(Alberta)Premier Ed Stelmach announced his resignation, and although I would like to join the chorus of people who are thanking him for 25 years of service, I can only be disappointed by the grim legacy he leaves to Alberta’s agricultural workforce.
In 1993, newly elected MLA Stelmach helped the Alberta government bring in the strictest farm animal care legislation in North America.
As Agriculture Minister Ed said, “–we must show the public by our actions, that the humane treatment of the livestock in our care is a priori-t y.” In 2006 that legislation was beefed up in our Alberta legislature.
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Meanwhile, as 2005 morphs into 2011 and the number of deaths and injuries pile up, Premier Stelmach steadfastly refuses to bestow the most basic of workplace safety rules upon the men, women and children who toil on our farms, ranches and feedlots.
Even when presented with fact, reason, Canada’s Constitution, Alberta’s Bill of Rights, Judge Peter Barley’s recommendations in the Kevan Chandler fatality review (2008-2009), death and injury statistics and common sense, Premier Stelmach chooses to put profit before human rights, again and again.
Some say this is to appease the unnamed contributors to Ed’s election campaign. Some say it is to protect the Alberta family farm.
Premier Stelmach had an obligation to protect our farm workers, a vulnerable group of workers who in 2011 still lack protection of the Occup at i o na l Health and Safety Act, Workers Compensation Act, Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code.
Farm animal care legislation provides special constables that rush into action when a call comes in about an animal in distress, with full authority to investigate and act.
Yet when a call comes in that two farm workers are killed at work, the government inspectors called by the RCMP turn away because they did not have the authority to investigate or act.
This sad case has sparked an unprecedented co-operative effort between the official opposition, Alberta Federation of Labour, Alberta NDP, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada, Alberta Center for Injury Control &Research and others to call on the Alberta government to immediately begin investigating all farm workplace deaths, serious injury or injury to a child.
Perhaps now that Premier Stelmach is not beholden to the forces that have held sway, he will move his government to recognize the fact that farm workers are people – equal to every other person in Canada and worthy of equality at law, and so entitled to be protected by their government.
Premier Stelmach still has time to show the public by his actions, that the humane treatment of the men, women and children who work on our farms is a priority.
Darlene A. Dunlop,Bow Island, Alta.
