Use of technology in the Alberta Legislative Assembly.

• Author: Haley, Carol

One topic on the agenda of the 40th Canadian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was the impact of technology on the legislature. This article looks at changes in the Alberta Legislative Assembly over the last decade.

While staff in the building and in the constituency offices have been going high tech ever since 1988, for members of the legislative assembly it was a much slower process. There was a perception that members did not need a computer because we have staff to type letters and answer the phones. No one could really see the need or the possibilities.

After many disagreements in our Members Services Committee about whether or not MLAs could even have a laptop computer, it was finally agreed that if we insisted on this insanity we would have to pay for them out of our constituency budgets. They would not be supplied as part of the MLA package. This should not come as a surprise to us because fax machines were considered an extra until about five years ago.

In 1996 the then Speaker of our Assembly, Stan Schumacher, reluctantly agreed to do some wiring in the chamber and we rebels were allowed to bring our laptops into the chamber as long as we followed some pretty strict rules on when they were to be turned on and to obey the no noise rules.

In 1996 there were five of us, in 1997 ten were on line and by 1998 we were up to 35 members. By the year 2000 there were 55 MLAs using laptops in the chamber.

In the fall of 2000 under the guidance of our current Speaker we made some great strides forward and arranged through Member Services to supply as part of the MLA package a Compaq Armada laptop, a small laser printer, and a docking station in everyone's office if they chose to have one.

Part of the reason for the model choice was to ensure that servicing would be a lot easier. Compatibility and service would be major issues if we were all buying different models and expecting a small but dedicated staff to help us learn. We have also arranged for a two-year turn around on upgrades just to try and keep everyone current with recent technology.

Our chamber is wired so we can all access the outside world, as well as our GroupWise email system. I will not tell you that every MLA is enjoying this experience and some, in fact, want no part of it. Personally, I cannot imagine not being on line. I do a lot of research and the internet has become an endless source of information for me.

MLAs are learning to adapt and...