Province of Alberta. The 29th Legislature Second Session. Alberta Hansard. Tuesday morning, April 5, Day 9

Transcription

1 Province of Alberta The 29th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Tuesday morning, April 5, 2016 Day 9 The Honourable Robert E. Wanner, Speaker

2 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature Second Session Wanner, Hon. Robert E., Medicine Hat (ND), Speaker Jabbour, Deborah C., Peace River (ND), Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Sweet, Heather, Edmonton-Manning (ND), Deputy Chair of Committees Aheer, Leela Sharon, Chestermere-Rocky View (W) Anderson, Shaye, Leduc-Beaumont (ND) Anderson, Wayne, Highwood (W) Babcock, Erin D., Stony Plain (ND) Barnes, Drew, Cypress-Medicine Hat (W) Bilous, Hon. Deron, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (ND), Deputy Government House Leader Carlier, Hon. Oneil, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (ND), Deputy Government House Leader Carson, Jonathon, Edmonton-Meadowlark (ND) Ceci, Hon. Joe, Calgary-Fort (ND) Clark, Greg, Calgary-Elbow (AP) Connolly, Michael R.D., Calgary-Hawkwood (ND) Coolahan, Craig, Calgary-Klein (ND) Cooper, Nathan, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (W), Official Opposition House Leader Cortes-Vargas, Estefania, Strathcona-Sherwood Park (ND), Government Whip Cyr, Scott J., Bonnyville-Cold Lake (W), Official Opposition Deputy Whip Dach, Lorne, Edmonton-McClung (ND) Dang, Thomas, Edmonton-South West (ND) Drever, Deborah, Calgary-Bow (ND) Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC), Progressive Conservative Opposition Whip Eggen, Hon. David, Edmonton-Calder (ND) Ellis, Mike, Calgary-West (PC) Feehan, Hon. Richard, Edmonton-Rutherford (ND) Fildebrandt, Derek Gerhard, Strathmore-Brooks (W) Fitzpatrick, Maria M., Lethbridge-East (ND) Fraser, Rick, Calgary-South East (PC) Ganley, Hon. Kathleen T., Calgary-Buffalo (ND) Goehring, Nicole, Edmonton-Castle Downs (ND) Gotfried, Richard, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Gray, Hon. Christina, Edmonton-Mill Woods (ND) Hanson, David B., Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills (W), Official Opposition Deputy House Leader Hinkley, Bruce, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (ND) Hoffman, Hon. Sarah, Edmonton-Glenora (ND) Horne, Trevor A.R., Spruce Grove-St. Albert (ND) Hunter, Grant R., Cardston-Taber-Warner (W) Jansen, Sandra, Calgary-North West (PC) Jean, Brian Michael, QC, Fort McMurray-Conklin (W), Leader of the Official Opposition Kazim, Anam, Calgary-Glenmore (ND) Kleinsteuber, Jamie, Calgary-Northern Hills (ND) Larivee, Hon. Danielle, Lesser Slave Lake (ND) Littlewood, Jessica, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (ND) Loewen, Todd, Grande Prairie-Smoky (W) Loyola, Rod, Edmonton-Ellerslie (ND) Luff, Robyn, Calgary-East (ND) MacIntyre, Donald, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (W) Malkinson, Brian, Calgary-Currie (ND) Mason, Hon. Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND), Government House Leader McCuaig-Boyd, Hon. Margaret, Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley (ND) McIver, Ric, Calgary-Hays (PC), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Opposition McKitrick, Annie, Sherwood Park (ND) McLean, Hon. Stephanie V., Calgary-Varsity (ND) McPherson, Karen M., Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill (ND) Miller, Barb, Red Deer-South (ND) Miranda, Hon. Ricardo, Calgary-Cross (ND) Nielsen, Christian E., Edmonton-Decore (ND) Nixon, Jason, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre (W), Official Opposition Whip Notley, Hon. Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (ND), Premier Orr, Ronald, Lacombe-Ponoka (W) Panda, Prasad, Calgary-Foothills (W) Payne, Hon. Brandy, Calgary-Acadia (ND) Phillips, Hon. Shannon, Lethbridge-West (ND) Piquette, Colin, Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater (ND) Pitt, Angela D., Airdrie (W) Renaud, Marie F., St. Albert (ND) Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rosendahl, Eric, West Yellowhead (ND) Sabir, Hon. Irfan, Calgary-McCall (ND) Schmidt, Hon. Marlin, Edmonton-Gold Bar (ND) Schneider, David A., Little Bow (W) Schreiner, Kim, Red Deer-North (ND) Shepherd, David, Edmonton-Centre (ND) Sigurdson, Hon. Lori, Edmonton-Riverview (ND) Smith, Mark W., Drayton Valley-Devon (W) Starke, Dr. Richard, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), Progressive Conservative Opposition House Leader Stier, Pat, Livingstone-Macleod (W) Strankman, Rick, Drumheller-Stettler (W) Sucha, Graham, Calgary-Shaw (ND) Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL) Taylor, Wes, Battle River-Wainwright (W) Turner, Dr. A. Robert, Edmonton-Whitemud (ND) van Dijken, Glenn, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock (W) Westhead, Cameron, Banff-Cochrane (ND), Deputy Government Whip Woollard, Denise, Edmonton-Mill Creek (ND) Yao, Tany, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (W) Vacant, Calgary-Greenway Party standings: New Democrat: 54 Wildrose: 22 Progressive Conservative: 8 Alberta Liberal: 1 Alberta Party: 1 Vacant: 1 Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Robert H. Reynolds, QC, Clerk Shannon Dean, Senior Parliamentary Counsel/Director of House Services Stephanie LeBlanc, Parliamentary Counsel and Legal Research Officer Philip Massolin, Manager of Research Services Nancy Robert, Research Officer Brian G. Hodgson, Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Caughell, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Gordon H. Munk, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Janet Schwegel, Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard

