Alberta.

• Author: Rempel, Jody
• Position: Legislative Reports

Fourth Session of the 29lh Legislature

The Fourth Session of the 29th Legislature resumed on October 29, 2018, and adjourned, as scheduled, on December 6, 2018. The Fall Sitting was dominated by the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline issue. Multiple questions were being posed almost every day during Question Period, through debate on proposed legislation and in emergency debates.

Emergency Debates

Standing Order 30 was successfully invoked twice during the fall sitting to adjourn the ordinary business of the Assembly to discuss a matter of urgent public importance. On October 29, 2018, the Assembly held an emergency debate regarding the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. On November 21, 2018, there was an emergency debate regarding the impact of the oil price differential in Alberta.

Bill 21--Recommitted to Committee of the Whole

On October 30, 2018, the government introduced Bill 21, An Act to Protect Patients to amend the Health Professions Act. The legislation would limit the ability of health professionals found guilty of unprofessional conduct based on sexual abuse or sexual misconduct from regaining their professional licences in Alberta. Bill 21 then took a unique journey through the stages of debate in the Assembly.

On November 8, 2018, Jason Nixon, MLA (Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre), Official Opposition House Leader, moved an amendment to the motion for Third Reading to recommit Bill 21 to the Committee of the Whole for the purpose of reconsidering sections 7 and 26. The amendment was passed and the Bill was recommitted.

Bill 21 originally provided for a five-year minimum waiting period before healthcare professionals could be eligible to reapply for their licences in cases of unprofessional conduct pertaining to either sexual abuse or sexual misconduct. During Committee consideration, Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman, MLA (Edmonton-Glenora), introduced an amendment to prevent healthcare professionals whose licenses were revoked due to sexual abuse from ever reapplying to practice in Alberta. A subamendment, introduced by Laila Goodridge, MLA (Fort McMurray-Conklin), added a list of criminal offences of a sexual nature under the Criminal Code (Canada) which would also lead to a permanent ban on reapplying for a licence to practice. The subamendment, and the amendment as amended, were agreed to, and the recommitted sections of the Bill were reported with amendments.

Later that same day, Karen McPherson, MLA (Calgary-Mackay-Nose...