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News from the Legislature Alana DeLong, MLA Special thanks to those constituents who take the time to share with me their views and concerns regarding Alberta Government programs and services. It is important to receive your input, as I endeavor to be your voice and carry out my responsibilities to the citizens of this province. Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving! HERITAGE FUND’S INVESTMENT INCOME REFLECTS WORLD FINANCIAL MARKETS - Anyone with mutual funds or an interest in the stock market will know that so far 2002 has been a volatile year for investments. All investors, big or small, have felt the effects. The Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund is no different from any personal investments. It too has lost value over the last few months. The recently released first quarter report shows that the Fund’s value is $11.8 billion as of June 30, 2002, a decrease of $582 million from the March 30, 2002 value of $12.4 billion. The results won’t be known until the second quarter report is released at the end of November before we know how that recent roller coaster ride affected the Fund. The forecasted investment income is expected to be around $46 million. All of this money is transferred to the Province’s General Revenue Fund to support Albertans' priorities, including program spending in health care, education, infrastructure and to help keep taxes low. Managing the Heritage Fund is all about patience. It’s not just a matter of knowing the risks - it’s about managing the risks. The ministry of Revenue, through consultation with Albertans, will set a clear purpose for the Fund and set parameters for when the Heritage Fund will be used, and how the money will be used. Regardless of the outcome, the Heritage Fund will continue to meet the province’s long-term fiscal needs and will continue to be used in a manner endorsed by Albertans. We must remember that the Fund’s assets belong to the province, and most importantly, to each and every Albertan. PROTECTION FOR PERSONS IN CARE ACT LEGISLATIVE REVIEW BEGINS - A legislative review of the Protection for Persons in Care Act has begun with the appointment of a review committee. The committee will review Alberta's existing Act (and similar legislation in other provinces), the scope of the Act, the definitions of abuse, broad administrative and legal implications, and its consistency with other legislation. The committee will conduct public consultations in the Fall 2002, beginning with the release of a public discussion guide and questionnaire for Albertans wanting to make a submission. When the Act came into force in 1998, it was decided to get the Act working as soon as possible to promote the safety and well being of adults in care, and then have a review to consider making changes in the future. Information from the consultations and submissions will be reviewed and summarized in a report with recommendations to be presented to the Minister of Community Development. Any proposed legislative amendments will come forward to government in 2003. For more information, I would encourage you to visit the web site www.cd.gov.ab.ca or call toll free 310-0000, (780) 415-8617.
EDUCATION
On-Line School Kit Gets Students And Parents On Track
Facts and figures about Alberta’s education system and links to resources aimed at getting students and parents off on the right track this school year are now available in Alberta Learning’s on-line Back to School Information Kit. For more information, please visit the website www.learning.gov.ab.ca/BackToSchool/ Alberta’s Commission On Learning Prepares To Hear From Albertans In September, the Commission’s consultation process titled Doing Our Homework began with the distribution of a workbook and the launch of an interactive website. The Commission invites presentations from the public in 9 communities across the province. Focus groups of randomly selected Albertans will also be held in a number of communities throughout the province. As well, plans are being developed to seek input from students and Aboriginal communities For more details on how Albertans can participate in the consultation process, please visit the website http://www.learning.gov.ab.ca/commission/. As mentioned previously, the Commission’s final report is expected in June 2003. WCB APPEALS COMMISION - The Appeals Commission for the WCB is now fully independent of the WCB. The Appeals Commission now reports to the Minister of Human Resources and Employment. The WCB will no longer be able to require that the Appeals Commission reconsider its decisions. “While these changes will make it clear the Appeals Commission is an independent decision-maker, workers and employers will experience little change in the process they follow to initiate their appeal,” said Chief Appeals Commissioner George Pheasey. RATIFYING KYOTO NOW WOULD BE A BREACH OF FAITH BY OTTAWA, PREMIER KLEIN SAYS - Premier Ralph Klein has said that a rushed ratification of the Kyoto Protocol would be a betrayal of a pledge made by the Federal government on a ratification process. Canada accounts for only 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while countries that are not bound by Kyoto account for over 60% of emissions. Rushing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol before the full impacts are known is just too great a risk for Canadians to take, especially considering that our country is an incredibly small contributor to the problem. Premier Klein also questioned the effectiveness of the climate change treaty. If the Canadian government wants to get serious about responding to global warming, we need to get Canadian clean energy technology into developing countries, many of which are now using old, dirty technology. Helping countries that are big producers of greenhouse gases would be much more effective than severely penalizing countries like Canada that are small producers. Under Kyoto, Canada could pay billions of dollars annually to buy "hot air" credits from other countries - money that would leave the country's economy without achieving any emissions reductions at all. A better approach is to invest in technology and conservation measures, as called for in Alberta's climate change plan, which will achieve actual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
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