3 Executive Council Rachel Notley Sarah Hoffman Deron Bilous Oneil Carlier Joe Ceci David Eggen Richard Feehan Kathleen T. Ganley Christina Gray Danielle Larivee Brian Mason Margaret McCuaig-Boyd Stephanie V. McLean Ricardo Miranda Brandy Payne Shannon Phillips Irfan Sabir Marlin Schmidt Lori Sigurdson Premier, President of Executive Council Deputy Premier, Minister of Health Minister of Economic Development and Trade Minister of Agriculture and Forestry President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Minister of Education Minister of Indigenous Relations Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Minister of Labour, Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal Minister of Municipal Affairs Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation Minister of Energy Minister of Service Alberta, Minister of Status of Women Minister of Culture and Tourism Associate Minister of Health Minister of Environment and Parks, Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office Minister of Human Services Minister of Advanced Education Minister of Seniors and Housing

4 STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Chair: Ms Miller Deputy Chair: Mrs. Schreiner Cyr Dang Ellis Horne McKitrick Taylor Turner Standing Committee on Alberta s Economic Future Chair: Mr. Sucha Deputy Chair: Mr. Schneider Anderson, S. Carson Connolly Coolahan Dach Fitzpatrick Gotfried Hunter Jansen Panda Piquette Schreiner Taylor Select Special Ethics and Accountability Committee Chair: Mrs. Littlewood Deputy Chair: Ms Miller Anderson, W. Clark Connolly Cortes-Vargas Cyr Drever Jansen Loyola Nielsen Nixon Renaud Starke Sucha Swann van Dijken Standing Committee on Families and Communities Chair: Ms Goehring Deputy Chair: Mr. Smith Drever Hinkley Horne Jansen Luff McPherson Orr Pitt Rodney Shepherd Swann Westhead Yao Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Chair: Mr. Shepherd Deputy Chair: Mr. Malkinson Cooper Ellis Horne Jabbour Kleinsteuber Littlewood Nixon van Dijken Woollard Special Standing Committee on Members Services Chair: Mr. Wanner Deputy Chair: Cortes-Vargas Cooper Dang Fildebrandt Jabbour Luff McIver Nixon Piquette Schreiner Standing Committee on Private Bills Chair: Ms McPherson Deputy Chair: Mr. Connolly Anderson, W. Babcock Drever Drysdale Fraser Hinkley Kazim Kleinsteuber McKitrick Rosendahl Stier Strankman Sucha Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Chair: Ms Fitzpatrick Deputy Chair: Ms Babcock Carson Coolahan Cooper Ellis Goehring Hanson Kazim Loyola McPherson Nielsen Schneider Starke van Dijken Standing Committee on Public Accounts Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship Chair: Mr. Fildebrandt Deputy Chair: Mr. S. Anderson Chair: Loyola Deputy Chair: Mr. Loewen Barnes Cyr Dach Fraser Goehring Gotfried Hunter Luff Malkinson Miller Renaud Turner Westhead Aheer Babcock Clark Dang Drysdale Hanson Kazim Kleinsteuber MacIntyre Malkinson Nielsen Rosendahl Woollard

5 April 5, 2016 Alberta Hansard 323 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Tuesday, April 5, :00 a.m. 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, 2016 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: If you would bow your heads, hon. members. Time is precious. Let us use our time as public servants to dedicate ourselves to achieving our common goals and working towards the betterment of our great province, which is in our care. Let us remember that strength and success are accomplished by working together. Listening, understanding, and respecting one another s views can open up new possibilities and new opportunities. Please be seated. head: Orders of the Day head: Consideration of Her Honour head: the Lieutenant Governor s Speech Mrs. Littlewood moved, seconded by Mr. Westhead, that an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor as follows. To Her Honour the Honourable Lois Mitchell, CM, AOE, LLD, the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Alberta: We, Her Majesty s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly, now assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session. [Adjourned debate March 17: Mr. Nixon] The Speaker: The hon. Member for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. Mr. Nixon: I m done. