AB Today – Daily Report June 16, 2020

Quotation of the day

“We don’t even have meetings, can’t have meetings. I’m 83 years old. I’m told to stay home.”

David Ross, the new chairman of the Provincial Court Nominating Committee, told CBC he ​ ​ ​ did not apply to be on the committee and only just learned he was named chair.

Today in AB

On the schedule The house is scheduled to convene at 1:30 p.m. today.

Two bills are expected to be debated at second reading:

● Bill 21, Provincial Administrative Penalties Act, which removes charges for first-time ​ impaired driving offences and sets up an online traffic court alternative; and ● Bill 22, Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, an omnibus bill that makes 14 different ​ amendments to various pieces of legislation.

Several bills could be called at committee stage:

● Bill 7, Responsible Energy Development Amendment Act, which overhauls the ​ Energy Regulator’s approval processes; ● Bill 15, Choice in Education Act, which makes changes to affirm parental choice in ​ education;

● Bill 16, Victims of Crime (Strengthening Public Safety) Amendment Act, which expands ​ the scope of the Victims of Crime Fund; and ● Bill 17, Mental Health Amendment Act, which brings Alberta in compliance with a court ​ decision that ruled people cannot be detained against their will for non-treatable mental health conditions such as those caused by brain injuries.

Monday’s debates and proceedings Bill 2, Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Amendment Act, cleared a third reading vote Monday ​ evening. The new law will allow drinking in public parks and clarifies that booze can be sold as a raffle prize.

Three other government bills were debated: Bill 7, Bill 15 and Bill 21. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

A new government bill, Bill 23, Commercial Tenancies Protection Act, could be introduced as ​ ​ early as today.

NDP Service Alberta critic presented a non-government motion calling on the ​ ​ government to reinstate caps on increases to insurance premiums.

During private members’ business, UCP MLA ’s Bill 201, Strategic Aviation ​ ​ ​ ​ Advisory Council Act, was debated and passed committee stage. The legislation aims to create a council to promote the province’s aviation and aerospace industry.

A motion tabled by Government house leader last week to have the province’s ​ ​ Whistleblower Protection Act referred to a select committee passed. The current members of ​ the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship are now tasked with conducting a “comprehensive review” of the whistleblower law.

The house also passed a motion to appoint a bipartisan committee to review the Public Health ​ Act. See below for the new committee’s membership. ​

Premier watch Premier wrote a letter to Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation ​ ​ ​ ​ Franco Terrazzano confirming the UCP government would not bring in a hypothetical sales tax ​ without a referendum vote.

Kenney also committed to amending the Taxpayer Protection Act to require a referendum ​ ​ before an Alberta government could impose a carbon tax.

Today’s events

June 16 at 9 a.m. – ​

The UCP cabinet will meet in the Windsor Room of the Federal Building.

Topics of conversation

● As of Monday, there were 20 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 440. ○ There are 31 people hospitalized, including seven in intensive care. ○ To date,151 people have died, with one additional death since the last update. ○ The state of public health emergency officially lapsed on Monday. ○ Health Minister said not renewing the state of emergency won’t ​ ​ change much for the government because the vast majority of measures it took during the pandemic were under its normal authority. ○ Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said 11,341 asymptomatic ​ ​ people were tested last week, but only four tested positive. Meanwhile, 300 people who were close contacts of known cases, but did not show any symptoms, were tested and 41 were positive.

● Tides Canada, a target of the UCP government’s “fight back strategy,” has rebranded as ​ ​ MakeWay after facing what it called a “smear campaign” by the Alberta government. ○ The name change is an attempt to distance the Canadian organization from the U.S.-based Tides Foundation linked to the tar sands campaign. ○ In response to the news, Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon tweeted: ​ ​ “A leopard never changes its spots. Tides can try to rebrand itself, but its goal will always be to ‘MakeWay’ for the destruction of Alberta's most important industries.” ○ The UCP government launched a $30-million annual energy “war room,” and a public inquiry headed by Steve Allan into the source of funding for environmental ​ ​ campaigns labelled “foreign-funded special interests” by the government.

