits and royalty breaks could be lost. My questions are to the Minister of Environment. What was the minister thinking when he sent such an arrogant letter?

The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Taylor: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, I did not send any threatening letter. What the letter stated quite clearly was that we wish to work with Alberta companies. We wish to work with the federal government to reach a solution on climate change initiatives. Quite clearly, the owne r of the r esource is all A lbertans, and al l Albertans need to be at discussions with the federal government so that we ca n work c o-operatively w ith both the indu stry and the federal government. Ms Carlso n: Mr.

Speaker , d oes the m inister bel ieve tha t using strong-arm tactics and placing our industries in the mi ddle of his fight with the feds will encourage investor confidence and innova- tion in this province? Dr. Taylor: Well, Mr. Speaker, as the hon. Premier mentioned just a few minutes ago, we have $50 billion worth of investment in this province. I think there’s extreme confidence in Alberta. Ms Car lson: Mr. Speake r, can this ministe r tell us w hat this government’s commitment is to helping Alberta businesses m eet Kyoto targets? Dr. Taylor: Absolutely, Mr. Speaker.

We have an Alberta climate change action plan that, hopefully, the hon. member h as read by now. We are putting that clim ate change action pla n into eff ect. We’ve done that action plan in consultatio n with industry, and it’s an action plan that works. I would point out, Mr. Speaker, that we’re hopeful that the federal government will pay attention. T here is a policy v acuum in the federal government at the present time on climate change, and we feel that by Alberta once again being in the lead on climate change action plans, w e can fill that poli cy vacuu m.

The ne w Prime Minister is making the right sounds. He is saying that he wants to consult with the provinces. So we need to take him at his word, and after the next election we need to hold his feet to the fire and make sure that he lives up to his commitment to work with Albertans on climate change. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. 2:20 Downer Cows Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The two North American cases of BSE introduced many nonranchers to a new term: downer cow.

Since then, many of my constituents have wondered what a downer cow is and if they pose any danger to the safety of our food supply. My questions are to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. Could the minister please ex plain to my constituents: what is a downer cow? Mrs. McClellan: Mr. Speaker, very simply put, a downer cow is an animal that cannot stand or walk without assistance, so nonambula- tory. The more important thing is the cause of this, and right now that is the source of a lot of discussion around downer cows being presented at abattoirs.

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 13 Downer cows can be i dentified in this wa y beca use they are injured on the truck, have a leg injury, break a leg. They could have an injury from calving, somewhat unusual, but it definitely happens that an animal is in jured du ring calvi ng an d expe riences so me inability to walk from a n injury to her hind quarters. It can be a metabolic disease. The im portant thing in our province is how downer cows are handled. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister: are downer animals allowed in the human food chain? Mrs.

McClellan: Mr. Speaker, I would like to just take a moment to explain how we handle downer animals in this province and how we have handled them for some time. First of all, if downer animals are presented at a provincial abattoir – and I must say that this is not a common experience – they are inspected by a qualified veterinarian prior to slaughter to ensure that they are healthy enough to even move into the slaughter line. Mr. Speak er, the ca rcass f rom a dow ner cow is held in thi s province until it has tested clear for BSE before it would be allowed to move into the human food chain.

That is a very, very important aspect of how we handle downers and how we see continuing to handle them. Mr. Johnson: My final question, then, is to the same minister. Do downer cattle pose a health risk to Albertans? Mrs. McClellan: Mr. Speaker, handled in the way that they are in this province, with the inspections that we have and the fact that they are held, whi ch is in ev ery case, until t hey are cleared before the carcass is allowed to move on, yes, they are allowed in the human food chain. Again, I have to go back, Mr. Speaker.

A downer animal can be an animal that was being transported to an abattoir that is injured in transport, and the meat from that animal is perfectly safe. So I think we have to put this into perspective. It has in light of the BSE issue become a term that’s used in some very negative ways. The term “downer” isn’t new in the industry . The under standing of what a downer is is ve ry clear in the indus try, and it’s important that t he public understand what this terminology means. Health Care Reform Dr. Taft: Mr.

Speaker, on January 22 a government news release stated that the g overnment had decided that Albertans would not accept recommendations from the Graydon report like incr easing health care taxes and introducing medical savings accounts. Then less than a week later the Premier arbitrarily decided that, quote, the Graydon report is c oming back. My questions are to the Prem ier. Exactly who is in charge of health reform in Alberta? The Minister of Health and Wellness or the Premier? It seems they’re not talking to each other. Mr. Klein: Mr.

Speaker, I don’t recall sa ying that the Graydon report wouldn’t be tabled at all or considered. Not all recommenda- tions in the Graydon report are acceptable, but that report along with other reports – and when I’m talking about other reports, I’m talking about reports we might get from places like Sweden, France, places that have been touted as having much better health care systems than we do and why .

We w ill consid er all of these docum ents in conjunction with a number of processes that are now underway vis- à-vis the national health ministers a nd finance ministe rs, the Premiers and territor ial leade rs acros s t he country including the Prime Minister and including our own budgetary problems related to health care. Notwithstanding what the hon. member says and this hokey-pokey relative to GDP, the fact is th at health care costs are rising much faster than are revenues. Indeed, across this nation we’re spending about $72 billion – billion – a year right now.

By the year 2020 it’s estimated that if health care costs continue to rise the way they have been rising, it’ll be $172 billion. Mr. Speaker, many governments across this nation a re already in crisis related to health care where health care spending has now reached 50 per cent of their total provincial budgets. A ll Premie rs and all territorial leade rs are saying: we have got to do something about this. So, Mr.

Speaker, I’m serving warning right now that the Graydon report along with all of the other information we can obtain from all sectors, including other countries that have been rated much, much higher than Can ada, will be brought tog ether as we embark on a program of meaningful reform to achieve sustainability. Dr. Taft: Well, given the chronic confusion around these reforms, let me repeat: who is in charge of health reform in Alberta? Is it the Premier, or is it the Minister of Health and Wellness? Mr. Klein: Not that it makes any difference, Mr. Speaker, but it is a joint respons ibility.

The primary responsibility, of cours e, rests with the minister. [interjection] What’s that? [interjections] The Speaker: Hon. the Premier, ignore it, and please proceed. Mr. Klein: Thank you. He ’s loud enough t o be recorde d in Hansard. The responsibility is a government responsibility. The prim ary responsibility, of course, is with the minister for the development of policy, but thr ough our system of standing policy committees any policy changes are brought to the SPCs or considered by cabinet or considered by this 83-member caucus, Mr. Speaker.

Of course, I’m involved at the Premier’s level in addressing health care reform with my provincial counterparts and with t he federal government. The minister is involved with his colleagues across the country and the federal minister. He’s also involved with other ministers like t he Minister of Finance, the Minister of Seniors, Environment to some degree, Community Development to some degree. So, Mr. Speaker, who’s in charge? We’re all in charge, except that they are not in charge, thank God. 2:30 Dr. Taft: That incr edibly c onvoluted and confused response explains the problems. Mr.

Speaker, then I ask a simple question to this Premier: does he know when his government signed off on the budgets of the regional health authorities for the current fiscal year? Or have they even been signed off now? Is anybody in charge? Hello? The Speaker: Okay. Question period is not the place for theatrics time and histrionics time. I’m sure there’s some local community theatres in the city of Edmonton who would love the entertainment, but that’s not what we’re doing here. I heard at least four questions, and I don’t know how anybody can answer four questions a t one time, so we’re moving on to the hon.

Member for Olds- Didsbury-Three Hil ls, follow ed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre.

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200414 Beef Exports Mr. Marz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bovine spongiform encephalo- pathy, or BSE, ha s caused unthinkable de vastation to our cattl e industry and to rural Alberta. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has said on more than one occasion that the real solution is to get the borders reopened, and I would agree. All of my questions today are to that m inister. What countries are currently importing Canadian beef? Mrs. McClellan: Mr. Speaker, currently there are 24 countries who have lifted a ban at least partially on importing Canadian beef and cattle.

