An inadvertent mispronunciation by Alberta's deputy government house leader has temporarily stalled the province's introduction of a new piece of legislation.
Early in Wednesday's proceedings, Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams, also deputy government house leader, rose in the assembly to give oral notice of two bills -- Bill 8, the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, and Bill 9, Protecting Alberta's Children Status Amendment Act.
But, Williams misspoke relative to the latter bill, intending to say "statutes" but instead stating the word "status."
Following question period Wednesday, Williams rose again to address the error.
"Mr. Speaker, during notices of motions it seems that I may have stuttered during the word 'statutes,' and I'm asking to correct the record when I read the notice of motion introducing oral notice of Bill 9."
Speaker Ric McIver then asked him to repeat the proper name of the legislation: Bill 9, Protecting Alberta's Children Statutes Amendment Act.
Williams did so, prompting Opposition house leader Christina Gray to rise in response on a point of order, noting the assembly had not gone back to an earlier part of its daily agenda when bills are to be introduced.
"Apologies if a point of order is not the appropriate mechanism, but I'm curious. We have not
reverted to notices of motions," she said.
"What is happening at this moment, and is it in order?"
McIver then informed Williams that he required unanimous consent of MLAs to return in the daily business to when bills are to be introduced.
"I believe it was a stutter," Williams responded. "But if that is what the dais is requesting, I'll ask for unanimous consent from the house so that the stutter can be clarified and say, 'statutes.'"
McIver replied, "it's mostly what the standing orders require more than what the dais is requesting."
The subsequent vote to return to the introduction of bills failed to get the needed unanimous consent after Opposition MLAs voted against doing so.
Gray told reporters inside the legislature Thursday that she had little sympathy for Williams' error, accusing the government of having previously relied on similar technicalities in parliamentary procedure to "viciously ram through" its agenda.
"This is not something that the two different house teams aren't aware of," she said.
"This is standard operating procedure in the Alberta legislature."
The bill is to be sponsored by Justice Minister Mickey Amery. An official in his department told Postmedia the government had intended to introduce Bill 9 on Thursday, but that plan was shelved until it can properly be introduced in the legislature.
A spokesperson for McIver's office said the bill had been placed on written notice Thursday, meaning it would be available for introduction on the next sitting day.
Williams did not address the issue in the legislature Thursday, but it's understood the government plans to introduce the bill at its next opportunity.
The assembly typically does not sit on Fridays and MLAs are set for a one-week constituency break next week, meaning the soonest Bill 9 can be reintroduced is Nov. 17.