November 21, 2019
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AB Today – Daily Report November 21, 2019 Quotation of the day “He certainly did run from it.” NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley didn’t mince words about the timing of Premier Jason Kenney’s trip to Texas, which came the same week his government proposed to fire the election commissioner. Today in AB On the schedule The house is scheduled to reconvene at 9 a.m. Health Minister Tyler Shandro is expected to introduce Bill 28, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, related to the province’s planned class action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. MLAs could debate the following bills: ● Bill 20, Fiscal Measures and Taxation Act (committee stage); ● Bill 22, Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act, (third reading stage); ● Bill 24, Appropriation Act (committee stage); ● Bill 25, Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act (committee stage); ● Bill 26, Farm Freedom and Safety Act, (second reading); and ● Bill 27, Protecting Law-abiding Property Owners Act (second reading). Wednesday’s debates and proceedings Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen introduced Bill 26, Farm Freedom and Safety Act, which was granted first reading. MLAs sat well into the early morning to hash out government legislation, including the contentious Bill 22, Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act — which passed both second reading and committee stage after being time allocated. Bill 24, the budgetary supply bill, also passed second reading, and Bill 23, Justice Statutes Amendment Act, cleared third reading stage. Bill 20, Fiscal Measures and Taxation Act, continued to be debated at committee of the whole, but has yet to pass that stage. Premier watch Premier Jason Kenney remains in Texas, and posted a video update from Houston about his trade mission on Wednesday. In the legislature Hundreds of nurses represented by the United Nurses of Alberta, along with other labour groups, gathered outside the legislature on Wednesday to protest a suite of recent policy proposals from the government, particularly changes to public sector pension plans. The protest was attended by NDP Leader Rachel Notley, who remains barred from the legislature until she apologizes and withdraws remarks she made on Tuesday alleging that Government House Leader Jason Nixon made misleading statements about the government’s decision to turf the election commissioner. Mike House, president and CEO of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, was in the legislature to host a luncheon as part of National Child Day recognition. Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer raised the trans flag at the Federal Building to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. New legislation will ban farm workers from unionizing, exempt farms from labour and safety regulations The Alberta government tabled legislation Wednesday that will exempt small farms with five or fewer employees from having to insure their workers, and that will ban ranch and farm workers from forming unions. Bill 26, Farm Freedom and Safety Act, was tabled by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen, and will repeal and replace the controversial NDP legislation known as Bill 6, which led to widespread protests when it was introduced in 2015. The labour code changes under the new legislation were effective immediately, following first reading of the bill. That means the majority of farm workers in the province will no longer be entitled to mandatory insurance coverage, and all farms and ranches will be exempted from Occupational Health and Safety regulation and code. “We’ve taken this feedback and built common-sense farm workplace legislation that works for people, not against them,” Dreeshen said in a news release. It would also take away farm workers’ right to strike, enter into collective bargaining or join a union. No farm worker unions have been certified in the province. “There’s no real place for unions on the farm,” Dreeshen told reporters on Wednesday. The bill creates a new distinction between small farms, with five or fewer non-family workers, and larger operations. Small farms will no longer be required to comply with employment standards, which includes the obligation to have workplace insurance for workers. The province’s approximately 9,000 large farm operators will still have to insure their workers, but will now be able to choose between obtaining either Workers Compensation Board (WCB) coverage or private insurance. In a statement to AB Today, a spokesperson for Dreeshen pointed out farm employees also have the option of purchasing personal private life insurance plans. In 2018, 4,215 farm and ranch employers were registered with WCB and the board accepted 917 farm injury claims, according to Dreeshen’s office. Greenhouses, nurseries, mushroom and sod farms are now considered farm and ranches. Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan called the bill “heartless and vengeful” and singled out Dreeshen for introducing it. “He is no friend of ordinary working Albertans,” McGowan said. “Instead, he is nothing more than a Trump-loving, worker-hating, proto-authoritarian servant of employers.” NDP ramps up fight against Bill 22 NDP Leader Rachel Notley spent her second day barred from the legislative chamber, after being “named” for a refusal to withdraw comments she made claiming Government House Leader Jason Nixon misled the house. Instead of spending time in the chamber, Notley said she is focused on fighting Bill 22, Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act, through any mechanism available. Notley said Nixon has not been forthcoming about the legislation, through which the government intends to fire the province’s election watchdog. Legislature rules do not allow a member to allege another another member is lying. The NDP caucus sent a series of letters in hopes of stopping the bill through other channels. On Wednesday, Notley wrote to Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler, asking her to intervene by blocking the UCP caucus from debating or voting on the bill, which she said would place them in a conflict of interest. The letter called out specific MLAs — such as Peter Singh (Calgary—East), who is the subject of investigations by both the election commissioner and the RCMP, and Leela Aheer, Prasad Panda, Josephine Pon, Doug Schweitzer, Joseph Schow and Jordan Walker, who have all been interviewed over the course of the RCMP’s investigation into alleged voter fraud by the UCP — claiming they are witnesses in the case and should not be allowed to help toss the commissioner. She also singled out Premier Jason Kenney as being implicated in the proceedings thanks to his role as party leader. Lastly, she argued all UCP MLAs are beneficiaries of the party’s resources, and that the results of the election commissioner’s investigation stand to negatively impact the re-election prospects for all UCP MLAs. Earlier this week, Notley sent a letter to the Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell asking her to delay royal assent on the bill. NDP requests emergency committee meetings Election Commissioner Lorne Gibson is still scheduled to appear before the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices next Friday, along with other legislative officers providing their annual reports — but should Bill 22 pass, and his office be dissolved, Gibson’s attendance is unlikely. The NDP MLAs on the committee sent a letter to committee chair and UCP MLA Mike Ellis requesting an emergency meeting before Bill 22 passes in order to discuss the implications of Gibson’s appearance being cancelled. “Given that the commissioner has not had the opportunity to present his first Annual Report to this committee, we are gravely concerned that this committee is being bypassed in consideration of Bill 22,” NDP members wrote. NDP MLA Shannon Phillips, who chairs the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, has also called for an emergency meeting and has said she won't accept the committee's proposed agenda until Gibson is scheduled to speak. Today’s events November 20 at 9 a.m. — Wetaskiwin Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen will speak at the Joint Economic Development Initiative Agriculture Forum at the Best Western Wayside Inn. November 20 at 9:30 a.m. — Edmonton Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon will announce a review of the province’s income verification process for tenants. November 20 at noon — Drumheller Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will take a tour of the Fossils in Focus exhibit at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. November 20 at noon — Calgary Alberta Union of Provincial Employee members will hold an information picket at the University of Calgary over 250 jobs lost as a result of budget cuts. November 20 at 1 p.m. — Edmonton Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon will speak at the Alberta Continuing Care Association’s annual general meeting at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel. November 20 at 6:30 p.m. — Red Deer Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen will speak at the Potato Growers of Alberta banquet at the Cambridge Hotel. Topics of conversation ● Auditor General Doug Wylie sent a letter to the NDP confirming he will review expense claims from David Knight-Legg, the premier’s advisor. Wylie’s probe will include looking into the $18,641 Knight-Legg spent on four trips to London. ○ The AG will also review the Canadian Energy Centre as part his office’s regularly scheduled reviews. ● Alberta-born Chrystia Freeland has been tasked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with addressing western alienation as part of her new cabinet role as deputy prime minister and intergovernmental affairs minister. ○ Former cabinet minister Jim Carr, who was diagnosed with blood cancer during the campaign, is stepping back from cabinet, but has been appointed as Trudeau’s special representative to the Prairies. ○ Premier Jason Kenney got his wish when it comes to the environment file.