They range from Barbados to the Cayman Islands to Russia to most recently Macao. Bu t more i mportantly, very early in this issue our two largest trading partners, the United States and Mexico, lifted the ban on boneless beef. Mr. Speaker, certainly the most im portant issue is the complete opening of borders, complete resumption of normal trade in beef and beef products, but I must say that t he opening of the borders to boneless beef was a huge, huge bonus for our industry because that is the majority of what th ey ship.

I’m pleased t o inform the hon. member and indeed all of the Assembly that our exports of beef into Mexico have inc reased significantly, and in fact the last w eek in December Mexico imported more than 10 million pounds of fresh or frozen beef and cattle products. So, Mr. Speaker, we’re making progress. Is it fast enough? No. Is it enough? No. But we are m aking progress, and 24 countries have opened their borders at least partially to our beef. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Marz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is very encouraging.

Are there any conditions that our trading partners are demanding of us that we have not yet met before they will reopen their borders to our live cattle? Mrs. McClellan: Mr. Speaker, this is one of the v ery frustrating aspects of dealing with this issue because we, frankly, have not had from our trading partners a specific list, if you wish, of things that would be required in order to open the borders entirely. We have put some measures in place as a country.

Reflecting, though, on the international panel’s report saying that there were some things that we could do that w ould further strengthe n our alre ady excellent system – and I do remind all members that the i nternational panel applauded the systems we do have in place in this country – we put some new mitigation measures in including the removal of SRMs, specified risk materials, from the food chain, removal of them more in their entirety from animals.

We continue to negotiate through our federal negotiators w ith other countries to t ry and ascertain what they would require f or a complete opening of borders and a complete resumption of normal trade. In fact – and I hope you’ll listen; I will put out an itinerary – I will be travelling to Washington early in the week to further those discussions with our larg est trading partner in be ef to under stand how we can work more closely with the U.S. on a North American solution so that our product on a North American basis is accepted in every country in the world. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr.

Marz: Thanks again, Mr. Speaker. Given that North America has an integrated cattle industry, is the minister prepared to encour- age the federal minister of agriculture to place a ban on the process- ing of any sick animal to mirror the recently announced U.S. policy on downed animals? Mrs. McClellan: Well, Mr. Speaker, we don’t process sick animals. Animals are cleared by inspectors and veterinarians to ensu re that they are healthy before they are processed unless they’re going to rendering. On downers t he question is : should downe rs be all owed to be presented at all?

The fact is that they are not allowed to be presented at slau ghter p lants t hat are fe derally inspected for expo rt beef. Should they be allowed to be presented at all to provincial abattoirs, which is in o ur do mestic market? That is a disc ussion th at we continue to hold. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the safeguards that we have in place, where we have inspectors on-site, where we have veterinarians who examine the animals and ensure that they are f it, are su fficient. However, it will be the consumers of that product that will finally determine how we should handle this.

I just have to remind all members that all animals that are termed downers are not sick. They maybe have been injured or in some way incapacitated, but their meat would be very healthy. In Alberta no downer animal would en ter the food chain until all tests on that animal were cleared. They are held, and I think it’s important that the consuming public knows that. I should also point out that there are a number of our 52 provincial abattoirs that have made a decision not t o accept downer animals, and that is ce rtainly within the ir prero gative.

If a farm er has an animal that has been injured and he wants that animal slaughtered, they will require a veterinarian to examine that animal on the farm, give a let ter of c learance for that animal to pass to the ir abattoir, where it could be slaughtered and would be further inspected. So we have a good system, Mr. Speaker. It’s tough. It’s a tough system, but I think it’s stood us in good stead. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Protection for Persons in Care (continued) Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On January 11 a 90-year- old woman died aft er being s calded during a bath at E dmonton’s Jubilee Lodge N ursing Home . Bot h the wo man’s family and I repeatedly called for a fatality inquiry. The fatality inquiry review board has now recommended that an inquiry be held, and today the minister has complied. My question is to the Minister of Justice. Is the ministe r loo king into this one person’s death as an isolated incident, or will he order an investigation into the quest ionable deaths of other nursing home patients documented by FAIRE and by the Elder Advocates of Alberta? Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr.

Speaker, with respect to the fatality inquiry that’s been call ed, obviously it’s been called with respect to this particular incident. In looking into this pa rticular i ncident, the inquiry should consider the circ umstances around how this death occurred, determine what the facts are, the manner of death, and the judge that leads the inquiry may m ake r ecommendations on the prevention of similar occurrences in the future. But a fatality inquiry relates specifically to a particular incident, a particular death, and a particular individual. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you.

My next question is to the Minister of

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 15 Community Development. Given that the Protection for Persons in Care Act re view i s com plete, would this tragic death have been automatically investigated out of the changes that are now flowing from the review? Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, we have not made any changes yet to the legislation that’s being referred to.

We are simply contemplat- ing and considering all of the feedback that has been received, both during the consultation process, which was province-wide, and also the feedback that has now been actually received in the form of the recommendations that were in the report. I will be coming forward with some of those recommendations in the not too distant future, and we will be looking at places where we can improve the act, where we can strengthen the act. That will hopefully help stem any of these kinds of occurrences in the future. We can never guarantee it, Mr.

Speaker, but we do what we can through the PPIC Act, which, by the way, is more educative, as the member knows, than it is punit ive. There are a cou ple of punitive sections within the act, but we do what we can by way of following up with every single one of those investigations and reports, which for the timing being at least are mandatory to be done. 2:40 The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you. My final question is to the Minister of Health and Wellne ss.

Will this incide nt prompt th e minist er into creating and im plementing standards of care for all long-term and continuing care which can be applied across all of the health regions in Alberta? Mr. Mar: Well, Mr. Speaker, let me say first of all that this, as the hon. Minister of Community Development said, was a very tragic set of circumstances, and I join him in expressing personal condolences to this family.

Capital health has conducted a review of this, and I can assure you that Capital health is most interested in ensuring that throughout all of the facilities that it has responsibility for, it takes the appropriate corrective actions to e nsure that t his doesn’t happen to somebody else. As an exam ple, the Jubilee Lodge, on the advice of Capital health, will be improving its water sy stem, and the staff at Ca pital health are checking the water temperature at all of its long-term care facilities, and Capital health has also sent revised bathing guidelines to all long-term care operators. Mr.

Speaker, I can say that long-term care operators throughout the province are watching this particular set of circumstances very carefully and that throughout the province if any circumstances like this happened, there would be the appropriate investigations, as were done here at Jubilee. A number of reviews took place. The regional health authority did a revie w, the J ubilee opera tor itself , and Protection of Persons in Care also reviewed it. The department takes this very seriously.

I think tha t there is some merit in making the suggestion that we make these types of learnings a vailable to all operators of long-term care centres so that we can hopefully do our very, very best and make every reasonable effort to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. head: Recognit ions The Speaker: Hon. members, 30 seconds from now I’ll introduce the first of the hon. me mbers. The hon. Mem ber for Wetaskiwin- Camrose. Battle River Rural Electrification Association Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the Battle River Rural Electrification Association.

REAs have serve d the Wetaskiwin-Camrose constituency for over 55 years. They arose out of nece ssity because rural power customers were being over- looked by the larger power companies of the day. Today the Battle River REA ensures that rural consumers have a reliable power supply. The Battle River REA is an amalgamation of 19 REAs from around central Alberta. It continues to grow, and this is growth undoubtedly linked to the fine service that it provides to its members. Not too long ago I helped the Battle River REA open a brand new centralized office in my constituency at Ervick, just west of C am- rose.

The opening of this buil ding is the culmination of the Battle River REA’s tireless work in rural communities in Alberta. REAs are extremely important for our rural communities. They ensure that the concerns of rural Albertans with regard to electricity are properly heard by both government and industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glenora. Edmonton Oilers Mr. Hutton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A sports franchise cannot be successful without the support of its fans and followers.