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. The Deputy Government House Leader. Mr. Carlier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don t think I ve changed districts, but that s fine. The Speaker: Well, you re shorter than I d thought. Mr. Carlier: Yeah. Thank you for this opportunity as well to, you know, give a response to the Speech from the Throne as it will relate to my maiden speech. On May 5, 2015, like many Albertans, I watched the results of the provincial election on television. Surrounded by family and friends in the home I share with my beautiful wife, Michèle, I came to realize that I would be successful and would become the third Member of the Legislative Assembly for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne since its creation in I couldn t be more honoured to serve the wonderful people of this district. This amazing constituency is rich in diversity in not only its people and communities but also its natural wonders. The hardworking people of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne are farmers, ranchers, foresters, machinists, plumbers, electricians, welders, truckers. They serve meals, clean hotel rooms, work in stores, provide financial and legal advice, teach and guide our young. We can t forget the many men and women who serve the public good as nurses, peace officers, and firefighters. Some work in or near their town while others commute to Whitecourt or Edmonton, but all contribute to the prosperity of Alberta. Much has been said about the need to diversify our economy, especially in light of the current downturn in the price of oil and gas. Whitecourt-Ste. Anne, with its abundant resources, is well positioned to take advantage of that diversification. Oil and gas, for sure, will become more diversified, but so will the other two major industries in Alberta, agriculture and forestry. As the largest of our renewable sectors both have a lot to contribute by way of valueadded products. Research in forestry and agriculture will allow us to continue being world leaders in new wood and agriculture products. Our climate change leadership plan will allow for increased innovation in the use of biofuels and green electricity generation. There are already some exciting things happening in the district to demonstrate to the world that we take climate change seriously and will do something about it. Whitecourt-Ste. Anne will have a large role to play in the new green economy. As we continue to invest in the future of this great province, we will strive to diversify our economy so as to ensure that those in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne who find the current economic times tough will be able to look forward to a brighter future. That future is in large part possible because of the good people of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne who spend some of their free time helping others. The single greatest asset to the social well-being of our communities is its volunteers. You might be a member of a service club or a leader with a youth group such as Scouts Canada or coach a hockey team. You might help out with the community lunch box program in Whitecourt or perhaps the Legion in Evansburg or other towns. Perhaps you spend some of your free time at the agricultural societies or the 4-H club and not only contribute to the prosperity of our rural district but also play a huge part in maintaining that rural lifestyle we all love and cherish. Whatever you volunteer for, I am grateful for your contribution. Your efforts are what make Whitecourt-St. Anne the great place to live and raise a family that it is. From the vistas of the Pembina River to the amazing trails of Carson-Pegasus provincial park the constituency of Whitecourt- Ste. Anne is one of the most beautiful areas of the province. Many of us enjoy spending time near the many small lakes that dot the landscape. We are blessed with wonderful farmland and an abundance of forested areas. Tourists come to Whitecourt-Ste. Anne to hunt and fish, ski, snowmobile, camp, and hike. The district is large, with over 70 villages, hamlets, towns, and summer villages. It spans from Onoway, Alberta Beach, and Alexis First Nation in the east to Whitecourt, Blue Ridge, and Mayerthorpe in the northwest to Peers and Wildwood in the southwest. Michèle and I moved to Lac Ste. Anne over six years ago. It was one of the best decisions we ever made. We got married on our property and celebrated in the Darwell hall. We have met so many wonderful people, especially over the past year or so. It seems everyone has a passion for their hometown or their family farm. Like many Albertans, I grew up on the family farm, a farm that my brother now runs as a fourth-generation farmer. He s 10 years older than I am, so I knew early on that he was most likely to continue the family tradition. I, instead, found work as a geotechnical technician with Agriculture Canada. That job saw me working on many different irrigation projects across the country, mostly in Alberta. Little did I know that those 20 years as a public servant with Agriculture Canada would serve me so well in my future job as a public servant for the province of Alberta. As the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne I am a public servant. As a public servant I feel that my role is to represent the citizens of the district the best I can. It does not matter whether you supported me in the election or not. I am here to represent all.

