Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier says although the Enhancement of Protection of Farm and Ranch Workers Act -- better known as Bill 6 -- and the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act (Bill 17) have been passed, there's still some work to be done on farm worker safety legislation.
Carlier made that statement during an interview with reporters July 14, the last day of a four-day Agriculture Services Board tour of Mountain View and Red Deer counties.
Bill 6 was passed more than a year ago and Bill 17 was passed earlier this spring.
"There's more tweaking we need to do," Carlier said.
He said one example is dealing with farm workers age 15 to 17.
"What defines the work they do," he asked.
"I grew up on a farm; I know there's a lot of dangerous work," Carlier added. "Even fixing a fence could be dangerous work, right? So we need to work more yet on defining that to ensure especially those young workers are safe."
On Dec. 9, 2015, at the height of the fight over Bill 6, Carlier and Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson attended a meeting on the legislation at the Cow Palace that attracted about 1,000 mostly angry farmers and ranchers.
Carlier was asked Friday if the provincial government has now managed to quell that anger and perhaps changed the minds of some of those people.
Carlier said he believes so.
"I think we came a long ways," he said.
He blamed opposition primarily on groups who wanted to stir up trouble for their own ends.
"I think there were a lot of other people who had interests that were counter to ours that were ñ there were certain conspiracy things. They were whipping it up, right? There were things (said) there that wouldn't necessarily happen."
"Since then, we've had these consultation tables ñ six consultation tables, 72 people altogether, so it was a very robust consultation process, which was a big concern," Carlier added.
"And I've got to admit, it was a legitimate concern around making sure that people are heard, so we've had that opportunity to do that."
Carlier said some people opposed to the legislation said the bills contained things that weren't actually in there.
"This is legislation that is for wage, non-family workers, so in no way Ö could (it) affect 4-H or kids on the farm or something. It's not going to materialize, it never materialized, it never was going to," he said. "So a lot of those fears, I think, have gone away because it just doesn't exist."
Carlier was asked if the provincial government has now "put the worst behind you, so to speak?"
"I don't know, worse? I wouldn't even use those words," Carlier said.
"I think it was legislation that we're proud of, that we're able to bring agriculture and those farm workers in Alberta into the 21st century (with) much of the rights that the rest of farm workers have enjoyed right across the country.
"Some of this legislation (has) existed in Saskatchewan since 1945; we now have it in Alberta."
"There were certain conspiracy things. They were whipping it up, right? There were things (said) there that wouldn't necessarily happen."ONEIL CARLIERAGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY MINISTER