As a sports fan myself I don’t believe that I’m out of order in saying that sports enthusiasts are a demanding bunch who expect the best out of their beloved team day in and day out. As a result, it is not every day that a small franchise sport s team gets rated by the fans as the most popular in the league. Earlier this month the Edmonton Oilers received such a prestigious rating by ESPN Magazine. The magazine rated the Oilers not only as the fan favourite in the NHL but also the overall number one bang for your buck in all professional sports. The recognitions, Mr.

Speaker, are not only reflective of the organization’s commitment to its fans and supporters, but they also reinforce the notion that a sports team does not have to be located in the richest city or have the largest player payroll in order to be successful and popular. I wish to congratulate the Edmonton Oilers on their great achieve- ment and wish them the best to make a s pot in the play offs, and they’ll need it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Freedom to Read Week Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, M r. Speaker.

Next week, February 22 to 28, is Freed om to Rea d Week in Canada. This annual event encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment t o i ntellectual freedom guarante ed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Check out www.freedomtoread.ca for events in your community. In Edmonton the freedom to read committee has organized Read is a Four-Letter Word: Teens’ Views on Censorship, a reading and debate at 7:30 on Monday, February 23, at the Whitemud Crossing library.

The Writers Guild of Alberta is also encouraging folks to partici- pate in the BookC rossing, an international endeavour to make the whole world a library by having people read a good book, register it at www .bookcrossing.com, and then relea se it into the wild f or someone else to read. Leave it on a park bench or a bus, give it to a friend or a coworker, or leave it at a shelter. In Calgary the freedom to read committee is celebrating its 10th anniversary by awarding the 2004 freedom of expression award to Greg Gerrard of Pages Bookstore on behalf of his late wife, Cathy

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200416 McKay, and with readings by past award winners and raising funds in support of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Shaw. South Calgary High School Mrs. Ady: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the Calgary board of e ducation and the construction firm of Stuart Olsen. They announced last week that they will be opening the new south Calgary high school one full year ahead of schedule.

On behalf of my constituency and all of the high school students in south Calgary I’d like to recognize and thank them for this much- needed, timely completion of a new high school in Calgary. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lac La Biche-St. Paul. Lac La Biche Forest Capital of Canada 2004 Mr. Danyluk: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is my great pleasure to stand today to announce to members of this Assembly the designation of Lac La Biche as the forest capital of Canada for 2004.

The forest capital of Canada program is spearheaded by the Cana- dian Forestry Association and highlights the valuable role that forests play in the econom ic and env ironmental health of our communities. This is a great honour for Lac La Biche, a community that was created and continues to flourish today due in large part to the success of our forest industry. It is fitting, then, that the theme of the f orest capital of Cana da should be Lac La Bic he, gateway to the boreal forest.

As forest capital Lac La Biche and its neighbours will embark on a 12-month celebration of histori c community and f orest relationships with a focus on the future through public awareness and education on the wise use of our forests. I would like to a sk me mbers of this As sembly to join me in congratulating the people of Lac La Biche and the surrounding area for this great honour. EPCOR Mr. Yankowsky: Mr. Speaker, I rise to give recognition to EPCOR on the occas ion of their winnin g the 2004 national award in governance, sponsored by the Confe rence Boa rd of Cana da and Spencer Stuart.

The award recognizes innovation and excellence in board governance. EPCOR was one of only three winners. It all began in 1891, when the city of Edmonton’s first power plant was built in the North Saskatchewan River valley. From this early beginning, the com pany has grown int o one of A lberta’s leading power companies. EPCOR won this prestigious award because of its governan ce model, which blends the best of the private sector with public-sector accountability. This g overnance model works because the share- holder, board, and manag ement ha ve clea rly def ined roles a nd responsibilities.

Congratulations and thanks to Don Lowry, CEO, and the EPCOR board and management for your efforts in winning this award. The Speaker: Hon. Opposition House Leader, my notes suggest that the hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods is the next participant. Is there a substitute? The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Henry Harder Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize the life of Mr. Henry Harder, who, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 78 years last November. Mr.

Harder lived with his wife , Molly, i n the Strat hearn neig hbourhood of Edm onton, where th ey were very active in their comm unity and their church while they were raising their family and ever since their family has grown up and moved away. Mr. Harder was a passionate golfer and a very proud grandfather. He found enough time from golf and his fam ily to act as returning officer in the co nstituency of Edmonton-Gold Bar for many elec- tions. It was this job that displayed his sense of fairness. Everyone who dealt with his office was treated with dignity and respect. Mr.

Harder’s strolls thr ough our neighb ourhood on Sund ay mornings will be sadly m issed. His walk to Strathearn United Church was an event. He will be missed, but he will not be forgot- ten. Thank you. The Speaker: Hon. members, before we move to the next order of business, might we revert briefly to Introduction of Guests? [Unanimous consent granted] head: 2:50 Introduction of G uests (reversion) The Speaker: The hon. Member for Wainwright. Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s a pleasure to rise today to introduce to you and through you two very special constituents of mine: Keith and Maureen Griffiths from Coronation. Yes, they’re my parents. These two people helped make m e who I a m. I can honestly say that I am as proud of them as they say they are of me. I’d ask them to rise, ple ase, and h ave th e warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. head: Intro duc tion o f Bills The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Community Development. Bill 2 Black Creek Heritage Rangeland Trails Act Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you very m uch, Mr. Speaker.

I request leave to introduce Bill 2, the Black Creek Heritage Rangeland Trails Act. Mr. Speaker, this bill will allow limited recreational vehicle access to contin ue throu gh the Black C reek h eritage ran geland on two already existing trails to maintain access to the few existing desig- nated OHV trails in the adjacent Bob Creek wild-land. Recreational OHV activity is prohibited in heritage rangelands. However, in this case we truly have a unique and exceptional circumstance.

There- fore, this bill provides an excep tion for two specific existing trails through Black Creek heritage rangeland as there are no other feasible alternatives that would allow access into the Bob Creek wild-land. It’s also im portant to note that off -highway vehi cles are already allowed in wild-land areas in certain circumstances, such as in Bob Creek.

In conclusion to this introduction to this bill I’d like only to add that this bill fulfills our government’s co mmitment to local stake- holders without opening up the possibility of general rec reational off-highway vehicle use in any other herita ge rangeland or in a ny other parts of this particular heritage rangelan d. The ranchers and landowners who live in that area have been very cautious and careful

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 17 stewards themselves and so, too, hav e their predecessors for many decades. So we w ill look f orward to the supp ort of all members of t he House as this bill goes through the various stages. Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 2 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. Bill 3 Architects Amendment Act, 2004 Mr. Marz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce a bill being the Architects Amendment Act, 2004. Mr.

Speaker, this act would define the re gistration and scope of practice of lice nsed interior designers and c larify registration and renewal for other professionals included in this act. [Motion carried; Bill 3 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speak er. I’d move that B ill 3 b e moved onto the Order Paper under Government Bills and Orders. [Motion carried] The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Community Development. Bill 4 Blind Persons’ Rights Amendment Act, 2004 Mr. Z wozdesky: Thank y ou, Mr. Speak er.

I reque st leav e to introduce Bill 4, that being the Blind Persons’ Rights Amendment Act, 2004. This bill is in response to a public review process, and it addresses concerns raised by stakeholders and concerned groups and individu- als from across the province. The bill includes changes to legislation affecting blind persons who rely upon the use of guide dogs. The amendments will clarify the existing Blind Persons’ Rights Act and will strengthen those areas that pertain to the rights of blind persons.

