Pat Stier
Pat Stier
Livingstone-Macleod’s new MLA wants the province to act on recommendations to ease flooding in the riding.
Wildrose MLA Pat Stier on Wednesday delivered a speech in the Legislature critical of the government’s decision not to make public the report of the Alberta Flood Management Committee.
“It’s clear that the government isn’t prepared to follow through on the report and doesn’t want to be tied down to make the necessary improvements for these communities and that isn’t good enough,” Stier said.
Stier said in his speech the floods in 2005 devastated many Alberta families, particularly in the southwest region of Livingstone-Macleod.
“Communities banded together during those tough times and showed the great Alberta spirit of compassion, resilience and hard work that many across Canada and the world have come to know this great province for,” Stier said.
The Alberta Flood Management Committee was asked to produce a report on flood prevention.
The report was put on hold when Ed Stelmach announced he would step down as premier.
“The report was all but finalized except for financial details, which were reported to be based upon federal assistance programs,” Stier told the Legislature.
“Sadly, the report was mothballed before the federal government ever had a chance to see the figures, as Alberta communities continued to be left in the dark,” Stier said.
New Premier Alison Redford saw the report but failed to release it to the public over protests by George Groeneveld, the former MLA for Highwood who chaired the committee.
“I have to agree with the former premier when he said, ‘There were a number of good recommendations in the report that we have to implement and if we don’t we will see this recurring in the province’,” Stier said.
Stier said the 64 communities are still vulnerable as the season for floods approaches.
“I would like to ask that this government release this study to the public and make efforts to immediately implement all recommendations made, to give Albertans the comforts of knowing that this government is prepared to respond if tragedy ever again strikes.”
