April 1, 1985 ALBERTA HANSARD 289 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA for the Heritage Savings & Trust Company Amendment Act, 1985; 2. the petition of the Westerner Exposition Association Title: Monday, April 1, 1985 2:30 p.m. for the Westerner Exposition Association Act; 3. the petition of David Skakun for the David Michael Skakun Adoption Termination Act; [The House met at 2:30 p.m.] 4. the petition of the Institute of Management Consultants of Alberta for the Management Consultants Act; 5. the petition of La Corporation des Soeurs de Sainte- PRAYERS Croix et des Septs Douleurs and/or the Sisters of the Holy Cross for Les Soeurs de Sainte-Croix, Province Sainte-Therese — Sisters of Holy Cross, Saint Theresa [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] Province Act; 6. the petition of the Concordia Lutheran Seminary for the Concordia Lutheran Seminary Amendment Act, head: INTRODUCTION OF BILLS 1985; 7. the petition of the St. Louis hospital, Bonnyville for Bill 34 the St. Louis Hospital, Bonnyville Amendment Act, Student and Temporary Employment Act 1985; 8. the petition of the city of Edmonton for the City of MR. ISLEY: Mr. Speaker, I request leave to introduce a Edmonton Authorities Amendment Act, 1985; Bill, being the Student and Temporary Employment Act. 9. the petition of Le Diocese de St. Paul for Le Diocese The purpose of this Bill is to make it possible for de St. Paul Amendment Act, 1985; students, temporary employees, and employers to take the 10. the petition of the town of Pincher Creek and the maximum advantage of provincial government job-creation municipal district of Pincher Creek No. 9 for the and training programs. Westcastle Development Authority Act; 11. the petition of the city of Calgary for the Calgary [Leave granted; Bill 34 read a first time] Municipal Heritage Properties Authority Act; 12. the petition of Gordon Reid, the liquidator of Highfield Bill 37 Health Disciplines Amendment Act, 1985 Trust Company, for the Highfield Trust Company Repeal Act; DR. REID: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce a Bill, 13. the petition of the Society of Management Accountants being the Health Disciplines Amendment Act, 1985. of Alberta for the Society of Management Accountants The main purpose of this Act is to allow the appointment of Alberta Amendment Act, 1985; of people who are not directly involved in the negotiations 14. the petition of Sidney DeWall, Richard Ogilvie, Alan of a collective agreement but who are in a position where Minue, and Stephen Robson for the Youth Emergency they might be involved in subsequent discussions to do with Service Foundation Act. a hearing under such a collective agreement, to be on a committee or on the Health Disciplines Board. head: TABLING RETURNS AND REPORTS [Leave granted; Bill 37 read a first time] MR. ADAIR: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table the annual Bill 209 report of the Department of Tourism and Small Business An Act to Amend the for the year ended March 31, 1984. Blind or Deaf Persons' Rights Act MR. PLANCHE: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to table a response MR. LEE: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce Bill 209, to Motion for a Return 183. An Act to Amend the Blind or Deaf Persons' Rights Act. This Bill will provide for the temporary care of guide DR. ELLIOTT: Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the report of dogs of the visually impaired in Alberta hospitals. the Chief Electoral Officer on the Spirit River-Fairview by- election held on Thursday, February 21, 1985. [Leave granted; Bill 209 read a first time] MR. SPEAKER: Might we revert briefly to Presenting head: INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS Petitions? DR. CARTER: Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to introduce HON. MEMBERS: Agreed. to you, and through you to members of the Assembly, 40 grade 6 students from Acadia elementary school in the MR. SPEAKER: It is so ordered. constituency of Calgary Egmont. They are accompanied by teachers Mrs. Ann Ashburn and Mr. Don Williams and by parents Mrs. Shupe and Mrs. Plante. The majority of the head: PRESENTING PETITIONS students come from the community of Acadia, but there are also some students from the community of River Bend MR. STILES: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present the in the constituency of Calgary Millican. They are in the following petitions that have been received for private Bills: members' gallery, and I ask that they rise and be recognized 1. the petition of the Heritage Savings & Trust Company by the Assembly. 