Specifically, this bill will provide a more acceptable definition of blindness as determined by the me dical prof ession. It will also establish higher maximum fines for violations of the act, and it will provide protection for certified dog trainers and for dogs in training, and it will allow an identification card for the blind person/guide dog team to be issued. Finally, it will allow the minister responsible for the act to make regulations respecting qualifications for guide dogs.

I know that blind persons across the province are looking forward to this bill and the amendments t hat it con tains, and they are also looking for support from all members in the House . They already have the Premier ’s support, Mr. S peaker, and they certainl y have mine. Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 4 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Children’s Services. Bill 5 Family Support for Children With Disabilities Amendment Act, 2004 Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce to the Legislature Bill 5, Family Support for Children With Disabilities Amendment Act, 2004.

There are pr imarily three minor am endments made f ollowing consultation with stakeholders on regulations to make this act as we know it, this le gislation, the first of its kind in Canada, more user friendly for people especially requiring supports, family members who require supports in caring for children with disabilities. This adds a little clarity. I move first reading of the bill. [Motion carried; Bill 5 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Castle Downs. Bill 6 Income and Employment Supports Amendment Act, 2004 Mr. Lukaszuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On behalf of the Minister of Alberta Human Resources and E mployment I reque st leave to introduce Bill 6, the Income and Employment Supports Amendment Act, 2004. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes minor wording changes to the Income and Employ ment Support s Act a nd protects t he privac y of t hird parties who provide information to help g overnment obtain child support agreements and court orders for children and families. Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 6 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Spe aker.

I m ove that B ill 6 be moved onto the Order Paper under Government Bills and Orders. [Motion carried] Bill 7 Senatorial Selection Amendment Act, 2004 Mr. Jonson: Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to introduce for first reading Bill 7, the Senatorial Selection Amendment Act, 2004. Mr. Speaker, the current act expires at the end of this year. We are proposing an a mendment to the act which would extend the act to December 31, 2010. This a llows the Alberta government to hold Senate elections beyond 2004 should we decide to do so. Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. [Motion carried; Bill 7 read a first time] head: 3:00 Tabling R eturns and R eports The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Glenora. Mr. Hutto n: Thank y ou, Mr. Speaker. I have the appropria te number of copies of the le tter I’ve received from my constituent Abdulahi Mahamad regarding his concerns with false allegations of sexual abuse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Dr. Pannu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to t able appropriate copies of a docum ent that I r eferred to during the question period called Albert a Bl ue Cross Review Comm ittee report.

It was

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200418 submitted to the Minister of Health and Wellness in December 2002. Thank you. The Speaker: Are there additional tablings? Hon. members, the chair has several today, first of all being a copy of Members’ Services Committee Order 2/03, Constituency Services Amendment Order (No. 12); as well, Members’ Services Committee 3/03, being Const ituency Service s Am endment O rder (No. 13). Number 13 may be of interest to hon. members. Essentially, it will look at the base constituency office allocation numbers to be coming into effect on April 1, 2004.

In the base there will be an adjustment from $52,699 to $56,915 and a mailing clause increase from 96 cents to 98 cents. The additional information will be forthcoming in that one. Hon. mem bers, pursua nt to secti on 63(1) of th e F reedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act I am pleased to table with the Assembly the annual report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. This covers the activities of that office from April 1, 2002, to March 31, 2003. The third one.

I’m pleased to table with the Assembly the 14th annual report of t he Legislative Assembly Office for the calendar year ended December 31, 2002.

This report presents the audited financial statements of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002, and the sixth annual repor t of the A lberta bra nch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which contains a complete inventory of all travel by all memb ers of this Assem bly funde d under the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. head: Tablings to t he Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the Office of the Clerk on behalf of the hon. Mr. Mar, Minister of Health and Wellness.

Pursuant to the Regi onal Health Authorities Act the Aspen regional health authority annual repor t 2002-2003, the Ca lgary health region 2002-2003 a nnual r eport, the Capi tal health region annual report 2002-2003, the Chinook health region annual report 2002-2003, the Crossroads regional health authority annual report 2002-2003, David T hompson hea lth region annual report 2002- 2003, East Central health region annual report 2002-2003, Headwa- ters health author ity 2002-2003 annual report, Health Authority 5 annual report 2002-2003 , Keeweetinok Lak es regiona l health authority No. 15 annual r eport 2002-2003, the Lakeland regional health authority annual repor t 2002-2003, Mistahi a health region annual report 2002-2003 , the No rthern Lights regional he alth services annual re port 2002-2003, Northwestern health services region annual report 2002-2003, Palliser health region annual report 2002-2003, Peace hea lth region a nnual report 2002- 2003, the WestView regional health authority annual report 2002-2003.

Pursuant to th e Health Pr ofessions Act t he Alberta College of Optometrists annual repor t 2002, the Colle ge of C hiropractors of Alberta annual report 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. Pursuant to the Opticians Act the Alberta Opticians Association annual report 2002. Pursuant to the Health Disciplines Act the Health Disciplines Board annual report January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2000; Health Disciplines Board annual report January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2001; and Health Disciplines Board annual report January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2002.

Pursuant to the Reg ional Heal th Authoritie s Act t he Alber ta Mental Health Board annual report 2002-2003. Pursuant to the Hea lth Faciliti es Revi ew Com mittee Act the Alberta Health Facilities Review Committee annual r eport 2001- 2002. Pursuant to the Men tal Heal th Act the Mental He alth Patient Advocate Office annual report 2002. head: Orders of t he Day head : Consider ation of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor’s Speech Mr. Griffiths move d that an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor as follows. To Her Honour the Honourable Lois E.

Hole, CM, AOE, Lieuten- ant Governor of the province of Alberta: We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly, now assembled, beg leave to thank you, Your Honour, for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Wainwright. Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an honour for me to be able to rise today to move acceptance of the Speech from the Throne as delivered by Her Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Gover- nor.

This fourth session of the 25th Alberta Legislature will be one of the most significant in the history of our province not only because it is the last year before our great province reaches its centennial but because of th e bo ld a nd p romising sta tement d elivered by Her Honour yesterday on the course of this province and the future that awaits Albertans. Her Honour referred to four key areas, or pillars, tha t will be crucial to Alberta’s continued success. I was v ery excited by that terminology.

You see, I had the honour and pleasure of co-chairing with my very talented and hard-working colleague from Innisfail- Sylvan Lake a comm ittee that was ta sked with f inding a w ay to ensure that the Alberta advantage would be enjoyed by all Albertans. We approached our work by looking for ways to extend the Alberta advantage off the highway 2 corridor into rural and remote commu- nities. I’m proud to say that the first major step in our work has been completed with the report entitled rural Alberta, land of opportunity, set to be released shortly.

In our report we spoke of four key pillars, pillars that are crucial to the succ ess of any small rural or remote community. Those pil lars are health c are, educa tion, econom ic growth, and community infrastructure. All Albertans know that we enjoy one of the best qual ity health care systems in the world. Rural A lbertans also are m ost keenly aware of the particular challenges that our health care system faces in trying to deliver those services. The challenge of trying to get the same work done year after year while input costs continually rise but little new money comes in is very reminiscent of farming.

Our rural Albertans a re creativ e, ima ginative, and hard-w orking and a re prepared to be part of a long-te rm soluti on, Mr. Speaker , to the health care issues that our province is facing. The Health Services Utilization and Outcomes Commission has the current role of monitoring and reporting on the performance of Alberta’s health system. T he commission created a report card of provincial health care, part of which analyzed the key components of heal th c are d elivery b y health authority region.

What was discovered from that report was that the East Central health author- ity, the only health au thority without a full-scale regional hospital designed to achieve economies of scale on health car e s ervice delivery, had far and away the greatest level of customer satisfaction, a commodity often hard to come by in today’s world of exceedingly

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 19 high expectations. This accomplishment, Mr. Speaker, was possible only because of the close co-operation between the authority and the rural communities it serves. Thanks to their close work they were able to find ways to meet the health and community needs of those rural Albertans. There is so much yet to do, Mr. Speaker. Communities across this great provinc e are working hard to fi nd way s to delive r quality health care in creative and innovative ways that maximize efficiency and assist in the repatriation of services to rural Alberta.

