December 3, 2007 Alberta Hansard 2317 Legislative Assembly of Alberta from the governor’s office, Ms Melissa Fierro, sister states co- ordinator; from Cecytej high school Hidalia Ahumada Quintero, Title: Monday, December 3, 2007 1:00 p.m. principal, and Alejandro Fernández Paniagua, the state director Date: 07/12/03 general. They are accompanied today by Waldemar Riemer and [The Speaker in the chair] Carole Pelé from our department. I would ask all of them to stand and be recognized by the members of the Assembly. head: Prayers Ms Evans: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m likewise honoured today to The Speaker: Good afternoon. introduce somebody from a very warm and wonderful country, Let us pray. Grant that we, the members of our province’s Malaysia. It’s the first visit to Alberta for the consul general of Legislature, fulfill our office with honesty and integrity. May our Malaysia, who is located in Vancouver. He is with us today. His first concern be for the good of all of our people. Let us be guided name is Mohd. Hassan bin Bal. He and I share in common the fact by these principles in our deliberations this day. Amen. that we have three sons, although his are younger than mine. Hon. members and guests here in the galleries today, we’ll now be Malaysia and Alberta, of course, share much in terms of oil and led in the singing of our national anthem by Mr. Paul Lorieau. gas exploration, the wonderful opportunity we have for trade, for Please feel free to join in and participate in the language of your importing and exporting telecommunications and other kinds of choice. electronics. Mr. Speaker, our honoured guest today shared a luncheon where we discussed many of the partnerships currently Hon. Members: O Canada, our home and native land! under way with universities in Alberta and some of the other True patriot love in all thy sons command. opportunities he has to visit with some of the nonprofit groups that With glowing hearts we see thee rise, are helping to make our Malaysian people coming to Alberta feel at The True North strong and free! home. We have about 1,100 people of Malaysian descent in Alberta. From far and wide, O Canada, I would ask Consul General Hassan to stand. He is accompanied We stand on guard for thee. by Tim Marriott on behalf of IIAR. Please, let’s give them the warm God keep our land glorious and free! welcome of the Legislative Assembly. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: Please be seated. The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. head: Introduction of Visitors Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure for me to rise today and introduce to you and through you to members of the Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure today to introduce to Assembly 42 grade 6 students from Brander Gardens elementary you and through you to this Assembly some distinguished guests school located in my constituency of Edmonton-Whitemud. Each from the state of Jalisco, Mexico. I know they met with you earlier year Brander school comes under the capable guidance of their this morning and with the Minister of Advanced Education and teacher, Ms Natalie Gago-Esteves. She’s accompanied this year by Technology, and I think that individually we all apologized to the teacher Alissa Sept and student teacher Jocelyn Lee. They’re seated delegation for the weather that we served them when they came in the members’ gallery. I’d ask them to rise. Each year I ask that here. the students who come help us with our job as MLAs by doing their The province of Alberta and the state of Jalisco have a memoran- job as citizens, by letting us know what’s important to help build dum of economic co-operation and protocol, which includes a their community. I’d like to ask you to give them a warm welcome Spanish language development exchange program and an educator to this Assembly. exchange program. It has significantly enhanced Spanish language programs in Alberta schools, as over 10,000 students now study The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Spanish at the K to 12 level. I’m honoured today to introduce my counterpart, the Secretary for Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I cannot Education for Jalisco, Mr. Miguel Martínez Espinosa. With him in believe how lucky I am today because on behalf of the hon. Member the Speaker’s gallery I would like to introduce the following: Pedro for Edmonton-Riverview I get to introduce Lynnwood elementary Díaz Arias, co-ordinator of teacher training; Ana Bertha Guzmán school. Lynnwood is participating in the School at the Legislature Alatorre, co-ordinator of basic education; Eduardo Díaz Becerra, co- program for the week. I’m just delighted that I got to be the person ordinator of high schools, higher and technological education; that is introducing them. They are very bright and inquisitive and Héctor Salgado Rodríguez, principal of the polytechnic school of the asked excellent questions, I hear. We have 21 students joining us in University of Guadalajara; Enrique Valdez Tort, director general of the public gallery today. They are here with their teacher, Mrs. the Higher Technological Institute of Puerto Vallarta; Gerardo Heidi Medhurst, and parent helper Mrs. France Boucher. I would Acosta Pazos, co-ordinator of international outreach and follow-up ask them all to please rise and accept the warm welcome of the for the international affairs office; Mr. Franco Antonio Osuna Assembly. Garzón, director of international affairs for Panamerican University Mr. Speaker, I’m also delighted and truly honoured to be able to – and Mr. Garzón, by the way, if any of us have experienced this: introduce some child care operators and parents also joining us Air Canada lost his luggage, and that’s why he’s dressed the way he today. I’d ask you to please rise as I say your name: Judy Babiy, is – Benito Gutiérrez Levy, chief of an academy at Panamerican Patricia Drake, Le-Ann Ewaskiw, Roxanne Fournier, Kyle University; Francisco Lancaster Jones, director of Canadian studies, Dowdeswell, and Becky Quigg. They are here to express their Autonomous University of Guadalajara; Raúl Rodríguez, director of concern and, hopefully, see some action on child care. Please join internationalization, University of UNIVA; Ms Mónica Sánchez, me in welcoming them to the Alberta Legislature. director general of international affairs for the governor’s office; also 2318 Alberta Hansard December 3, 2007 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed. Mr. Elsalhy: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise to intro- 1:10 duce to you and through you to all members of this House six more child care operators and parents who are visiting the Assembly today Mr. Rodney: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today with an to observe the proceedings and to express their concern about child interesting number of introductions: two and a half. Of course, my care spaces in this province. Please stand as I call your names: wife, Jennifer, is expecting our first child in just a few months. As Robyn Zimka, Patricia McEwen, Jan Lawrie, Sue Bowman, Paulette you know, Jen is a friend of this Assembly. She continues to be the Prosser, and Colleen Ruhl. Thank you very much for coming. general manager of SpiritQuest Enterprises. She is my manager Please enjoy your day. personally and professionally. On the political side I often say that Calgary-Lougheed has two MLAs for the price of one. She also The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. continues to run our charity, the Top of the World Society for Children, which leads me to my next introduction, a very special Mrs. Mather: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my privilege to one. introduce to you and through you to members of the Assembly today Danaru Sherpa is a dear friend. He comes all the way from the a group of child care operators and parents who are visiting us for other side of the world, the village of Phortse in the Solo-Khumbu question period. I’d ask them to stand as I mention their names: Valley beneath Mount Everest. He’s a great inspiration to me. He’s Teena Tesluk, Leon Comer, Suzanne Vokurka, Jayne Brzezicki, incredibly innovative, and he’s an extremely hard worker and a Elaine Levy, Wendy Smith, Mima DeLilla, and Karen Sanderson. wonderful husband and father. His wife is Yangzen Doma. His 14- I’d like to have you all stand and receive the warm and traditional year-old is Nawang Tshering, also 11-year old Paljom Tsomo, and welcome of the Assembly. nine-year-old Pemba Neru. For over a quarter century, Mr. Speaker, he has helped to make dreams come true for Canadians who go to The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. the Himalayas to trek and to climb. He has climbed Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, three times; Makalu, the fifth Mr. Martin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s with great pleasure that highest; Kangchenjunga, the third highest; and Mount Everest, the I introduce to you and members of the Assembly members of the highest mountain in the world, not once or twice or three times or Alberta Métis harvesting council and fellow Métis harvesters. These four times but a five-time Mount Everest summiteer. He will tell harvesters come from all parts of Alberta, including the most you that that is not the most important thing in his life, though.