LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY of ALBERTA [The House Met at 2:30
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July 15, 1986 ALBERTA HANSARD 537 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA less than the U.S. product. My question to the minister: could the minister indicate why government projects would encourage using a United States firm rather than a Canadian Title: Tuesday, July 15, 1986 2:30 p.m. firm which presented a lower bid? MR. ISLEY: Mr. Speaker, all I can say at the moment is [The House met at 2:30 p.m.] that it's normal within our procurement policies to buy Alberta as much as possible. We have approximately 350 projects under way. The details of this particular tender I PRAYERS am not familiar with, but I will certainly look into it and respond further. [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] MR. MARTIN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I'd be glad to give the minister the information on this particular tender. But to follow up on the policy, in answering questions in head: INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS this general area on Friday, the economic development minister indicated that the policy — I understand that as MR. GOGO: Mr. Speaker, seated in your gallery today is long as all other factors are equal, the province leans toward a truly outstanding Albertan. This person is Mr. A. C. Alberta suppliers. I think I'm generally quoting the minister Anderson, the mayor of Lethbridge. The Member for Leth• right on that. My question to the minister: is there any bridge East and myself have had the honour of serving similar procurement policy which states that we should at with the mayor since 1975. I would like to very briefly — least use Canadian rather than American products, especially because the mayor has announced he will not be seeking if Canadian ones are cheaper? re-election this year — outline to the members of the House and to yourself a comment or two about the mayor's MR. ISLEY: I think, Mr. Speaker, it would be safe to say background. that the general policy is that all other things being equal, Mayor Anderson was elected to the school board in we would prefer to buy Albertan; secondly, all other things Lethbridge 36 years ago, was elected to city council in being equal, we would prefer to buy Canadian. I underline 1964, and became the mayor of Alberta's largest city after "all other things being equal." Calgary and Edmonton in 1968. He served in that office for the past 18 years, being re-elected four times, twice MR. MARTIN: A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker, by acclamation. Mr. Speaker, he's an honorary colonel. flowing from that. Has the minister, since taking on his He's a Paul Harris Fellow. He was citizen of the year in new portfolio, given any specific instructions to his depart• 1985 and received the Queen's medal. This past year he ment regarding the use of Albertan and Canadian products? received the Order of Canada and was a recipient of a Doctor of Laws at the University of Lethbridge. I think I can say that Mayor A. C. Anderson is truly an outstanding MR. ISLEY: Mr. Speaker, I think if you check the pur• Albertan. chasing records of Public Works, Supply and Services, the percentage of dollars going to Alberta manufacturers and I would like to have the members of this House join Alberta suppliers over recent years has increased substan• me, along with yourself, Mr. Speaker, in congratulating the tially. I've investigated the purchasing procedure since mayor for his accomplishments and wishing him a very becoming the minister of the department; I have found that happy future. Thank you. the track record is quite good. MR. MARTIN: I guess that's a matter of opinion, Mr. head: INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS Speaker. My question was whether he had issued any MR. SIGURDSON: Mr. Speaker, in the public gallery today instructions regarding this matter. By the nonanswer I'll are two people that are very dear to a number of us on take "no." I come specifically back to this and ask: will this side of the House, the 16 of us. They are Marion and the minister as a matter of policy undertake that he will Graeme Thomlinson. They have served our movement for direct that this sort of thing should not happen again, that a long period of time. In fact, they've served it since 1933 for Crown and government projects we buy Alberta and when the party was formed. I would ask that they rise and we buy Canada ahead of American companies, especially receive the traditional welcome of the Assembly. where all other things are equal? Will he issue it as a statement? head: ORAL QUESTION PERIOD MR. ISLEY: I think I answered that one earlier, Mr. Speaker, but I don't think the hon. leader listened too closely Government Purchasing Policies to my last answer. I look at the growth of purchasing in the last three years. We have moved from buying 57.8 MR. MARTIN: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct my question percent of our products from Alberta manufacturers up to to the minister of public works. I have information which 65.8, a total of $198 million out of approximately $300 indicates that a tender call was issued in March at the million spent in these types of purchases, and we're pur• Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre for parking chasing another 25.6 percent or $77 million from Alberta control equipment which was specifically limited to a par• distributors. So I'm not going to start hammering a depart• ticular line of equipment only made in the United States, ment that appears to — by my investigations they have a even though an equivalent type of Canadian equipment is very good track record for buying Alberta where it's possible available and can be supplied locally at a price of $25,000 to buy Alberta. 538 ALBERTA HANSARD July 15, 1986 MR. TAYLOR: As a supplementary and along the same about the current price, you're talking about the price of question, Mr. Speaker, but it's to the minister of economic oil in the year 1990-1991, when these projects would come development. Could he tell the House what he is doing to on stream. Our estimates — Mr. Speaker, we believe they help co-ordinate the Alberta government's buying power as would not only be very economic in those years but they a proactive means of developing Alberta industry in areas would be needed badly by the people of Canada. of diversification? MR. MARTIN: A supplementary question to the Premier. MR. SHABEN: We've been very active in terms of encour• Recognizing that we are looking ahead in terms of the aging the optimum maximizing of Alberta content in our price, is the government looking at a minimum price when industrial development permits. All of the permits require they investigate this project or any other project? Are they that the developers, those who receive the industrial devel• looking at the fact that over the life of that project there opment permits, maximize Alberta goods and services. would have to be some sort of minimum price? Another area we've been working actively in, Mr. Speaker, is with respect to specifying on various projects MR. GETTY: Mr. Speaker, over the years and, yes, since that the consultants who work very closely with developers, November 1 when I was sworn in as Premier, at least one whether it's a Crown agency or otherwise, in undertaking organization talked to me about the potential for the federal the specifications ensure that the specs are designed in such and provincial governments' sharing the risk of future prices a way that Alberta companies who are in the business are with that company in order that they might proceed with able to respond to those tenders. In the case of hospitals, a potential oil sands plant. At the time, though, the discussion the hospital boards are responsible for issuing the tenders, didn't go very far. I think sharing the risk, which is not and the bulletin that requires a maximizing of Alberta content necessarily a minimum price but can fit a variety of options, has been circulated to all the hospital boards. is not something to be discarded easily and is something that would be worth taking a good look at. Fort McMurray Refinery Project MR. TAYLOR: A supplementary to the Premier, Mr. MR. MARTIN: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct the second Speaker. Is federal input anticipated in this dream of the question to the Premier. It flows from some of the Premier's Premier's, or is he going to carry on with his past threats intriguing remarks during his estimates last Thursday night. to do it himself, go it alone? On page 483 of Hansard the Premier said that the government is looking at the establishment of a huge utility-type refinery MR. GETTY: Mr. Speaker, it hasn't progressed to the near Fort McMurray which would deal with bitumen from point of involving other governments. But it might well be smaller mining operations. My question is to the Premier, that if the province of Alberta is the only one that feels because I was not aware of this. To follow up on this idea, the need of Alberta and Canada for this type or project, does the Premier have a ballpark figure of the cost of such should it turn out to be something that should be done, we a facility in current dollars? Are we looking at $2 billion would certainly take a look at its being done with Alberta or $3 billion? Could he give us a rough estimate? alone.