October 10, 2019
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AB Today – Daily Report October 10, 2019 Quotation of the day “We took leadership on the environment. We worked with Indigenous people. That’s the way to go, not attacking other Canadians and creating a Tom Olsen Twitter machine.” NDP Energy critic Irfan Sabir criticized the government’s energy war room, the newly christened Canadian Energy Centre, which will be led by former UCP candidate Tom Olsen. Today in AB On the schedule The house will convene at 9 a.m. MLAs are expected to continue second reading debate on Bill 14, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation Act. Bill 15, Real Estate Amendment Act, could also be called for second reading debate. The government could also put forward a number of motions, including a motion to allow evening sittings throughout the fall session and another to authorize visitors to the legislature to wear pro-oil and gas apparel. Currently, briefcases, parcels, signs, banners and other objects are not allowed in the chamber. In the house Newly minted Canadian citizens were welcomed to the chamber of the legislature Wednesday, moments after Speaker Nathan Cooper and Lieutenant General Lois Mitchell attended their citizenship ceremony at the Federal Building. Wednesday’s debates and proceedings MLAs spent the morning debating the government’s new Bill 14, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation Act. Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish introduced Bill 15, Real Estate Amendment Act, which will tweak the province’s oversight of the real estate sector. The bill was granted first reading. (More details are below.) Government rolls back driver training requirements for bus drivers and agricultural workers The United Conservative government quietly eliminated some of the previous NDP government’s driver safety requirements brought in following the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash last year, the Globe and Mail reports. The NDP brought in new driver testing rules after the April 2018 crash that killed 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team in Saskatchewan. A semi-truck driver, licensed in Alberta, ran a stop sign, smashing into the coach carrying the team. While mandatory entry-level training (MELT) for truck drivers will be in place in all provinces by 2020, the UCP created grandfathered exceptions for farm workers who recently obtained a Class 1 licence, and for bus drivers who have a Class 2 licence. In contrast, new drivers will have to eventually pass road and knowledge tests under the NDP’s rules, even if they have clean driving records. In a statement to AB Today, Transportation Minister Ric McIver said the UCP is grandfathering in a small number of individuals who passed their Class 1 or 2 test before MELT requirements came into effect. Those who do not have a clean record will be required to be tested. “Regarding farm workers and school bus drivers, the NDP Government first issued an extension, which the current government then extended to accommodate the start of the school year and harvest,” McIver said, referencing remarks Premier Jason Kenney made earlier this month suggesting school bus drivers and semi-truck drivers who work on farms could access an exemption or modified rules. “The government will be consulting with key stakeholders on this matter, and safety will remain paramount,” per McIver. NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the families of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos are still working through their grief, and are now faced with a government that is reducing safety regulations. She accused the premier of working in the interest of bad-faith actors who can’t be bothered to keep people safe on highways. “The first thing I thought of was the families who were so impacted by the Humboldt tragedy,” Notley told reporters on Wednesday. “When that happened, all of Alberta from corner-to-corner was caught up in the grief that that tragedy spawned. You can’t say there’s anything good from that, but a mitigating factor was that we were finally able to bring Alberta’s trucking safety laws to the standards of the rest of the country.” Today’s events October 10 at 9 a.m. — Edmonton The UCP’s Treasury Board committee will meet in the cabinet room of the legislature. October 10 at 3 p.m. — Edmonton The UCP’s Legislative Review committee will meet in the cabinet room of the legislature. Topics of conversation ● Health Minister Tyler Shandro slammed the federal government for cutting health benefits for Canadian Armed Forces members and signalled a forthcoming joint statement of concern from provincial and territorial leaders is on the way. ○ A recent investigation from Global News revealed Ottawa “made major changes this spring to the fees it reimburses to hospitals when they provide health care to military members.” ○ While health care generally falls under provincial jurisdiction, the Canada Health Act and various provincial health acts mean