Such solutions coul d hel p us ma intain quality r ural serv ices w hile relieving stress on urban centres. But the i mplementation of new and creative ideas w ill need the suppor t and co-oper ation of both urban and rural health regions, the public, provincial health unions, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Rural Physician Action Plan, the provincial and federal governments, and, well, as you can see, the co-operation of nothing short of every organization associ- ated with health care in this province. I know it may sound challeng- ing, but everything worth doing is.

I must say that I was excited to see the continued commitment of this government to deliv ering quality health care s ervices in cost- efficient and innovative ways through numerous initiatives, not the least of which is the expansion of the commission mandate to that of a quality health council. That commitment will reap great results for all Albertans. We know rural Alber tans are c reative, imag inative, a nd hard- working, and whether it is in delivery of health care or finding new ways to grow their local economies, Mr. Speaker, they will continue to find ways to succeed. From an economic point of view, Mr.

Speaker, Alberta has led the nation, even Nor th America, in f iscal and economic policies t hat other jurisdictions have been working hard to mimic for years now. Rural Alberta and Albertans have experience d some very trying times in the past few years, mainly the worst drought in historical record, followed by a lo ne case of bovine spongiform encephalo- pathy that has devastated our beef industry. These trying times have led many rural Albertans to feel that they are economically underdeveloped and inadequat ely diversified to cope with the n ew world and changing times.

They see bu ildings and facili ties clos ing, yout h, young f amilies, and even seniors moving away, sometimes for new jobs, sometimes for better access to education or health care or c ommunity services, but alway s – always – for new opportunities t hat toda y ap pear few and far between in the rural landscape.

Rural Albertans need faith, and they need hope, but most of all they need to know that there is a vision for the province, a vision in which they are viewed as growing, prosper- ing Albertans and positively contributing to the collective province. 3:10 I was excited to see some of that vision in the new and renewed commitments I heard yesterday, Mr. Speaker, commitments that are designed to ensure that Alberta’s entire economy not only remains strong but b uilds on i ts fou ndation t o gro w a nd d iversify eve ry corner of our economy.

The new value-added strategy will lead the process of moving our provincial economy from one that is predomi- nantly based on harvesting and exporting natural resources such as grain, oilseeds, raw wood products, oil and gas, coal to one that turns those resources into finished goods for export, thereby creating jobs here in Alberta, adding value here in Alberta. Other initiatives outlined in the Speech from the Throne such as the life sciences initiative and tackling the Canadian Wheat Board issue head-on will do much to compound the advantages that can be achieved with the va lue-added strategy.

R ural Albertans will be pleased by these commitments and with ample reason too. However, the government must ensure that the new economy, the value-added industries, and new tech nologies that lead this economy and this province into a prosperous sec ond century are not loc ated only within urban strongholds. Placing or locating value-added industries and technologies in urban centres and merely leaving rural Albertans and the rural economy to harvest natural resources for those processes will do nothing to mitigate the situation in rural Alberta.

In order to attract business and industry to rural Alberta, there must be a sound physical infrastructure within and among those communi- ties. I was glad to hear a commitment to extend the capital plan another year, until 2007. Quality transportation, whether by plane, train, or automobile, is esse ntial to ens uring that a rtificial barr iers a ren’t created, thus making location in rural areas unfeasible. We cannot forget either, Mr. Speaker, that infrastructure is also important in areas of telecommunications and the Internet.

Improved telecommunication service and SuperNet access to every community within Alberta means that rural Albertans and rural communities will be able to partake in the attraction of ICT indust ries and business, which will again assist in mitigating the dependence on our resource- based economy. I was also very pleased to hear about the province’s commitment to tourism across the province. Tourism continues to be one of the fastest growing industries around the world. Alberta has one of the richest and most unique histories o n the continent , Mr.

Speak er, blending strong cowboy traditions with native culture, with buffalo, grain elevators, and steam trains. People ar ound the world are fascinated by those aspects of our cult ure, and the potential to capitalize on that interest could lead to an industry infinitely more dynamic than the one inspired by the dinosaur craze, but we need to ensure from this moment on that w e are pre pared to com mit to developing and packaging tourism products that cater to these new interests and not just marketing familiar favourites.

This is one case where the approach “if you build it, they will come” could never hold more true. I look forward to seeing the tourism strategy fleshed out in the weeks and months to come. I could speak about economic growth opportunities all day, and I’m sure that som e members may feel that I a lready have, but I simply could not leave this subject without mentioning what is likely one of the most important initiatives that I believe this government will undertake in its entire 20-year strategic plan, Mr. Speaker. I’m referring here to the water strategy.

Simply put, all of the economic issues dis cussed to date are futile without water. This province would be hard-pre ssed to gr ow tour ism, to grow value-added production, to grow primary production, for that matter, or even to grow its very own population without access to clean, potable water. Regardless of what anyone believes should be done with water, none can deny that water will becom e a major issue and will rem ain so forever. This issue needs to be addressed now, while we can ac t now, rather than later when there is only reaction. So I applaud the government for addressing this issue now.

The government has long had an understanding of the nature of the global economy and is fully aware of the need for open borders and free trade to ensu re a strong local economy. Border and free trade issues ha ve not bee n restric ted to beef and BSE, how ever. They have grown in number in recent years with duties on Canadian wheat, softwood lumber, and a host of other issues. Those issues have direct negative consequences to all Albertans, Mr. Speaker, but specifically to rural Alberta. Opening an Alberta office in Wa shington, D.

C., is a clear demonstration that this government will not wait for the Canadian government to take the initiativ e on behalf of this province, and it will no longer a llow the mood of the f ederal government to deter-

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200420 mine our province ’s economic fate. This ac tion is we lcome. It shows leadership, and it inspires confiden ce most among those dependent upon the relationship with our neighbours to the south. There is a very common saying that I’m sure ev eryone in thi s Assembly is familiar with: give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will ea t for a lifetime. Well , Mr. Speaker, that is the nature of education, a nd that phrase shows its intrinsic value to society.

But as I have done so far in this address, I will not s peak of the benef it to all A lbertans of education but specifically to the importance of education to rural Albertans. I have al ways seen th is gove rnment’s deep com mitment to education at every level and to every single student, and much of that commitment was reflected within the Learning Commission’s report, that was released only recently. There are, however, still small but significant issues that remain unsolved in rural Alberta.

These issues are outside the scope of the commission’s report, but I am confident that they will be addressed in the months to come. To be more spe cific, Mr. Speaker, transporta tion is a g rowing issue within rural communities as younger and younger children are finding themselves on longer and longer bus rides, sometimes caused by school closures, sometimes by fewer buses to make up routes, but always caused by shortened resources.

The cause is not necessarily provincial funding, but can also be school b oard management as student numbers decline in many school jurisdictions while dollars spent on administration often remain the same. In many rural communities class size is not an issue, but rather it is the inflexibility in class accommodation. In a community with one school and one class for each grade, how is the community to handle one class that may be an anomaly and have 40 students at the grade 7 level?

A good teacher often cannot be hired for one year to deal with such a situation, and it’s impossible to find a teacher with the credentials to follow the class from primary grades right through to high school. How do rural schools address these anomalies in these situations? Those are educational issues that need to be addressed. It’s impera tive that comm unities, sc hool boards, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, and the provincial government work to find ways to deliver education in a manner that utilizes public dollars to the maximum available benefit of the community as a whole.

However, kindergarten to grade 1 2 is not the fundamental issue in many small communities. Many communities are curious about how to improve access for adults to education, and how to address on-site training for high school graduates that may want to stay in or close to their community while they work. These ideas ar e not just about education but are also about the economic growth of a community. Many communities struggle with how to attract business or industries when further on-the-job training or upgrading of skills cannot be done close to the community; the employees would have to travel.

