Alberta - Local MLAs are on cabinet

George Groeneveld and Ted Morton get cabinet posts

By John Barlow
Editor

For the first time in more than 80 years the constituency of Highwood will be represented in Alberta’s cabinet.
In fact, two local MLAs were named to Premier Ed Stelmach’s first cabinet on Friday including Foothills-Rocky View MLA Ted Morton and Highwood MLA George Groeneveld.
Morton, who lost the Progressive Conservative leadership race to Stelmach, was handed the Sustainable Resource Development portfolio while Groeneveld, who supported Stelmach in his run for the Tory leadership, will be the new Minister of Agriculture.
Groeneveld, a rancher from Blackie, is a natural fit for the Agriculture post and is eager to get his hands dirty despite the substantial task ahead of him.
“I am honoured and delighted to be chosen,” said Groeneveld on Saturday morning. “It has finally happened for Highwood and I am very happy for the Highwood constituents — I will not let them down.”
Apparently, the last time the Highwood area boasted a provincial minister was George Hoadley, who sat on cabinet after winning the Okotoks District as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta in the 1921 provincial election.
Although Groeneveld is aware of the significance of his appointment, he admits it will be a daunting task.
“My gosh there is some apprehension. It is going to be a steep learning curve.”
Groeneveld and Morton will not be the only two of Stelmach’s 18 ministers struggling with new duties. Of the 18 ministers (cabinet was downsized from 24) nine are first time ministers.
However, the Agriculture portfolio is well suited for Groeneveld despite the fact he was not assigned to the Agriculture committee in Ralph Klein’s government.
Groeneveld, who was first elected in 2004, has been a Regional director of Alberta Wheat Pool, first vice-president of Agricore, was appointed by the federal government as a representative for Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance and Net Income Stabilization Account and has been on trade missions to Hong Kong, China, Japan and Singapore.
As a result, the Highwood MLA feels he is more than qualified for the Agriculture portfolio and is prepared to tackle some of the significant issues facing the agriculture industry in Alberta.
Although Groeneveld said former Agriculture minister Doug Horner (now the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology) did an outstanding job in his past post, the new minister said he wants to take the ministry in a new direction.
“I was not happy with the direction some issues were going and I want to bring a new focus to some of those issues,” he said.
Some of the issues Groeneveld wants to address include BSE, the CAIS program and the Canadian Wheat Board.
“There is not a big crisis right now, but we know that can change with one news report,” said Groeneveld. “The BSE issue is not totally resolved, CAIS is still an issue with grain farmers . . .and the wheat board is a bone of contention.”
The wheat board issue may be at the top of Groeneveld’s list whether he likes it or not.
The provincial governments in Saskatchewan and Manitoba support a plebiscite by farmers to decide the future of the Canadian Wheat Board. Thus far Alberta has not made such a stance, perhaps because the views in Alberta differ from those in the other prairie provinces where the majority of grain farmers support the wheat board.
“The wheat board has to be dealt with in some way,” said Groeneveld. “Alberta is on side with what the (federal government) is doing, but even Alberta farmers are mixed on the issue.”
Another issue Groeneveld wants to address immediately will be the future of biofuels in Alberta. The Highwood MLA was surprised to see the development of biofuels was not included in the Agriculture portfolio. Instead it has been placed under the auspice of the Department of Energy.
“I question that to some degree,” said Groeneveld. “We can’t forget who fuels biofuel.”
He said some grain farmers will be wondering why biofuels is not within the Agriculture portfolio, but he added he will not overlook the issue just because it is not his jurisdiction.
“It will be a team effort, there will have to be some cross-ministry work done there,” he said.
Although Groeneveld knows he has a lot of work ahead of him, he is greatly optimistic about the potential of the new cabinet and openly questions critics of the new premier who believe he is not tough enough to lead the provincial government.
“I am quite excited to be working with this premier,” he commented. “I like what I am hearing in our first caucus and those who don’t think Stelmach will be tough enough, well, they will be mightily surprised.”
Ted Morton did not return calls to comment on his appointment to cabinet.

