Motion for a Return 15
October 20, 2008
M15. Ms Blakeman moved on behalf of Ms Notley that an order of the Assembly do issue for a return showing a copy of all documents, including but not limited to memos, letters, faxes, e-mails, and notes, relating to the appointment of the expert panel on nuclear energy referred to by the Minister of Energy in the Assembly on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
Mr. Liepert: It’s the first step.
Ms Blakeman: It’s a courtesy. I know that’s a foreign concept to the members on the other side, but I thought it might be a courtesy. I guess it’s a little disappointing to see the reaction from the members opposite.
Mr. Liepert: First step to a merger.
Ms Blakeman: So what? You can’t offer someone a courtesy here?
The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre is recognized. Let’s pay attention.
Ms Blakeman: Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I truly am astounded by how discourteous members in this House are occasionally.
When we look at the motion that has been brought forward by the Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, I’ll be interested to see what the response of the government is to this particular one because the complaints in previous ones have been that all documents were asked for. Well, in this one all documents are also asked for, and then there is a proviso: including but not limited to memos, letters, faxes, e-mails, and notes, relating to the appointment of the expert panel on nuclear energy referred to by the Minister of Energy in the Assembly on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
There has been quite a bit of specificity supplied in this motion for a return. I am interested in the information, as I’m sure many members in this Assembly are, and I look forward to the government’s response to see whether they have the courage to release it.
[…]
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I’m not surprised to hear the response from the minister. It was more or less I think what I was expecting based on the responses that I’d heard from other ministers today. As a matter of fact, I suspect that the same person from Public Affairs wrote them all because they sound pretty similar to me.
I’m very happy on behalf of my colleague from Edmonton Strathcona to receive the documents he has offered to table and thank him for that. A question and a prod to the minister as to when we could expect the report that was commissioned by the government to be released publicly or at least to members of the Assembly. The taxpayers did pay for the report. I think they’re entitled to have a look at it.
Finally, I’m curious on what basis he makes his assumption that either I or the Member for Edmonton Strathcona have made up our minds on this particular issue. There was certainly nothing in my statements that indicated that, and I have no way of knowing what Edmonton-Strathcona’s views are on this particular subject. I wonder how he does. Perhaps the script from Public Affairs did not give him the flexibility to anticipate my moving this motion on behalf of the Member for Edmonton-Strathcona.
Again, thank you very much for the information he has offered. I’ll call the question.
[Motion for a Return 15 Lost]
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