Legislative Reports
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Legislative Reports government’s budget for not shar- evening. Even a brief power outage ing the $1.3 billion resources with that dimmed the lights in the As- average Saskatchewan families. The sembly did not curtail his stamina NDP identified four areas that to continue. Mr. Yates concluded could have been addressed, includ- his remarks by moving an amend- ing immediately doubling property ment to extend the sitting hours to tax relief, doubling the number of 1:00 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays new training seats, investing in af- and Wednesdays. fordable housing programs and The Opposition’s successful ef- funding green initiatives to help the forts to delay implementation of the Saskatchewan province meet its climate change extended sitting hours prompted targets. the Government to give notice of he Assembly returned for a Thebudgetdebatewascon- their intent to move closure on the Tshortened spring session on cluded on April 3rd with the As- motion at the earliest opportunity March 10th. Members first paused sembly defeating the Opposition on April 8th. The Opposition House to reflect on the passing of nine for- amendment and adopting the bud- Leader Len Taylor responded by mer Members over the previous get motion. raising a question of privilege on year and to adopt motions of condo- the decision to invoke closure. The Extended Hours Motions lence for each. Subsequent days basis of his submission was that were devoted to considering sup- changes to the standing orders of After growing concerned that there plementary estimates and moving parliaments were traditionally only were insufficient sitting hours to forward on the government’s legis- implemented after opposition par- complete its agenda before the lative agenda. ties had been consulted and their scheduled completion day of the The following week saw Finance consent obtained or after a lengthy spring session on May 15th, the gov- Minister Rod Gantefoer deliver his parliamentary debate. In the pres- ernment was prompted to intro- firstbudgetonMarch19th.The ent circumstances, the two days of duce a motion to extend the sitting budget focused on addressing debate unduly limited the opposi- hours. The motion prescribed that many of the campaign promises tion’s ability to consult their constit- the daily meeting on Mondays, made by the Saskatchewan Party in uents or to develop and offer Tuesdays and Wednesday would last fall’s general election. A one bil- alternatives. Mr. Taylor also raised be from 10:00 am to 12:00 midnight, lion dollar investment in capital and the concern whether the application with a supper break between 5:00 infrastructure improvements was of closure would contravene the As- p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Assembly announced as part of the Ready for sembly’s Rules requiring a mini- would observe its usual morning Growth Initiative.Inaddition,the mum amount of deliberation on sitting on Thursdays and then con- budget documents listed forty ini- specified bills. vene committee meetings from 2:00 tiatives that would be funded as Speaker Don Toth delivered his committed to during the election p.m. until midnight and again on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 ruling on April 9th. After noting campaign. These included in- that the purpose of the closure rule creased funding to create more po- p.m. The Government House Leader, was to provide governments with a sitions in healthcare and policing, procedural device to bring debate provide property tax rebates and Mr. Gantefoer, opened the debate and was followed by Kevin Yates of on a question to a close and that it enhance K-12 and post-secondary had only been invoked seven times education programs. the Opposition. Mr. Yates contin- ued to speak from early afternoon in the province’s history, he found The Opposition Finance critic, on April 7th until late the following that it was properly applied in the Harry Van Mulligen, criticized the 50 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/SUMMER 2008 present circumstances. Speaker Norris, Minister of Advanced Edu- Interparliamentary relations Toth also noted that the Rules con- cation, Employment and Labour, tain several instances where the As- and his officials available for sev- ThemembersoftheEasternRe- sembly has imposed limitations on eral hours of questioning in the gional Conference of the Council of debate or other means to curtail de- committee. State Governments (CSG/ERC) Ex- bate and that he, as Speaker, has no ecutive Committee, who met in discretionary authority to intervene Margaret (Meta) Woods New Jersey from March 14-16, 2008, as a matter of privilege. Accord- Clerk Assistant unanimously adopted a resolution ingly, he declined to find a prima fa- marking the 400th anniversary of cie case of privilege and prevent the the founding of Québec City and closure rule