Laurie in Debate
Bill 47: Livestock Commerce and Animal Inspection Statutes Amendment Act, 2007
Bill 47: Livestock Commerce and Animal Inspection Statutes Amendment Act, 2007 debate in the 26th Legislature of Alberta, 3rd Session by Ms. Laurie Blakeman, MLA Edmonton-Centre
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad this bill turned out the way it did because I think there was some concern in the very beginning that there was more going on here, that there was something nefarious, something to be worried about. It looks like it turned out with everybody supporting it, which is always a good thing in this Assembly.
I think the concerns at the beginning were that this was somehow hooked to BSE and importing and being able to test and things, and that’s always a worry in Alberta. What we actually saw here was clarification of requirements around security interest disclosure, sale documentation, the actual paperwork, prompt payment, and livestock permits. I think that this also has an amendment in it to the Animal Health Act which would add inspection authority over livestock market facilities as well as the other areas that they currently have.
Just a few concerns. There are a number of items being added into regulations again, and that never pleases me. The government always argues that this is useful for effective management. In this case they’re arguing effective management of licensing and documentation and inspections, but I continue to argue that if they’re that important, then the issues should be addressed in the legislation itself, and this should not be done behind closed doors. I think that what exacerbates a concern here is other choices that have been made where the government has made regulations weaker, such as with the confined feeding operations. Again, that happened away from the fresh air and the light of day.
The inspection powers. It’s a question about whether the inspections will uphold the rules which have been set out. We have heard some concerns raised with us again around monitoring and enforcement, which has become a very common theme with this government. They set something in legislation or in regulations, and then there’s no monitoring ability. There’s no monitoring staff to follow up and see if, in fact, compliance is being achieved, if standards are being met, you know, if criteria are being handled appropriately.
Then, of course, there’s enforcement. If there’s actually monitoring and it’s found that there’s a lack of compliance, then enforcement needs to happen. Unfortunately, that is the one area where this government fails repeatedly. We had a lack of monitoring and enforcement around infection control. We’ve had problems around environmental protection. We’ve had other health examples.
There’s a number of different sectors that this government just fails, frankly, on monitoring and enforcement. They don’t put an emphasis on it. We have concerns about that possibility with this act as well.
Aside from those concerns which I have raised here but that have also been raised by others who have spoken to this bill, we did consult as widely as we could with the obvious choices: the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, Chicken Producers, Alberta Pork, Alberta Turkey Producers, Alberta Beef Producers, and others that you would expect us to be talking to around a bill like this. Aside from the comments that I’ve raised, they were pretty much okay with it, so we are also.
Thank you for allowing me to put that on the record on Bill 47 in third reading.
Other Sections
Youth Voice
@ The Leg
Photo Blog