SEE Photo

Whole Lotta Legislation' Going On | The pomp and circumstance of the throne speech on Feb. 10.

As MLAs returned to the legislature this week, it was clear that the upcoming session will include big debates in the heavy-hitting ministries of Finance and Health and Wellness.

But sometimes, it’s the little battles that prove surprising, and there are also a handful of very interesting private member’s bills and motions being put forward in the spring session — including money for cities and a review of wages for government social workers. 

The likelihood of any of these non-government bills actually becoming law is slim, but if they catch on with the public, the legislation could see the light of day as a government bill later on.

For political junkies and regular citizens alike, here’s SEE Magazine’s quick rundown of what to expect under The Dome this spring.

The Budget

Although Premier Ed Stelmach said last month that the government might have to look at cuts similar to the ones Ralph Klein instituted in the 1990s, the throne speech promised to protect Albertans from the worst of the economic downturn. 

Both opposition parties have said they are watching the government closely on the budget.

Liberal leader David Swann called for a transition to a green economy, and says he will push for the government to table a new budget early in the session. Since oil plunged by $100 per barrel from July of 2008 to Jan. 2009, the government could have a hard time estimating income from the resource and coming up with a realistic budget. But the price of oil is always volatile, Swann says, and the budget shouldn’t be held up by changes in the market.

“I’m certainly very keen to see that we hold this government’s feet to the fire for the lack of planning,” he says. “Everyone knew it was coming. Booms don’t last forever.”

Despite the economic uncertainty, the government will still spend $2 billion on carbon capture and storage and an addition $2 billion on public transit projects.

Health Care

NDP leader Brian Mason says he and fellow NDP MLA Rachel Notley will focus on government secrecy in the spring session, and the Tory plan on health care is something they’ll especially be keeping their eye on.

“People don’t know where the government is going on health care,” he says. “They’ve been making major changes as they go along, but they haven’t let the people of Alberta know where they are going with the health care system. I think there’s something basically wrong with that.”

The NDP will put forward a motion urging the government to investigate private health clinics in Alberta, to make sure they adhere to the Canada Health Act.

The government also announced public health amendments including transferring some regulation-making powers to the minister of health, currently MLA Ron Liepert, and will clarify the role of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

David Eggen, the executive director of Friends of Medicare and the former MLA for Edmonton Calder, is betting more upcoming health care changes are in the offing than the brief description provided by the government suggests. Although he’s not sure what form they’ll take, he’s also watching for any hints of privatization as Liepert unrolls more changes.

But Raj Sherman, the former emergency room doctor and first-term Progressive Conservative MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark, says Stelamch has made it very clear that he won’t pursue privatization of health care. Nor has anyone in the Progressive Conservative party discussed delisting medical procedures with him.

“To be honest, the only thing I’ve heard is what’s in the paper,” he says, referring to reports on Hector Goudreau’s speech to constituents regarding the possible delisting of services. “We haven’t talked about it.”

He supports the government’s decision to dismantle the health regions, because he thinks it will eventually lead to greater efficiency. “I’m optimistic that access to health care will be improved,” he says. “It’s not going to happen immediately. These changes take time.”

Private Member’s Bills

Child care: The NDP will call on the government to come up with a plan for a maximum price for child care, with government funding to ensure high-quality care.

Cities: Laurie Blakeman, Liberal house leader and MLA for Edmonton-Centre, wants to give Alberta’s big cities sustainable funding with a chunk of the province’s personal and corporate income taxes. Currently, municipal income is based on property taxes that do not expand with wealth. Considering the infrastructure responsibilities of cities, many have argued that they are dramatically underfunded. “I believe this province ignores the cities at their peril,” Blakeman says.

Social Workers: Harry Chase, the Liberal MLA for Calgary-Varsity, is calling for a review of the wages for social workers or other human resource support staff doing contract work for the province. “ What I’m calling for is equal pay for equal work,” he says. According to his research, a social worker hired by the government makes almost double the wage earned by those doing contract work.

Loose Ends

The Land-Use Framework, which includes the cumulative effects of development and will establish regional advisory councils, will be formalized. Also, the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobiity Agreement (TILMA) with British Columbia, which has been in the works for a couple years, will get some final tweeking before the Apr. 1 deadline.