Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, Albertans see electricity prices spike, and we hear that the minister is not happy about it. But what does he do about it?

Nothing at all. The minister could make simple changes to the regulated rate option to protect consumers without distorting his beloved market, but he refuses. This reminds me of a famous queen saying, “Let them eat cake” when the peasants were short on bread. If the minister is not happy and homeowners and small businesses aren’t happy, why does he refuse to act?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Dr. Morton: Well, of course, Mr. Speaker, we are acting. It’s the reason that we’re reviewing the AESO proposals for two new north-south lines. One of the concerns on that is the cost and the pass-along costs both to commercial users and residential users. To say that we’re not acting is absolutely not true.

Mr. Hehr: Well, given that Sheldon Fulton of the Industrial Power Consumers Association of Alberta has suggested two changes to help consumers without harming the market the minister loves so much, will the minister consider the suggestion of a change to the economic withholding-of-power rule and allow utilities to sign power purchasing agreements beyond 45 days on behalf of regulated-rate customers?

Dr. Morton: Mr. Speaker, I guess most of us know that the opposition usually gets the material for their questions out of the morning newspapers, which is obviously the case this morning. The article that I know is the source of this has some confusion in it. There are two different electrical markets. There is the residential market and the wholesale market. Some of the comments by the individual he referred to apply to the wholesale market but not to the retail residential market.

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, I also heard that the minister wasn’t happy about this from the paper. Hopefully, that was correct.

Given that the minister is not happy, that I’m not happy, our constituents aren’t happy, and even industry groups aren’t happy, will the minister in this House commit that by this time next year the regulated option will be changed to even out the peaks and valleys for families and small businesses so that our province isn’t once again visited by the electricity Grinch at Christmas.

Dr. Morton: Mr. Speaker, finally we find something we agree upon. He’s not happy with higher prices. I’m not happy with higher prices. I suspect nobody is happy with higher prices. We all like lower prices. What we’re happy about is that we have a province with zero – zero – public debt on electricity whereas other provinces have tens of billions of dollars of debt.

Funding for Private Schools

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Education indicated that I was against choice in private schools. I want to make it clear that I am all for choice in private schools. In a free society if people do not wish to go to the public education system, go nuts. Go to a private school. Just don’t ask the taxpayer to fund your adventure.

To the Minister of Education: given that the Webber Academy only accepts students in the 75th percentile and charges parents up to $16,000 a year – and this is just one of so many examples – why are we using taxpayer dollars to subsidize these elite private schools?

Mr. Lukaszuk: Well, Mr. Speaker, I have to start by saying that calling the thousands of parents who choose to send their kids to private school nuts is simply inappropriate. I hope that the member withdraws that statement.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we pride ourselves in choice in this province, and if these parents choose to send their children to private school, pay the tuition or the fees that are associated with it, they can do that. The fact is that the Alberta government does not fully fund private schools nor do we contribute to the infrastructure for private schools.

Mr. Hehr: Given that many private schools charge large tuitions and make children take, essentially, IQ tests to establish a baseline of the type of student they want, clearly eliminating those students they don’t feel are up to their calibre, why are we funding these institutions whose sole interests are to provide education to only a very specific segment of the population?

Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr. Speaker, again incorrect. There are at least a dozen private schools that actually focus and specialize in children with learning disabilities and other disabilities. There are schools that are focusing on gifted children. There are schools that are focusing on kids with sports abilities or interests. There are schools that are focusing on religious or linguistic requirements. There is a vast array of choices, and that’s what we pride ourselves on. These parents are neither nuts, nor are their choices limited.

Mr. Hehr: Given the Premier’s concern for the rise of private and charter schools and given that private schools have smaller class sizes while charging parents astronomical fees, when will the minister implement the Learning Commission’s recommendations on class sizes in our public education system, a promise that is eight years overdue?

Mr. Lukaszuk: Mr. Speaker, we’re working with all school boards on meeting the guidelines that have been put in the Maskell report on classroom sizes. As a matter of fact, the Premier has very recently, just a few weeks ago, announced an additional $107 million that was intended to go into classrooms and alleviate some of the pressures.

We are now working through our budgeting process, and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that both school boards and parents and this government are working on creating the best environment for children to learn in.

Alberta Hansard, December 1, 2011

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