0:00
the next question belongs to the
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honorable member from Red Dear South
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mr speaker today is a happy day for
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Alberta we are amending the Citizen
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Initiative Act so that it is not a fake
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law it is very good to listen to
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referendums are good for Alberta
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but we do not want fake and disingenuous
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referendum petition thresholds that are
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impossible to meet that was very bad
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petition thresholds should be difficult
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but achievable to the minister why is
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the uh honorable minister of justice
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well thank you very much Mr speaker i
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want to start by recognizing the
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honorable member for his good question
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the citizen initiative process has been
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around for many years Mr speaker where
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if a citizen wants to put an important
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question on a ballot they should be
1:01
entitled to do so the member is right
1:04
the number of signatures required to
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launch a petition should be difficult
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but it should be achievable mr speaker
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that's why we've lowered the threshold
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in Bill 54 to 10% of eligible voters and
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increased the amount of time to 120 days
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all Albertans in this province should
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have the ability to have their voices
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honorable member given Ottawa is not the
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boss of Alberta and given no special
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interest group figure head or talking
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head or activist judge is the boss of
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Alberta and given neither this NDP or
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their mothership is the boss and given
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the Alberta government is not the boss
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of Alberta and given it is the bosses of
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this government and of Alberta who vote
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in referendums to the minister who are
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the bosses of Alberta
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the uh keeper of the great seal of
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Alberta thank you very much Mr speaker
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albertans are the bosses of Alberta
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all All members on this side of the
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house know that Mr speaker as we serve
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our constituents diligently Albertans
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expect our elections to not not only be
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fair but free as well along with other
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democratics processes like citizen
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initiatives we're introducing a number
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of different sweeping changes in Bill 54
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to protect democracy to make our
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elections free to make them fair to have
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them be conducted with integrity mr
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speaker I'm very proud of this
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legislation i know members on this side
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of the house are as well honorable
2:45
member given referendums give Albertans
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a voice if politicians do not listen to
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them and given referendums give
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Albertans the opportunity to decide
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priorities and given referendums are a
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check and balance and given referendums
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engage Albertans to participate in
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democratic processes and given Alberta
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is the best and referendums recognize
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Albertans are the boss of Alberta to the
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minister why are referendums very very
3:24
good for the honorable minister
3:28
mr speaker they are very good for
3:30
Alberta because any Albertan can put
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forward a petition on any issue
3:34
important to them it is not Mr speaker
3:37
as the NDP have tried to fearmonger in
3:39
recent weeks about separation i hear the
3:42
member for Calgary Bolar McCall chirping
3:45
yesterday i said to him "Look through
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this 144 page document find me one place
3:51
where it mentions separation Mr
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speaker." He could not this is about
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allowing Albertans to be able to
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participate in the democratic process
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it's about having them have their say Mr
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speaker it's about allowing Albertans to
