Legislative Assembly of Alberta the 29Th Legislature First Session
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Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature First Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General Consideration of Main Estimates Wednesday, November 18, 2015 9 a.m. Transcript No. 29-1-8 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature First Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Sweet, Heather, Edmonton-Manning (ND), Chair Smith, Mark W., Drayton Valley-Devon (W), Deputy Chair Ellis, Mike, Calgary-West (PC)* Hinkley, Bruce, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (ND) Jansen, Sandra, Calgary-North West (PC) Littlewood, Jessica, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (ND) Luff, Robyn, Calgary-East (ND) McPherson, Karen M., Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill (ND) Orr, Ronald, Lacombe-Ponoka (W) Payne, Brandy, Calgary-Acadia (ND) Pitt, Angela D., Airdrie (W) Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Shepherd, David, Edmonton-Centre (ND) Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL) Westhead, Cameron, Banff-Cochrane (ND) Yao, Tany, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (W) * substitution for Sandra Jansen Also in Attendance Cyr, Scott J., Bonnyville-Cold Lake (W) Support Staff W.J. David McNeil Clerk Robert H. Reynolds, QC Law Clerk/Director of Interparliamentary Relations Shannon Dean Senior Parliamentary Counsel/ Director of House Services Philip Massolin Manager of Research Services Stephanie LeBlanc Legal Research Officer Sarah Amato Research Officer Nancy Robert Research Officer Giovana Bianchi Committee Clerk Corinne Dacyshyn Committee Clerk Jody Rempel 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 Standing Committee on Families and Communities Participants Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General Hon. Kathleen T. Ganley, Minister Philip Bryden, QC, Deputy Minister Curtis Clarke, Associate Deputy Solicitor General Gerald Lamoureux, Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services November 18, 2015 Families and Communities FC-145 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2015 If we could please note that the microphones are operated by Title: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 fc Hansard, and we’d ask that BlackBerrys, iPhones, et cetera, be [Ms Sweet in the chair] turned off or set to vibrate or on silent and not be placed on the table as they may interfere with the audiofeed. Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General Hon. members, the standing orders set out the process for Consideration of Main Estimates consideration of the main estimates. Before we proceed with consideration of the main estimates for the Ministry of Justice and The Chair: Good morning, everybody. I’d like to call the meeting Solicitor General, I would like to review briefly the standing orders to order and welcome everyone. I’m Heather Sweet. I’m the MLA governing the speaking rotation. As provided for in Standing Order for Edmonton-Manning and the chair of the Families and 59.01(6), the rotation is as follows. The minister or the member of Communities Committee. the Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf may make The committee has under consideration the estimates of the opening comments not to exceed 10 minutes. For the hour that Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General for the fiscal year ending follows, members of the Official Opposition and the minister may March 31, 2016. speak. For the next 20 minutes the members of the third party, if I’d ask that we go around the table and introduce ourselves for any, and the minister may speak. For the next 20 minutes the the record. Madam Minister, if you could please also introduce your members of any other party represented in the Assembly or any staff when it’s your turn. We will start with Mr. Ellis. independent members and the minister may speak. For the next 20 minutes private members of the government caucus and the Mr. Ellis: I’m Mike Ellis, MLA for Calgary-West. With me is my minister may speak. For the time remaining, we will follow the assistant, Terri Kemball. same rotation just outlined to the extent possible; however, the Mr. Orr: Ron Orr, MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka. Good morning. speaking times are reduced to five minutes as set out in Standing Order 59.02(1)(c). Mr. Cyr: Scott Cyr. I’m the MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake and Members may speak more than once; however, speaking times the shadow minister for Justice and Solicitor General. My colleague for the first rotation are limited to 10 minutes at any one time. A to my left is Bill Bewick, who is one of our policy managers, and minister and a member may combine their time for a total of 20 Shannon Hamelin is my legislative assistant. minutes. For the final rotation, with speaking times of five minutes, once again a minister and a member may combine their speaking Ms Ganley: I’m Kathleen Ganley. I’m the Minister of Justice and time for a maximum total of 10 minutes. The speaking rotation is Solicitor