Alberta.

• Author: Reynolds, Robert
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Spring Sitting of the Third Session of the Twenty-Fifth Legislature adjourned on May 15, 2003 after 46 sitting days. At the conclusion of the sitting, 36 Government Bills, 3 Private Members' Public Bills and 2 Private Bills were passed by the Assembly. Nine Government Bills were left on the Order Paper.

Government Bills

Some of the Bills passed during the Spring Sitting include:

* Bill 3, Electric Utilities Act, introduced by Mel Knight (PC, Grande Prairie-Smoky), addresses a number of issues related to the structure of the industry by establishing an independent system operator (ISO), combining the functions of the Power Pool and transmission administrator into one organization and allowing energy companies to align electricity and natural gas so that consumers are given a choice in a competitive market place. The Bill also provides for an independently governed Balancing Pool and gives the Energy Utilities Board wider powers, including the ability to enforce service quality standards and levy fines in special circumstances.

* Bill 19, Gas Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2003, introduced by Luke Ouellette (PC, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake), increases retail competition for natural gas retailers and utility companies, aligns the retail natural gas and electricity markets and allows both commodities to be marketed together, and enables firms other than utility companies to provide regulated gas supply service to consumers.

* Bill 27, Labour Relations (Regional Health Authorities Restructuring) Amendment Act, 2003, reduces the number of bargaining units in the nine newly restructured Regional Health Authorities. The Bill also reduces the number of collective agreements from 400 and amalgamates the agreements into four bargaining units: nursing, auxiliary nursing, technical professionals and support staff. Other provisions remove nurse practitioners from collective bargaining and remove the ability of health care employees, not already so prevented, from striking.

* Bill 42, Electoral Divisions Act, sets out boundaries for 83 constituencies based on the final report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, which was approved by motion of the Assembly on April 14, 2003. Government amendments were introduced at Committee of the Whole stage. Debby Carlson, Official Opposition House Leader, indicated during Committee of the Whole consideration on May 13 that the Official Opposition did not support the process for bringing forward amendments to the...