Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, the recent changes to the mission and vision of Elections Alberta highlight the inadequacies of the current approach to democratic renewal in Alberta. 

While the former Chief Electoral Officer engaged and encouraged the voting public, his replacement seems to have a less ambitious agenda. Why won’t the minister admit what Albertans already know? Real democratic reform to Alberta’s electoral system is not on the government agenda.

Ms Redford: Well, Mr. Speaker, there’s legislation coming before this House very shortly that’s going to deal with a number of great recommendations that were made by both the current Chief Electoral Officer and the former Chief Electoral Officer. I would say that the future of democracy in Alberta is certainly well and good in place, and he shouldn’t be predicting anything else.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Stakeholder groups have spoken to me about what they perceive to be a wilful blindness to solve the problems that have been identified to the government many years ago. An example of this is providing university students with the ability to choose their ordinary residence for the purpose of voting. Why does this government refuse to act when these Albertans are asking for these types of changes?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We think that’s an issue of a great deal of importance, as did the former Chief Electoral Officer. We’ve carefully reviewed the legislation, and I believe students do have that right at the moment.

Mr. Hehr: Well, Mr. Speaker, I realize that the Chief Electoral Officer is an officer of this Assembly, but it baffles me why this Legislature would hire an individual who does not want to actually promote individuals voting in elections. What bothers me more is the fact that this minister appears to be satisfied with a 41 per cent voter participation rate in Alberta. To that end, how many of the former electoral reforms will the Justice minister be bringing forward out of the 180 recommendations?

Ms Redford: Well, Mr. Speaker, the legislation will be before this House shortly, and the hon. member will be able to see that for himself. I’m not going to debate that ahead of time. Mr. Speaker, the other thing that I think is very important to discuss here is this constant association between the voter turnout and whether or not democracy is in peril. In this very House one hon. member from this member’s caucus speculated on 10 or 15 reasons why people may or may not have voted in the last election, and none of them had to do with democracy.

Alberta Hansard, February 24, 2010

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