Legislative Assembly of Alberta the 30Th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members'
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Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills Bill 201, Strategic Aviation Advisory Council Act Tuesday, March 3, 2020 7:15 p.m. Transcript No. 30-2-1 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills Ellis, Mike, Calgary-West (UCP), Chair Schow, Joseph R., Cardston-Siksika (UCP), Deputy Chair Armstrong-Homeniuk, Jackie, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (UCP)* Dach, Lorne, Edmonton-McClung (NDP)** Glasgo, Michaela L., Brooks-Medicine Hat (UCP) Horner, Nate S., Drumheller-Stettler (UCP) Irwin, Janis, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP) Loewen, Todd, Central Peace-Notley (UCP)*** Neudorf, Nathan T., Lethbridge-East (UCP) Nielsen, Christian E., Edmonton-Decore (NDP) Nixon, Jeremy P., Calgary-Klein (UCP) Pancholi, Rakhi, Edmonton-Whitemud (NDP) Sigurdson, Lori, Edmonton-Riverview (NDP) Sigurdson, R.J., Highwood (UCP) * substitution for Michaela Glasgo ** substitution for Rakhi Pancholi *** substitution for Nate Horner Also in Attendance Gotfried, Richard, Calgary-Fish Creek (UCP) Bill Sponsor Gotfried, Richard, Calgary-Fish Creek (UCP) Support Staff Trafton Koenig Parliamentary Counsel Philip Massolin Clerk of Committees and Research Services Michael Kulicki Committee Clerk Janet Schwegel Director of Parliamentary Programs Amanda LeBlanc Deputy Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills Participants Ministry of Transportation Crystal Damer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Policy Mark Jacka, Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister March 3, 2020 Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills PB-127 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 of the November 18 meeting. Are there any errors or omissions to Title: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 pb note? If not, would a member please like to make a motion to [Mr. Ellis in the chair] approve the minutes of the November 18 meeting? The Chair: All right. Good evening, everyone. I’d like to call this Mr. Nielsen: So moved. meeting of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills to order and welcome everyone in The Chair: Thank you, Mr. Nielsen. Mr. Nielsen to move that the attendance. minutes of the November 18, 2019, meeting of the Standing My name is Mike Ellis. I’m the MLA for Calgary-West and chair Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills be of the committee. I’d like to ask members and those joining the approved as distributed. All in favour, say aye. Any opposed, say committee at the table to introduce themselves for the record, and no. Hearing none, that motion is carried. then I will call on those joining in by teleconference. We’ll begin Now we’ll consider the minutes of the November 21 meeting. to my right. Are there any errors or omissions? Seeing none, would a member like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the November 21, Mr. Schow: Joseph Schow, MLA for Cardston-Siksika. 2019, meeting? Mr. Neudorf: Nathan Neudorf, MLA, Lethbridge-East. Mr. Sigurdson: So moved. Mr. Sigurdson: R.J. Sigurdson, MLA, Highwood. The Chair: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Sigurdson. Mr. Sigurdson will move that the minutes of the November 21, 2019, meeting of the Mr. Jeremy Nixon: Jeremy Nixon, Calgary-Klein. Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills be approved as distributed. All in favour, say aye. Any Ms Armstrong-Homeniuk: Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, MLA, opposed? That motion is carried. Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. Next we’ll move to item 4, the review of Bill 201, the Strategic Mr. Loewen: Todd Loewen, MLA, Central Peace-Notley. Aviation Advisory Council Act. A presentation will be made by Mr. Richard Gotfried, the MLA for Calgary-Fish Creek. Hon. members, Mr. Gotfried: Richard Gotfried, MLA, Calgary-Fish Creek and Bill 201, the Strategic Aviation Advisory Council Act, was referred proponent of Bill 201. to the committee on Thursday, February 28. In accordance with Standing Order 74.11 the committee must report to the Assembly Member Irwin: Janice Irwin, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood. on Bill 201 on or before Thursday, March 19, 2020. Joining us tonight, as previously indicated, is our sponsor of Bill 201, Mr. Mr. Dach: Lorne Dach, MLA, Edmonton-McClung. Richard Gotfried, the MLA for Calgary-Fish Creek. At this time I’d Ms Sigurdson: Lori Sigurdson, Edmonton-Riverview. like to invite Mr. Gotfried to provide a five-minute presentation, and then I will open the floor for up to 20 minutes of questions from Mr. Nielsen: Good evening, everyone. Chris Nielsen, MLA for committee members. Edmonton-Decore. Mr. Gotfried, thank you very much, and the floor is yours, sir. Dr. Massolin: Good evening. Philip Massolin, clerk of committees Mr. Gotfried: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and just to note that I will be and research services. talking fast as we literally fly through this presentation this evening. I’d like to thank the chair, committee members, and staff for their Mr. Kulicki: Good evening. Michael Kulicki, committee clerk. support to make this possible this evening and also thank Mr. Brian Andrus from the Alberta Aviation Council and Mr. Lynn Wyton The Chair: Wonderful. Thank you very much. Everyone is in from the Edmonton International Airport, who have joined us in the attendance, so nobody will be teleconferencing in. gallery as well. They’ve been very instrumental in the development For the record I will note the following official substitutions: Member Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk for Michaela Glasgo, of this bill, as have many other key industry players across all the Member Todd Loewen for Nate Horner, and Member Lorne Dach subsectors, including Mount Royal University, SAIT, WestJet, and for Member Rakhi Pancholi. many more. A few housekeeping items to address before we turn to the I’d also like to thank the ministries and ministers who will be business at hand. Please note that the microphones are operated by most engaged with this bill as we move forward: Minister McIver Hansard. Please set your cellphones and other devices to silent for in Transportation and Minister Fir in Economic Development, the duration of the meeting. Committee proceedings are live Trade and Tourism. streamed on the Internet and broadcast on Alberta Assembly TV. Ladies and gentlemen, the impetus for this bill actually came to The audio and video stream and transcripts of the meeting can be me during the last three or four years after roughly two decades in accessed via the Legislative Assembly website. the aviation sector myself. Many of you may know that we lost Next we’ll move to approval of the agenda. Are there any Cathay Pacific Cargo, which was a twice-weekly cargo flight, changes, additions to the draft agenda? Seeing none, could I get 134,000 kilograms of cargo payload lost there twice per week. We somebody to make a motion to approve the agenda? All right. Mr. lost Air China Cargo, three times weekly, 101,000 kilograms of Neudorf. Mr. Neudorf to move that the agenda for the March 3, cargo payload per flight. And I’m concerned that we are at risk of 2020, meeting of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and losing such flights as Hainan Airlines, which is a Calgary-Beijing Private Members’ Public Bills be adopted as distributed. All in service, which recently changed from scheduled to seasonal favour, say aye. Any opposed? That motion is carried. service. Ladies and gentlemen, these are some of the concerns that Next we’ll move to item 3, the approval of the minutes. We have I have about the impact on our economy and why we need a two sets of draft minutes to review from our meetings on November strategic approach to aviation. We cannot stand idly by and allow 18 and November 21, 2019. First, we will consider the draft minutes ourselves to continue to lose our global productivity. PB-128 Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills March 3, 2020 But it’s more than just that. It’s more than just the air services only fair that we start with the Official Opposition. Mr. Nielsen, I that I’ve referenced. In Alberta we have a proud history and rich see you’re ready to go. All right. Go ahead, sir. legacy as leaders in aviation, and now is the time for Alberta to ensure its place and continue its reputation as a centre of excellence Mr. Nielsen: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and through you to in aviation and aerospace innovation. We have a reputation to MLA Gotfried around Bill 201. I guess I want to just kind of home uphold as the gateway to the north since as early as 1927 the true in on one part of the bill, here, over on page 1, under purpose of pioneers such as bush pilots like Punch Dickins, Wop May, and council. That would be section 3. Specifically, I’m looking at (e) others flew out of our very own Blatchford field right here in around “supporting emergency medical and fire response in the Edmonton. That led, of course, to our history-making contribution province through aviation-related services and infrastructure.” I to World War II, through the training of over 130,000 aviators as guess one of the questions I would like to ask is leading up to where part of the British Commonwealth training plan, which in many I’m specifically going. How do you envision council members ways has contributed to many of the assets we have across our being able to speak with regard to reports that the council may province. issue? Ladies and gentlemen, we have an opportunity to continue as 7:25 global leaders and to ensure that aviation and aerospace Mr.