Shayne Saskiw has been hard at work in the Alberta Legislature, and though no legislation has yet been passed, a number of pressing issues have the opposition MLA up in arms.
“It’s interesting,” Saskiw said as he gave the Post an update on the goings-on under the dome in Edmonton. “No legislation has been passed, but one thing that’s about to be accomplished is that the PC government is giving themselves an eight per cent pay raise.”
Saskiw, who says that after the last election, the PC government treated themselves to a 34 per cent pay raise, is unimpressed, to say the least.
“It’s startling, considering the province is at a $3 billion dollar deficit and the government is in important contract negotiations with teachers, nurses and other groups—if you give yourself an eight per cent pay raise, how do you go to these other groups and ask them to tighten their belts?”
While the raise has not yet been finalized, Saskiw says that Premier Redford supports the pay hike, and the first-term MLA pledges to fight what he considers a hypocritical and unwarranted bonus.
In regards to the Katz group donation furor—opposition parties have been up in arms over an alleged $430,000 donation from the company of the man who owns the Edmonton Oilers, a group also lobbying the government for millions of dollars to build a new hockey arena in the city—Saskiw says that in response to oppositions qualms, the Chief Electoral Officer has indicated that he will be investigating the questionable donations to the PC party.
Closer to home, Saskiw has set his sights on Bill 2—legislation that will create a single regulator for oil and gas development.
“I support the creation of a single regulator to streamline development and cut red tape, but the issue we have with the bill is that it takes away appeal rights for the land owner,” he said.
Right now, landowners can appeal any development decisions with the Energy Resources Conservation Board and the Environmental Appeals Board.
If Bill 2 passes, these agencies will no longer have jurisdiction, and the right of the landowner to appeal decisions that will affect their land will be taken away.
“If you have an issue, once the regulation board has made its decision, your only recourse will be to have the regulation board review it’s own decision—that’s not a real appeal. Typically when people make a decision, they make it because they think it’s right,” Saskiw said. “We agree with the bill in theory, but it is poorly drafted. If something is going on on your land, you should be able to appeal to the government. It’s due process—it’s not fair for landowners to have something happen on their land with no recourse.”
When asked what he was taking away from his first weeks in Alberta’s legislature, Saskiw says legislation like Bill 2 had him surprised at the way the government passes law.
“I’m surprised at how backwards the drafting of laws is done in Alberta,” he said ruefully. “In other jurisdictions, if contentious or complex legislation is proposed, they’ll give it to an all-party committee to look over; they’ll consult stakeholders, and come up with substantive amendments to ensure the legislation is done properly. This doesn’t happen in Alberta—Bill 2 is over 100 pages, with complex legalese, and they’re trying to ram it through in a week and a half. They’re just ramming these laws through legislature. It’s a flawed process and that’s why this government is going to keep passing bad laws.”