6 324 Alberta Hansard April 5, 2016 After so many years with only one party ruling, we all had to learn to transition. That transition has had its bumps, but I m proud of what we ve been able to accomplish in 10 short months. We have shown that we put people first. Whether it is maintaining funding for education or health care or implementing a stimulus plan that will put many Albertans back to work, we continue to show that people are our greatest resource and our first priority. A few days after we all realized that after 43 years there would finally be a change in the government of Alberta, the Premier asked me to meet with her. I was not sure what I could have possibly done wrong in so short a time. We had not even been sworn in yet. To my great relief I was not in trouble. Instead, the Premier asked me if I would like to be the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. I was absolutely overjoyed and immediately said yes. I also told her that if I d had the choice of ministry, it would have been agriculture as I know how important farming is in my district. I have to admit that I did not know a lot about forestry at first, but I always knew that forestry is also an important industry in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne. People in the industry have been fantastic in bringing me up to speed with respect to the challenges and opportunities in forestry. In fact, only three days after the election I was asked by Alberta Newsprint Company and Millar Western to tour their facilities in Whitecourt. I eagerly accepted their invitation and proceeded to visit as many mills across the province as I possibly could. The people of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne, like the rest of Alberta, face some challenges, but I believe the opportunities outweigh those challenges. I have vowed that I will work with all Albertans to do what I can to face those challenges and to explore those opportunities. The good people of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne should expect no less. The Speaker: Thank you. Questions and comments to the member? The Member for Edmonton-McClung. 10:10 Mr. Dach: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was really quite happy to hear from the minister about his Whitecourt-Ste. Anne riding. I spent many, many summers in the Alberta Beach-Lac Ste. Anne area, and I know the riding reasonably well. It has a number of interesting issues that are ongoing there, and one of them happens to be the water supply to some of the smaller towns within the riding. I m wondering if he might comment on what might be happening with respect to consideration about the water supply, particularly for Alberta Beach and some of the other surrounding communities which might get together to share costs in providing a better water supply. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Carlier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the follow-up statements. There are, you know, some water supply issues with many of the small communities right across Alberta. It is, as a matter of fact, probably a phenomenon that s felt right across Canada. A lot of the small communities in the district of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne, including Alexis First Nation, are in the process of developing projects and plans that include pipelines and include other forms of improving their water quality. While we re on the subject of small villages, the summer villages in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne are abundant. I do believe that there are more summer villages in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne than any other district in the province. As a matter of fact, there are 14 summer villages just in my own county of Lac Ste. Anne. These are a vibrant part of a very unique municipal designation in Alberta. They have been around since about 1910 or so. The hon. member had mentioned Alberta Beach, which until recently had been a summer village but actually now is considered a village, but it s surrounded by many summer villages just the same. If you haven t had the opportunity to visit any of the summer villages, I would encourage anyone in this House to do so. They are vibrant and wonderful little communities. Here s a bit of a plug. There s recently a new mobile phone application for farmers markets. If you want to find out where your farmers markets might be, there are currently about 168 or so Agriculture and Forestry designated farmers markets across the province, many of those in those summer villages. I encourage you, if you haven t done so already, to find that application, load it onto your mobile phone, and have a great opportunity to visit summer villages and communities right across this province, looking at the many wonderful farmers markets and what rural Alberta has to offer. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you, hon. member. I frequently hear plugs for each community as I sit in the House here. Good for you. The Member for Drumheller-Stettler, 29(2)(a). Mr. Strankman: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to rise and congratulate the Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne on his maiden speech because I ve come to the realization that it s not even been a year since he s been elected to the role, and I believe he s exhibited himself reasonably professionally. I have had the honour to work with and confer with him in private and in public, and it s been an honour. I just would like to question the member on his acumen as an agriculturalist and his acumen in irrigation, an irrigation-involved specialist, possibly, if I could use that word, and what he feels the way forward for the province could be in these trying times of economics and job creation. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Carlier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the hon. member was speaking, I was trying to think: how can I weave that question about irrigation into the district of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne? That s going to be a challenge. There are no large-size irrigation projects in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne, but as a matter of fact, Alberta has close to 50 per cent of the irrigated land in Canada. We have about 1.4 million acres under irrigation in Alberta. It s been a success story not just for Alberta but for Canada. We have a wide range of diversification of crops in our irrigated areas, everything from forage crops to speciality crops of potatoes, and currently about 20,000 acres of hemp also in the province. Some good news as of late: the sugar beet crop this year will expand by about 6,000 acres. That s great news. That s an industry that has over the past few decades found, you know, some challenges, so to be able to this year expand their acreages is very good news. I m hoping in some large part, if all the stars align, to be able to take advantage of the implementation of the trans-pacific partnership. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you, hon. minister. Now the Member for Calgary-Foothills. Mr. Panda: Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. Like you watching out for everyone here in the House today and every day, my parents watch me from above and bless me every day. Today I have the honour to rise and respond to the throne speech on behalf of the entire Wildrose Calgary caucus. After three

