Alberta Premier Rachel Notley won't back down on Bill 6

Not long after 1,500farmers and ranchers protested Bill 6 outside theAlberta legislature Thursday, Premier Rachel Notley vowed to push ahead with thelegislation.

In her first appearance in the legislature thisweek, Notleyrefused to back away from aplan toimplement aspects of the bill that come into effectJan. 1.

"I'm very, very proud that when passedthis fall, this bill will ensure that paid farm workers will finally enjoy the protections enjoyed by every other worker," she told the legislature.

The government plans to introduce amendments to "clarify" that the bill, which subjects farms and ranches to occupational health and safety rules and mandatory Workers' Compensation Boardcoverage, onlyapplies to paid workers.

Cabinet ministers have insisted this was the government's intention all along, despite contrary indications in WCB documents.

Notleysaidshe takes full responsibility for the "miscommunication"around the bill.

"As the premier, that ultimately rests with me," she said. "But I also, as the premier, have to think about the 177 farmworkers who are paid, who will be hospitalized between Jan. 1 and Apr. 1."

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Notleysaid shewasn't sure if the amendments would immediately quell protests against Bill 6.

But shetold reporters at anews conference thatpeople will eventually come around, particularly when critics see the legislation won't prevent children from doing chores on family farms, as some critics had feared

"I think when all is said anddone, people will see that we've protected a vulnerable group of workers, and we have also not in any way undermined the ability of our very important farm families to continue to do what they do."

As a former advocate for injured workers, Notley said the issue is personal to her. She wants farm workers to have the right to refuse unsafe work and get access to compensation if they are hurt.

The amendments to the bill will address some contentious issuesthat the government originally planned to write into regulations over the next year, Notleysaid.

"When the process is finished, I hope to have earned back whatever trust we may have lost."

Protests growing

About anhour and a half earlier, the boisterous but peaceful protest crowd chanted "Kill Bill 6" and sang along to a rewritten version of "OldMacDonaldHad a Farm" called "NaughtyNotleyRunning the Show."

An earlier rally on the steps of the legislature on Monday drew more than 1,000 people. Farmers also packed town hall meetings inOkotoksand Red Deer over the past two days to voice their anger with the bill.

So far the government has resisted calls from farmers and the opposition to ditch the bill and do moreconsultations.

MLAs debated the bill, whichis currently in second reading,until about 1:30a.m. Thursday.

Government House LeaderBrian Mason accused the opposition of filibustering the bill. He said the government will introduceamendments when the bill moves into committee of the whole.

Not a single NDP member spoke aboutBill 6 during the debateWednesday night. Mason said he didn't think that was unusual.

"Once we have our amendment on the floor, our members will feel they will have a lot more to talk about," he said.

During the debate, ConservativeMLA Sandra Jansen called on the government to pull the bill and consult further. She said thesituation is similar to what the Conservativesexperienced with Bill 10, which dealt with gay-straight alliances,a year ago.

"We misjudge on our legislation," Jansen said. "We go in with the best of intentions, and then we have to turn around and say, 'you know what, that wasn't the right fit,' " she said.

"So there is an opportunity here. There's an opportunity to pull this, to go back, and to sit down with these folks who want good legislation."

Notley wasout of the country at the United Nations climate change talks while opposition to the bill has intensified.

On Thursday, her staff distributed a fact sheet to show that every other Canadian province and territory has workplace safety rules on farms. Four provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia don't require WCB coverage on farms.