#edmonton-decore

Mr. Nielsen: Historically I’ve always seen this cycle that comes forward. You know, government comes in: “Ah, well, you know, the former government just spent recklessly and put us into debt and everything, so we’ve got to climb our way out of that.” Then you get to the point where you’re starting to make some success: “We can’t help you just yet. We’re close. We’re almost there. Just hang on a little bit longer.” Then you get to the next stage of: “You know what? We’re just starting to get ahead. Things are really ramping up. We’re really going to get going here. Can I just get you to hold tight a little bit longer?” People keep waiting, and then you get: “You know what? There are signs the future is not looking good. We’ve got to prepare for the future. You’re just going to have to wait.” Then when things are free-falling: “Well, things are in free fall. We can’t help you now.”

It’s this cycle that keeps going along. It’s the cycle of failing to help, and we’re always leaving the most vulnerable behind based on what I was just talking about, a constituent on AISH who can’t afford a utility. But what’s up for offer? Oh, a whole $150 spread out over three months in $50 chunks. And I still haven’t heard the plan as to when that’s going to get paid out, how that’s going to get paid out. In the meantime they’re falling further and further behind, which then leads me to another constituent that’s already in trouble, and now their power is getting limited. Can you imagine, Mr. Chair, not being able to have a pot on the stove and some toast in the toaster? But, hey, I’ve got 50 bucks for you. Come on. Really?

You all were able to bet $1.3 billion on Donald Trump’s election. You’ve managed to find tens of millions of dollars to go chase Bigfoot and get logos wrong. Yet we can’t help some of our most vulnerable in the province to make sure that they at least have a decent quality of life because, as I believe the Minister of Community and Social Services had said: we’ve got to create wealth first before you’re able to take care of people.

Mr. Panda: Yes.

Mr. Nielsen: I will start by stating some basic facts about COVID-19. It is not the flu. It has affected both the young and old. Our homeless population is not immune. Those infected with COVID-19 are sick. Keeping our schools safe will require more than having teachers tidy up. It’s dangerous and must be taken seriously. These are the essential facts, essential because from the start of this pandemic the Premier has argued against each of these points. At every single chance this Premier has used his position to dismiss the seriousness of COVID-19, from the start of this pandemic, where the Premier six times in one day called COVID-19 the flu, to this week, where the Premier invented a birthday party rather than admit schools might not be safe...

Mr. Nielsen: I can’t help but think back to my younger days, when I was playing the game I love, basketball. It was a while ago. What I found was that throughout my career there were times when players would find themselves getting caught up in the moment, and they would want to do what was lovingly referred to as forcing the play. They would just be so consumed with: I am going to get this section of our play done no matter what happens.

Mr. Nielsen: I remember it, yeah. The NDP government brought in time allocation – what? – three times. I actually thought it was four times. You all beat that just today, let alone what we’ve already seen in the 30th Legislature.

Member Loyola: Twenty-five.

Mr. Nielsen: Twenty-five. Thanks to my friend from Edmonton-Ellerslie for bringing me up to date. Twenty-five.

Mr. Nielsen: Now, here’s where I might ruffle some feathers, Mr. Chair. I have heard members of this House, members that are part of the government, part of the government caucus, who’ve very proudly talked about the roots they have in labour and what they come from. I’m going to issue one final challenge. It’s likely what it’s going to be. If indeed your roots are in labour, if you believe in fighting for the safety of Albertans, if you believe in trying to make their quality of life better, then it should not be any problem whatsoever to accept this amendment, because that’s exactly what it will do. It will make the lives of Albertans better. It will make them safer. As I’d mentioned, with the WCB being adversarial, this will at the very least take that adversarial role away for our firefighters.

Mr. Nielsen: You know, I must admit, Mr. Speaker, I was a little frustrated listening to the former minister of seniors patting herself on the back and the government on the back for all the work that they’ve done for seniors. If everything has been so rosy, why, when I’m talking with seniors or they’re coming to my office, are they showing me how their lives have gotten more difficult? Their insurance costs have gone up, their property taxes have gone up, their utilities have gone up, making life more difficult. But now they’re on a fixed income at the same time.

As was mentioned earlier, you know, making changes so that going to get an exam for the driver’s licence – that’s one of the biggest things I hear...You’ve raised their costs so much that now $85 or $150 is now becoming a barrier, and a Seniors Advocate would have told you that very clearly.

Mr. Nally: They would’ve told us that the carbon tax is a bigger barrier.

Mr. Nielsen: I’m happy to see the minister of red tape get up and participate in this discussion rather than just chirping on the other side. Maybe you should start advocating for your seniors and stop having them pay to get their driver’s licence exams.

Mr. Nally: Join us in pushing back on the carbon tax.