General and Minister of Aboriginal Relations. To my left set out in the standing orders, and members wishing to participate is Philip Bryden, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Solicitor must be present during the appropriate portion of the meeting. General. To my right is Dr. Curtis Clarke, associate deputy Solicitor Members are asked to advise the chair at the beginning of their General; Gerald Lamoureux, assistant deputy minister, corporate speech if they wish to combine their time with the minister’s time. services; and Brad Wells, who is seated behind me, is the senior If members have any questions regarding speaking times or the financial officer. rotation, please feel free to send a note or speak directly with the Also seated behind me are Eric Tolppanen, assistant deputy chair or the committee clerk about the process. minister, Alberta Crown prosecution service; Fiona Lavoy, acting Three hours have been scheduled to consider the estimates of the assistant deputy minister, correctional services; Rae-Ann Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General. With the concurrence of Lajeunesse, assistant deputy minister, justice services; Frank the committee, I will call a five-minute break near the midpoint of Bosscha, assistant deputy minister, legal services; Faye Morrison, the meeting. The clock will continue to run throughout the break. acting assistant deputy minister, resolution and court administration Are members in agreement with this process? We’re all in services; Bill Sweeney, assistant deputy minister, public security; agreement? No objections? Thank you. Nichole Laforce, acting deputy director of human resources; Matt Committee members, ministers, and other members who are not Barker, executive director, policy and planning services branch; committee members may participate. Ministry officials may be Dan Laville, director of communications; Derrick Gugulyn, present, and at the direction of the minister officials from the director of financial planning. ministry may address the committee. Members’ staff may be present and, space permitting, may sit at the table or behind their Mrs. Littlewood: Jessica Littlewood, MLA, Fort Saskatchewan- members along the committee room wall. Members have priority Vegreville. for sitting at the table at all times. Ms McPherson: Good morning. I’m Karen McPherson, MLA If debate is exhausted prior to three hours, the ministry’s for Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill. estimates are deemed to have been considered for the time allotted in the schedule and we will adjourn. Otherwise, we will adjourn at Ms Luff: Good morning. Robyn Luff, Calgary-East. noon. Points of order will be dealt with as they arise, and the clock will Mr. Shepherd: David Shepherd, Edmonton-Centre. continue to run. Any written material provided in response to questions raised Mr. Westhead: Cameron Westhead, Banff-Cochrane. during the main estimates should be tabled by the minister in the Mr. Hinkley: Bruce Hinkley, Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Assembly for the benefit of all members. The vote on the estimates is deferred until consideration of all Ms Payne: Good morning. Brandy Payne, MLA for Calgary- ministry estimates has concluded and will occur in Committee of Acadia. Supply on November 23, 2015. If there are amendments, an amendment to the estimates cannot Mr. Smith: Mark Smith, Drayton Valley-Devon, vice-chair. seek to increase the amount of the estimates being considered, change the destination of a grant, or change the destination or The Chair: Thank you very much. purpose of a subsidy. An amendment may be proposed to reduce an FC-146 Families and Communities November 18, 2015 estimate, but the amendment cannot propose to reduce the estimate best chance of being supported in making better choices in the by its full amount. The vote on amendments is deferred until future. Committee of Supply convenes on November 23, 2015. 9:10 Amendments must be in writing and approved by Parliamentary Counsel prior to the meeting at which they are to be moved. Twenty As you can see, the budget for this division is up almost $12 copies of amendments must be provided at the meeting for million when we compare the 2015-16 estimate to the 2014-15 committee members and staff, and the original must be provided to budget. This is a projected shortfall in funding as a result of the committee clerk. operational demands related to rising inmate populations. The main I would now like to invite the Minister of Justice and Solicitor cost drivers in this area are population and inflation. For this year General to begin with her opening remarks. You now have 10 funding was reallocated from other divisions within the ministry to minutes. help address this shortfall. In the short term costs are being addressed in a variety of ways, including managing vacancies. As Ms Ganley: Thank you. My ministry helps to ensure that Albertans population increases, my ministry will work to address this can live in safe and resilient communities and have access to a fair increasing pressure by ensuring that we use expensive remand and innovative justice system.