In this issue...
Editorial Paul's Place News Sports Entertainment Classified Ads Foothills Visitor Guide Directory		Calgary cashing in - Commuters oppose city’s transit fee proposal • See News End of an era Hometown boy Voldy Dashko and Jr. A Oilers part ways • See Sports

Let there be rock

Community - Stance on smoking called ‘spineless’

Business owner disappointed anti-smoking bylaw defeated

By Laurel Nadon
staff reporter

A local business owner is calling Okotoks town council “spineless” for not proceeding with its proposed non-smoking bylaw.
The Town of Okotoks will not be looking further into making the town non-smoking after a divided council decided not to ask administration to draft an anti-smoking bylaw.
Coun. Bill Robertson brought forward the notice of motion and wanted to see a bylaw drafted to prohibit smoking in enclosed public places which would take effect on July 1, 2007.
Council turned down the notice of motion in a 3-3 vote at its meeting on
Dec. 11. The news was disappointing to the owner of The George Traditional House in Okotoks.
“I think they’re spineless. They’re elected by the population and if the citizens want it, why are they avoiding it?” asked Sab Maddalo.
“I think these people are worried about votes.”
Maddalo opened his pub and restaurant as a smoke-free facility in December 2005 and knows first hand how positive prohibiting smoking can be. He said his employees are less likely to get sick and some people seek a job at The George simply because of the no smoking rule. He said the business also attracts non-smokers who wouldn’t traditionally go to lounges or bars which allow smoking.
“I believe that if we were (to allow) smoking, we would be just as busy as we are today, just a different kind of clientele,” Maddalo said. “I think overall it (a bylaw) would be a positive thing for the town.”
He said the town going non-smoking might be negative for some businesses initially, but that in the long-term they would benefit.
“It’s just postponing the inevitable,” Maddalo said, adding that a few months after an anti-smoking bylaw is put in place, customers begin to return.
It’s those couple of months, however, that could put a dent in business for some local pubs and bars including In Cahoots Bar and Grill.
“I hear from a lot of people that the reason they come here is because they can smoke,” said owner Roel van der Meulen. “I think smaller pubs like mine, especially with VLTs, it would hurt them. There are a lot of gamblers who come in and they’re smokers. The VLTs are my bread and butter.”
Van der Meulen said he fears a town-wide ban on smoking could send his customers to other bars.
“If one small town does it, I think everybody should do it. If Okotoks went non-smoking, all the clients would go to other towns,” van der Meulen said. “It’s not fair for bar owners when you’ve got High River, Turner Valley and Black Diamond within 10 minutes driving range.”
Van der Meulen, who is a non-smoker himself, said he’s heard from customers that it should be a provincial bylaw. He said he wasn’t in favour of the proposed bylaw at first because he thought it would prohibit smoking on patios like Calgary’s bylaw. Calgary is becoming smoke-free on Jan. 1, 2007, which will include patios.
Van der Meulen said he’s in favour of Okotoks going non-smoking as long as the bylaw is only for enclosed spaces because that way, he could place heaters on the patio in the winter for smokers.
Scott Stevens, a 24-year-old resident of Okotoks, said he’s in favour of a bylaw to ban smoking, but has a soft spot for the people who would be forced to smoke outside.
“I feel bad for my parents because they’ve been smoking since they were kids and they can’t stop. It’s bad for them, but it’s better for people who aren’t smokers,” Stevens said.
He added that businesses, especially bars, might be hurt if Okotoks went smoke-free.
“For a lot of people, smoking and drinking go hand-in-hand,” Stevens said, although he noted that if people are set on their habit and the bar is non-smoking, they’ll just step outside.
Stevens said he was recently in the non-smoking town of Maple Ridge, B.C. when he noticed that something was different.
“It sort of hit me, you don’t see the haze, you don’t reek of smoke in the morning and you can even wear the same clothes again if you want to,” Stevens said.
Stevens, who chews tobacco and enjoys an occasional cigar at the bar, said he prefers non-smoking businesses, but wouldn’t be deterred from hanging out in a bar with a great atmosphere if the business allowed smoking.
Joan Sparrow, who lives outside of Okotoks and is a non-smoker, said if Calgary can decide to legislate no smoking, then so can Okotoks regardless of where the province stands.
“I’d rather have it non-smoking. It does bother me, I have allergies,” Sparrow said. “I don’t think everybody else should have to sit in the smoke.”

Cutline: Sab Maddalo, owner of The George Traditional House, was disappointed to learn that town council has decided not to draft an anti-smoking bylaw to prohibit smoking in enclosed public places. photo by Laurel Nadon