Dr. Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last year Alberta Health Services handed out executive bonuses when they had a projected deficit of $1.3 billion. 

The letters outlining the bonuses said, “Many of the typical individual and portfolio performance measures used to establish this payment were difficult to measure . . . and [not consistent] during this year of transition.” To the Premier: how can the Premier defend a bonus of $129,000 of taxpayers’ money for one person when your documents show you cannot measure the performance of that person?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the Alberta Health Services Board has taken decisive steps to overhaul the process of executive contract negotiations. The most important step is the establishment of a standardized contract for senior executives, which will cover all of the senior executives in Alberta Health Services.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Premier support Alberta Health Services handing out bonuses larger than most Albertans make in a year as a reward for creating a $1.3 billion deficit while public-sector employees are facing wage freezes?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I wonder if I could address that on behalf of the Premier. We have to keep in mind here that stuff that occurred two or three years ago is a matter of history. What’s more important is how we’re going forward. When we have individuals who are handling a $10 billion budget, approximately, we have individuals who are looking after 400 different health facilities in the province, we have individuals who are helping to manage or work with approximately 90,000 employees across the province, it requires us to be very competitive in who we hire and how we hire.

Dr. Swann: Again to the Premier, Mr. Speaker: will the Premier order an immediate halt to the bonus system for Alberta Health Services’ executives and restore some semblance of public confidence?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, with respect to executive bonuses we took a very big decision last year. We cancelled all senior level management bonuses within the government, which is $40 million. Alberta Health Services is following up on the leadership that this government has shown and is going to renegotiate all of the contracts and look at a consistent approach to all senior executive positions within Alberta Health Services.

Small Business Assistance

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recent numbers show that insolvencies are up 9 per cent in Alberta and that there has been an almost 80 per cent increase in bankruptcy proposals over the past year. Now we find that Alberta is becoming a very minor player in venture capital markets, attracting only 6 per cent of venture capital dollars. We now have a situation where less and less money is going into building the economy. More and more people are suffering through the current crises, and all we get from government is increasingly hollow claims that Alberta will be the strongest economy and the first to recover. To the Premier: what will the Premier do to increase the availability of venture capital in Alberta?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we have taken bold steps to increase the amount of venture capital invested in the province. It first starts with the money that’s invested in research. Then it leads to further commercialization of those ideas. In fact, we’ve set aside a hundred million dollars to attract much of the investment to Alberta. There were recent announcements, and there will continue to be more in terms of money coming to the province. We’re on the right track. The other thing, Mr. Speaker, is that we are debt free operationally. We don’t have any debt in the bank to pay. We’re keeping our taxes low. We’re not increasing them. That is what attracts business to this province.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is the Premier doing to deal with the fact that we have the highest per capita number of bankruptcies in the country?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we also had the hottest economy a number of years ago, when oil was $145, $147 a barrel. Those are some of the issues that the government, of course, is dealing with, but now the economy has settled down. There are very good green shoots in the economy coming forward, and we’re going to see a good recovery not only in the number of businesses moving to Alberta but continued flow of people to Alberta because they do see this as a land of opportunity.

Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, when will the Premier admit that his do-nothing approach is only causing more and more pain for Alberta families and small businesses?

Mr. Stelmach: Well, Mr. Speaker, in terms of doing nothing, here we are a jurisdiction that said: no new taxes and no tax increases, no fee increases; we eliminated health care premiums for all Albertans. Those are all savings in the pockets of Albertans to be reinvested in the economy. I declare that compared to all jurisdictions in Canada, we have taken that leadership role, and we will continue. We will be the first to be in the black by 2012-13.

Alberta Hansard, April 13, 2010

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