AB Today – Daily Report November 22, 2019

Quotation of the day

“They’ve consolidated power and moved so quickly that Vladimir Putin ​ would blush at the gall that these people have in crushing democracy.”

NDP MLA criticizes the government’s speed of moving through the bill that ​ ​ fires the election commissioner conducting an investigation into the governing party.

Today in AB

On the schedule The house is adjourned for the weekend. There are two weeks left of the fall session.

Thursday’s debates and proceedings The legislative assembly passed third reading of the contentious Bill 22, Reform of Agencies, ​ ​ Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act (Ayes 34; Nays 13).

Debate was quick thanks to a motion from Government House Leader that limited ​ ​ third-reading debate on the bill to one hour.

Bill 24, the budgetary supply bill, passed committee stage and is poised for third reading next ​ week.

Health Minister introduced Bill 28, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs ​ ​ ​ ​ Recovery Act, which will opt into a proposed national lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.

After hearing from stakeholders, the all-party private members’ committee studying UCP MLA Dan Williams’ Bill 207, Conscience Rights (Health Care Providers) Protection Act, has ​ ​ ​ recommended the bill die on the order paper and not be sent back to the house for further debate. UCP MLA R.J. Sigurdson, who chairs the committee, said he is convinced “the bill in ​ ​ ​ ​ the way it stands right now will do harm” when it comes to patient access to the health-care system.

Critics said Williams’ bill would limit access to physician-assisted dying, abortion and LGBTQ health care.

Premier watch Premier hosted a Facebook Live where he addressed Bill 22. Kenney said the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ fact that the arms-length chief electoral officer maintains the ability to appoint a new election commissioner, rather than MLAs, strengthens the independence of the investigator.

“Obviously, the commissioner has been doing investigations into campaigns and candidates for the last election, including, apparently, some involving the United Conservative Party,” Kenney said.

Kenney returned to Alberta from his trip to Texas, arriving Thursday after the house finished sitting.

In the legislature Retired sergeant-at-arms Brian Hodgson was in the chamber. The search is on to find ​ ​ Hodgson’s replacement. Currently, Chris Caughell is serving as acting sergeant-at-arms. ​ ​

Bill 22 passes, paving the way for election commissioner to be fired The United Conservative Party government passed a bill to fire Election Commissioner Lorne ​ Gibson, who is investigating the party. ​

The omnibus Bill 22, Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions and Government ​ ​ Enterprises Act, made it through third reading Thursday after roughly 10 hours of debate.

Once granted royal assent, it will end Gibson’s contract, hand over management of public sector pensions to the Crown corporation AIMco, and reduce the number of members on some public sector boards while dissolving others entirely.

Speaking to reporters in the rotunda of the legislature on Thursday, NDP Leader ​ slammed the UCP for passing the bill.

“By passing this bill, I can only assume that the premier and his caucus are united behind that culture of corruption,” Notley said.

The NDP opposition attempted a number of measures to delay passage of the bill, including introducing a hoist amendment during the time-allocated third reading, which would have delayed the passage of the bill for six months.

Government House Leader Jason Nixon said the bill maintains the ability for the chief electoral ​ ​ office to continue the investigation and accused the NDP of lying to Albertans.

Meanwhile, Notley’s overtures to various officials were all shot down: Lieutenant-Governor Lois ​ Mitchell said she would not heed Notley’s request to block royal assent on the bill, and Ethics ​ Commissioner Marguerite Trussler told the NDP leader she doesn’t have enough evidence to ​ ​ investigate Notley’s conflict of interest allegations since no MLAs who voted on Bill 22 are ​ ​ specifically being investigated by Election Commissioner Lorne Gibson. ​ ​

Instead, she offered an advisory position, telling MLAs who know they are under investigation by the RCMP or election commissioner to recuse themselves from debate or voting on the legislation.

That recommendation appears to be heeded by UCP MLA , who is under ​ ​ investigation by the RCMP and election commissioner over conduct related to a nomination contest, and was not present in the chamber during Thursday’s debates and proceedings.

In her letter to Trussler, Notley also named several MLAs as having been interviewed by the RCMP during their investigation of the last UCP leadership race: Kenney; ministers Leela ​ Aheer, , , ; and UCP MLAs ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ and Jordan Walker. ​ ​

Of those listed, only Schweitzer, Schow and Walker were present and voted.

Notley, who was kicked out of the legislature Tuesday because she refused to apologize for using “unparliamentary language” during question period, said she anticipates she will be back in the house next week.

Today’s events November 22 at 1 p.m. — ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister will speak at the Grey Cup ​ ​ Huddle in the McDougall Centre.

November 22 at 1 p.m. — Drumheller ​ Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon will announce funding for continuing care living ​ ​ spaces in the Hillview Lodge.

November 22 at p.m. — Calgary ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the ​ ​ inauguration of the International Alliance of Gridiron Football at the ATCO Stratosphere in Lot 3 of Stampede Park.

November 22 at 4:45 p.m. — Edmonton ​ Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson will speak at the Creating Hope Society Community ​ ​ Conservation at the Intercultural Child and Family Centre.

November 22 at 5:50 p.m. — Calgary ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the Alberta ​ ​ Blue Cross Grey Cup Gala at the Saddledome.

Upcoming events

November 23 at 5:50 p.m. — Calgary ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the Grey Cup ​ ​ rodeo at the Stampede Park Corral.

November 23 at 7 p.m. — Calgary ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the ​ ​ Tanzanian Community Association of Calgary end-of-year party at the Holiday Inn.

November 24 at noon — Calgary ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the CFL ​ ​ commissioner’s tailgate party at McMahon Stadium.

