Legislative Reports

Legislative Reports and efficiencies in government position by the end of the first quar- departments; ter. • elimination of duplication and Speaker’s Ruling overlap; • redirection of realized savings to On April 2, Opposition House front-line care and services; Leader Kelly Lamrock (MLA for • a balanced budget for 2004-2005 Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak), in ris- with a modest reduction in net ing on a question of privilege cited debt of $2.4 million. media reports that the government had begun to reduce the number of The Minister noted that the bud- positions in the civil service, as out- New Brunswick get will be balanced over the lined in the government’s budget. four-year period 2000-2001 to The Member submitted that by tak- he first session of the Fifty-fifth 2003-2004 with an anticipated cu- ing this action, prior to the budget TLegislature which adjourned mulative surplus of $161.8 million, being considered and approved by December 19, 2003, resumed on in accordance with balanced budget the House, the government has ei- March30whenFinanceMinister legislation – the first time that the ther breached the rule of anticipa- Jeannot Volpé (MLA for balanced budget legislation has tion, or had obstructed or impeded Madawaska-les-Lacs) delivered the been met over a four-year cycle. the House in the performance of its 2004-2005 budget address. The In his response to the 2004-2005 functions, which had resulted in an Minister noted that the first budget Budget, Opposition Leader and Fi- offence against the authority or dig- of this Legislature was sending a nance Critic Shawn Graham (MLA nity of the House. clear message: “we must live within for Kent) criticized the government In a decision delivered April 7, our means and we must focus on for failing to outline its vision in a Speaker Bev Harrison (MLA for priorities.” He stated that the bud- new Throne Speech. He noted that Hampton-Belleisle) noted that get continues to invest in the top pri- the House had sat only 16 days since Members are free to debate and crit- orities of New Brunswickers: health the June 2003 election and the gov- icize the budget and to approve or and senior care, education and chil- ernment had limited its legislative reject the estimates for each depart- dren, jobs and prosperity. The Min- agenda to a two-page speech on in- ment and are not obstructed or im- ister noted that the budget provides surance. He also criticized the gov- peded in the performance of their more money in the classroom and at ernment's lack of transparency for duties. the bedside, and less on administra- changing the way civil service em- Legislation tion. ployees are accounted for, noting that the new workforce profile will On March 31, Brenda Fowlie, Min- The 2004-2005 Budget includes: no longer show department FTEs ister of the Environment and Local • record levels of spending on and fiscal year changes. He claimed Government (MLA for health and senior care ($2.06 bil- that the budget was vulnerable as it Kennebecasis) introduced an lion) and education ($1.15 bil- was based on revenue projections amendment to the Clean Water Act lion); that were too optimistic, a health which proposed to provide munici- • key investments in the Prosperity budget that was far too low, and pal employees with the authority to Plan for innovation, learning and wage freezes that might never hap- issue exemptions from the Wellfield small business; pen. Mr. Graham predicted that the Protected Area Designation Order,to • no new taxes and no tax in- government would be in a deficit streamline the application of the or- creases; realization of savings der at the local level, delegating mu- SUMMER 2004 /CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW 43 nicipal employees with the 2.2 The Minister of Finance youth; ensure that the voices of would provide an updated authority to issue exemptions, thus statement of the province’s fi- children and youth are heard in the improving administrative effi- nances to the Auditor General political process generally; and re- ciency. within 60 days of the end of port directly to the Legislative As- each quarter of the fiscal year. The Wellfield Protected Area Desig- The Auditor-General would sembly much in the same manner as nation Order helps safeguard the then forward a copy of these the Ombudsman. The Bill has re- drinking water supplies of munici- statements to the Legislative ceived first and second reading. Assembly along with any com- palities that rely on groundwater as ments he or she feels neces- Committees their primary source of drinking sary. water. The order identifies the list of The Bill was defeated at the sec- The Standing Committee on Crown land use activities that can either be ond reading stage. Corporations held four days of carried out or that are restricted at On April 20, Minister of Justice hearings in March to review issues varying distances from the produc- and Attorney General