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Tracking the Issues 
Keystone PipelineWhen it comes to energy and the environment, it's a fine balance. Alberta has the ability to be a world leader in sustainable energy and we need to get to work on a plan of action to accomplish the transition. And because the most optimistic scenarios suggest it will take between 25 and 50 years before green energy will have the capacity to meet the demand, we also need to acknowledge that the world needs fossil fuels and that Alberta can be one of the most responsible sources of oil and gas on the planet. I support the Keystone pipeline and let me tell you why. This is a worthwhile project that will provide economic growth for Alberta and energy security to the United States. The United States remains the biggest and best customer for everything we export, and ensuring your best customer can continue to power its economy so it can continue to buy from you is smart business. Simply put, transitioning to green energy is going to be an expensive proposition. A robust Alberta economy and a healthy oil and gas sector will produce the revenue needed to fund the transition. Is putting raw bitumen in a pipeline and sending it somewhere else to be upgraded and refined into a value-added product the best strategy? Often it isn't. But often it is. This is where the balance comes in. While upgrading and refining creates jobs and economic benefit here at home, upgraders and refineries consume a lot of water and produce a lot of emissions that contribute to both climate change and air pollution. The environmental impact of upgrading all the bitumen we produce would be more than Alberta could bear. The most responsible thing for Alberta to do is to take a leadership role and start applying some of the wealth generated by our fossil fuels to get us to more green energy faster. Bill 10 - Land Stewardship Amendment Act Rushed Through the Legislature Bill 10 - the Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act, 2011, is supposed to amend Bill 36 - The Alberta Land Stewardship Act. Bill 36 took the visionary principles of Alberta's Land Use Framework, ran them through a sausage machine, and turned them into a law that is undemocractic. But as introduced by the government, Bill 10 is a flawed attempt to amend a seriously flawed Act. Although the need for further public consultation on regional plans before those plans are approved by cabinet is addressed, and the compensation scheme for land expropriation enhanced, in our view, those attempts fall well short of the mark. Debate on Bill 10 was severely limited at the Committee of the Whole - the legislative stage at which bills can be amended - and although I had four amendments ready, I was only allowed the time to present two: Notice of Amendment Bill 10 Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act, 2011 Mr. Taylor to move that Bill 10, Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act, 2011, be amended in section 14, in the proposed section 19, as follows: (a) by renumbering it as section 19(1); (b) by adding "Subject to subsection (2)," before "A person"; (c) by adding the following after subsection (1): * (2) A person's right to compensation under this Act shall be determined in accordance with the principles of compensation outlined in Part 2 of the Expropriation Act with all necessary modifications. Notice of Amendment Bill 10 Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act, 2011 Mr. Taylor to move that Bill 10, Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act, 2011, be amended by renumbering section 5 as section 5(1) and by adding the following after subsection (1): (2) To fulfill the requirement for appropriate public consultation under subsection (1), the Stewardship Minister must * (a) advertise the development or amendment of a regional plan in one or more newspapers circulating within the boundaries of the regional plan, and such advertisement shall include (i) the details regarding the proposed regional plan or amendment and its effect on the region, (ii) an invitation to review the proposed plan or amendment and any supporting material at specified times and places, and (iii) an invitation to the public to submit input; * (b) provide not less than 45 days for responses from (i) the council of each municipality within the regional plan; (ii) any local authority whose powers extend to any part of the regional plan, and (iii) any other person or organization that the regional advisory council considers necessary; * (c) following the period provided for in clause (b), hold public hearings; * (d) consider the input received under this subsection in the preparation of his or her report; * (e) carry out any additional consultation processes that the Minister considers necessary. Highlights From the Legislature March 15, 2011 - Dave's Private Member's Bill 205 - the Municipal Government (Delayed Developments) Amendment Act, 2011 205 passes First Reading. November 2010 - Dave joins forces with all other opposition parties to stage a spectacular filibuster in the Alberta Legislature in an attempt to force a public inquiry into emergency wait room times and claims of doctor intimidation. November 2010 -Dave worked in tangent with parks and wildlife advocacy groups with the goal of seeing the highly- contentious Bill 29 - The Alberta Parks Act - pulled from the Legislature. This effort was successful. Aside from essentially dismantling nearly 40 years of conservation efforts in Alberta, the most controversial element of the bill was the allocation to the Minister complete discretion and jurisdiction over all current provincial parkland. Conservation was also not a priority of the bill, ignoring a fundamental aspect of all parks and wildlife plans. Dave continues to remain in close consultation with interested parties to prepare for the possibility the bill will be re-introduced soon. November 2010 -Dave passed an amendment to the Electoral Boundaries Act - Bill 28 - to rename the constituency of Dunvegan-Central Peace to Dunvegan-Notley in honour of the great Albertan, Grant Notley. After being debated in the Legislature, a second amendment by the government added 'Central Peace' back to the riding name. The final name of the constituency is now 'Dunvegan- Notley- Central Peace'. September 2010 - In order to begin to understand the root causes of poverty in Alberta, Dave called for the development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy during a Standing Committee on the Economy meeting. Members of all parties voted unanimously in favour of Dave's recommendation that the government pursue this proposal. In Calgary alone there are 4,000 homeless and 140,000 people living in poverty, of which 90,000 are working poor. Without a strategy to look at the issues facing these people matters will only worsen. Seven provinces and all three territories in Canada have already implemented or are constructing a Poverty Reduction Strategy, and it's time for Alberta to join them. January 25, 2010 -Dave's Energy Policy was released, the resultn of the culmination of a year-long consultation process with key people inside the industry. The policy was well- received, and called for transparency, cooperation, certainty and sustainability. It established a partnership between the industry and government, and required fact-based consultation to work towards consistency and competitiveness. The resulting policy is a win-win for both the industry and the people of Alberta. February, 2007 -Dave's Affordable Housing Strategy was made public, and included the proposal - proven by many respected studies - that providing fellow Albertans with a home is actually far less costly than keeping them on the street. The strategy drastically changed the way the province views homelessness, and the government has since implemented several programs in accordance with this plan. Fall, 2007 -As Shadow Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing, Dave introduced Bill 211 - Planning for Future of Communities Act. The first of its kind in Alberta, the bill outlined parameters for effective land use in Alberta. Although the bill did not pass, many of its points have been incorporated into Bill 36 - the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, which was passed in 2009 and includes mandatory regional consultations plus new conservation and stewardship tools to protect our landscapes. |
