Alberta.

• Author: Orydzuk, Micheline S.
• Position: Bills

The Fall Sitting of the First Session of the 26th Legislature adjourned on December 1, 2005 after 11 sitting days. By the conclusion of the sitting, 18 Government Bills and one Private Bill were passed by the Assembly. During the Fall Sitting, the Assembly also approved supplementary estimates totalling $1, 770, 397, 000 for 13 departments.

Government Bills

Notable Bills passed during the Fall Sitting include:

----- Bill 43, Alberta Resource Rebate Statutes Amendment Act, 2005, introduced by Shirley McClellan, Minister of Finance, allows the Government to provide Albertans with a $400 per person resource rebate.

----- Bill 46, Criminal Notoriety Act, introduced by Mary-Anne Jablonski (PC, Red Deer-North), prohibits criminals from any financial gain they may receive by recounting their crimes through books, movies, television or the Internet.

----- Bill 50, Workers" Compensation Amendment Act, 2005 (No. 2), introduced by Richard Magnus (PC, Calgary-North Hill), provides workers' compensation benefits to firefighters who suffer a myocardial infarction within 24 hours of responding to an emergency.

----- Bill 54, Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan Amendment Act, 2005, introduced by David Hancock, Minister of Advanced Education, amends the Act by extending the $100 Registered Education Savings Plans grant payable to children at ages 8, 11 and 14 who were born in Alberta in 2005 and beyond, to now include all Alberta children turning 8, 11 and 14 years of age.

Private Bills

One Private Bill was passed during the Fall Sitting. Bill Pr4, Brooklyn Hannah George Rewega Right of Civil Action Act, allows this child to commence an action against her mother for injuries sustained in a traffic accident that occurred prior to birth. The daughter is alleged to have suffered brain damage and blindness as a result of a single vehicle accident that occurred when her mother was pregnant. The Bill allows the father, on behalf of the child, to bring a civil action against the mother for damages arising from the accident.

In the Spring, the Standing Committee on Private Bills deferred its consideration of Bill Pr4 until the Fall in order to allow the Government time to consider whether it would introduce similar legislation to deal with this matter. During the Fall Sitting, the Government introduced Bill 45, Maternal Tort Liability Act, which provides a narrow exception to the current common law by allowing the right of compensation for a child who...