Mr. Anderson: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise in this House on behalf of the Wildrose Alliance caucus to speak in support of Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act. One of the things I do believe this government, this House, but especially this PC government has done a very good job on for a very long period of time under the Attorney General, the Solicitor General as well as the Solicitor General’s predecessor and going back is protecting the safety of Albertans. They’re very much on top of this file and are doing a very good job. This is the next step in that.

Passage of this bill will extend much-needed protection to our valiant search and rescue workers. The noble work they do will be recognized by this bill, and it will also allow for the sharing of resources among our smaller Alberta communities. The natural world is a wonder to be explored, but it is sometimes, of course, dangerous as well, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Alberta is home to Canada’s worst tornadoes. In 1987 I remember very well living on an acreage just outside of Sherwood Park and being very frightened. I was just 10 years old then, and I still remember those big, massive hailstones pounding into the side of our home and the windows. Of course, I was lucky, as were, obviously, many of the people in this room who I know have similar scary stories, but 27 Albertans did die in that horrific situation, and many more hundreds were injured.

In the midst of that devastation, though, Mr. Chair, emerged heroic search and rescue efforts from our search and rescue workers. These brave people act in good faith for the common good and safety of all Albertans. The harm caused by these kinds of tragedies and disasters is minimized by our search and rescue workers. These courageous people are often volunteers,devoting their personal time, equipment, and, tragically, sometimes their lives for their fellow citizens. Who could forget the incredible heroics of the search and rescue workers at the World Trade Center site, for example, and the incredible work they did. Many of them right now are actually suffering because of those efforts with different health issues, cancer, and lung issues, et cetera. These are very dangerous positions, just as dangerous in many regards as our firefighters and police officers have to face.

But sadly, Mr. Chair, some people are ungrateful for these efforts. Sometimes search and rescue workers, putting their lives on the line for others, are being pursued in court for negligence. Very, very ugly that people would do that, and it doesn’t make me feel very good to be a lawyer when I read about some of these things. I see the hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs is not here anymore. I’m not implying for a second that he was one of those lawyers but that he is one. Anyway, we must, of course, legally protect . . .

The Chair: Hon. member, avoid mentioning . . .

Mr. Anderson: Oh, he is here. Sorry.

The Chair: All right.

Mr. Anderson: It took me by surprise because I was looking, and I thought I was going to see him. Anyway, obviously, we must legally protect those that save us from danger. Extending the good-faith liability protection already enjoyed by firefighters is one way to do this. Without such liability protection the cost of search and rescue will continue to increase every year, and so will the premiums search and rescue organizations are forced to pay. These premiums are now the biggest barrier for these volunteers. In fact, some of these societies have now disbanded because the financial strain has become too great. This bill, of course, addresses the gap in this existing legislation, which is why our caucus supports it. We must provide the security to those that give hope and safety to those of us who are in the most dire of straits. That is why I and the rest of the Wildrose Alliance caucus support this legislation and would like it to be noted in the record. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

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Protecting the Safety of Albertans
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