Bill 201

Health Insurance Premiums (Health Card Donor Declaration) Amendment Act, 2011

February 28, 2011

Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise today and speak in favour of Bill 201, the Heath Insurance Premiums (Health Card Donor Declaration) Amendment Act, 2011, put for-ward by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. I want to congratulate him on a very well-thought-out and a very useful bill. Because of this bill and because of the words of my esteemed colleagues there, the Hon. Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne as well as the Member for Calgary-Nose Hill, I am taking out my card because I just realized that I don’t have a checked box. So if nothing else good comes of this bill, at least I will check this out. I’m sure some of the folks over there think I’d be much more useful as an organ donor than I would as an opposition member, so I will sign up so that it is checked.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that, you know, everyone in this Assembly probably has had someone in their life – a friend, a family member, et cetera – that has benefited from an organ donor or from someone who’s given blood, and my experience is no different. It seems like the least that we can do. Obviously, there are some people whose faiths might conflict with that, but I think the vast majority of people are in a position where that would not conflict. I hope that everybody in the constituency of Airdrie-Chestermere as well as in the province of Alberta will take the time to take out this donor card and check the appropriate box.

I would make one suggestion aside from this particular bill, that I think it would make a lot of sense if when we reregister our ve-hicles every year, we could maybe make it mandatory for people to check yes or no at that point as part of their registration form.

An Hon. Member: Saskatchewan does that.

Mr. Anderson: Does Saskatchewan do that? There you go. Saskatchewan does it. You know, it would seem like a good idea. That way we could for sure get everyone to sign either yes or no, at least know where people stand.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that this will reach a ton of people, but it will definitely reach some people, hon. member, so it’s definitely worth having.

I will absolutely support this bill. Thank you.