Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature First Session Alberta Hansard Monday afternoon, April 14, 2008 Issue 1 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature First Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC), Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister of Health and Wellness Allred, Ken, St. Albert (PC) Lindsay, Hon. Fred, Stony Plain (PC), Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (PC), Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Solicitor General and Public Security Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (L) Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP), Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Leader of the NDP Opposition Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) and Technology McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Blackett, Hon. Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Environment Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Morton, Hon. F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (L), Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Official Opposition House Leader Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (NDP), Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (PC) Deputy Leader of the NDP Opposition, Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) NDP Opposition House Leader Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Oberle, Frank, Peace River (PC), Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Government Whip Deputy Government Whip Olson, Verlyn, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (L), Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Official Opposition Whip Minister of Transportation Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (L), Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St. Paul (PC), Deputy Official Opposition Whip Minister of Municipal Affairs Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Denis, Jonathan, Calgary-Egmont (PC) Redford, Hon. Alison M., Calgary-Elbow (PC), Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC) Minister of Justice and Attorney General Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Minister of Finance and Enterprise Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Goudreau, Hon. Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Minister of Employment and Immigration Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC), President of the Treasury Board Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Groeneveld, Hon. George, Highwood (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Stevens, Hon. Ron, QC, Calgary-Glenmore (PC), Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Deputy Premier, Minister of International and Minister of Education, Government House Leader Intergovernmental Relations Hayden, Hon. Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (L) Minister of Infrastructure Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (L) Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (L) Leader of the Official Opposition Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Tarchuk, Hon. Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC), Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC), Minister of Children and Youth Services Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (L), Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Minister of Seniors and Community Supports VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (L) Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Minister of Service Alberta Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC), Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Minister of Energy Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Minister of Aboriginal Relations, Deputy Government House Leader Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Senior Parliamentary Counsel Shannon Dean Clerk Assistant/ Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Director of House Services Louise J. Kamuchik Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms J. Ed Richard Clerk of Journals/Table Research Micheline S. Gravel Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms William C. Semple Senior Parliamentary Counsel Robert H. Reynolds, QC Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim [Errata, if any, appear inside back cover] April 14, 2008 Alberta Hansard 1 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Speaker is an age-old process that began in 1377 in England. The Title: Monday, April 14, 2008 1:30 Speaker was the person designated to speak for the House and 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 14, 2008 represent the House to the Crown. The job of Speaker was considered somewhat risky at times, [The Mace was on a cushion below the table] especially during struggles between the Crown and the House. In 1642 King Charles I entered the House looking for five members to The Sergeant-at-Arms: All rise, please. arrest for treason. The Speaker refused to co-operate with the King and said, “I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak in this [The Clerk read the Royal Proclamation dated April 9, 2008, place, but as the House is pleased to direct me.” That is why to this summoning the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta to day a member of the Crown must knock and ask permission to enter convene on this date] the House and also why it is tradition for a newly elected Speaker to be dragged in the Chamber by the leader of the government and the The Clerk: Please be seated. Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. There is a member of this Assembly elected for his ninth term head: Entrance of the Lieutenant Governor who has served as Deputy Premier, Government House Leader, Minister of Environment, Public Safety Services, Career Develop- [The Premier, the Clerk, and the Sergeant-at-Arms left the Chamber ment and Employment, Public Works, and Economic Development to attend the Lieutenant Governor] and Tourism as well as a member of boards and committees that are too numerous to mention. He has served all Albertans with dignity The Sergeant-at-Arms: All rise, please. and respect, believing in the integrity, honour, and the fundamental His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor. role of this Legislature in our democracy. He has also encouraged and advocated for women parliamentari- [Preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, His Honour the Lieutenant ans on a provincial, national, and international level. I have Governor of Alberta, Norman L. Kwong, CM, AOE, his party, the experienced this advocacy as the Commonwealth Women Parliamen- Premier, and the Clerk entered the Chamber. His Honour took his tarians’ representative for Alberta for the past five years. place upon the throne] His experience and ability are not the only traits that qualify him for his role as Speaker. It is his passion for the parliamentary His Honour: Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. system, his love of history and the books that define our actions, and his desire to help all MLAs be the best that they can be that moti- Ms Redford (Provincial Secretary): Hon. members, I am com- vates him to be the best that he can be. We can ask for none better manded by His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor to on this day. inform you that he does not see fit to declare the causes of his On this day 11 years ago, April 14, 1997, he was elected Speaker summoning of the present Legislature of this province until a for the first time. As Speaker for the last three Legislatures he has Speaker of the Assembly shall have been chosen according to law. allowed all MLAs to function freely on behalf of their constituents, He is therefore pleased to retire from this Assembly, to return at a he has judged fairly, and he has opened the doors of the Legislature subsequent hour tomorrow to declare the causes of his calling of this for all Albertans through his many great initiatives, including Mr. Legislature. Speaker’s Youth Parliament, School at the Legislature,