Legislative Assembly of Alberta the 28Th Legislature First Session
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Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 28th Legislature First Session Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Consideration of Main Estimates Wednesday, March 20, 2013 10 a.m. Transcript No. 28-1-9 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 28th Legislature First Session Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC), Chair Fox, Rodney M., Lacombe-Ponoka (W), Deputy Chair Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Cao, Wayne, Calgary-Fort, (PC) Donovan, Ian, Little Bow (W) Dorward, David C., Edmonton-Gold Bar (PC) Eggen, David, Edmonton-Calder (ND) Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL)* Luan, Jason, Calgary-Hawkwood (PC) McDonald, Everett, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC) Olesen, Cathy, Sherwood Park (PC) Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (PC) Quadri, Sohail, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont (PC) Rowe, Bruce, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (W) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC) Smith, Danielle, Highwood (W)** Strankman, Rick, Drumheller-Stettler (W) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC) * substitution for Kent Hehr ** substitution for Bruce Rowe Also in Attendance Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (W) Stier, Pat, Livingstone-Macleod (W) Towle, Kerry, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (W) Support Staff W.J. David McNeil Clerk Robert H. Reynolds, QC Law Clerk/Director of Interparliamentary Relations Shannon Dean Senior Parliamentary Counsel/ Director of House Services Philip Massolin Manager of Research Services Stephanie LeBlanc Legal Research Officer Nancy Zhang Legislative Research Officer Nancy Robert Research Officer Corinne Dacyshyn Committee Clerk Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Karen Sawchuk Committee Clerk Christopher Tyrell Committee Clerk Rhonda Sorensen Manager of Corporate Communications and Broadcast Services Jeanette Dotimas Communications Consultant Tracey Sales Communications Consultant Liz Sim Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Participants Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Hon. Dr. Richard Starke, Minister Reegan McCullough, Assistant Deputy Minister, Tourism Brad Pickering, Deputy Minister Cameron Steenveld, Senior Financial Officer and Executive Director, Financial Services March 20, 2013 Alberta’s Economic Future EF-91 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Mrs. Forsyth: Hi. I’m Heather Forsyth, Calgary-Fish Creek. Title: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 ef [Mr. Amery in the chair] Mrs. Sarich: Good morning. Today is the spring equinox, so happy spring to everyone. I’m Janice Sarich, MLA for Edmonton- Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Decore. Consideration of Main Estimates The Chair: Well, thank you very much, hon. members. The Chair: Good morning, everyone. I’d like to welcome all of I see that Mr. Cao, Calgary-Fort, has joined us right now. you to this first estimates meeting of Alberta’s Economic Future. Excellent. I’d like to call this meeting to order. Mr. Cao: Thank you, Chair. The committee has under consideration the estimates of the Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation for the fiscal year The Chair: Hon. members, as you all know, the Assembly ending March 31, 2014. approved amendments to the standing orders that impact consid- Just a reminder that the microphones are operated by Hansard. eration of the main estimates. Before we proceed with consider- I’d like to ask members not to operate their own consoles as it ation of the main estimates for the Ministry of Tourism, Parks and causes technical issues. Also, please do not leave your Black- Recreation, I would like to review briefly the standing orders Berrys, iPhones, or telephones on the table. governing the speaking rotation. I would like to go around the table to introduce ourselves, and I As provided for in Standing Order 59.01(6), the rotation is as will start. Moe Amery, MLA, Calgary-East, and chair of this follows. The minister or the member of Executive Council acting committee. on the minister’s behalf may make opening comments not to exceed seven minutes for a two-hour meeting. For the 40 minutes Mr. Fox: Rod Fox, MLA, Lacombe-Ponoka, vice-chair of this that follow, members of the Official Opposition and the minister committee. or the member of the Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf may speak. For the next 14 minutes the members of the Mr. Quadri: Sohail Quadri, Edmonton-Mill Woods. third party, if any, and the minister or the member of Executive Mr. McDonald: Everett McDonald, Grande Prairie-Smoky. Council acting on the minister’s behalf may speak. For the next 14 minutes the member of the fourth party, if any, and the minister or Mr. Rogers: George Rogers, Leduc-Beaumont. the member of Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf may speak. For the next 14 minutes