7 April 5, 2016 Alberta Hansard 325 attempts at running for this office, I finally can rise and give my maiden speech. I would like to first thank my constituents who voted me, as the 904th MLA, to this 29th Legislature. I thank you for your confidence in me to represent your interests in the best possible way I can. I would like to thank the members of the Wildrose who nominated me as their candidate. I d also like to thank all my volunteers, donors, and friends for their continued help and encouragement, without which I wouldn t have run three times. I would like to thank the previous MLAs of my riding for their service to the people. One of the MLAs I have to extend special thanks to is MLA 830. If it were not for his abrupt service to the people through his departure, I would not have arrived here as soon. Last but not least, thank you to my wife, Santhi, and our son, Himanish, for their unwavering support to me. I love them both so very much, till my last breath. Since being elected, I have had the opportunity to attend many different community events such as a multicultural event called One World, several Chinese New Year festivals, and a couple of family skating parties organized by the community associations in my riding. I also attended Holi, the festival of colours, and a Muslim- Christian interfaith family gathering. I look forward to celebrating the greatest outdoor show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede, for the first time as an MLA. I m also proud to now represent the schools that my son went to as a child. Those schools gave him a world-class education, and I am beyond thankful for the time and effort teachers put into helping our future generations. My son was the reason we moved to Canada. My wife and I wanted him to have the best education possible in Calgary, the best city in the world. Ironically, he cheers for the Oilers. Well, I m trying to make up by wearing the Calgary tartan today. Actually, tomorrow is the celebration, but I m wearing it today to make up for my son cheering for the Oilers. Calgary-Foothills is a very diverse riding. It s filled with old and new Canadians such as myself. It s filled with people of many different faiths, backgrounds, and many different cultures. I want to know more about everyone in my riding through meeting every single one of my constituents. My goal is to knock on every door in the riding several times before the next election, and in the process maybe I can lose some of the weight I gained as an MLA. I cannot do my job as a representative of the people unless I meet and listen to them on a regular basis. I have some big shoes to fill when comparing myself to past MLAs of Calgary-Foothills. Constituents from my riding have had the benefit of being represented in the past by former Premiers Ernest Manning, William Aberhart, and Jim Prentice. Although I cannot promise I ll live up to their fame, or infamy, depending on your opinions, I can promise I will represent the people of Calgary- Foothills in the best possible way. 10:20 Of course, I m not the first MLA here to rise and give their maiden speech in the House, but reading my predecessors speeches has taught me valuable information about the area I represent. In 1975, before this area was the city of Calgary, MLA Kidd talked about the vast lands filled with trees, creeks, and agricultural land. The riding used to stretch all the way to the B.C. border, but since Calgary has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 40 years, the riding has shrunk to a small portion of the size it used to be. Today I have the opportunity to interact with my constituents on a much more regular basis. Living in such close proximity to those I represent allows me to understand their needs and issues better since I am their neighbour, issues that plague my riding and my neighbours such as the half-built interchange, that poses a safety risk to children travelling to school every day. Most importantly, people in my riding are very concerned about the economy and jobs. They know that when we have a thriving economy, we can afford the best health care, education, and seniors care. These issues and any other issues that my neighbours have will be addressed by myself in the most effective way possible. Whether this means sending letter after letter to the ministers in order to address issues or volunteering at local associations to help people on the ground, I will help my neighbours any way I can. I will work with all levels of government to find solutions. Helping my neighbours was something I learned from my father. He was always very helpful to the neighbours. He went out of his way. His elder brother used to manage their joint family finances and the family business, which went through some difficult economic times to the point of almost poverty. Then my father took control of the family responsibilities, and he worked hard to repay every single debt and followed through by stabilizing the family finances of four of his siblings. They had a giant family. My father did not have higher education since there was no high school in his area. He thought education was very important to enable the next generations to find well-paid jobs. He collaborated with the neighbouring villages to raise funds and built a high school in the middle of all the villages. Due to my father s generosity and hard work, today we have 11 doctors and 12 engineers who are his direct descendants, his bloodline. His generosity extended beyond the family. He would pay for priests to travel to bless the land for the whole community along with supplying all the materials for the celebrations. He even built a temple in his community as a way to give back to the community. He was a farmer, a small-business man, and a fiscal conservative. From his own experience he learned that debt is expensive, and he realized that interest paid to the lenders could be used to pay for education and health care. He said that one s hand should always be like this, not like this. That s how he lived his entire life. Now you all should understand why I ran for a party which wants to balance the budget. I was born late in my parents lives. Perhaps I was an afterthought. But that meant my mom brought me up like a rare species, a cute panda. I think the term is helicopter parent today. I m sure I caused her more trouble than I was worth. Even so, she loved me regardless. I learned persuasiveness and gentle bargaining from my mother, which helped me to succeed in my professional career in oil and gas. My parents taught me and my older siblings to share with others and to care for those who are in need and to love everyone, even your enemies. Coming from the political system in India, the opposition was seen as the enemy. For the record I do not think the NDP are the enemy; my political rivals, yes, but not my enemy. I m very glad that I do not have to fear for my safety after I point out negatives about the government such as bills that are a job description or a job creation program that creates no jobs. Running for office here in Canada was not the first time I was involved in electoral politics. I was tired of the one-party system in India, so I campaigned for the opposition in a federal seat held by my relative. We both lived on the same street, and he was the longest serving federal minister in India. I was only 14 then, and my parents were not too happy that I campaigned against their own cousin. I heard the agriculture minister when he mentioned about one party ruling for so long, and that s the reason I am in politics here. I didn t like the one-party system either. I was elected to students union leadership positions that were fiercely contested. Active involvement in student politics was not only fun but also shaped me into a fearless fighter. I ran my own brother s unsuccessful campaign for public office. In India to win a seat is not easy or open as it is here in Alberta. You need a lot of