Brad Green, surrounding the agreement to se- tion wells of designated wellfields. QC (MLA for Fredericton South) in- cure a supply of Orimulsion at the Mrs. Fowlie also introduced An troduced the Securities Act.The Coleson Cove Generating Station in Act Respecting Sunday Shopping Minister stated that the new Act will Saint John. The Committee was which would allow municipalities provide a modernized securities charged with examining whether to decide whether retail businesses regulatory system that is harmo- there were any failures in the deci- open for Sunday shopping. The Bill nized with securities legislation in sion making process that led to the proposes to eliminate the require- other Canadian jurisdictions. As a court action against Venezuelan oil ment that municipalities apply to result, securities laws in New companies by NB Power. The Com- the Municipal Capital Borrowing Brunswick will be familiar to mar- mittee heard from 13 individuals, Board for an exemption to allow ket participants across Canada and including present and former offi- Sunday shopping and will em- regulation will be more consistent, cials of NB Power, the Department power municipal councils with by- fair and cost effective. The Bill will of Energy and other government law-making authority regarding provide operational flexibility departments. The Committee is re- retail opening on Sundays in their through an industry funded Crown viewing the transcripts from over jurisdiction. The proposed legisla- Corporation called the New Bruns- 40 hours of testimony and is ex- tive changes will also prohibit retail wick Securities Commission made pected to report back to the House businesses from being open on any up of a quasi-judicial tribunal and a with its findings. of New Brunswick’s prescribed separate operational tier of perma- On April 2, 2004, the Select Com- days of rest, unless otherwise ex- nent, specialized staff. The Bill has mittee on Public Automobile Insur- empted under the Days of Rest Act. two thrusts: to encourage confi- ance chaired by NDP Leader During the session, Opposition dence and investment in New Elizabeth Weir (MLA for Saint John Leader Graham (MLA- Kent) intro- Brunswick business and to protect Harbour) tabled its final report. The duced the Fiscal Transparency Act, investors. The establishment of the Committee was asked to look at the which proposed a two-pronged ap- New Brunswick Securities Com- various public automobile insur- proach to the province’s financial mission fulfills a major commitment ance systems in Canada and iden- accountability: made by government. tify the most suitable model of On April 21, Opposition Leader public automobile insurance to en- 1. The Auditor General would Graham introduced the Child and sure fair, accessible and affordable undertake a financial review Youth Advocate Act noting that such automobile insurance for all New of the provincial finances at the three and a half year mark an advocate was a key recommen- Brunswickers, in the event a deci- of a government’s term and dation in the child welfare report sion is made to move to a public sys- present a report within 60 days Children Come First. The Bill pro- tem. to ensure that voters and Op- position parties have the most poses a child advocate who would Among other things the Report up-to-date and impartial fi- inform the public and government recommended a made-in-New nancial information before of the needs and rights of children Brunswick model of public auto- heading to the polls. In the case where an election is not and youth; ensure that adequate mobile insurance that offers exten- called at the four-year mark, services are provided to children sive coverage at an affordable rate the Auditor General would be- and youth; advise the government for all drivers with: gin another financial review at the four and a half year mark. on services affecting children and 44 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW /SUMMER 2004 • no reference to age, gender, mari- the public through the local com- bated during this period, with two tal status, territory, payment his- munity programming. The daily receiving Royal Assent on March tory or lapses in insurance to determine insurance costs; Question Period will not be carried 11, 2004: live; it will be aired on the commu- • rates to be determined by driving nity cable channels across the prov- • Bill 7 – The Criminal Property For- record, vehicle usage, vehicle ince at 4 p.m. each day that the feiture Act – enables a police chief make and model, optional cover- or the commanding officer of the age purchased; legislature is in session. RCMP in Manitoba to apply to The Legislative Assembly is • oversight of the public utilities the Court of Queen's Bench for an board for mandatory and op- working in consultation with Rog- order forfeiting property to the tional insurance rates; pure, ers Cable, Rogers Television and government.

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