Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no question that ducks died on tailings ponds controlled by Syncrude, but the Premier’s policy of maintaining a wilful ignorance of the damage done to our international reputation is not helping. 

How can the Premier say that he’s on top of this file when he hasn’t even seen the photos that the rest of the world is looking at? This is the single biggest black mark on Alberta’s oil sands industry ever. My question is to the Premier. What sort of a briefing has the Premier had? Don’t ask, don’t tell?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Of course I saw the very same photos that everyone in this Assembly saw when the ducks first perished in the tailings pond. I saw, you know, volunteers trying to remove the oil with cotton swabs off the ducks’ bills.

However, that was when the incident originally took place. The reference here is to the pictures that are evidence in the trial that is before us. I was very frank to the reporter yesterday. I did not see those pictures at all prior to them being delivered to the court as evidence. This is a serious situation before the court. It’s a very good act that we have. We’ve charged the company that’s responsible for it, and let the court decide.

The Speaker: I’m not sure where this is leading, but if this matter is sub judice, I’m going to seek advice from the Minister of Justice.

But I don’t think so from the first question.

The hon. member.

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. Mr. Premier, people see these images and ask: what is Alberta doing to stop this? What direct action is the Premier taking to give leadership on tailings ponds reclamation, on hard targets on emissions, on reducing the use of water, and all the other environmental issues that go along with this?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we have the strictest environmental laws in the nation, and that is why in this particular case under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act the charges were laid to the company pursuant to that act.

With respect to the Fort McMurray area, Mr. Speaker, there is no area in Canada or perhaps even in North America that is as closely monitored on a 24-hour basis 365 days a year for air, water, and soil quality.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. Back to the Premier again. Spin, spin, spin. Leadership is not about spin. It’s not about rebranding. It’s about actions taken to achieve a particular result. Is the Premier happy with the result so far? We have dozens of pages in international magazines talking about what a disgrace this is. Are you happy with it so far?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, there’s a lot that has been done in Fort McMurray and, in fact, right across Alberta with respect to the development of resources. There is a lot of attention paid, obviously, to this area because there is a fair amount of production of oil, and it has attracted a lot of attention. But, again, if you go back to third-party evaluation, 98 per cent of the time the air quality in Fort Saskatchewan and Fort McMurray, in those two areas, which have a large oil and gas and value-added presence, is better than or equal to any major Canadian city in North America.

Alberta Hansard, March 9, 2010

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