8 326 Alberta Hansard April 5, 2016 muscle and money to win an election there. Since then my resolve to ensure that people get representation from more than one side has stayed with me. That s why I chose to run for the Official Opposition. I knew that for democracy to work, we need more than one opinion. We need an effective opposition to keep the government in check. So despite the last two by-elections, I hope the members opposite remember that your jobs will be important in Alberta has always had a cyclical economy. We have our ups and downs, but we have always come out stronger in the end. During these tough times Albertans are looking for hope and strong leadership. We are down, but we are not out. We are in these tough times together, but we should not be attempting risky, ideological economic policies that add to the problem. I don t blame the NDP for the price of oil, but I do blame them for the decrease in business confidence due to increased taxes, royalty reviews, carbon tax, and the unpredictability of what policies they ll implement next. Luckily there are Albertans who support our economy, who support our oil sands and promote Alberta instead of calling us embarrassing cousins. This government should be looking toward patriotic groups like Canada Action and Oil Respect for how to properly represent Alberta. Instead, this government proposes bills that do not help Albertans to get back to work. In fact, the government s very first bill refers to those who already have work instead of those who do not work now. It s a shame. I m part of APEGA, and its membership is about 80,000, Mr. Speaker, many of whom are looking for work now. My constituents are telling me that their biggest concern is that their family and friends need to get back to work. I have no idea who the NDP are talking to that made them decide their first bill should not be directed at those needing work, but I m here to tell this House that my constituents are very unhappy with how this government is operating. I hope that this government will listen to the opposition and help get Albertans back to work. My party created the Equalization Fairness Panel and proposed a 12-point jobs action plan. Wildrose continues to be the only party that is a strong advocate for Alberta s energy sector and pipeline projects to get the product to tidewater. Before I conclude, I would like to quote a few verses from Gita, the scripture Mahatma Gandhi used to refer to to derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day. When you refer to chapter 3, Karma Yoga, and relate it to our contemporary politics, Mr. Speaker, it says that the parents, the schoolteachers, the professionals, and the political leaders are all in general considered to be the natural leaders of the innocent people. All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their dependants. Each one of us here in this House, Mr. Speaker, each and every MLA of every party, of every political stripe, is expected to perform our duties as servants of society. 10:30 The Speaker: Hon. member, your time as allocated is up. Allow me to just say to all of the House that it s a privilege to listen and learn. We saw evidence this morning again of hearing and learning a lot about individuals. It s really quite a privilege. Under 29(2)(a)? Mr. Nixon: I was just wondering if the hon. member would like to expand a little bit on what he was trying to say at the end there. I was quite interested in his closing comments. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Panda: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Opposition Whip. I was saying that each one of us, every MLA here in this House, being natural leaders I was quoting the Gita, and in the scripture it describes teachers and political leaders, all of us, as natural leaders. So we have the natural responsibility to our dependants. I mean, they all expect us to perform our duties as servants of society, as learned and mature professionals. Selflessly, with purity and perfection, we are expected to serve the public. As the MLA for Calgary-Foothills I promise to do my part to help Albertans and to represent my constituency to the best of my ability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drumheller-Stettler under 29(2)(a). Mr. Strankman: Yes, sir. I d also like to comment to the Member for Calgary-Foothills. I ve found it very intriguing in the brief time that I ve come to know the member about his agricultural background, and I find it honourable that the member would come from a farming background in a foreign country with a foreign language and achieve the political prowess that he has in this country. I was wondering if the member could just expound upon that perspective a little bit, coming from another country to this country and from that to this Chamber. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Panda: Thank you, Member, for the question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It s a dream for many immigrants like me to come to a country like Canada to fulfill our dreams. You know, it s the people here inviting everybody and the opportunities that are provided here. I m not a career politician. I m an engineer by training. I m a professional engineer. But the opportunities we have here in Alberta the reason I chose Alberta was that we had lower taxes and great job opportunities and world-class education and, I mean, top-class health facilities and all that. That s why we moved here. There were some challenges initially, you know. It s adjusting to the climate and adjusting to the new country. It was a little bit tough for my family and me, but s it s the people, the Albertans and Canadians, that made it so easy for us. They re so welcoming, and they helped us succeed in this country. Based on my upbringing in a conservative family, that s the way to give back to society, and that s why I chose to run for politics. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. Mr. Yao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Member for Calgary- Foothills: it s been an incredible journey for you. This was your third time running, and you were successful. Not only that, but you used to work up in my neck of the woods, up in Fort McMurray. You worked for one of our biggest employers up there, Suncor. Not only were you an engineer, but I believe you were also on the management side. From what I know of the oil sands, that s quite the pay drop to take on this position in public office. You chose to run for the opposition, when you could have perhaps applied to run for the governing side. You chose to give a balanced representation to the people of Alberta, to ensure a strong opposition. What was the driving factor behind all of these decisions that you made? The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Panda: Thank you. Thanks for the question. I chose to run for the best party because the best people, like you, are also involved

