Water Transfers
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. March 22 is World Water Day, and this year’s theme is trans boundary freshwater management, focusing on water that crosses over the border to our neighbours in other provinces and territories. My questions are to the Minister of Environment. Since the Water Act does not make it clear that human needs must be the priority in all water allocations, will the government look at amending the act to make it explicit that the needs of people and communities should always come first?
The Sergeant-at-Arms: Order in the gallery! You’re not part of these proceedings.
Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the issue that the member brings forward is very much part of the discussion that we are about to engage Albertans in with respect to water allocation. I would suggest that if it were so simple to simply say that human needs come first, it could have been done by now. But the fact is: how do you define what are human needs? How do you determine whether human needs include the water that’s used for agricultural purposes to feed humans or whether human needs include the water that’s used for industrial purposes to employ humans and pay the bills so that humans can exist? I would suggest to the member that that’s a very simplistic way of looking at it.
Ms Blakeman: I disagree.
To the same minister. The system of – wait for it – first in time, first in right is an archaic throwback and bad management practice. When is this government going to bring their 19th century system into the 21st century and base water allocations on a system of priority needs, not just who got there first?
Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question last week when the member asked me about our water allocation process. I indicated to her that we are in the midst, as we speak, of exploring a number of different alternatives, that everything is on the table, and that we will be bringing forward a draft policy for Albertans to comment on later this summer or early in the fall.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Blakeman: Thank you. To the same minister. This year’s World Water Day is highlighting trans boundary water management, but in the oil sands we’ve had two years of untreated human waste dumped into the river, tailings ponds leaking into groundwater, and oil and grease spills. Given all of this what is the minister doing to ensure that we live up to our trans boundary commitments to preserve water quality as it moves across the border?
Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, standards that are established nationally and in some cases internationally are something that we are involved in developing and ensuring that we adhere to those standards. I can assure the hon. member that Alberta lives up to its commitments that we have both interprovincially and internationally.
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