Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills Bill 207, Reservists’ Recognition Day Act Tuesday, November 24, 2020 7:45 a.m. Transcript No. 30-2-9 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills Ellis, Mike, Calgary-West (UCP), Chair Schow, Joseph R., Cardston-Siksika (UCP), Deputy Chair Ganley, Kathleen T., Calgary-Mountain View (NDP) Glasgo, Michaela L., Brooks-Medicine Hat (UCP) Horner, Nate S., Drumheller-Stettler (UCP) Irwin, Janis, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP) Neudorf, Nathan T., Lethbridge-East (UCP) Nielsen, Christian E., Edmonton-Decore (NDP) Nixon, Jeremy P., Calgary-Klein (UCP) Sigurdson, Lori, Edmonton-Riverview (NDP) Sigurdson, R.J., Highwood (UCP) Also in Attendance Rutherford, Brad, Leduc-Beaumont (UCP) Bill 207 Sponsor Rutherford, Brad, Leduc-Beaumont (UCP) Support Staff Trafton Koenig Senior Parliamentary Counsel Stephanie LeBlanc Clerk Assistant and Senior Parliamentary Council Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Janet Schwegel Director of Parliamentary Programs Amanda LeBlanc Deputy Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard November 24, 2020 Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills PB-253 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, November 24, 2020 The Chair: No worries. Thank you for being on the line. Thank Title: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 pb you very much. [Mr. Ellis in the chair] All right. There are no substitutions. Okay. A few housekeeping items to address before we turn to the business at hand. Pursuant to The Chair: All right, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I’d like the November 16, 2020, memo from the hon. Speaker Cooper I’d to call this meeting of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and like to remind everyone of the updated committee room protocols, Private Members’ Public Bills to order and welcome everyone in which require that, outside of individuals with an exemption, those attendance. attending a committee meeting in person must wear a mask at all My name is Mike Ellis, MLA for Calgary-West and chair of the times unless they are speaking. Based on the recommendations of committee. I’d like to ask members and those joining the committee the chief medical officer of health regarding physical distancing, at the table to introduce themselves for the record, and then I will attendees at today’s meeting are reminded to leave the appropriate call those joining in by Skype. We’ll begin to my right. distance between themselves and other meeting participants. Please note that the microphones are operated by Hansard, so Mr. Neudorf: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nathan Neudorf, MLA, members do not need to turn them on or off. Committee proceed- Lethbridge-East. ings are being live streamed on the Internet and broadcast on Mr. Rutherford: Brad Rutherford, MLA, Leduc-Beaumont. Alberta Assembly TV. Please set your cellphones and other devices to silent for the duration of the meeting. Mr. Nielsen: Good morning, everyone. Chris Nielsen, MLA for Next, we’ll move to approval of the agenda. Are there any Edmonton-Decore. changes or additions to the draft agenda? If not, I’d like someone to please make a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Neudorf. Mr. Ms LeBlanc: Good morning. Stephanie LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant Neudorf makes a motion that the agenda for the November 24, and Senior Parliamentary Counsel. 2020, meeting of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills be adopted as distributed. All in Ms Rempel: Good morning. Jody Rempel, committee clerk. favour, say aye. On the phone? I’m hearing ayes. Are there any The Chair: Okay. Thank you. I have a list here of people that are opposed? Say no. Hearing none, that motion has been passed. on Skype at the moment, at least with those who’ve joined in. We’ll Next, we’ll go to the approval of the minutes. We have the draft minutes to review from our previous meeting. Are there any errors go in order here, so we’ll start with Mr. Horner if you can introduce or omissions to note? If not, would a member like to make a motion yourself. to approve the minutes as distributed? Mr. Nielsen, thank you. Mr. Mr. Horner: Good morning. Nate Horner, Drumheller-Stettler. Nielsen moves that the minutes of the November 17, 2020, meeting of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ The Chair: A little bit of feedback there, Nate, but thank you very Public Bills be approved as distributed. All in favour, say aye. On much for being here this morning. the phone? I hear ayes. Any opposed, say no. Hearing none, that motion has been passed. Thank you. Ms Ganley: Kathleen Ganley, Calgary-Mountain View. All right. Next, we’ll move to the review of Bill 207, the Reservists’ Recognition Day