9 April 5, 2016 Alberta Hansard 327 in the best party. You know, you re doing a great job as MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. I mean, that s the place we should be celebrating, actually. That s the best resource we have in the world, and very few countries are blessed to have that kind of resource. We should be leveraging that and taking full benefit of that. I mean, the reason I left my career in oil and gas is that, like I said before, that s what my parents taught me, to give back to society. My family condition is that my son is grown up, and I ve fulfilled that responsibility as a family man, so today I m available to serve the public. Thank you. The Speaker: Thank you, hon. member. The hon Minister of Justice and Solicitor General. Ms Ganley: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I m pleased to rise today in the House to respond to the Speech from the Throne and to deliver my maiden speech. I was elected on May 5 to represent the constituency of Calgary-Buffalo, right in the heart of downtown Calgary. Calgary-Buffalo is a beautiful riding. It s filled with life, culture, and community. It s bound by the Bow and Elbow rivers and is probably the smallest geographical riding in the province. What makes the riding so unique is its diversity. Calgary-Buffalo contains some of the oldest and newest buildings in the province. It includes affordable housing only blocks from some of the most expensive square footage in the province. It contains thousands of small businesses that speak to the ingenuity and spirit of the province, including all manner of restaurants, retail stores, and health care practitioners. The riding is also home to many corporate headquarters that help to drive the economy. Calgary-Buffalo also has many innovative social service agencies and a thriving cultural scene. The riding is full of life. Residents can walk to shops, parks, restaurants, galleries, music and theatre venues. Also integral to the riding are many agencies dedicated to helping newcomers join the Canadian community, helping those who fall into homelessness, who struggle with mental health or addictions, who are fleeing domestic violence. Calgary- Buffalo is a riding with people from all walks of life, a riding where people are joined together by common values, common culture, common struggles, or common interests and can come together to celebrate those things and where all are welcome. Mr. Speaker, the diversity and complexity of this province is truly represented by my riding. In Calgary-Buffalo people from all backgrounds come together. Residents interact with people from a variety of circumstances. It s these different cultural backgrounds, diverse experiences, and varied perspectives that make the riding and our province so strong. Fundamentally, it is in this coming together that we create the space for Albertans to see from a broader perspective than their own. It allows each person to understand and share the lived experiences and perspectives of another. This sense of community allows people to come together to help their neighbours through tough times or to work to create ingenious new businesses and technologies to grow our economy while protecting our environment for future generations. I m deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent this diverse, progressive, and constantly evolving riding. In preparing to speak today, I reviewed many of the speeches delivered by members of this House that preceded me in the riding of Calgary-Buffalo. I was struck by many similarities between the challenges and opportunities facing governments of the past and people of the past and the challenges and opportunities that face the government and people today. One of my predecessors spoke of the optimism of a new government replacing one that had been in power for decades, another of the trepidation that accompanied the significant economic and fiscal challenges in the 80s brought on by the drop in the global price of oil. It was very moving to think that those who have gone before have wrestled with similar challenges and felt a similar sense of obligation to those that sent them to this place, and it reminded me that at the end of the day most people want the same thing. They want to work hard and to make a contribution to their community. They want their families to be safe, prosperous, and happy. Times change in many ways, but those fundamental values remain, and they bind us together as members of the Alberta community. 10:40 When I chose to run for election, it was in part out a sense of duty to that community. Alberta has given me so much, and I felt that I should give back. I was lucky enough to be born and raised here in Alberta. In this province, Mr. Speaker, we are blessed with amazing opportunities. We are surrounded by hard-working, decent people who want to contribute to the strength we have in this province. We receive a world-class education in a public system available for all and never have to fear that our families will be bankrupted by an unexpected illness because of our public medical system. We are blessed with natural resources that provide wealth and opportunity to so many. We live in a safe and democratic country, and our rights are protected by the rule of law. I have lived here all my life, so I might be biased, but I believe it is the best place in the world to grow up. These amazing gifts that we have in this province and in this country, in my view at least, come with obligations, and I feel that one of those obligations is to give back to the democracy that has given us those gifts. So when I was given the opportunity to participate, to go out and suggest a certain vision of the future of this fine province to the residents of Calgary-Buffalo, a vision that aligned with my values, I took it. I expected that it would be both challenging and rewarding, and it was, though ultimately it worked out rather better than I ever could have dreamed. Mr. Speaker, I don t believe that words can truly express what a genuine privilege it is for me to stand here in this place. I was given the opportunity to stand with a group of my peers, people I didn t know at the time but whom I have grown to respect immensely, and to offer the people of my riding and of this province a vision of the future. It s a vision based on shared values like ensuring that every Albertan regardless of origin or circumstance has access to the same high-quality education and has the right to feel safe and respected in pursuing that education, values like the belief that no person should be left behind simply because they have had an unlucky turn of fate such as struggling with mental health problems, addictions, or any number of things that are not their fault but have left them in need of the compassion and assistance of their fellow Albertans; a vision of a province where decisions are based on evidence, not outdated rhetoric, where everyone has the right to equal treatment before the law and those who struggle deserve a second chance; a vision of a province where the decision-makers recognize that putting more money in the hands of middle-class Albertans benefits all of us and that criminalizing poverty serves no one and harms everyone; a vision of a province where leaders communicate honestly with the electorate about hard times and the hard decisions that face us so that we can work together to make decisions based on the evidence instead of selling fairy tales or hiding the truth. That vision of Alberta was chosen by the people on May 5, 2015, and it was that choice that sent me here today. I now have the opportunity to stand amongst some of the smartest, hardest working, most caring, and dedicated people I have ever met. Every day I am amazed by the opportunity I have to work with this amazing group of people to try and make this province better for all

