NATS PICK REBEL
TAKE A CRACK AT CRACKERS Add a little homemade snap to your meals B1
Dumba off to selection camp B4
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 2012
PUZZLING DISABILITY
Premier did no wrong: Speaker REDFORD CLEARED OF CONTEMPT IN RELATION TO TOBACCO LAWSUIT BY DEAN BENNETT THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Alison Redford has been cleared by the legislature Speaker in allegations she deliberately misled the house about her role in awarding a government contract to her ex-husband’s law firm. Speaker Gene Zwozdesky, in a ruling delivered Monday, said there is no clear evidence Redford made false statements to the house when she denied making the decision to pick the law firm that includes her ex-husband, Robert Hawkes. “This is getting into a case of semantics, but it is evident there was no final decision made as to the selection of a law firm for the tobacco litigation when the premier was minister of justice,” said Zwozdesky. “The determination of whether the premier’s statements were misleading is entirely subjective and depends greatly on the exact nature of the words used.” Zwozdesky was ruling on a motion made last Thursday by the Opposition Wildrose party to have Redford found in contempt of the legislature for making misleading statements. To buttress its case, the Wildrose brought out internal documents and memos from Redford’s time as justice minister in 2010. The documents show that Redford urged her officials to pick the International Tobacco Recovery Lawyers, or TRL, which includes Hawkes’s Calgary-based law firm, to sue big tobacco companies for $10 billion to recover some of the health costs of treating smokers. The documents referred to Redford making the decision to pick to TRL, along with letters congratulating TRL on winning the competition and informing the other two competing firms that they had lost. All correspondence took place before Redford quit cabinet in February 2011 to run for leader of the Progressive Conservative party and ultimately premier. Hawkes has remained close to the premier professionally as a political adviser. He headed up the transition team when she became premier in the fall of 2011.
Please see REDFORD on Page A2
Photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
Jordan Lingard, 13, a Normandeau School Grade 8 student, experiences vision loss through special goggles while trying to put together a puzzle on Monday. The exercise was part of activities to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. A local special needs centre and the City of Red Deer were honoured Monday for making life better Albertans with disabilities. Please see related story on page C2.
Jablonski vows to fight for private member’s bill BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
IRLEN SYNDROME
Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski will push a little harder for her private member’s bill that would see children screened for Irlen Syndrome in schools. The Irlen Syndrome Testing Act passed first reading but is likely to be defeated because of time constraints of the legislative session this week. But Jablonski said she will push her bill again in the spring session. “I will be bringing it back because it is a very important issue and I want to see something done about it,” said Jablonski. “There is not a large cost to it. A child can go from feeling they are lost in the classroom to feeling they are on top of the world. That has happened to some of the kids who have been diagnosed.” The little-known condition occurs when the brain is unable to properly filter the colour spectrum. People
‘THERE IS NOT A LARGE COST TO IT. A CHILD CAN GO FROM FEELING THEY ARE LOST IN THE CLASSROOM TO FEELING THEY ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD . . .’
Blood services sets 960-unit goal BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF
with the condition often wear different coloured lenses in order to read. Under the bill, someone in the school divisions would be able to diagnose the condition. If a child is identified as potentially having Irlen Syndrome, the parents would receive information from the school on the next steps for helping their child.
Canadian Blood Services in Red Deer wants people to know they can make holiday miracles come true by donating blood this month. “Our goal for December is 960 units of blood. Last year, we did almost 1,000,” Kaelyn Smith, Canadian Blood Services spokesperson, said on Monday. “Today should be fairly busy. We’re seeing a lot of companies come in.” Smith said the need for blood never goes away, but the supply dwindles in December because people get busy with Christmas activities and family events. Blood donation can be a way for people to give back during the season, she said. “If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution, it’s a great one. You can get it started in December. It’s one hour of your time every eight weeks. It’s not asking a lot but the impact is huge.”
Please see SYNDROME on Page A2
Please see DRIVE on Page A2
— MARY ANNE JABLONSKI RED DEER NORTH MLA
Council’s decisions prompt Mason to enter mayoral race BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Mayor hopeful Chad Mason says he would put more dollars into snow removal and spend less money on projects like the controversial bike lanes. Mason, who recently declared he wants to become Red Deer’s next mayor, said council has missed the mark on some decisions — namely the bike lane pilot project. “I think it was imposed on the (residents) more than the city wanted the bike lanes,” said Mason, 26, who works in accounting. “In the same stream, most people drive. I think more money should be spent on snow removal. ... Most people do drive. Most people do
PLEASE RECYCLE
not ride bikes.” While he is new to municipal politics, Mason has been on the Wildrose Party constituency board for Red Deer North since 2010 and helped in the last provincial election. Mason said council needs to be reined in and he’s just the guy to do it because he is a good listener and down to earth. “Red Deer is a pretty good place to live,” said Mason. “I think sometimes (council) gets ahead of themselves to try to be bigger than they need to be. Most people in Red Deer want to have running water, the streets cleaned and order. But other than that I don’t think we need the government going out looking for projects to do like the bike lanes.”
WEATHER
INDEX
Mainly cloudy. High -1. Low -9.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3,C4 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5,A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D4 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B6
FORECAST ON A2
Mason said taxes are going up every year is not acceptable and he would like to see lower taxes. Mayor Morris Flewwelling is not running in the October 2013 civic election. There has been specula- Chad Mason tion that Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski may step down from provincial politics to take a run for the mayor’s seat.
“Boy that rumour has gone far,” laughed Jablonski on Monday. “I haven’t made a decision at this time. But it’s highly unlikely . . . I am committed to this job as MLA for Red Deer North . . . well I never say never but it’s highly unlikely.” Veteran councillors Cindy Jefferies and Tara Veer may throw their hats into the mayoral ring. Jefferies said she will announce her intentions next month while Veer has said it’s too early to start talking about the next election. Red Deer student Matt Chapin, 26, announced in early October he is putting his name on the ballot for mayor. Chapin ran for mayor in 2007. crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com
CANADA
WORLD
CANADA REFUSES TO CONDEMN SETTLEMENTS
ROYAL COUPLE EXPECTING FIRST CHILD
Canada stood apart Monday from some major allies in refusing to condemn Israeli plans for new settlements in areas claimed by the Palestinians. A6
The most widely anticipated pregnancy since Princess Diana’s in 1981 is official: Prince William’s wife, Kate, is pregnant. D4