Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Official Opposition for years has been fighting for an independent review of MLA salary and benefits. 

The need for this review was further highlighted when the Premier and his cabinet voted themselves huge raises after the last election. While we won the battle with the passing of Motion 501, there are still unanswered questions about the scope of review of this committee.

To the Premier: will the recommendations of the committee be binding?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I met with the hon. leader the other day, I believe at a social function here in the city of Edmonton, and I asked him if we can get an opportunity to just sit down and chat about the motion that was passed, since it was moved by an hon. member from the opposition. We’re going to do whatever we can to work with the opposition parties and put the right committee in place. That information, I believe, goes to a committee that’s chaired by you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the MLA pay committee’s scope include the extra pay that government members receive for sitting on internal cabinet policy committees?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, again, I asked the hon. leader to sit down and work through all of these questions that they might have and also have input on what process we follow and what’s on the table for review.

Dr. Swann: Again to the Premier: will the MLA pay committee’s scope include travel, accommodation, and hosting expenses that are claimed by both members and their assistants?

Mr. Stelmach: That comes out of the Legislative Assembly, so that’s a completely different matter. But I will say, though, in terms of ministerial expenses, that I believe we’re the only jurisdiction that on a regular basis puts all the expenses on the web on a regular interval. No matter what expenses are incurred in the office, all Albertans know of them almost immediately.

The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition.

School Closures

Dr. Swann: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Government utilization policy is forcing school boards to drain the city core of schools in favour of the suburbs. At the same time, cities like Edmonton and Calgary, in keeping with the government’s own land-use framework, are trying to reduce urban sprawl and revitalize their cores, which is hard to do without good schools to attract people to the core. To the Premier: will the Premier commit to an expeditious review of these contradictory education and municipal policies before real damage is done to core neighbourhoods in Calgary and Edmonton?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s not government policy that determines whether a school is closed or not. It’s a question of what the most appropriate educational opportunities for students are. School boards have a responsibility to make sure they use their resources well to make sure that they have the best opportunity for students, and they do a good job at it. Edmonton public school board, with the city centre school project, closed some schools, yes, but made sure that the receiving schools provided a better educational opportunity for the students in that area.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the last Minister of Education mentioned reviewing a school closure situation in 2005 and nothing happened, will the Premier end the empty promises and temporarily halt school closures in Edmonton and Calgary until this review is done?

Mr. Stelmach: As the minister mentioned, Mr. Speaker, we’re going to do what’s best in the interests of the education of the children.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. They’re clearly not talking to each other in the government. Given the government’s policies for school utilization are on a collision course with municipal development, why won’t the Premier take this issue seriously and put in place a school utilization policy that actually works with our municipalities instead of against them?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I can let the hon. member know that I have had many, many conversations with school boards and with mayors and municipalities about how we can better use our schools both as a school facility and as a community facility. We’re working very closely with them in terms of how surplus school properties can be utilitized, how they can be maintained where necessary in order to be reused as a school when the neighbourhood regenerates. All of that work and that communication is actually happening.

Alberta Hansard, March 10, 2010

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