Act, and a presentation by Mr. The Chair: That sounds good. Thank you. Rutherford, the MLA for Leduc-Beaumont. Hon. members, Bill Member Irwin: Janis Irwin, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood. 207, Reservists’ Recognition Day Act, was referred to the committee on Wednesday, November 18, in accordance with Standing Order The Chair: Thank you very much. 74.11. Before proceeding, I would note that the Ministry of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women was contacted about Mr. Jeremy Nixon: Jeremy Nixon, Calgary-Klein. providing a technical briefing on this bill. However, the ministry declined the invitation, noting that it does not have any policy or The Chair: Thank you. legislative function in this subject area. Ms Sigurdson: Good morning. Lori Sigurdson, Edmonton- We do have the bill sponsor with us this morning. I’m confident Riverview. that he can provide us with an overview of what he is proposing in Bill 207. At this time I’d like to invite Mr. Brad Rutherford, the The Chair: Good morning. Thank you. MLA for Leduc-Beaumont, to provide a five-minute presentation, and then I will open the floor to up to 20 minutes of questions from Mr. Sigurdson: Good morning. MLA Sigurdson, Highwood. the committee members. We’ll begin with Mr. Rutherford. The floor is yours, sir. Go The Chair: Thank you. ahead. Mr. Schow: Joseph Schow, Cardston-Siksika. Mr. Rutherford: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning. Once The Chair: Thank you. again, I’m Brad Rutherford, the MLA for Leduc-Beaumont and the At the moment we are missing Member Glasgo. government of Alberta’s liaison to the Canadian Armed Forces. I’m pleased to be here this morning and thank you for having me. Ms Rempel: Someone is on the phone. The reserve force is an invaluable component of the Canadian Armed Forces. I want to provide you some history, so I’ll use a brief The Chair: Oh, somebody is on the phone? quote from the forces.ca website. Member Glasgo, are you on the phone? The units of 41 CBG (Canadian Brigade Group) have proud and varied histories, with many soldiers serving with distinction in Ms Glasgo: That would be me. Michaela Glasgo, MLA for Brooks- the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Notably, Medicine Hat. Sorry, Skype just won’t work. this includes more than six Victoria Crosses won by soldiers in PB-254 Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills November 24, 2020 the brigades’ units. Our more recent international assignments In closing, I am proud to share that the government of Alberta is and missions include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan and the largest employer of reserve force members as we recognize the Sierra Leone. strong leadership skills members bring and accept that the time that Of course, for those who follow the news, you will know that 41 they require to taking leave for training only improves their CBG has also recently deployed members to Latvia. That is not an exceptional skills and qualities. all-encompassing list but highlights some of the deployments. Thank you. 41 Canadian Brigade Group is an Army Reserve Formation of 3rd Canadian Division and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The Chair: Wonderful. Thank you very much, Mr. Rutherford. Alberta reserve units are located in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, I’ll now open the floor up to questions. As this is a bill from a Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton, and of course there are reserve government member, the convention, of course, is to go to the units located in communities all across Canada as well. Official Opposition, so I shall do that. I’m seeing Mr. Nielsen, who Reserves typically train on a weekday evening and a weekend. is anxious to ask a question of Mr. Rutherford. Thank you very They may also volunteer for full-time employment and take part in much, sir. operations at home or abroad. The majority of reservists hold civilian jobs or are enrolled in postsecondary studies in conjunction Mr. Nielsen: Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate it. I know with their military training. The exceptional skills and qualities that everybody is just chomping at the bit here to get at it, but you are gained through participating in the reserves leads to a group of managed to pick me out, so I appreciate that. men and women that have a high level of discipline and drive to get First off, I of course would like to thank you for bringing forward the job done. They are taught leadership skills and how to work as this bill. I appreciate it very much. I do understand that you were a reservist yourself. I guess I’m wondering, through that lens, maybe – a team, and they also learn how to function in stressful situations. and you alluded to it a little bit in your opening remarks.