Communities also face difficulties in retraining and attracting youth and young families w hen higher education opportunities a re lacking and fa r flung. Young people usually move to places where higher learning opportunities a re in greater abundance a nd inevitably just tend to be located in those areas. I cannot sug gest any sol utions, Mr. Speaker, but I am confident that this government will continue to lead in the pursuit of finding solutions to the se and oth er issues i n education w ith all stakeholders and will work ha rd to present all Albe rtans wi th opportunities for life-long learning.

From a community infrastructure perspective many rural commu- nities, counties, towns, and villages find that they are falling behind. Whether we are discussing community halls, sports facilities such as rinks and ball diamonds, bowling alleys, service clubs, and so on, the community infrastructure across rural Alberta is weakening and in some places de teriorating qu ickly. What is a t stake here, Mr. Speaker, is the quali ty of life of rural A lbertans. Rural Albertans lose quality of life as they lose affordable and available community infrastructure.

They also lose the ability to attract new and young people who are looking for opportunities in small communities. To remedy this problem, we need to offer rural Albertans supports and tools which will not only help them realize their full potential but which will enable t hem to ene rgize the ir local e conomies, their volunteers, and their fundraising capacities. 3:20 Lastly, Mr.

Speak er, we need to enc ourage and promote r ural development projects regardless of whether they are funded publicly or privately in order to expand the local infrastructure and capitalize on the entrepreneurial spirit that is so readily available and already in place in rural Alberta. After the firs t case of BSE was discovered, Mr. Spe aker, I was very heartened that Albertans came together in support of the beef industry, which in turn resulted in a 70 per cent rise in the consump- tion of beef in our province.

I have often said that rural Albertans are strong and pr oud a nd t hat this group has survived droughts, pestilence, flooding, blizzards, tornadoes, hailstorms, and even the odd bout of gov ernment intervention. Federa l intervention, mind you. At this time for many rural Albertans the situation seems desper- ate, and for s ome it undoubt edly i s. There are als o a lot mor e questions than answers, and unfortunately there is no magic bullet that will re solve this emotiona lly cha rged a nd ho tly political international issue.

However, there are two things that all Albertans, especially rural Albertans, can be sure of. First, regardless of what happens at any political level in the weeks, months, and even the yea rs to come, nothing in the beef industry, indeed in rural Alberta will ever be the way it was. Secondly, the provincial government and all Albertans will be there for the people of this devastated indust ry in the d ays, weeks, and yea rs to come, whether it be through r edevelopment, refocusing, repositioning, or transitioning the industry. Two eternal truths remain. Albertans don’t just survive; they succeed.

And they do so because they look out for each other. There is not a more pivotal point in our province’s centennial than this 99th year. I and all Albertans are proud of this g overnment’s continued commitment as outlined in the Speech from the Throne to a rural development strategy that will help ensure that people and businesses in rural Alberta enjoy every opportunity to reach their full potential. It is imperative, especially now, that something be done to shar e the Alberta advantage with that part of A lberta that so desperately needs our immediate attention and co-operation.

If we don’t, that segment of the population stops producing what amounts to far more than its share of the economy. The consequences for the entire province will be devastating. The Alberta advantag e creat ed in rural A lberta coul d be lost to a ll Albertans. Without healthy, vibrant rural and remote communities it will be impossible to continue to ensure that our resource-based economy continues to grow and thrive. Furthermore, it will be next to impossible to ensure continued diversification and the growth of value-added production within this province without strong, vibrant rural communities.

In short, it will be almost infeasible to effectively and successfully implement any of the great new initiatives that the government has announced to take us into the next century without rural Alberta enjoying it. I would like to take t his final moment of my remarks to pay the deepest of respec t to Her Honour the Honourable Lieutena nt Governor for her eternal grace, her constant dignity, her unwavering faith in the human spirit, an d of course her fabul ous hugs. Mr.

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 21 Speaker, I know that if Her Honour could give rural Alberta a hug right now, she would. I ’m confident that all hon. members in this Assembly agree with me when I state that Her Honour is a shining example of the capacity of the human spirit to endure, survive, and prosper through adversity. In hard times may we all, rural and urban Albertans alike, remember Her Honour’s strength, grace, and faith and aspire to such levels of composure, dignity, and strength in times of despair. May she also continue to serve us in her current capacity for years to come. Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. It has truly been a pleasure to have the opportunity to move the Speech from the Throne. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Egmont. Mr. Herard: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m extremely proud and honoured to have been asked to rise on beha lf of the people of Calgary-Egmont to second the motion put forward by the hon. and young Member for Wainwright to accept the Speech from the Throne – I’m sure that his par ents must be very proud of him today – a speech that was delivered with grace and special charm by the Honourable L ieutenant G overnor, L ois Hole.

H er Honou r represents the best traditions of the office of Lieutenant Governor, and I’m sure that I speak for everyone in this Chamber when I say that Alberta’s favourite grandmother has been in our t houghts and prayers durin g t he personal challenges that she endured and overcame with such grace over the past year. Mr. Speaker, I wish I were in a position of easter n influenc e so that I could influence the extension of her appointment at least to the end of 2005, our ce ntennial ye ar.

Her Honour is love d by all Albertans and, i n my view, is a true expression of the v alues and steadfastness that have made Alberta what it is today. A centennial celebration without Her Honour is just not an option. Show us that you’re listening, Mr. Prime Minister. Mr. S peaker, in delivering the Speech from the Throne, Her Honour has opened the Fourth Session of the 25th Legislature o f Alberta.

I feel so privileged to be a member of this Legislature and to represent the people of Calgary-Egmont, who have honoured me with th e r esponsibility to speak on their behal f as w e prepare to move into our second century. Mr. Speaker, the people of Calgary-Egmont embody the qualities that make Alberta such a wonderful place to live.

In many ways they embody the qualities that we so admire in Her Honour: directness, honesty, entrepreneurship, strength of character, kindness, dedicated service, and a willingness to tackle problems head-on, persevere, and emerge stronger for the future, and – I wou ld agree with the hon. Member for Wainwright – her hugs as well. Those same values and attitudes have brought Alberta from a fledgling member of Confeder- ation in 1905 to become one of the strongest provinces in this great country in less than a century.

Albertans cont inue to ma ke signi ficant c ontributions to the freedom and quality of life that we have experienced as Canadians, and I’d like to take this opportunity to offer my best wishes to our troops currently stationed in Afghanistan and throughout the world. Their past and present service to Canada and Alberta contributes to the richness of our lives and has secured the freedom for Albertans to pursue their dreams in peace and security. Mr.

Speaker, I’ve called Alberta my home for all of my life, as has my father before me and two generations before him, and now two more generations, my children and gra ndchildren, cont inue to be blessed with the opportunity to be all that they can be and contribute to the fabr ic of this great pr ovince. I have cons idered m yself privileged to be able to live and raise my children to appreciate the awesome natural beauty that is Alberta and the entrepreneurial strength of character of Albertans that define who we are as a people.

Additionally, my children have enjoyed the benefits that come from the wealt h of natura l r esources and t he hard w ork of pre vious generations that have made Alberta what we have become today. The strength of character of Albertans that rise to every challenge has never been so evident as during the cu rrent agricultural crisis. Albertans did not h esitate to w holeheartedly support the cattle industry and continue to do so in the face of ongoing difficulties. I’m confident that we will ultimately emerge stronger and resume our international role as the beef of choice for all nations. Mr.

Speaker , while we can look back at success and the current challenges for our people, we must look forward with Her Honour for ways to contribute to the conditions that will enhance the future success of our grandchildren. Almost two years ago I was blessed with my first g randchild, and I was s o proud when H er Honour announced the Alberta centennial education savings plan, beca use my grandson Matthew provided the motivation for the plan, and now thanks to the statesmanship of our Premier we have the opportunity to make it a reality for all future Albertans.

