Farm Worker Safety (March 14, 2011)
Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The former member probably looked at my questions because this is an excellent segue.
When an explosion at a natural gas well in Edson injured 12 workers earlier this month, provincial safety inspectors rushed to the scene to investigate. But when two Albertans were tragically killed in December, safety inspectors sent to the site had to turn around and go home. Why? The second incident involved paid farm workers, meaning that occupational health and safety inspectors are not allowed to investigate. To the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: will the minister support the Alberta Liberals’ call earlier this year to make investigations mandatory for serious farm safety accidents?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the minister will support is what has been recommended by the industry. Alberta’s farmers and rural Albertans are no different than urban Albertans. They want government out of their face. They want us to help them with the tools that are available, and we’re going to do that. We’re not going to complicate their lives. But what they are unanimous on in rural Alberta and urban Alberta is that they have no respect for ambulance chasers.
Ms Pastoor: How is the government supposed to design an adequate program to reduce the number of farm worker deaths and injuries when you don’t even investigate the causes of the incidents?
Mr. Hayden: Mr. Speaker, we do investigate. We take a great deal of pride in the work that we do along with the producers in the province and the different organizations to try and ensure that we save lives of Alberta farmers and agriculture industry people by reducing injuries, and we’re doing that. That’s where our concentration is now, and that’s what the industry has asked us for.
Ms Pastoor: Will any of those investigations be made public, and will the newly appointed farm safety council have any power to request inquiries? A simple order in council could address this. I might add that there’s only one representative south of Calgary.
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will do as we’ve done with the original consultations: we’ll take very seriously any recommendations that come forward. We do have Laura Nelson from Raymond, Alberta, in southern Alberta, which is very close to the border. We’ve got people throughout the province. I suppose it depends where you want to put a pin on the map. If you want to go to the middle of our province, that’s Swan Hills, then all but two members are in southern Alberta.
Alberta Hansard, March 14, 2011