LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY of ALBERTA [The House Met at 10
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March 19, 1976 ALBERTA HANSARD 257 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA head: TABLING RETURNS AND REPORTS MR. CRAWFORD: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to table two Title: Friday. March 19, 1976 10:00 a.m. copies of the Department of Manpower and Labour annual report for the year ending March 31, 1975. MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, as required by statute, [The House met at 10 a.m.] I'd like to table the 1974-75 annual report of the Department of Business Development and Tourism. PRAYERS head: ORAL QUESTION PERIOD Wage and Price Controls MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct my first [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] question to the Minister of Federal and Intergovern• mental Affairs. The question is posed as a result of the recent announcement by the federal Minister of Justice referring the selective wage and price control head: INTRODUCTION OF BILLS legislation to the Supreme Court for a ruling on its validity. Bill 224 Is it the intention of the Government of Alberta to An Act to Amend be among the interveners and to file intervention at The Ombudsman Act the Supreme Court hearing? MR. MANDEVILLE: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to MR. HYNDMAN: Mr. Speaker, we haven't entirely introduce Bill 224, An Act to Amend The Ombudsman finalized our decision on that. It's to be remembered Act. The major purpose of this bill, Mr. Speaker, is to that two issues are probably involved in that provide an extension of the jurisdiction of the provin• reference. First, I might say that we haven't yet been cial Ombudsman to deal with complaints and able to receive a full copy of the exact reference to problems involving private citizens, local the Supreme Court of Canada. We expect to receive governments, and school boards. The bill, Mr. that shortly. The first question relates to a matter Speaker, has a clause which would allow any raised by the province of Ontario, relating to the municipal council or school board to opt out by means question of whether a province can enter the program of a majority vote. by an order in council only, or whether legislation is necessary. The five provinces which have requested [Leave granted; Bill 224 introduced and read a first intervention so far are those which have not time] proceeded to get involved in the federal plan by reason of a legislative act. Bill 225 The matter of the general constitutionality of the The Parents' Liability Act program involves the issue of the emergency doctrine. Insofar as this province takes the view that MR. KUSHNER: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce those controls and Alberta's entry into them is a Bill 225, The Parents' Liability Act. The purpose of temporary matter, it may be that we would be this bill is to establish in law the liability of parents appearing as an intervener with regard to the for reckless or willful damage, destruction or Supreme Court of Canada's possible interpretation of unlawful removal of other's property by minors. the emergency power, particularly with regard to the temporariness which in our view must be a basic [Leave granted; Bill 225 introduced and read a first aspect of what an emergency is. time] Small Motorcycle Legislation head: INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct the second question to the Solicitor General, and ask what MR. ASHTON: It's a pleasure, Mr. Speaker, to consultation there was between the retailers of small introduce 60 Grade 6 students from Waverley School, motorcycles in the province prior to the government accompanied by their two teachers and two student bringing in legislation in the fall session last year that teachers. They are enjoying their visit to the Legisla• raised the age from 14 to 16 years. ture this morning because, as you can see, every one What kind of consultation was there between the of them is smiling. I'll ask them to rise and be minister or his officials and the industry? recognized by the House. MR. FARRAN: Mr. Speaker, I don't believe any direct MR. LITTLE: Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to intro• consultation with the association was involved. duce to you, and through you to the members of the There was considerable debate among the public at Assembly, Major Len Millar, Salvation Army, accom• large about the anomaly that Alberta was the only panied by his wife, Dorothy. They are seated in the province in which 14 year-olds could ride members gallery. motorcycles. The legislation was introduced into the 258 ALBERTA HANSARD March 19, 1976 House. On second reading, some opinion was ex• the government is considering at this point in time pressed by the motorcycle industry, which was the introduction of an across-the-board user fee in apparently alarmed that they would lose their only provincial parks, as recommended by the Land Use Alberta market for bicycles for 14 year olds. We have Forum? had some representation since the legislation became effective on January 1. MR. ADAIR: Mr. Speaker, in responding to the question, if you recall, sometime this past summer MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, perhaps to rephrase the we said we were looking at the possibility of what the question. Was the minister involved . other provinces across the Dominion of Canada were charging for park fees. MR. SPEAKER: Order please. I hesitated to intervene I can assure you, sir, the members of this House, when the question was first asked. But it would and the people of Alberta, that that will not happen in appear to me that this might be contrary to one of the the year 1976. But we are looking at that. principles of the question period, which is to raise a matter of past history. This statute was introduced in MR. NOTLEY: I share the relief that we will be spared the House and presumably debated. The minister or this in 1976. others who may have sponsored it would have been But Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question to available for questioning at that time. It would seem the hon. minister is: has the government considered, to me that we're perhaps warming over an old issue. along with the question of user fees, the suggestion by the Land Use Forum that some kind of assistance MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, perhaps the issue needs should be made available to low-income people, to be warmed again. However, might I ask this whether through the public assistance program or question of the minister? what have you? Has the minister met with representatives of the industry since the legislation has been passed? Does MR. ADAIR: Mr. Speaker, in response to that, yes. In he have any meetings with them planned in the regard to the recommendations of the Land Use future? Forum, we are looking at that and will be reviewing them very carefully. MR. FARRAN: Mr. Speaker, I don't believe they have requested an interview, although the door to my MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a further supplementary office is always open. They have made representa• question to the hon. minister. Is the minister in a tions on the premise that they're upset at losing this position to tell the Assembly what timetable the part of their market. The Yamaha dealers from department is considering at this point in time, both Toronto in particular have said they would have for the question of user fees as well as for any appreciated earlier notice and that they relied on cushioning of the effect on low-income families? Alberta for the sale of these bikes. Of course, they put the argument — it was debated in the House prior MR. ADAIR: Mr. Speaker, we haven't set a firm to January 1 — that Alberta was wise as compared to timetable for that at the moment. the other provinces to have a training period for 14 year olds before they got a full licence at 16. That MR. NOTLEY: A further supplementary question to argument was discussed in the House and didn't win the hon. minister. Has the department at this point the day. in time developed any policy with respect to the highway campsite program, particularly with respect MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, one further supplementary to the recommendation that some of the highway question. Is the minister aware that the industry had campsites be leased to private concerns? to place their orders some months before the legisla• tion was introduced, so they could in fact have cycles MR. ADAIR: Mr. Speaker, in relation to highway available for this spring? The orders had to be placed campsites, if I may, I'd defer the question to the before the legislation came to the House and before Minister of Transportation. the minister ever talked to the industry. DR. HORNER: It's not anticipated that we'll be leasing MR. FARRAN: No, Mr. Speaker. I was not aware of these to private concerns, Mr. Speaker. But we are that. The legislation was introduced in November. I looking at the possibility of senior citizens' clubs and would presume that their main sale to the 14 year other service clubs in a variety of areas which might olds would have been in May or June, which is some do an excellent job for us in Alberta running these six months later. campsites in the summertime. I would imagine that this is a possible argument they might have with the Yamaha company in Japan. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct an But I would doubt if most small motorcycle dealers additional supplementary question to the hon.