Two provincial cabinet ministers faced a tough crowd in Olds last week for the last day of public consultation on Bill 6.
Lori Sigurdson, minister of jobs, skills, training and labour joined by Oneil Carlier, minister of agriculture and forestry, sat before about 950 farmers and ranchers at the Cow Palace, answering questions on Dec. 9.
Representatives from occupational health and safety, employment standards and the Workers' Compensation Board were also on hand.
The contentious Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act was passed by the NDP majority the next day in the legislature.
As a result, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workers' Compensation Regulation come into force for applicable farms and ranches on Jan. 1.
The Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code would take effect in the spring.
Last week, the government introduced amendments to exempt family farms without paid workers from workers' compensation and occupational health and safety rules.
Since the bill was introduced, many worried it would drastically change their way of life, from being able to raise children on the farm to having neighbours help out during busy periods.
For that, Carlier apologized in his opening statement.
“We take those concerns very seriously because that was never the intent of this bill. I want to tell you today, on behalf of our whole caucus, that we are sorry. We should have provided the details of how we plan to protect farm and ranch families when we first introduced the bill,” he said.
Mountain View County deputy reeve Patricia McKean was among those who took to the microphone.
McKean said the consultation process with stakeholders was overdue and inadequate. She also said the bill was moving too quickly through the legislature to allow a full understanding of it.
Further, she urged the province to slow or stop the bill so industry and farmers could be heard, as requested by the county and AAMDC (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties).
Sigurdson, whose ministry Bill 6 originated from, said consultation will continue for technical standards.
“We're going to continue for the next year, 18 months, two years if it takes, to go back and forth to make sure we get those regulations right,” said Sigurdson.
Some had concerns occupational health and safety inspectors would be entering residences on farms and ranches.
Carlier said inspectors would only be allowed access to commercial parts of the property and only in cases of serious incidents.
Many objected to being limited to Workers' Compensation Board for insurance when there could be better options. Many said they were satisfied with private insurance.
Sigurdson said WCB provides no-fault insurance that resolves claims quickly for injured workers, a claim the crowd largely disagreed with.
In one unique case, Andrew and Amy Harms operate a small cattle farm near Bottrell.
They don't own the farm but they operate it as if they do. They wonder how the new laws apply to their family, specifically whether they'll still be able to raise their kids there.
They spoke with the public service representatives after the meeting and are waiting for answers.
The couple said they don't have strong feelings either way about the bill but Andrew would have liked some clarity beforehand.
“Like everybody else was saying, I'd like to have them say, this is what's in place with the bill, now we want to pass it. Not, let's pass the bill and find out what's in place later. That doesn't make any sense,” he said.
"We're going to continue for the next year, 18 months, two years if it takes, to go back and forth to make sure we get those regulations right." LORI SIGURDSON, labour minister