● Seven members of Alberta’s Provincial Court Nominating Committee (PCNC) found out by email their appointments had been rescinded mid-term, while new appointees said they were recruited instead of applying for the position, CBC reports. ​ ​ ○ The PCNC is tasked with vetting potential judicial appointments in the province. and in the past openings on the committee were publicly advertised. At least four of the new members have made large donations to the UCP, according to the CBC’s reporting.

● Food truck owners are accusing UCP MLA for —Falconridge of ​ ​ “threatening” their business, CBC reports. ​ ​ ○ The owners of the Lahori BBQ Hut and Indian Bistro trucks, which are licensed by the City of Calgary, told CBC they faced a “mob” of residents angry about

noise and traffic near the trucks, including Toor, who identified himself as a government MLA and said he could have the laws changed. ○ Toor confirmed he did approach the food truck owners but said it is a municipal matter to solve, not a provincial one.

● One in four Alberta CEOs aren’t sure whether their business will survive the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new survey commissioned by the Business Council of Alberta. ​ ​ ○ Nearly all of the survey’s 61 respondents said they have experienced a moderate to severe decline in their business’s revenues. ○ The CEOs want the government to stimulate demand for their products and services and provide more clarity on health and safety rules. ○ “Relaunch and recovery are different things,” said Kelsey Hahn, managing ​ ​ director of the polling firm Viewpoint Research. “We are in the relaunch phase in Alberta and we are now looking at what will be necessary for a strong recovery. One-third of our surveyed businesses indicated that additional or extended support will be essential to a strong and sustainable recovery.”

● The provincial and federal government are teaming up to create a hydrogen strategy by the end of summer, the Globe and Mail reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ As part of diversification efforts, governments are working on strategies to develop the gas as a fuel source.

Question period

NDP calls for emergency relief for Calgary

● NDP Leader led off by asking the government to declare a natural ​ ​ disaster and provide relief for Calgarians who had property damaged by a severe hailstorm. ○ “Will the premier declare this storm a disaster so that Calgarians can access disaster relief funding?” Notley asked. ○ Notley said many Calgarians had cancelled their car insurance since they weren’t using them due to stay-at-home orders under the pandemic and won’t have coverage for hail damage.

● Premier Jason Kenney responded that the Alberta Emergency Management Agency is ​ ​ determining whether the damage meets the threshold for provincial aid. ○ Kenney said he spoke with the Insurance Bureau of Canada and Calgary’s mayor. ○ “I’ve not heard a request for a disaster declaration from the municipality, but we will continue to stay in touch with them,” Kenney said.

NDP MLA said his vehicle was hit by hail “bigger than golf balls,” requiring him to ​ ​ hitch a ride to the legislature with fellow Calgary NDP MLA . ​ ​ Saturday’s storm in Calgary’s northeast caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, according to Mayor Naheed Nenshi. ​ ​

Other NDP questions Notley also asked about Bill 22’s removal of cabinet approval for oilsands projects and whether ​ ​ that could lead to legal challenges.

NDP MLA Irfan Sabir also asked about the abrupt dismissal of the Provincial Court Nominating ​ ​ Committee members appointed by the previous government, which had included five people of colour and a majority of women.

In response, Justice Minister said he had an “orange envelope” with NDP ​ ​ appointments he considers partisan. The Speaker cautioned Schweitzer that he is not allowed to use props on the floor.

NDP MLAs also asked about the cost of PPE for doctors, automobile insurance premium caps, cuts to community programs, changes to diagnostic imaging billing, the review of the post-secondary education system, support for the tourism industry hit by COVID-19 and AIMCo’s investment history.

UCP friendly questions UCP backbenchers asked about lifting limits on prescription refills, the status of the Grande Prairie regional hospital project, students learning from home, protection for continuing care residents during the pandemic and the government’s consultation on child care.

Appointments and employments

Select Special Public Health Act Review Committee to review the Public Health Act ​ ● (UCP), chair; ​ ● (UCP), deputy chair; ​ ● Kathleen Ganely (NDP); ​ ● (NDP); ​ ● (NDP); ​ ● (UCP); ​ ● (UCP); ​ ● (UCP); ​ ● David Shepherd (NDP); ​ ● (UCP); ​

● (UCP); and ​ ● (UCP). ​