members of Canada’s military are not eligible for provincial health coverage. ○ Shandro told reporters he found out about the changes, which could cost Alberta Health Services an estimated $2 million, from the media. ○ Retired lieutenant colonel and former Conservative MP for Edmonton—Centre Laurie Hawn stood on the steps of the legislature with Shandro to say he’s willing to go to bat for the province as it fights the decision. ○ NDP Health critic David Shepherd said he would join the UCP government in calling for a reinstatement of federal government funding. New briefs — Governmental Ministry of Energy Energy Minister Sonya Savage announced Wednesday that the government’s energy war room is now an incorporated entity called the Canadian Energy Centre, and will soon be up and running. It will be headed up by Tom Olsen, a former journalist and press secretary who ran unsuccessfully for the UCP in Calgary—Buffalo. The corporation will have three branches: a rapid response centre, an energy literacy unit and a data research unit, according to Savage. “I look forward to the official launch of the Canadian Energy Centre before the end of the year,” Savage said. “The economic future of our province — and our country — is at stake, and our government will not let Albertans down.” Asked by reporters whether Olsen was hired for being a notorious “bulldog” against journalists during his time as former premier Ed Stelmach’s press secretary, Savage said she was unaware of that reputation. Olsen, who lost in this year's provincial election to the NDP’s Joe Ceci, had stints as a journalist at the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun. He is also a singer-songwriter, and released a roots rock album — with backing group The Wreckage — called Subtle as a Hurricane in 2015. NDP Energy critic Irfan Sabir said former premier Rachel Notley built national support for the Trans Mountain pipeline by consulting with Indigenous people and working to address environmental concerns, not by attacking critics. Ministry of Service Alberta Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish says the UCP’s new Bill 15, Real Estate Amendment Act, is a response to “dysfunction” at the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). The legislation will dismiss eight of 12 current RECA council members and will appoint an administrator to appoint a new council. A fresh KPMG report, ordered by the NDP government in January, digs into allegations of dysfunction, squabbles and harassment at RECA and reveals the contentious culture resulted in the board’s failure to fulfill its mandate, make timely decisions, and release financial information by deadline. “For too long, serious concerns and complaints from industry and from council officials themselves have been ignored,” Glubish said. “That stops now. The council needs to stop focusing on trivial things like advertising guidelines and start focusing on protecting Albertans and addressing the actual issues facing the industry.” Four board members resigned following the release of the report. Rob Telford, RECA’s chair of council, said he welcomes the amendments and looks forward to working with the administrator. “As the independent governing authority for Alberta’s real estate industry, consumer protection is at the core of our mandate, and RECA will continue to operate under that mandate moving forward. Core operations at RECA are not affected by these amendments,” Telford said in a statement. “RECA remains fully committed to transparency and openness and we thank the Government of Alberta for working with us to ensure the ongoing integrity of the industry and protection of consumers.” Minister Glubish anticipates further amendments to the province’s retail regulation in spring 2020. New briefs — Non-governmental NDP shares letter from County of Wetaskiwin concerned about rural police funding The NDP obtained a letter to Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer from the County of Wetaskiwin questioning the state of consultations on potential changes to the police funding formula. The letter, signed off on by County of Wetaskiwin Reeve Terry Van de Kraats, said participants were informed via webinar in September that the cost-sharing model would result in increased police services, but it would cost the municipality between $390,000 to $1.8 million to get them. “By downloading these costs, they’re asking rural people to pay more or get less, it’s not fair,” NDP Municipal Affairs critic Joe Ceci said in a news release. “The Premier broke his promise about no new taxes and he’s getting away with it by forcing counties and smaller municipalities to do it for him.” Question Period NDP kickoff ● NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley kicked off question period by asking about funding for rural policing and whether the UCP government will download costs on municipalities to help pay for province’s $4.5-billion corporate tax cut. ○ “Why is the premier breaking his promises just to fund wealthy corporations?” Notley asked.