private members of the Mr. Bhardwaj: Naresh Bhardwaj, Edmonton-Ellerslie. government caucus and the minister or the member of Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf may speak, and any Ms Olesen: Cathy Olesen, MLA, Sherwood Park. member may speak thereafter. Mr. Dorward: My name is David Dorward. I’m the MLA for Members may speak more than once; however, speaking times Edmonton-Gold Bar. are limited to 10 minutes at any one time. A minister and a mem- Welcome, Mr. Fox, as the vice-chair. It’s nice to have you here. ber may combine their time for a total of 14 minutes. Members are asked to advise the chair at the beginning of their speech if they Mr. Eggen: Good morning. I’m Dave Eggen. I’m the MLA for plan to combine their time with the minister’s time. Edmonton-Calder. Once the specified rotation between caucuses is complete and we move to the portion of the meeting where any member may Mr. Kang: Good morning, everyone. Darshan Kang, Calgary- speak, the speaking times are reduced to five minutes at any one McCall. time. Once again, a minister and a member may combine their speaking time for a maximum total of 10 minutes, and members Mr. Luan: Good morning. Jason Luan, Calgary-Hawkwood. are asked to advise the chair at the beginning of their speech if Mr. McCullough: Reegan McCullough, assistant deputy minister they wish to combine their time with the minister’s time. of tourism. Now, two hours have been scheduled to consider the estimates of the Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Mr. Pickering: Brad Pickering, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Committee members, ministers, and other members who are not Parks and Recreation. committee members may participate. Members’ staff and ministry officials may be present, and at the direction of the minister Dr. Starke: Good morning. Richard Starke, MLA, Vermilion- officials from the ministry may address the committee. Lloydminster, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. If debate is exhausted prior to two hours, the ministry’s estimates are deemed to have been considered for the time allotted Mr. Steenveld: Cam Steenveld, senior financial officer, Alberta in the schedule, and we will adjourn; otherwise, we will adjourn at Tourism, Parks and Recreation. noon. Points of order will be dealt with as they arise, and the clock Mrs. Towle: Kerry Towle, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. will continue to run. Mr. Strankman: Rick Strankman, Drumheller-Stettler, and critic Any written material provided in response to questions raised for Tourism, Parks and Recreation. during the main estimates should be tabled in the Assembly for the benefit of all members. Mr. Donovan: Ian Donovan, MLA, Little Bow riding. Vote on the estimates is deferred until consideration of all ministry estimates has concluded and will occur in Committee of Mr. Stier: Pat Stier, MLA, Livingstone-Macleod. Supply on April 22, 2013. My understanding is that we have an amendment. I would like Mr. Rowe: Bruce Rowe, MLA, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. to read what’s really governing amendments here. An amendment EF-92 Alberta’s Economic Future March 20, 2013 to the estimates cannot seek to increase the amount of the 10:10 estimates being considered, change the destination of a grant, or The tourism division is the remaining $22.4 million allocated, change the destination or purpose of a subsidy. An amendment and it will go towards product development, visitor services, and may be proposed to reduce an estimate, but the amendment cannot research to support sound decision-making. While we need to propose to reduce the estimate by its full amount. promote Alberta, we also need to ensure that we have engaging Vote on amendments is deferred until Committee of Supply on experiences for visitors to enjoy. That’s why the bulk of the April 22, 2013. increase to tourism is in the destination competitiveness area. This Written amendments must be reviewed by Parliamentary includes supporting events that have the potential to grow and Counsel prior to the meeting at which they are to be moved. attract more visitors, everything from the Falher Honey Festival to Twenty-five copies of the amendment must be provided at the the Brooks Medieval Faire and beyond. meeting for committee members and staff. Ladies and gentlemen, now I would like to invite the minister to My department’s second core business is parks. Alberta’s start his comments. provincial parks are one of our most popular tourist attractions. Every year our parks host more than 8.5 million visits. They Dr. Starke: Mr. Chair, thank you. Good morning, everyone. contribute an estimated $1.3 billion to our economy and provide Joining me today at the table, as we have previously introduced, Albertans with countless opportunities for recreation and are Deputy Minister Brad Pickering; the assistant deputy minister relaxation, from going on a fossil tour to gazing at the stars in a for tourism, Reegan McCullough; and the senior financial officer, dark-sky preserve. Our parks also conserve Alberta’s natural Cam Steenveld.