Statesmanship, for the benefit of those across the way, focuses on the benefits for the next generation, while partisan politics frequently focuses exclusively on the next election. I’ll look f orward to the debate in this House as we examine the benefits of this tremendous investment for the future generations of Albertans. 3:30 Mr. Speaker, in my former life I was involved in the computer and telecommunications industry, so I was especially pleased when Her Honour spoke about unleashing innovation as one of the four pillars that will become the framework for future success for all Albertans.

By supporting innovation in Alberta, we can not on ly move from being exporters of raw m aterial but to being exporters of finished goods and now a new product called k nowledge. I f eel that t he knowledge industry h as the pote ntial to bec ome the fifth pillar in Alberta’s economy in our second century, the 21st century. The creativity required for the knowledge industry depends in part on successfully unleashing innovation and succ essfully deploying ICT initiatives like SuperNet that will become the conduit of knowledge.

Another c ritical ini tiative to support this v ision announced by Her Honour is the creation of an ICT institute to guide research and innovation in this emerging sector. This initiative will in turn help support Alberta’s b ooming economy , that saw the creation of 206,300 jobs over the last five years and 47,900 jobs in 2003 alone. Our unemployment levels continue to be amongst the lowest in the country, and the p rovincial average hourly wage is higher than the Canadian average. Mr. Speaker, I’ve been privileged over the last 10 years to play a small

part in the initiatives that have advanced innovation and ICT to the forefront in this government. As politicians we are often quick to take credit for these initiatives when in reality we are accidents of democracy, that happene d to place us in the pres ence of great Albertans who are the ones who, in reality, make it all happen. So I salute all of those clear-thinking Albertans from all disciplines who continue to ser ve Alberta on all types of authoriti es, boards, and committees of government and who provide the good counsel from which our decisions flow.

Another critical initiative brought forward by these cl ear-thinking A lbertans will se e the creatio n of a life sciences institute to co-ordinate research taking pl ace ac ross the province in areas such as agriculture, environment, forestry, health, bioenergy and water research. Mr. Speaker, this new knowledge age must be supported from a young age, and that’s why I was so pleased when Her Honour spoke

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200422 to the gove rnment’s continued st rong support f or education a t all levels. As m ost Alber tans know , Her Honou r h as a pas sion for ensuring that Alberta’s children continue to benefit from one of the best education systems in the world, and I share her passion. As the international community evolves around globalization, having an excellent educational experience and, I might add, in more than one language will bec ome even more important to ensure t he future success and quality of life for our children.

In October 2 003 th e members of the Alberta Comm ission on Learning released their final report. They detailed 95 recommenda- tions that they felt would improve the education system in Alberta. This past December the government responded by adopting 84 of the 95 recommendations. This show s the level of commitment of the government to ensuring that Alberta co ntinues to have one of the best education systems in the world. The recom mendations o f the L earning C ommission provide opportunities to improve our education system in a variety of ways.

I’m pleased to note that the throne speech confirms that the govern- ment is taking the report seriously and is taking the necessary steps to implement a gre at number of the recommendations. This y ear increased funding for learning will work in combination with a new funding framework that gives school boards increased flexibility to meet the unique needs and circumstances of each Alberta commu- nity.

Government will not dictate to school boards how to allocate these dollars they receive, leaving it to each board to address priority areas and be more accountable to the parents in each community for their decisions and outcomes. Mr. Speaker , acces s to postsec ondary ins titutions is k ey to producing a productive and caring society. Her Honour described new funding for postsecondary learning that will include an increase in base operating grants for all postsecondary institutions as well as additional dollars for new spaces in high-demand programs.

Indeed, that initial investment will come with a commitment to create a total of 2,000 new spaces over the next four years. Mr. Speaker, on another matter, Her Honour knows of what she speaks because she’s played an important role in making Alberta the best place to live, work, and visit. I was pleased to hear Her Honour describe how th is ye ar the gov ernment will cont inue building on programs already in place to ensure that al l Albert ans enjoy the highest possible quality of life with a particular focus on the most vulnerable members of Alberta communities, a focus that includes all children.

In her words, and I quote: there can be no better accomplishment for Al bertans tha n to raise healthy and happy children who are confident in their knowledge and their opportuni- ties about their future and compassionate in their interests with their peers, their community, and the public at large.

While the gove rnment s teps forw ard to create that k ind of environment for all children, it will be the subject of an upcoming Roundtable on Family Violence and Bullying, and I certainly want to congratulate the Minister of Children’s Services for putting that together, because I think that’s a tremendously important initiative. That round-table will be held in May and will be of course handled with prior consulta tion province-wide.

Communities and govern- ment partners find ways to break the cycle of violence, that can have a devastating and lasting effect in dividing families and on the fabric of Alberta communities. Ultimately, many Albertans are acting in support with communi- ties to strengt hen the m odelling of value s and at titudes in our communities. I was very pleased to see comments deali ng with values and attitudes in the Learning Commission report. I think that they’re on the right track, and I’m aware that t he ASBA is doing some good work in this area and is planning a conference soon to deal with this very important issue.

Mr. Speaker , Albert a’s most vulnera ble citize ns will a lso be protected through a new plan to prevent 21st century sexual crimes that target children such as Interne t crimes, Internet luring, chil d pornography, and child pros titution. We’re fortunate here in this province through the actions of o ur Solicitor G eneral, the hon.

Member for Calgary-Fish Creek, to have legislation to protect children involved i n prostitution, but this new plan will bring all crimes that sexually exploit children under one initiative, strengthen- ing the way in which young Albertans are protected from exploita- tion and abuse. Mr. Speaker, th e Speech from th e Throne, d elivered by Her Honour, contained m uch more that tim e does not pe rmit me to discuss. She re-e mphasized the gov ernment’s comm itment t o Alberta ideals of making spending decisions that best meet the needs of Albertans while being fiscally responsible.

These ideals, coupled with strength of charact er and the w illingness to face diffic ult challenges, will ens ure that al l Albertans, including my grandson Matthew, will be proud to live in the best province in Canada. So may God ble ss He r Ho nour an d Alb erta. Th ank you very much. 3:40 The Speaker: The hon. Interim Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Massey: Thank yo u, Mr. Spe aker. I, to o, wou ld ad d my comments and praise of Her Honour for the speech that she delivered yesterday.

Her Honour always speaks with grace, good humour, and warmth, and each occasion that you meet her is one that you remember. She’s also very unique in terms of Lieutenant Governors of this provinc e in her abi lity to s peak out in terms of what she believes in, and she’s been an outspoken advocate for education and schools in the province, as she has been for libraries. Yet she does it in a way that doesn’t offend and has, I think, the desired impact on listeners. She again deliver ed a speech yesterday that we were all privileged to be part of the audience and listen to. As I listened to the speech, Mr.

Speaker, I couldn’t help but think back to my constituency. I had been in the of fice for a number of days and had gone through the log of constituents that we had worked with in the l ast week or so, and I was struck by how there seem to be two w orlds in our province: the worl d that we heard about yesterday, for the most part but not exclusively, in the throne speech and a world that is lived in by a whole large group of other Albertans. As I listened to the speech, I wondered what that speech would sound like to the mother who phoned our office and is on a multiple handicap program.

Her income is $675 a month. She was provided at the begin ning of th e year $173 fo r school fees for her teen daughter, and she called because she was in great distress that her daughter was not going to be able to take

part in a number of junior high school programs because she didn’t have the funds to pay the fees. I wonder how she would have listened and reacted to the centen- nial savings plan. What kind of chance is there that she’ll be able to even get a hundr ed dollars t o open such a pl an fo r her daught er, much less add to it over t he coming years? I w ondered how she might react to the K to 12 sug gestions in the throne speech saying that there is going to be more money added. [Mr. Shariff in the chair] Yet she li ves in a world of scho ol fees. We no w have f ees for courses in schools.

