Legislative Assembly of Alberta the 29Th Legislature Second Session
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Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Wednesday, June 22, 2016 1 p.m. Transcript No. 29-2-1 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Fitzpatrick, Maria M., Lethbridge-East (ND), Chair Babcock, Erin D., Stony Plain (ND), Deputy Chair Carson, Jonathon, Edmonton-Meadowlark (ND) Coolahan, Craig, Calgary-Klein (ND) Cooper, Nathan, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (W) Ellis, Mike, Calgary-West (PC) Goehring, Nicole, Edmonton-Castle Downs (ND) Hanson, David B., Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills (W) Kazim, Anam, Calgary-Glenmore (ND) Loyola, Rod, Edmonton-Ellerslie (ND) Malkinson, Brian, Calgary-Currie (ND)* McPherson, Karen M., Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill (ND) Nielsen, Christian E., Edmonton-Decore (ND) Schneider, David A., Little Bow (W) Starke, Dr. Richard, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC) van Dijken, Glenn, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock (W) Woollard, Denise, Edmonton-Mill Creek (ND)** * substitution for Anam Kazim ** substitution for Chris Nielsen Support Staff Robert H. Reynolds, QC Clerk Shannon Dean Law Clerk and Director of House Services Trafton Koenig Parliamentary Counsel Stephanie LeBlanc Parliamentary Counsel and Legal Research Officer Philip Massolin Manager of Research and Committee Services Sarah Amato Research Officer Nancy Robert Research Officer Corinne Dacyshyn Committee Clerk Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Aaron Roth Committee Clerk Karen Sawchuk Committee Clerk Rhonda Sorensen Manager of Corporate Communications and Broadcast Services Jeanette Dotimas Communications Consultant Tracey Sales Communications Consultant Janet Schwegel Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard June 22, 2016 Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing PE-1 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2016 can interfere with the audiofeed. Audio of committee proceedings Title: Wednesday, June 22, 2016 pe is streamed live on the Internet and recorded by Alberta Hansard. [Ms Fitzpatrick in the chair] Audio access and meeting transcripts are obtained via the Legislative Assembly website. The Chair: Welcome to the meeting of the Standing Committee on Meeting participation via teleconferencing. Section 6 of the Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing. Legislative Assembly Act permits participation in a committee “by I am Maria Fitzpatrick, MLA for Lethbridge-East and chair of means of a telephone or other communication facilities that permit this committee. I’d ask that members and those joining the all Members participating in the meeting to hear each other if all the committee at the table introduce themselves for the record. I will members of the committee consent.” For the members’ information then call on the members joining the meeting via teleconference to the committee rooms are equipped to facilitate participation via introduce themselves. teleconference. The six members participating today via teleconference may not move a motion nor vote on any motion put Ms Babcock: Erin Babcock, deputy chair of this committee and forward in this respect until a motion is passed to agree to MLA for Stony Plain. participation via teleconference. Loyola: Rod Loyola, MLA for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Mr. Malkinson. Mr. Malkinson: Brian Malkinson, MLA for Calgary-Currie, Mr. Malkinson: Thank you very much, Chair. At this time I would subbing for Anam Kazim. like to propose a motion to allow our members who are teleconferencing to participate in the meeting and move motions for Ms Goehring: Good afternoon. Nicole Goehring, MLA, Edmonton- the duration of the 29th Legislature. Would this be the appropriate Castle Downs. moment to do that? Mr. Carson: Good afternoon. Jon Carson, MLA, Edmonton- The Chair: Actually, just give me a minute. Meadowlark. Okay. For the members teleconferencing to participate, the committee must pass the motion to allow for teleconferencing Ms Woollard: Good afternoon. Denise Woollard, MLA, Edmonton- today, or they may pass instead a motion to approve meeting Mill Creek, subbing for Chris Nielsen. attendance by telephone for the duration of a Legislature. It is Mr. van Dijken: Glenn van Dijken, MLA for Barrhead-Morinville- important to note that either motion must be passed unanimously. Westlock. I’d also note that a motion approving teleconferencing for the duration of the 29th Legislature would not preclude the committee Mr. Cooper: Nathan Cooper, MLA for the outstanding from determining that the members’ attendance in person at specific constituency of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. meetings is required. Do the members have any comments or questions in this Dr. Massolin: Good afternoon. Philip Massolin, manager of respect? research and committee services. Hearing