Alternate page number, consecutive for the 17th Legislature, 1st Session: page 953 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Title: Monday, March 27, 1972 2:30 p.m. (The House met at 2:30 pm.) PRAYERS (Mr. Speaker in the Chair.) head: INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS MR. FOSTER: Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to introduce to you and through you to the members of this House 80 Grade IX students from the City of Red Deer from West Park Junior High School who are located behind me in the public and members' gallery. They are accompanied today by their teachers Mr. Roy Brown and Mr. Brian Taylor, together with the bus driver, Brad Boulding. Could I ask that they stand and be recognized please. MR. STROMBERG: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly, my first group of students from the Rose constituency. We have 27 students here from the Grade V class of the Charlie Killam School. With them are four parents, Mrs. Helgeland, Mrs. Balding, Mrs. Madison, and Mrs. Ofrim and their teacher Marilynn Brawner. May I ask the students who are in the public gallery to stand and be received by this Assembly? MR. JAMISON: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we have with us this afternoon 55 students from Paul Kane High School in St. Albert. It seems to me that on March 27th we might assume that we have 55 non-dropouts observing our activities in the Legislature this afternoon. I congratulate their teacher Fred Schoenrock for including this visit in their study on the day that our new Premier will speak to the Assembly. Will the students of Paul Kane stand and be acknowledged by the Speaker through him to the members of the Provincial Legislature? MRS. CHICHAK: Mr. Speaker, I wish you to introduce to you and through you to the House, members of the St. Basil's Separate School who are 45 in number. The students are accompanied by their teachers, Mr. Harry Porochiwnyk, Mrs. Manning, Miss Eriser, and Mr. Semkow. I think that again we want to congratulate them for their interest in viewing and becoming familiar with our democratic processes. I would like to ask them to rise and be recognized by this Assembly. Alternate page number, consecutive for the 17th Legislature, 1st Session: page 954 18-2 ALBERTA HANSARD March 27th 1972 head: ORAL QUESTIONS Cancellation of Insurance Policies MR. WILSON: Mr. Speaker, I have a question of the hon. the Attorney General. Has any consideration been given to requiring insurance companies to advise the Motor Vehicles Branch when insurance policies are cancelled for non-payment? MR. LEITCH: Not by my department at the present time. I believe that was a question that was considered by the committee that reviewed insurance last year. MR. WILSON: A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Minister, do you not feel that this minor precaution would be most useful and inexpensive in protecting responsible drivers from uninsured drivers? MR. LEITCH: Mr. Speaker, I don't propose to get into a debate with the hon. member although that is obviously where he's trying to lead me during the question period. I should say that I doubt very much that it is inexpensive, administratively, and I very much doubt that it would provide the extent of the protection that the hon. member seems to think it might. MR. WILSON: A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Would the minister advise us, then, in what other areas he feels that he will be able to give us assurances that we won't have uninsured drivers on the roads? MR. LEITCH: Well, Mr. Speaker, I call to the hon. member's attention that there are, at the moment, in The Highway Traffic Act very severe penalties for owning or operating a vehicle that's uninsured. As the legislation now stands, I think the penalty is $1,000 minimum for a corporation, going up to $2,500; a $250 minimum for an individual, going up to I believe, $1,000. So there are very heavy penalties provided in the existing legislation for people who drive while they're uninsured. That is one means of protection. I should also call to the hon. member's attention that even if a vehicle were uninsured and its owner or driver insolvent, it doesn't necessarily follow that people whom he may injure or whose property he may damage have no means of payment, because they would still have recourse to The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. Alberta Coat of Arms DR. BUCK: Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a question of the hon. Minister of Youth, Culture and Recreation, and I would like to know, hon. Sir, if there has been anyone in your department who has been assigned to change the Alberta Coat of Arms? MR. SCHMID: Mr. Speaker, I would like to answer to the hon. member. It is not a matter of changing the Coat of Arms, but to give some thought to adding a base to the Coat of Arms of Alberta. Usually a base is Alternate page number, consecutive for the 17th Legislature, 1st Session: page 955 March 27th 1972 ALBERTA HANSARD 18-3 added to the shield of any one shield design, and we are considering looking at the possibility in this case of adding a base to the shield of Alberta. DR. BUCK: A supplementary. Will this be brought before the Legislature, hon. minister, before you make any changes? MR. SCHMID: Very much so, Mr. Speaker. If there should be any change contemplated or addition contemplated to the shield of Alberta, it will definitely be brought before the House. Property Tax for Education MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the hon. Minister of Municipal Affairs. Is it the intention of the government to introduce legislation at the 1973 session to eliminate the property tax for educational purposes? MR. RUSSELL: Well, Mr. Speaker, one of the terms of reference that has been given to the Task Force on Provincial-Municipal Financing, deals with the removal of the education portion of the property tax requisition on residential property. MR. TAYLOR: A supplementary. Mr. Speaker, that being the case, and assuming that such legislation will be introduced; is the elimination of the property tax from the property of senior citizens now going to last only for one year's duration? MR. RUSSELL: No, Mr. Speaker. I think that is an incorrect assumption. We have said on many occasions that one of our first fields of priority would be the senior citizens. It has been a very common complaint with respect to senior citizens about the fairness and ability to pay that education requisition. So despite the fact that the task force has a tremendous amount of work yet to do in reviewing finances and legislation, we pressed ahead with this very -- to us -- important item. MR. TAYLOR: A supplementary. Then I take it, Mr. Speaker, that the hon. minister assures the House that these benefits will be carried over insofar as senior citizens are concerned into any alternate legislation? MR. RUSSELL: I think that is a fair question, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we are fairly well committed to making these recommendations and these major changes. As I've said before, the senior citizens are at the top of the list and we were eager to proceed with step one at this session. Alternate page number, consecutive for the 17th Legislature, 1st Session: page 956 18-4 ALBERTA HANSARD March 27th 1972 Premier's Visit to Asia MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct a question to the hon. Premier. In view of your announced trip to Japan and your proposed trip to the Soviet Union next year, are you at this time reconsidering your position re the trip to the People's Republic of China? MR. LOUGHEED: Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I am not able to answer that question at this time. We are still in the process of making some final conclusions with regard to both of those proposed trips. I would frankly hope that within the course of a matter of weeks we could be more definitive about it, and deal specifically with the matter raised by the hon. member. I will make a note to try to do that. MR. NOTLEY: Supplementary question, Mr. Speaker, again, to the hon. Premier. In view of the initiatives that are being taken to widen our trade relations with the Far East, including the People's Republic of China, has the government considered consulting with, perhaps, the one outstanding Canadian expert on China? I am referring to Mr. Chester Ronning, who is a resident of this province. Have you as yet consulted with Mr. Ronning on seeking advice as to what approach we should take, and if you haven't, are you going to? MR. LOUGHEED: Yes, Mr. Speaker. That is one matter we are considering doing with regard to the possible extension of our trip to China. We, of course, are well aware of the difficult delicacy in these matters of making a mission to any one particular country, and then expanding beyond that to other countries. That is a matter causing us some concern. I am sure the hon. members of the House are aware that through the Department of Agriculture we are participating in a trade fair in Peking at this time. But we will follow through with the comment that is made by the hon. member. I will try to give an answer in a matter of weeks.