Alberta Hansard
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Tuesday evening, May 26, 2009 Issue 44e The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC), Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Allred, Ken, St. Albert (PC) Minister of Health and Wellness Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Lindsay, Hon. Fred, Stony Plain (PC), Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (PC), Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Parliamentary Assistant, Solicitor General and Public Security Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP), Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education Leader of the NDP Opposition and Technology McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) Blackett, Hon. Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC), McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Parliamentary Assistant, Environment Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Morton, Hon. F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Official Opposition House Leader Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (NDP), Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (PC) Deputy Leader of the NDP Opposition, Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) NDP Opposition House Leader Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Oberle, Frank, Peace River (PC), Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Government Whip Deputy Government Whip Olson, Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (AL), Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Official Opposition Whip Minister of Transportation Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (AL), Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St. Paul (PC), Deputy Official Opposition Whip Minister of Municipal Affairs Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Denis, Jonathan, Calgary-Egmont (PC) Redford, Hon. Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC) Minister of Justice and Attorney General Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Minister of Finance and Enterprise Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Goudreau, Hon. Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Minister of Employment and Immigration Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC), President of the Treasury Board Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Groeneveld, Hon. George, Highwood (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL), Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Leader of the Official Opposition Minister of Education, Government House Leader Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL) Hayden, Hon. Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Tarchuk, Hon. Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC), Minister of Infrastructure Minister of Children and Youth Services Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AL) Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC), Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC), Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL) Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Minister of Aboriginal Relations, Minister of Service Alberta Deputy Government House Leader Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Minister of Energy Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Senior Parliamentary Counsel Shannon Dean Clerk Assistant/ Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Director of House Services Louise J. Kamuchik Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms J. Ed Richard Clerk of Journals/Table Research Micheline S. Gravel Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms William C. Semple Senior Parliamentary Counsel Robert H. Reynolds, QC Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim May 26, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1283 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Alberta’s human rights legislation balances freedom of speech with Title: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:30 p.m. our responsibility to others. Although we as a caucus and a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2009 government believe in freedom of speech, we also feel the need to protect those who are vulnerable to discrimination with respect to [The Deputy Speaker in the chair] employment, accommodation, and access to services as our primary responsibility. Until we can be assured that the Criminal Code of The Deputy Speaker: Please be seated. Canada would ensure protection for those, we have to err on the side of those that we are charged to protect. head: Government Bills and Orders It is important to emphasize that the commission operates Committee of the Whole independently of government. The commission interprets Alberta’s [Mr. Cao in the chair] human rights legislation and decides which cases to pursue and those not to pursue. Government’s role is to help ensure that the qualifica- The Chair: I would like to call the committee to order. tions we use to hire our chief commissioner and commissioners include an ability to deal with complex human rights cases. Bill 44 Section 11.1 would give parents the right to receive notice and, if Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism they choose, exempt their child from courses of study, educational Amendment Act, 2009 programs or instructional materials, or instruction or exercises that deal explicitly with religion, human sexuality, or sexual orientation. The Chair: Are there any comments, questions, or amendments to The proposed amendments will simply consolidate into law the be offered with respect to this bill? The hon. Minister of Culture and rights that parents or guardians already have concerning the Community Spirit. education of their children throughout a combination of legislation and education policy. However, the bill does not provide the right Mr. Blackett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Alberta’s human rights to exemption from instruction in any additional curriculum areas. legislation has not been updated for 13 years, since 1996. While 88 per cent of Albertans have said that they feel protected by our human Mr. Chairman, I had meetings with the hon. Member for rights legislation and system, there was a strong recognition that the Edmonton-Whitemud, our Minister of Education, and the Alberta legislation needed to be updated. In taking consideration of what Teachers’ Association on May 4. We also had meetings with the updates were needed, government took note of that strong support. Alberta School Boards Association and the Alberta School Councils’ But we need to bring forward changes that reflect our diverse 21st Association on May 12. I had a meeting with the hon. Member for century society with a made-in-Alberta human rights law to continue Edmonton-Centre on May 5. At each of these meetings we promised to position Alberta as a safe and welcoming province, make the to consider changing the wording of this section to make the human rights processes more transparent to Albertans through the intention very clear. establishment of tribunals rather than panels, reflect the Supreme Bill 44 is being amended to clarify that parental rights do not Court decision on inclusion of sexual orientation to acknowledge include withdrawing children from spontaneous discussions of that we are a tolerant society, remove system bottlenecks which have religion, human sexuality, or sexual orientation that may arise during slowed the resolution of complaints, and recognize that Albertans everyday classroom teaching. The exact wording of the amendment feel strongly about the rights of parents to make decisions regarding