10 328 Alberta Hansard April 5, 2016 Albertans, to make sure that the wealth and opportunity of this great province benefit us all, not just a privileged few. Many steps have been taken to implement this vision. I had the great privilege of introducing a bill to prohibit donations by corporations and unions less than a month and a half after I was elected, and on my birthday. We put campaign funding back into the hands of the electorate and reduced the impact that wealthy corporations can have on the outcome of elections. I worked with my colleagues to ensure that enrolment growth in education is funded, to increase protections for women fleeing from domestic violence, and to ensure that LGBTQ youth and their allies have a right to come together. I also had the opportunity to follow through on a promise I made during the campaign to protect the rights of transgender and gendervariant Albertans. In consulting about this bill, I was deeply moved to hear the stories of many transgender people. Many of these stories contained struggles that most of us are lucky enough never to have had to overcome, but many also contained amazing acts of strength and kindness by friends and strangers alike. It was such an honour to meet so many brave Albertans who fought for so long not just for their rights but for the rights of transgender people to come after them in the hopes that those youth will never face the same barriers that they ve had to overcome. Many of them said that this was the first time they ve ever felt welcome to share their lived experience here in this building. Mr. Speaker, I ve had an opportunity that few people will ever have, to stand as an ally alongside so many who have worked so hard simply to be accepted for who they are. I d also like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that assisted me along this journey: my family, who stood with me and supported me despite their differing political views; the friends that came out on a really tiny campaign run out of the back of a car to work so hard to bring me to this place; and, most of all, my husband, who stood by me through this incredible ride and has continued to support me as I grow and learn in my new position. Mr. Speaker, I m humbled by the optimism, ingenuity, hard work, and genuine care and concern for their neighbours demonstrated by the residents of Calgary-Buffalo, whom I serve. I ve had the opportunity to meet with many of my constituents, and many of them are excited to see a more diverse economy. Oil and gas will remain a cornerstone of our economy. That industry has given us so much, and we can and must support it, but it s also time for us to ensure that other sectors have a chance to grow as well. There are so many great ideas in Calgary-Buffalo, including green businesses and entrepreneurs with new technology to offer. I m excited to watch these businesses develop. Mr. Speaker, as I speak today, the province is facing tough times, maybe the toughest that we ve seen in a while. We can and will pull together and weather the circumstances we find ourselves in as a result of the drop in the price of oil. This province has a history of pulling together and working hard to make it through tough times, and we will again. I am inspired by the residents of my riding: their hard work, their dedication to a better future, and their fundamental desire to help their neighbours even through difficult economic times. I am strengthened by the incredible dedication and compassion of my colleagues, by their fundamental desire to leave this province a little bit better than they found it and to ensure that all people have the tools to share in the many opportunities in this province. I m so grateful to the citizens of Calgary-Buffalo, who voted for the vision of Alberta that we offered them, of an Alberta where everyone has an opportunity to participate and we pick our neighbours up when they fall on hard times. I am thankful to stand here in this place and work every day to act on those values and to strive to make the lives of everyday Albertans just a little bit better. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drumheller-Stettler on 29(2)(a). Mr. Strankman: Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I d like to reflect to the Member for Calgary-Buffalo as well that it s also been not quite a year since her election, and I think it ll be interesting to hear her further responses to this. As an Albertan that grew up in a period of time when the Premier and the government of the day amassed a vast sum of money in what was known as the heritage trust fund, that created a savings account, I d like to understand what the member s feelings are now, when we re in a difficult economic time, on what level of debt the member would accept as a personal level. If she could expound upon that and possibly on a level that might be an acceptable level for a government to accept: is there a feeling of a level of acceptance of debt that she personally espouses or that the constituency relates to her in that regard? 10:50 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Ganley: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and to the member for the important question. I did grow up in this province, and I m familiar, I think, with the ups and downs of the oil market. My father was a geophysicist, and he worked in that area, so I have recollections of what it has been like in the past. I think that with respect to what the member said about the heritage trust fund, I mean, I certainly find myself somewhat frustrated that given that this cycle was a little bit predictable, governments of the past didn t do a better job of saving to ensure that in these lean times, when we know that revenues are going to drop significantly, as they have done, there were funds available for the government to draw on to ensure that it can protect all Albertans in these times when they have such greater need. With respect to the member s comments on acceptable levels of debt, I think that the sort of critical first piece to recognize is that there are more debts than simply financial ones. One of the frustrating things that I have experienced coming into this position is that there s sort of a significant infrastructure lag in this province. So that s one debt. The result of that is that people don t have access to hospitals and schools that they need. That s deeply frustrating, that that sort of debt has been handed down to us. Other forms of debt include what I would call a sort of educational debt. If we fail to invest in education now for our children, we will be investing very heavily in the future in my ministry, actually, in justice services for those people. I think that, you know, when we re looking at what we re willing to pass down to the next generation, we have to consider whether we re leaving them with clean water to drink, whether we re leaving them with a well-educated population who will be able to take the economy and take this democracy and rule of law forward where it needs to go, whether we re leaving them with the necessary infrastructure, the roads to support the economy, the hospitals, and the schools to support the people of this province as we move forward. In terms of acceptable levels of debt it s my view that a government should always be fiscally prudent. We should always struggle to do our best job to make sure that we are not passing down money that needs to be repaid, but we also need to struggle to ensure that we re not passing down other things, that we re not passing down buildings that haven t been repaired in so long that they become useless, that we re not passing down a situation in which our people don t have access to schools and hospitals