We have always had and still continue to have the textbook fees and a whole host of other fees that have now been

February 18, 2004 Alberta Hansard 23 resorted to by schools particularly in this city, where they have been desperate for funds. The cuts have really hurt a lot of schools. It seems to me that on e of the things t hat has been lost over the past number of years has been the “public” i n public education, and I think it is m others and children of pa rents like this that suffer the most. The second constituent that I thought of was again a lone-parent mother who phoned me in desperation, saying that her utilities were going to be cut of f because she was unable to pay the utility bills. And she’s not alone.

We have recommended and had to draw upon the CFRN Good Neighbour fund to try to bail out constituents who find themselves in a similar situation more times than I care to recall. I wondered, as she l istened to t he throne spe ech, what she woul d think of the lack of any mention of a deregulation plan and modifica- tions that might be made to it that would help the province return to utility rates that were affordable, but the throne speech was strangely silent.

Another constituent phoned, a young man who was mired in debt, postsecondary school debt and private debt that he had added to that to try to c omplete his program , and through s ome un fortunate circumstances healthwise found himself in some difficulty meeting all t he obligat ions. I wonde red, as he listened t o the plans f or increasing funding for postsecondary education, how he felt about nothing being said about tuition and nothing in terms of support for students with respect to loans and the kinds of difficulties that they find themselves in.

A third constit uent came in with his son and broug ht with him their invoices from their automobile insurance company and tried to make the case – at least we’re looking into it for them – that they were facing so me unwarranted increases in their rates. They were getting little s ympathy f rom the i nsurance c ompany and found themselves facing the possibili ty of not being able to drive th eir vehicles. Again, if y ou looked at the throne speech, for that constituent the speech was strangely silent.

I guess I wonder why the two pocketbo ok issues that see m to be f ront and fore most, utilities and auto insurance, were strangely missing from the Speech from the Throne. The K to 12 class-size proposals leave me a little concerned because as I read the throne speech carefully, it talks about regula- tions.

I hope that’ s not going t o be the soluti on for the Learning Commission recommendation that K to 3 students be in classes of 17 or less and the other recommendations with respect to class size, that there won’t be a set of regulations put in place that lays on the board the responsibility, for instance, for saying that there shan’t be more than 30 students in a high school class and then leaves it up to board to try and figure out how that’s going to work without the additional resources that are going to be needed.

I had looked forward to that reference to class sizes to be accompanied with some recommenda- tion in respect to funding increases, but it wasn’t, and I’ll watch very carefully for that link to be m ade when the sp ring budget is pre- sented. As you go through the recommendations, I think, as I said, that for many Albert ans an d a gro wing n umber of Al bertans the throne speech presented a different world and not one tha t they’re very familiar with.

A gain, I think it’s unfortunate at t his time in our history, when w e are so blessed with resources, that ther e isn’t a huge attempt to make sure that all Albertans are benefiting from the richness of those resources. It’s something that’s troubled me, and I think even more tr oubling, Mr.

Speaker, is the dismissal of these people and the gr owing f eeling, it seem s to me , that they are somehow responsible for their own plight and that whatever happens to them is just too bad and that the greater c ommunity has no responsibility or if not no responsibility, then minimal responsibility for what happens to them.

As I say, that’s a feeling I’ve had for the last number of years, that that’s a growing perception among some Albertans. 3:50 As I look back at the speech itself, the fact that base funding for postsecondary institutions is goi ng to be incr eased is going to be welcomed, certainly, by those institutions. I think the proof in the pudding will be, of course, in the budget in terms of how much it is. For a long time I wished and hoped and advocated that the govern- ment work with those institutions an d the fede ral government to bring in a long-term plan for financing postsecondary schools in this province.

I don’t think we can continue the way we are. If you believe the president of the University of Alberta – and he presents the figures to support it – 20 years ago a student’s dollar in tuition was matched by $10 from government sources. Today a dollar put in by a student is matched by only $2.34 from the gove rnment. There’s bee n a tremendous drop-off of financia l support for our postsec ondary institutions, Mr.

Speak er, and I s ubmit that it can ’t continue, that we’re going to have institutions in cr isis and tha t the press ure on students for increased tuition and the pressure to try to access outside funding is going to reach a breaking point where t hese ins titutions are not going to be able to cover their costs. If you look at one area alone, utilities, the massive growth in those utilities over the past number of years, the e xpenses f or those institutions are not going down. That’s why my call for a long-term plan for funding for postsecondary institutions in the province.

As I said, I think that whether the government recognizes it or not, it’s eventually going to have to happen. A similar thing may be said about the K to 12 system. I find it a little irksome, Mr. Speaker, that the government in the speech talks about giving boards the authority to spend money as they see fit. It was this government that took that authority away when they started enveloping money. So it is a little irksome to say the least.

But just to say, “Now we won’t have an envelope for administration, and now we won’t have an envelope for instruction; now you can spend it any way you wa nt,” isn’t g oing to solv e their f inancial pr oblems i f there’s not enough m oney. It’s the total money in the enve lope that’s going to be very important. I don’t think tinkering with the funding framework or giving boards more freedom with respect to how they spend it addresses the fundamental problem for the K to 12 system, and that is that no o ne knows what it costs to educate a youngster in the K to 12 system. Adequacy has not been addressed.

I give the government credit for addressing equ ity in the early 90s, when t hey addr essed the problem of some wealthy boards with a large tax base being able to finance their schools at a much higher rate than school districts who found themselves in jurisdictions where there was a smaller tax base to draw upon. The government’s solution was to take all the money in and then redistribute it across the province on a per-pupil ba sis, which is a commendable step in terms of equity. But equity is not enough, Mr. Speaker. Equity has to be coupled with adequacy.

It’s no good saying, yes , we have a system that’s equitably funded if everyone is equally poor. I think that at least for the large urban boards in this province, those that educate 75 to 80 per cent of the youngsters, that’s exactly what has happened. They find themselves not being able to access the resources they need to provide programs for the youngsters that they’re expected to serve. The recommendation from the Learning Commission that would have given them some taxin g authority, as distasteful as that was, Mr. Speaker, would have at leas t given the m some flexi bility.

Whether it would have led to the situation we had in the ’90s before

Alberta Hansard February 18, 200424 the changes were made, where that taxing became unacceptable to communities, it’s h ard to tell, but at lea st the proposa l from the Learning Commission was designed to gi ve them some a ccess to funds. But again the problem is adequacy, and our neighbours south of the border have had to face the problem of adequacy because they’ve been forced to by the courts.

You have a number of American states where parents have gone to the courts and said, “Look; the state is not providing adequate funds for my y oungster,” giving that youngster the program that he should have, and the courts have said to those states: then you better revise y our fu nding formulas and your funding frameworks so that adequacy is addressed. Of course, that raises the whole question of adequacy. What is an adequate education? You’ll have states l ike Wyoming who ha ve said that schools must prepare every youngster to be eligible for a postsecondary program on graduation. That could be vocational.

It could be uni versity. It could be an institute. It could be a whole variety of things. But there ’s the obligation on the sc hool system there of an adequate education. I t’s one that prepares every youngster for that world when they leave 12th grade. Other states have approached it quite differently and come up with different measures of what they co nsider adequate, but it’s some- thing that we haven’t even looked at in this province. It’s been raised. We held a town hall meeting, and I know some government members were there.

At least one member of the Learning Commis- sion was at that meeting, yet aga in we se e a throne s peech with nothing in terms of adequacy being addressed. A number of other proposal s in the throne speech a re going to cause a lot of discussion. I’ve already me ntioned the c entennial education savings fund, and as much as I welcome any kind of help for parents and fo

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20040218
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L25 S4 20040218 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	eca2e804ed6b334ebf0cfddb861c26a6678f5b3d

Source file is stored in the law ingest library (json).