Alberta.
Author | Gravel, Micheline S. |
Position | Legislative Reports - Report |
The Fall sitting of the 3rd Session of the 26th Legislature adjourned on December 5, 2007, after 17 sitting days, including a record 21-hour and 53 minute sitting from December 4, 2007, to December 5, 2007. This was the second all-night sitting in the Third Session, the first of which occurred during the Spring sitting. At the conclusion of the sitting, 29 Government Bills and one Private Members' Public Bill had been passed by the Assembly.
During the Fall sitting the Assembly also approved supplementary estimates for 16 departments totalling $1,530,638,000.
Government Bills
Notable Bills passed during the Fall sitting include:
* Bill 1, Lobbyists Act, requires lobbyists to register and allows individuals to access the lobbyist registry regarding people, groups and organizations who lobby the Provincial Government. The Bill also prohibits lobbyists from simultaneously lobbying and being paid by the Government to provide advice to the Government on the same issue and contains provisions to have the listing of entities who receive payment from the Government posted online. The Policy Field Committee recommended several amendments which were adopted. A Government amendment broadened the exemption for non-profit organizations.
* Bill 31, Mental Health Amendment Act, 2007, amends the Act by broadening the criteria for involuntary admission and introducing community treatment orders in Alberta. Substantial Government subamendments were proposed to the recommended Policy Field Committee amendments in the case of Bill 31.
In the Spring, Bill 1, Lobbyists Act was referred to the Assembly's new Standing Committee on Government Services. Bill 31, Mental Health Amendment Act, 2007, was referred to the new Standing Committee on Community Services. After holding public hearings, both Committees recommended that the respective Bills proceed with amendments. A great deal of time was spent in Committee of the Whole on Bills I and 31 despite the Bills having received substantial consideration by the relevant Policy Field Committees.
* Bill 46, Alberta Utilities Commission Act, separates the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board into two separate regulatory bodies: a new Energy Resources Conservation Board and the Alberta Utilities Commission. The Bill would have established a Utilities Consumer Advocate as part of the Commission and restricted intervener funding. The opposition was critical of the Bill and outlined numerous concerns including what they felt...
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