Legislative Assembly of Alberta Head:Government Bills and Orders
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December 3, 1990 Alberta Hansard 2595 Legislative Assembly of Alberta MR. SPEAKER: There you are, hon. member; you're standing, and you've had an ovation. Title: Monday, December 3, 1990 8:00 p.m. MS M. LAING: Mr. Speaker, I think what we are saying here Date: 90/12/03 is that it's not good enough just to have a member. Much of the alienation and disenfranchisement that rural people in Alberta [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] feel now has occurred when they have had a disproportionate MR. SPEAKER: Be seated, please. number of members in this Legislative Assembly. I'm not sure May we have unanimous consent to revert briefly to Introduc• in fact whether the problem is that rural residents have not been tion of Special Guests? heard or whether their representatives have not been able to HON. MEMBERS: Agreed. speak effectively on their behalf. Mr. Speaker, we hear that MLAs need to be able to com• MR. SPEAKER: Opposed? municate with constituents, to meet with them, but we sit in this The hon. Solicitor General. Chamber for less than half the year, approximately five months. When we are not sitting, that is the time for us to be meeting head: Introduction of Special Guests with and hearing our constituents. That is the time, if one is a full-time MLA, that one can do that, whether in fact they are MR. FOWLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thirty years ago I rural or urban MLAs. If they make their job as MLA a top had the privilege of leading a Cub pack in St. Albert. Tonight priority in their lives, then they have adequate time. Most we have some of the grandchildren, I'm sure, of those Cubs I led difficulties do not arise overnight; they are ongoing. I think of at the time. In the visitors' gallery we have a group of 27 from the foreclosures, the bankruptcies in rural Alberta, the closing the 1st St. Albert scouting group, the Wolf Cubs that are here of schools. Those kinds of things don't happen overnight, and this evening. They are accompanied by leaders George and members of this Legislature certainly have time to learn about Jackie Fowler, Dave Odegard, Rick Sawatsky, with parents Steve it from their constituents if they make that a priority. Barr, Fred Bachewich, Paul Sissons, Penny Odegard, and Gail Mr. Speaker, in a democratic society the basis of that demo• Marshall. If they would rise, I would hope that the Assembly cratic society is one person, one vote in this Assembly. At the would welcome them in their usual manner here today. present time for some constituencies one vote in here means one voter in their constituency, but for many voters in this MR. SPEAKER: The Solicitor General again, please. province one vote in here means three voters in their constituen• cy. There is no fairness in that. It is after all in this Chamber MR. FOWLER: Thank you. On behalf of hon. member Pat that decisions are taken, laws are passed, and funds are allo• Black I am also pleased to introduce six members of the 59th cated, and each citizen should have an equal voice in how we Venturer company, senior people in the scouting movement. shall live together and how tax moneys are to be spent. What They are accompanied by their leader Dr. Alan Skeiley with Mr. we have at the present time with the unfair allocation of seats David Wilson, who is the assistant Venturer adviser. Mr. is almost taxation without fair representation in here. We know, Speaker, I would ask that the Assembly welcome this group in too, what happens to kings and leaders that would impose that their usual manner. on the people. If we hold to the principle of fair representation, then we look head: Government Bills and Orders at how to achieve that representation being effective. If we hold Second Reading to the principle, then we say: how will we make this work? I Bill 57 talked in my speech to the motion that preceded this Bill of a Electoral Boundaries Commission Act number of ways that would allow rural members, members with large constituencies the kind of resources that could be put at [Adjourned debate December 3: Ms M. Laing] their disposal so they could meet and effectively represent their MR. SPEAKER: Edmonton-Avonmore. constituents. The Member for Edmonton-Jasper Place also has made a number of very worthwhile suggestions that would work MS M. LAING: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, at issue is the failure if there were a will and a commitment to the principle of one of this Bill to recognize the importance of a commitment to the person, one vote. principle of one person, one vote. We've heard many reasons We see in this Bill not a commitment to fair and equal why this is not possible in Alberta. However, the commitment representation. Indeed, this Bill has not left it to the commis• has not been to one person, one vote but a commitment to sion to determine how the boundaries shall be drawn, has not regional disparity. The principle of one person, one vote has not left it to them to determine how fair representation shall be been taken into account even in this Bill. worked out. In fact, this Bill sets out that unfair legislation, Mr. Speaker, when we look at representation in this Chamber, unfair representation will be the principle. How else can you quality is important; quantity alone is not enough. I am have in a Bill 51 percent of the voters represented by 43 seats. reminded of when I was Education spokesperson for our caucus This Bill is a political document to direct what should be a and I went into the heartland of central Alberta to a small town nonpartisan process. For fairness, this Bill should allow for the named Delia to hear the concerns of some parents there in nonpartisan commission to establish boundaries so that the regard to school closures and busing of their children. There boundaries cannot be seen to fulfill a political agenda. was at least one government MLA, the local rural member. Thank you. After he spoke he got some scant applause and after I spoke I got a standing ovation, because the constituents there recognized MR. SPEAKER: Thank you. that not only had I listened, but I had heard what they had to The Member for Drumheller. say. [applause] 2596 Alberta Hansard December 3, 1990 MR. SCHUMACHER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought I MR. GIBEAULT: Point of order. should say something at second reading of this Bill, but certainly Speaker's Ruling the comments of the hon. Member for Edmonton-Avonmore have probably caused me to get up a little sooner than I Reflections on Nonmembers otherwise would have, because I happen to be one of the other MR. SPEAKER: Just half a moment. The Chair was listening MLAs at the meeting in Delia in 1987 I believe it was. I must to the rest of the sentence. The Chair doesn't need to be say that the hon. member understated the case a little bit. I directed by Edmonton-Mill Woods above all people in this place don't recall that I got any applause at all; I just recall getting a and especially in light of the fact that the Member for Edmon• lot of boos. I also have to point out to hon. members that Delia ton-Mill Woods was busy chatting in a rather loud fashion with is not in my constituency. It happens to be in the constituency some other colleagues in the House. I'm sure the hon. Member of Chinook. At that time it was represented by our late great for Drumheller is going to now come around to some specificity friend the hon. Henry Kroeger, who was also present at the about the comment about claptrap and the mayor of Edmonton meeting, and he did get some applause. Nevertheless I'm and will indeed, in the usual sage way of a Deputy Speaker, find advised that in the by-election that followed shortly thereafter an interesting way out of it. and the last general election, that poll of Delia certainly didn't support the New Democratic Party in any great measure. Debate Continued 8:10 MR. SCHUMACHER: Well, Mr. Speaker, what I hear the Before commenting on some of the remarks by the hon. mayor of Edmonton and the mayor of Calgary saying is that the Member for Edmonton-Avonmore, I'd like to reply to some of philosophy proposed by the committee report and the legislation those remarks made by the hon. Member for Calgary-Forest upon which it's based is absolutely unfair to the cities of Calgary Lawn. He also said, and I guess the Member for Edmonton- and Edmonton. I would like to hear those two worthies come Avonmore also agreed with her colleague, that Bill 57 is unfair. up with an idea of how it is unfair. Where have Calgary and I can clearly recall the hon. Member for Calgary-Forest Lawn Edmonton suffered in this province over the last number of saying that the labour laws that were passed in 1988 were also years on the representation they've had in this Legislature? Can grossly unfair and that this government would be punished they demonstrate a lack of growth? Can they demonstrate a severely when it next went to the polls. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'd lack of high-paying jobs in their cities? Is there anything like ask all hon.