290 ALBERTA HANSARD April 1, 1985 MR. PAPROSKI: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduced Since prices of fertilizer and the types used vary con• to you, and through you to members of this Assembly, a siderably across the province, payments under this plan will group of seven energetic, interesting, and inquisitive grades be made directly to farmers. These payments will be based 8 and 10 students who attend a unique school in the on $50 per tonne of actual nitrogen and $25 per tonne of constituency of Edmonton Kingsway, the Ben Calf Robe actual phosphate used in fertilizer formulations purchased school. by farmers. This super school offers an excellent learning environment Mr. Speaker, the two-year farm fertilizer price protection to native students. Situated at St. Pius X separate school, plan will be retroactive to August 1, 1984, and will end Ben Calf Robe not only provides its students with the July 31, 1986. Fertilizer purchased between those two dates opportunity for learning academic curricula but permits an will be eligible for grant payments. The total estimated cost environment to preserve the many customs and the culture of the program is $47 million. Application forms should of the native people of Alberta. I've had to the opportunity be available from district and regional agriculture offices to visit the school to answer questions about how their around the province within three weeks. It is expected the government functions, and indeed, Mr. Speaker, they asked first grant cheques will be processed shortly after the first very many interesting questions. The students are accom• applications are received. panied by two teachers, Louise Potiuk and Susie Seguin, Mr. Speaker, Alberta farmers purchase approximately and they are seated in the members' gallery. I ask them $300 million worth of fertilizer annually, with natural gas to please rise and receive the usual warm welcome from being the major energy component. I would note that all MLAs. payments under this program will exceed the royalties received by the province on the natural gas used in fertilizer MR. HIEBERT: Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to introduce products. to you, and through you to members of the Assembly, 45 I would also like to note that for some time we have grades 5 and 6 students from Forest Heights school in the discussed a joint effort of this type with the federal Gold Bar constituency. They are accompanied by their government, but we have received little positive response. teachers, Mrs. McAdam and Mr. Knall. I ask them to rise Therefore, at this time I have again requested the federal in the public gallery and receive the usual welcome of the government to match our effort to help Alberta farmers Assembly. meet and overcome the so-called cost/price squeeze. Alberta farmers are price takers, not price setters; therefore, we must reduce input costs wherever possible. head: MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today that Alberta has been able to take such a progressive and much-needed step in Department of Agriculture this area. MR. FJORDBOTTEN: Mr. Speaker, for some time this MR. MARTIN: Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank government has acknowledged the financial stress that has the minister for bringing this to our office ahead so we faced many Alberta producers. With commodity prices could have a chance to peruse it. remaining relatively low and operating costs rising, a number In replying to the statement, as the minster is well aware of our producers are now faced with difficult financial and — and we've talked about it in this House — there is a production decisions. myriad of problems facing the farm community at this Realizing the scope of the situation, Mr. Speaker, in particular time. I was somewhat disappointed over the recent months the government has announced several meas• weekend, when I saw that we wouldn't look at low-interest ures to help producers weather the current cost/price squeeze. fixed loans. But in saying that, Mr. Speaker, I certainly Generally, the most recent moves have been in the area of commend the minister for bringing this forward at this time. credit. In particular, I would note that a widespread lowering As the minister is well aware, this is one of the things we of equity made us view with concern many months ago the talked about in the recent by-election in Spirit River-Fair• increasing difficulty some farmers were having in obtaining view, and as recently as March 21 my colleague brought operating credit. For that reason, this winter we announced it up in Motion 209, which was something similar to this. the Alberta Agricultural Development Corporation's farm So we're glad that every once in a while we can present development loan guarantee, which may provide cash-short a thing to the government and it comes about. farmers with the necessary resources to put in a crop this In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would say a couple of spring. things. I hope we do not think this will solve all the farm However, this government has, in fact, looked at a wide problems; I know the minister is aware it won't.