Government mulls break after long weekend for Alberta MLAs

With only three weeks left in the scheduled legislative session, MLAs might catch a break.

The government is considering a third constituency week for the spring session, potentially after the May long weekend, and there are rumblings the legislative sitting might then be extended for a week. (Sittings are adjourned during constituency weeks, when MLAs theoretically head home.)

Government house leader Brian Mason said Thursday there are more bills in the works, and MLAs “may be here for a while.”

Revelations that children are living in the home where Serenity — a girl in government care who suffered from malnutrition and died of head trauma — resided before her death have been at the forefront of opposition questioning this week.

On Thursday, Children’s Services Minister Danielle Larivee confirmed changes to the child intervention system will be introduced this spring, including the legislation, policies and procedures around deaths of children in government care.

The changes stem from recommendations handed to the minister last month by the all-party child welfare panel.

“I can’t wait to take action on the recommendations ... because the children of this province have deserved change for a long time, and we will make that change happen,” Larivee said in the house.

Opposition house leader Nathan Cooper said the Wildrose is happy to sit for as long as it takes, and would like to see changes to the child intervention system as soon as possible.

What he doesn’t want to see is the government try to ram through bills at the last minute, particularly if it introduces labour legislation.

“They ought to introduce that, consult over the summer and come back to it in the fall,” he said.