December 2 at 11:30 a.m. — Edmonton ​ Municipal Affairs Minister will speak to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce at ​ ​ The Westin Downtown.

Topics of conversation

● The majority of Quebecers — more than Albertans — are on board with Wexit, according to a new Abacus Data poll. ​

○ The poll found 55 per cent of respondents in Quebec are in favour of western separation — 11 per cent would be happy to see Alberta go, while 44 per cent said they’d be OK with it. ○ In Alberta, only 18 per cent said they would be happy if Alberta seceded and another 18 per cent said they would be OK with it.

● Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in West ​ ​ ​ ​ Block on Parliament Hill on Thursday morning. ○ Nenshi told reporters that Trudeau expressed an openness to “improving” the contentious federal Bill C-69, but that the prime minister didn't offer any ​ ​ specifics at this time. Critics contend the bill will hold back natural resource development by introducing onerous new regulations. ○ “We're open to a discussion around how we best implement the act,” said ​ Jonathan Wilkinson, the newly appointed federal environment minister, ​ following a Thursday cabinet meeting. “That's what we're open to, not amending the law”

● Ecojustice, an environmental charitable legal organization, filed a judicial review application in Calgary courts to attempt to stop the UCP’s public inquiry into the funding of anti-Alberta energy campaigns.

● Climate Justice Edmonton called on the new federal cabinet to reject the Teck Frontier Mine project, a large proposed oilsands mining operation that still requires cabinet sign off from Ottawa. ○ Meanwhile, Energy Minister said she spoke with her federal ​ ​ counterpart, federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan, by phone ​ ​ following his swearing-in. She called the conversation positive.

News briefs — Governmental New government allows province to launch opioid class action lawsuit Health Minister Tyler Shandro introduced Bill 28, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs ​ ​ ​ ​ Recovery Act, which will allow Alberta to join B.C.’s proposed national class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of opioids.

The bill permits the province to provide statistical data about Albertans in the lawsuit in order to “establish causation and quantify damages or health-care costs” and, should the lawsuit be successful, authorizes the province to recover health-care costs on an aggregate basis, rather than calculating individual costs.

Government gathering public input on driver testing Transportation Minister Ric McIver announced the province is now taking public input on the ​ ​ province's new driving test system through an online survey open until December 22.

The government is also meeting with registry agents, driver examiners and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to discuss improving wait times and service delivery.

In the short-term, Alberta Transportation is bringing back 30-minute appointments for Class 5 road tests starting January 2020.

News briefs — Non-governmental Auditor general releases annual report, qualified audit of Alberta Energy Regulator Auditor General Doug Wylie released his office’s annual report as well as five follow-up reports ​ ​ ​ ​ on previous audits.

The review of the Alberta Energy Regulator's 2018-19 financial statements reflects the auditors’ view that the Alberta Energy Regulator did in fact control the International Centre of Regulatory Excellence (ICORE), contrary to the board’s opinion.

Wylie, Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler and Alberta Public Interest Commissioner ​ ​ Marianne Ryan recently held investigations into ICORE that determined "gross ​ mismanagement and waste of public funds" on the part of Jim Ellis, the agency's former CEO, ​ ​ that left taxpayers on the hook for $2.3 million.

Wylie’s recent audit uncovered inappropriate approvals of senior management expenses at AER and other rule breaking, including the financing of long-distance work arrangements that ​ ​ did meet proper approval processes. At least two execs at AER also received illegal cash bonuses.

The AER “intentionally did not assess taxes on employer subsidized parking, costing AER $1.3 million,” according to Wylie.

Question period

Other NDP questions NDP MLAs also asked about Bill 22 and the ethics commissioner, layoffs at the Calgary Board ​ ​ of Education, public sector pensions, trust funds for people with disabilities, biologic versus biosimilar drugs, comments made by Housing and Seniors Minister Josephine Pon telling ​ ​ seniors to live within their means, and escalating gun violence in Calgary.

UCP friendly questions UCP backbench MLAs asked about intox spaces in homeless shelters, funding for rural schools, highway infrastructure projects, and standing up to foreign-funded specialist interests.

Lobbyist registrations

If you are looking for further information on any lobbying registry, it is all public and easily searchable here. ​ ​

Consultants who registered as lobbyists from November 15, 2019 – November 21, 2019

● Jonathon Wescott, Alberta Counsel ​ o Clients: County of Grande Prairie, Association of Alberta Registry Agents ​

● John Matheson, StrategyCorp Inc. ​ o Clients: Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. ​

● Alan Hallman, Alan Hallman & Associates Inc. ​ o Clients: Stony Valley Contracting Ltd., Calgary Homeless Foundation ​

● Nick Koolsbergen, Wellington Advocacy Inc. ​ o Clients: City of Edmonton ​

● Lee Funke, Torque Communications ​ o Clients: Mixcor Aggregates Inc. ​

● Jeff Johnson, Course Consulting Ltd. ​ o Clients: Chinese Multilevel Care Foundation ​

● Sheila Wisniewski, Hill+Knowlton Strategies ​ o Clients: SCcyber ​

● Monte Solberg, New West Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Alberta Students' Executive Council ​

● Ed Whittingham, Whit & Ham ​ o Clients: Carbon Engineering ​

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from November 15, 2019 – November 21, 2019

● ENMAX Corporation ● The Great-West Life Assurance Company ● Husky Energy Inc. ● TransAlta Corporation ● Students' Association of Medicine Hat College

● NOVA Chemicals Corporation ● CYCLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT (CCM) INC. ● EPCOR Utilities Inc. ● Public School Boards' Association of Alberta ● IBM Canada Limited ● Chevron Canada Limited