WHY HICCUP?
PORTLAND PUNISHED
And how do you cure them? B1
By WHL for benefit violations B6
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 2012
Redford denies wrongdoing PREMIER SAYS SHE DIDN’T DIRECT GOVERNMENT BUSINESS TO EX’S-HUSBAND’S LAW FIRM BY DEAN BENNETT THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Alison Redford denied Wednesday that she used her former job as justice minister to funnel a $10-billion lawsuit contract to a firm that employs her ex-husband. Redford admitted she wrote a memo in 2010 recommending the contract go to a consortium of law firms that included her ex-husband Robert Hawkes’ firm. But she told the house during question period that the memo simply reflected her thinking at the time and that the final decision to go with the consortium was made by Verlyn Olson, who succeeded her when she quit cabinet in 2011 to make her successful run for the PC party leadership. “That memo truly reflected what needed to be considered,” Redford told the house. “The government of Alberta four months later — when I was not the minister of justice — I presume
considered the same factors and that’s why the decision was made.” Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith and NDP Leader Brian Mason said regardless of the outcome, Redford showed extremely poor judgment by weighing in at all on a contract that could benefit her ex-husband. Hawkes has remained close to Redford professionally as an adviser and was the head of her transition team when she became premier in the fall of 2011. “Did you not realize that it was inappropriate, at the very least, for you to be involved in a decision that would likely involve a substantial financial benefit to your ex-husband?” Mason asked Redford. Redford, a lawyer herself, sat still in her chair on the front benches through the questioning by the Wildrose and Mason, her hands clasped in front of her, eyes staring off into the middle distance. She answered some of the questions and deflected others to current Justice Minister Jonathan Denis. But when Wildrose critic Rob Anderson, who is also lawyer, suggested Redford’s actions violated her
duties to the legal profession and could be a matter for the law society to deal with, her demeanour changed. Anderson said: “How can I feel comfortable (filing a complaint) when the president-elect of the Law Society of Alberta itself happens to be Carsten Jensen, senior partner in — you guessed it —the exact law firm that you awarded the tobacco contract to. The tangled web never ends, does it?” Redford bounded to her feet. “This is getting absolutely absurd,” she replied. “If this person (Anderson) who theoretically should understand what the law society is, is now prepared to malign the legal profession in this province, then I have no idea where this discussion is supposed to go. “But I’ll tell you that if this ‘honourable’ member decides to make a complaint, go ahead!” she said as her cabinet members and backbenchers cheered.
Please see REDFORD on Page A2
SPIRIT OF SYLVAN
LAWSUIT
Anesthetic dose higher than usual: testimony BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF
“What I see here with people who move to town is they tend to come for work, and sometimes they’ll commute as far away as Angola or Yemen, and of course Fort McMurray and the Northwest Territories.” Low-cost housing is only part of Rimbey’s appeal, said Ibbotson, explaining that the town offers amenities that many other Central Alberta communities can’t match. “We have pretty much all of the major services. We have a hospital, we have doctors, we have police, we have three schools.” Rimbey also has a wealth of recreational facilities, added Ibbotson, as well as resources for retirees.
A Red Deer anesthesiologist testified on Wednesday that she gave a teen with cerebral palsy a higher than usual dose of an anesthetic drug before his dental surgery. Under questioning during a civil trial in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench, Dr. Alayne Farries said she usually gives patients with cerebral palsy a smaller amount of a neuromuscular blocker than someone without the condition. Less is given to those with cerebral palsy because they can be harder to wake up after surgery. Farries told Calgary lawyer Brian Devlin she normally would have given a dose of around 0.3 to 0.4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for a case like Shawn Gallant’s. Instead, he got the standard dose of 0.6 milligrams per kilogram. The drug is given to surgery patients after they are asleep so a tube can be run into the trachea to provide oxygen. Devlin is representing the parents of Shawn Gallant in a lawsuit that alleges Farries was negligent by administering “inappropriate anaesthetic medications” considering the surgery involved and Gallant’s pre-existing conditions. The suit also alleges Farries failed to properly monitor his condition or take appropriate steps after complications arose after the surgery, which took place in Red Deer when he was 18 years old. As a result the family alleges, Gallant’s condition later deteriorated significantly and he is no longer capable of communicating, watching TV or other normal pursuits and will require 24-hour care for the rest of his life. The family is seeking care costs and medical expenses, as well as $325,000 for pain and suffering. Devlin asked her if she realized Gallant had received the higher dosage when it proved difficult to wake Gallant up fully and get him breathing on his own again after surgery to remove his wisdom teeth in September 2004. Reversal drugs had to be administered twice when Gallant proved slow in coming out from under the effects of the anesthesia. Farries she did not become aware of the discrepancy until she reviewed medical records after the February 2008 discovery for the lawsuit.
Please see RIMBEY on Page A2
Please see DOSE on Page A2
Rimbey among cheaper options for a home BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR Looking for an affordable family home? You might want to start your search in Rimbey. A report prepared by Coldwell Banker Canada concludes that the average list price of four-bedroom, two-bathroom houses in the Central Alberta town during the first half of this year was the second lowest among 74 Canadian communities. Only Windsor, Ont., was found to be less expensive than Rimbey. Rimbey’s average price was calculated at $201,950, while Windsor came in at $170,991. Rimbey Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson said the affordability of his town’s residential real estate is attracting people, including some who work elsewhere.
PLEASE www.ronjames.ca www.shantero.com
RECYCLE
WEATHER
INDEX
Flurries. High -10. Low -13.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5,A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6-B8
FORECAST ON A2
CANADA
BUSINESS
PM CONFIRMS ‘NO’ VOTE ON PALESTINE
AMIGOS TALKING BUSINESS
Canada affirmed its steadfast opposition to Thursday’s vote at the United Nations to confer statehood on Palestine, saying it would not support any ‘shortcuts’ to peace with Israel. A5
RON JAMES RED DEER MEMORIAL CENTRE Thurs & Fri, December 13 & 14 - 8:00 pm Black Knight Ticket Centre: 403 755 6626 www.bkticketcentre.ca
The end of a much-maligned visa for Mexican travellers to Canada would be a good thing for both North American countries, Prime Minister Stephen Harper affirmed Wednesday. C5
LIVE!
“gut-bustingly, knee-slappingly funny” - Ottawa Citizen
“high wire act of hilarity” - Edmonton Journal
“devastatingly funny” - Globe & Mail
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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Spirit of Sylvan Yuletide Festival volunteer Kelly Edgecombe holds two of the many paper snowflakes that will decorate the Sylvan Lake Arena this weekend during festivities Friday and Saturday. The festival kicks off Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and runs through to 10 p.m. with a variety of performances, public skating, a Santa Claus parade and fireworks off the pier on Lakeshore Drive. On Saturday the festivities begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast with Santa and run through the day until 6 p.m. For more information of weekend events call Graham Parsons at the Sylvan Lake Hockey School at 403-887-2575.