none, Mr. Malkinson, would you please go ahead. Ms LeBlanc: Stephanie LeBlanc, Parliamentary Counsel. Dr. Starke: Chair? Ms Dean: Shannon Dean, Law Clerk and director of House The Chair: Sorry? services. Dr. Starke: Sorry. I guess, two things. I would certainly encourage Mrs. Sawchuk: Karen Sawchuk, committee clerk. all members to pass this motion unanimously. I think that The Chair: Now on the phone, if you’d please introduce your- participation by teleconference is something that facilitates the selves. ability of people, especially from outside Edmonton, to participate. Second, I’m not sure if everyone else that is participating by Mr. Coolahan: Craig Coolahan, MLA for Calgary-Klein. telephone is getting this, but I’m getting a tremendous amount of background noise, lots of clicks and interference with your own Ms McPherson: Karen McPherson, MLA for Calgary-Mackay- microphone feed, Chair. I’m just wondering if there’s something Nose Hill. that can be done to alleviate that because it is very distracting. Dr. Starke: Richard Starke, MLA, Vermilion-Lloydminster. Mr. Coolahan: I am as well, Dr. Starke. Mr. Ellis: Mike Ellis, Calgary-West. Ms McPherson: As am I. Mr. Hanson: Dave Hanson, Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills. The Chair: I’m not sure why that’s happening. We’re checking on it to get it taken care of, though. Mr. Schneider: Dave Schneider, Little Bow. Okay. Mr. Malkinson. The Chair: Thank you very much. Mr. Malkinson: Thank you very much, Chair. I would like to take For the record I would also note the following substitutions: Mr. this moment to make a motion that Malkinson for Ms Kazim, Ms Woollard for Mr. Nielsen. for the duration of the 29th Legislature the Standing Committee The meeting agenda and other documents were posted to the on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing permit committee’s internal website for members’ information. committee members to participate in meetings via Before we turn to the business at hand, a few operational items. teleconference. The microphone consoles are operated by the Hansard staff. Please keep cellphones and BlackBerrys on silent and off the table as they The Chair: Any discussion on this motion? PE-2 Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing June 22, 2016 Hearing none, all those in favour please say aye. Those opposed? unfortunate that the Premier wasn’t able to be here. I know she’s Hearing none, this motion has been carried unanimously. busy now and unable to attend these events, but I think that she Now we’ll get to the agenda. Would a member move the adoption might have been one of those folks. But she was perhaps of our meeting agenda? Mr. Carson. I’m sorry, Mr. Carson. I didn’t participating in the committee at that time pro bono. I’m not really hear you. sure what happened. More specifically, I guess, than the events of the past and those who may have not paid back the money, with Mr. Carson: My mike wasn’t on. Thank you. I would move that specifics toward the timeline . the agenda for the June 22, 2016, meeting of the standing committee on privileges and elections, et cetera, et cetera, be approved as it is. The Chair: Excuse me, Member. Thank you. Mr. Cooper: Yes. The Chair: Thank you. All those in favour? The Chair: Would you have something specific for our agenda, please? Mr. Cooper: I just have a quick question on what the “et cetera, et cetera” was. Mr. Cooper: Oh, yes. Well, I think the historic nature of such an event is very timely for our meeting this morning. Mr. Carson: I can clarify. I will clarify that that would be But to the point that we are currently discussing, which is the approving that the agenda of the June 22, 2016, meeting of the process of the review, I see that the proposed timeline really pushes Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders us right up to the deadline. I am fairly passionate about the review and Printing be adopted as circulated. of standing orders, and I recognize that we are going to be primarily Thank you. focused on this one topic, that has been referred to us, with respect to morning sittings. But I think that not allowing us time towards The Chair: All those in favour, please say aye. Any opposed? The the end of the process may be a disadvantage. Perhaps if we agenda is accepted as circulated. expedited the process and aimed to be finished by mid- to late Now we’ll go to the review and process, committee mandate, September, it would give us some additional time in October. I Government Motion 19. Members should have a copy of recognize that we’re reviewing the draft recommendations in Government Motion 19, part B of which directs this committee to October, but if we could move that all up, I think it could be wise review the operation of morning sittings of the Assembly, set out in given the timelines. part A of the motion. As noted, the committee must complete its I’m not totally bent on it, but I just wanted to at least highlight work and report to the Assembly by October 27, 2016.