Mispronunciation Halts Alberta’s Bill 9 Introduction in Legislature

An unintended mispronunciation by Alberta’s Deputy Government House Leader, Dan Williams, has temporarily delayed the introduction of a significant piece of legislation. During a session on November 1, 2023, Williams mistakenly referred to the “Protecting Alberta’s Children Status Amendment Act” as the “Protecting Alberta’s Children Statutes Amendment Act.” This error, occurring while announcing two bills, has led to procedural complications in the assembly.

Williams rose to give oral notice of both Bill 8, the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, and Bill 9 after question period. When he misread the name of Bill 9, he quickly sought to correct himself. “Mr. Speaker, during notices of motions it seems that I may have stuttered during the word ‘statutes,’ and I’m asking to correct the record,” he stated. Speaker Ric McIver requested that he restate the correct title, which Williams did.

Following this correction, Opposition House Leader Christina Gray raised a point of order. She questioned the assembly’s failure to revert to an earlier part of the agenda for the introduction of bills, stating, “Apologies if a point of order is not the appropriate mechanism, but I’m curious. We have not reverted to notices of motions.”

McIver clarified that Williams needed unanimous consent from all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to return to the previous agenda item. Williams acknowledged the need for consent and sought it from the house, but the subsequent vote failed to achieve the necessary unanimous agreement, largely due to opposition from the opposing party.

Gray later expressed little sympathy for the situation, criticizing the government for utilizing similar procedural technicalities in the past to expedite their legislative agenda. “This is not something that the two different house teams aren’t aware of. This is standard operating procedure in the Alberta legislature,” she commented to reporters.

The bill, which is to be sponsored by Justice Minister Mickey Amery, was initially scheduled for introduction on November 2. However, due to the procedural setback, the government plans to introduce it at the next available opportunity. A spokesperson for McIver’s office confirmed that Bill 9 has been placed on written notice and will be available for introduction on the next sitting day.

Typically, the assembly does not convene on Fridays, and with MLAs scheduled for a one-week constituency break, the soonest Bill 9 can be reintroduced is set for November 17, 2023. While Williams did not address the issue in the legislature on Thursday, it is understood that the government remains committed to proceeding with the bill’s introduction once the assembly reconvenes.