being applied to the ex- recognizing the contributions of the tended sitting hours motions. The population of Québec City to good questions on both the closure and North American relations. This res- sitting hours motions were subse- olution was presented on the pro- quently adopted by the Assembly posal of the Québec National on recorded divisions. Assembly delegation, led by Tony The Assembly proceeded to sit in he parliamentary proceedings Tomassi, Member for LaFontaine, accordance with the extended hours Tof the first session of the 38th Vice-Chairman of the Québec Sec- until April 17th, when the sessional legislature, which were adjourned tion of the CSG/ERC and member of orderwasrevisedtoreturnthe on December 19, 2007, resumed for the Executive Committee. House sittings to hours more akin to the spring sessional period on Parliamentary simulations the usual times and to retain the ex- March 11, 2008. tended hours as an option for com- Spring marks the beginning of the From February 13-15 2008, the Qué- mittee meetings should the need budgetary process at the National bec National Assembly welcomed arise. Assembly and, last March 13, the 114 students from Secondary 3 and Minister of Finance launched this Legislation and Committee 4 to the 6th Young People's Parlia- Business process with the Budget Speech. ment. This parliamentary simula- The debate on the Budget Speech tion brought together young people One of the first Acts to be passed by ensued, to be suspended in the As- attending 32 public and private the Assembly during the spring ses- sembly and continued in the Com- schools hailing from several Québec sion was a law implementing fixed mittee on Public Finance. On March regions. During this simulation, the election dates. A provincial general 18, 2008, the Assembly adopted a Members examined three bills that election will now be held on the first motion by the Government House they had drafted prior to this event: Monday in November every four Leader for the Assembly to give a first bill promoting the prohibition years. Saskatchewan is now the consideration to Interim Supply for of the sale of energy drinks to mi- ninth jurisdiction in Canada to have the fiscal year ending March 31, nors, a second bill proposing mea- fixed election dates. The Assembly 2009. This budgetary stage con- sures to foster the learning of French also approved The Consumer Protec- cluded with the passage of Appro- in Québec schools, and the last pro- tion Amendment Act, 2008 which priation Act No. 1, 2008-2009, and moting healthy lifestyle habits eliminates expiry dates on gift the referral to the standing commit- among Québec's youth. tees of the estimates of expenditure cards. Other news The two bills at the center of the for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. On extended hours disagreement have April 8, 2008, the Assembly re- On April 9, 2008, Roch Cholette an- been the subject of considerable de- sumed the debate on the Budget nounced his resignation as Member bate in the House and in the Human Speech and, at the conclusion of this for the Electoral Division of Hull. Services Committee. The Opposi- debate, carried the motion by the His departure increases to three the tion had requested that public hear- Minister of Finance proposing that number of vacant seats in the As- ings be held on Bill 5 - The Public the Assembly approves in general sembly, which is now composed as Service Essential Services Act and Bill the budgetary policy of the follows: Québec Liberal Party, 47; 6-The Trade Union Amendment Act, Government. Action démocratique du Québec, 2007. The government declined to 41; Parti Québécois, 34; vacant seats, do so and have instead made Rob 3. SUMMER 2008/CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW 51 On February 23, 2008, Denis brought together over 275 partici- Standing committees Lazure passed away at the age of 82. pants from Secondary 4 and 5 as He was the Parti Québécois Mem- well as college-level students from The Committee on Institutions was ber for the Electoral Division of various regions throughout Québec very active at the beginning of the Chambly from 1976 to 1981, in representing 35 educational institu- year and held three consultations Bertrand from 1981 to 1984, and in tions. This special edition for the all during the same period. The La Prairie from 1989 to 1994. 400th anniversary was a privileged Committee held public hearings, Last March 18, the President of opportunity for these young people during the months of February, the Québec National Assembly, to profitably employ their knowl- March and April, within the frame- Michel Bissonnet, inaugurated the edge on the history of Québec and of work of the general consultation on all new Visitors' Centre at the Na- its parliamentary institutions. the documents entitled Evaluation tional Assembly, in the Parliament On April 15 2008, the Library of Report on the Act to Reform the Code of Building.