Assembly Lines: MLA, ministerial attention directed at Polish delegation, wildfire evacuation, firearms buyback and more
George Lee
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Each week of sittings of the Alberta legislature features dozens of statements and exchanges. What follows is a sampling of what was said, announced, discussed and sparred over April 22-25
Workplace Safety is a ‘Fundamental Right’
Punching the clock shouldn’t earn you a ticket to the hereafter, the official opposition’s labour critic told the Alberta legislature April 25.
Speaking a few days before Canada’s 2024 National Day of Mourning, Peggy Wright urged her colleagues to remember those who went to work but never made it home.
“They worked hard supporting themselves, their families and their communities,” said Wright, the member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. “We must remember them and honour them.”
Now acknowledged in more than 100 countries around the world, the label was first conceived by the Canadian Labour Congress. Eight years later in 1991, it received federal recognition when Parliament passed the Workers Mourning Day Act.
Workplace fatalities in Canada totaled 993 in 2022, says information collected by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada. Among those who died were 33 workers aged 15-24.
Last year in this province 165 persons died unnecessarily on the job, says the Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta.
The day also honours many others who technically did make it home – but nonetheless suffered fatal or debilitating illness or injury because of their jobs.
“We know that so many injuries and occupational illnesses are preventable, and that’s why safe workplaces are not a luxury and they are not red tape. They are a fundamental right. We have a collective responsibility to do better for today’s workers,” said Wright.
“We mourn for the dead, fight for the living.”
Inmates Left in Wildfire Path Too Long, Says Opposition Critic
Jail inmates deserve the same wildfire protection other Albertans get and that didn’t happen at the Peace River Correctional Centre on April 24, charged the opposition’s deputy house leader in the legislature.
Irfan Sabir, the NDP member for Calgary-Bhullar-McCall, mentioned reports of flames within metres of the jail when the RCMP “had to make a plan” to evacuate 174 inmates by bus.
Inmates “should not be left in harm’s way till the last minute,” said Sabir, the official opposition’s public safety critic.
But Deputy Premier Mike Ellis said during the exchange in question period that Sabir had his facts wrong. Calling the wildfire “very dynamic,” the member for Calgary-West said Alberta sheriffs worked with correctional centre staff to keep inmates safe.
Getting local police support is a common necessity in rural and city emergencies. That happens regardless of who’s at risk, said Ellis, the minister of public safety and emergency services.
“I can tell you that the decision was made by the incident commander to evacuate that area, and that’s precisely what happened,” Ellis said during the question period exchange on April 25.
“We utilized the sheriffs; they do prisoner transport. We utilized the support of the local area police to make sure that we got everybody into a safe area.
“And now, when it’s safe to do so, we’re bringing people back in, and everybody is being taken care of.”
Minister Hints of Accessibility Legislation As ‘Broad Consultation’ Set to Begin
Legislation to make services and buildings more navigable for more people could lie ahead in Alberta, putting the province on an accessibility path already begun in most of the country.
Jason Nixon, the minister of seniors, community and social services, told the legislature April 25 that he’s instructed his department to begin a broad consultation on accessibility legislation to make sure the government gets it right in service to people with disabilities.
Although Nixon said he anticipates legislation will follow the consultation, he stopped short of a commitment.
“We will see what comes back,” said the minister for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. “We’ll take that information, and then we’ll have more to say to the house once we receive it.”
If Alberta mirrors what other provinces have done, the province will legislate a way forward for a wide range of changes to buildings, communications, technology, and other built environments and services under its purview.
The Macleod Gazette and the Local Journalism Initiative reported in February that seven provinces have accessibility legislation already. Through the Accessible Canada Act of 2019, the federal government is pushing for a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
Marie Renaud, the NDP’s community social services critic, questioned the province’s commitment to accessibility. The member for St. Albert said: “We saw nothing in the recent budget, nothing in the minister’s annual report, no goals, no plans, no investment.”
Renaud called for detailed plans to create and introduce accessibility legislation.
Nixon announced none, but he did suggest that Renaud take part in consultations.
“I’d love to participate,” she said, but noted that the province has plenty of information to act upon now.
Provincial bodies like the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities and the Disability Advocate’s Office “have been clear for years that provincial accessibility legislation is needed,” Renaud said.
Without a legislative framework, the province will add to the problem with new investments in housing, education and apprenticeships that miss the accessibility mark, said Renaud.
Nixon said $3-billion in taxpayer money goes through his department each year to address the needs of people with disabilities.
Medicine Hat Holds Mental Health Summits To Rebound from Regional CMHA Closure
Summits continue to tackle mental issues in the southeastern corner of the province as residents move forward after the closure of a major agency, the legislature heard April 24.
Justin Wright, the UCP member for Cypress-Medicine Hat, said last fall’s closure of the Canadian Mental Health Association –Alberta Southeast Region affected the delivery of critical services.
“By bringing stakeholders together, we can remain responsive to the evolving mental health requirements of the region,” he said. “I believe this model of hosting community mental health summits should be replicated by MLAs across our province.”
Two mental health summits in the region have been held so far and another is slated for May 1. The inaugural meeting brought together representatives of seven non-profits.
Soon after, Medicine Hat Family Service earned an Alberta Health Services contract to identify suicide prevention needs and help the community address the issue.
Losses by suicide and their effects on loved ones are close to Wright’s heart: an aunt of his died that way, he said in his member statement.
Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams attended the second summit, by then expanded to more organizations and people.
The current summit grows again. Its goal is to develop a “collaborative continuation of identifying gaps and barriers to access the full spectrum and continuum of mental health supports,” Wright said.
“These conversations are critical to shaping a more comprehensive community-based approach.”
CMHA – Alberta Southeast Region closed in late 2023 when it ran out of money and couldn’t fulfill contractual obligations, news reports at the time said.
Interests of Alberta’s Law-Biding Gun Owners Protected While Feds Bungle Firearms Buyback, says Minister of Justice
The UCP government stands with law-abiding gun owners in rural Alberta and the rest of the province as the feds continue to misfire on their buyback program, the justice minister said April 24.
“I want to assure all law-abiding firearms community members that on this side of the house we will continue to stand up against Ottawa’s intrusion on this issue,” said Mickey Amery, the member for Calgary-Cross.
“Alberta has stated over and over again that the failed buyback program will not significantly improve public safety as it doesn’t even target those involved in criminal activity and gun violence,” Amery told the legislature in a question period response. “Albertans can be assured that we are actively advocating for Alberta’s interests in firearm regulation amid ongoing discussions and consultations with provincial stakeholders.”
Amery noted funding of the Alberta Chief Firearms Office continues at the same level as past years. The office administers federal firearm legislation and promotes safe usage and storage, while also advocating for Alberta’s lawful gun owners.
Scott Cyr, the UCP member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul, asked what actions Alberta is taking to ensure the federal government “doesn’t shoot itself in the foot with this ill-conceived firearms policy.”
Amery didn’t answer directly, but his comments suggested that a lack of detail on how the buyback will function makes it hard to act against. Canada Post’s reported refusal to take part in the buyback “is just one more glaring example of how out of touch Ottawa is.”
Four years ago the federal government announced a prohibition on more than 1,500 models and variants of assault-style firearms, such as the AR-15. Since then, about 500 variants have been added to the list.
The prohibited firearms can no longer be legally used, imported or sold in Canada, But the federal government extended its amnesty period to end October 2025 for legal owners to possess guns they got before the prohibition.
The buyback program will provide fair compensation for eligible businesses and individuals who possess the firearms, says the federal government. “Engagement on this program continues with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and a wide variety of stakeholders, including industry representatives and police associations,” says the federal government’s website.
Federal politicians say the prohibitions fulfil a promise to tackle gun violence.
When the prohibition was first announced, media outlets quoted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying that the weapons “were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.”
Weapons like that have “no use and no place” in Canada, Trudeau said.
Licences in Alberta for the possession and acquisition of firearms number upwards of 340,000, the third highest total of Canada’s provinces and territories. It’s believed there are about 30,000 prohibited firearms in the province.
Floor Stays Clear of Controversial Statements Made by Polish President Duda – Almost
Polish President Andrzej Duda’s past anti-LGBQT+ statements and positions have earned him wide and strong condemnation, but his welcome in the legislature April 22 crossed party lines to focus – mostly – on the positive.
In statements welcoming Duda and his delegation, Premier Danielle Smith and Opposition Leader Rachel Notley highlighted Alberta’s ongoing and historic ties to Poland, among them standing up to Russia for Ukraine and its people.
But the NDP leader did use her statement to emphasize the importance of human rights. Standing up to Russian aggression is an example of supporting the rule of law, “a critical component” of democracy between and within nations.
“The rule of law serves to protect minorities – religious, sexual, ethnic – from the tyranny of the majority. It is a fundamental tenet of modern civil society and the democracy it cultivates,” she said.
Smith said Poland and Alberta “share an unyielding devotion to Ukraine’s freedom. We are united in opposition to Russia’s criminal war. We have both welcomed Ukrainian evacuees, and we are supporting Ukraine’s valiant defence for as long as it takes because Ukraine is on the frontline of the fight for democracy and freedom – values that all of us in this assembly hold dear.”
The member for Brooks-Medicine Hat continued: “Poland and Alberta believe in a free, fair and just international order, and we are working together to secure and protect it, whether that involves standing up to tyrants or producing energy that is sorely needed for peaceful and democratic development.”
Notley held up support of Ukraine as an example of continued public service from the Polish community in Alberta, whose members have spearheaded efforts to collect and provide relief for Ukraine’s citizens.
“Moreover, they continue to work tirelessly to keep the urgency of the war in Ukraine at the forefront of the consciousness of Albertans while also providing a warm welcome to many Ukrainian evacuees to our province,” said Notley, the member for Edmonton-Strathcona.
Albertans have “benefited greatly over many years from the historic level of community engagement and volunteerism offered by Polish Albertans,” said Notley.
Smith highlighted economic ties, especially those connected to “a diversified, low-emission energy industry that meets the world’s needs.”
Duda joined the premier the next day at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention in Edmonton. “We are still not far past the start line when it comes to hydrogen, but the potential is incredible, and both Poland and Alberta recognize that fact.”
Alberta’s exports to Poland increased by more than 72 per cent from 2022 to 2023 and by 200 per cent in the last five years. The biggest slice is agriculture, which is “one more reason” for Alberta to grow the sector, the premier said.
More than 170,000 people of Polish heritage live in Alberta. Edmonton has the second largest Polish community in Canada, behind only Toronto.
George Lee
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Macleod Gazette
