Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities Evaluation Summary Report Review Monday, December 7, 2020 11:01 a.m. Transcript No. 30-2-6 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Goodridge, Laila, Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche (UCP), Chair Sigurdson, Lori, Edmonton-Riverview (NDP), Deputy Chair Amery, Mickey K., Calgary-Cross (UCP) Carson, Jonathon, Edmonton-West Henday (NDP) Glasgo, Michaela L., Brooks-Medicine Hat (UCP) Guthrie, Peter F., Airdrie-Cochrane (UCP) Neudorf, Nathan T., Lethbridge-East (UCP) Nixon, Jeremy P., Calgary-Klein (UCP) Pancholi, Rakhi, Edmonton-Whitemud (NDP) Renaud, Marie F., St. Albert (NDP)* Rutherford, Brad, Leduc-Beaumont (UCP) Sabir, Irfan, Calgary-McCall (NDP) Yao, Tany, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (UCP) * substitution for Jonathon Carson Support Staff Shannon Dean, QC Clerk Stephanie LeBlanc Clerk Assistant and Senior Parliamentary Counsel Teri Cherkewich Law Clerk Trafton Koenig Senior Parliamentary Counsel Philip Massolin Clerk of Committees and Research Services Sarah Amato Research Officer Nancy Robert Research Officer Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Aaron Roth Committee Clerk Rhonda Sorensen Manager of Corporate Communications Jeanette Dotimas Communications Consultant Tracey Sales Communications Consultant Janet Schwegel Director of Parliamentary Programs Amanda LeBlanc Deputy Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard December 7, 2020 Families and Communities FC-345 11:01 a.m. Monday, December 7, 2020 Please note that the microphones are operated by Hansard, so Title: Monday, December 7, 2020 fc members do not need to turn them on and off. Committee proceedings [Ms Goodridge in the chair] are being live streamed on the Internet and broadcast through Alberta Assembly TV. I would ask that everyone please set your cellphones The Chair: Hello, everybody. I would like to call this meeting to and any other device to silent for the duration of this meeting. order. Welcome to the members and staff in attendance for this Participation in committee meetings via teleconference and video meeting of the Standing Committee on Families and Communities. conference. Section 6 of the Legislative Assembly Act permits My name is Laila Goodridge. I’m the MLA for Fort McMurray- participation in a committee “by means of telephone or other Lac La Biche and the chair of this committee. I’d ask that members communication facilities that permit . Members participating in and those joining the committee at the table introduce themselves the meeting to hear each other if all the members of the committee for the record, followed by those who have joined remotely, starting consent.” As members are aware, the committee rooms are equipped to my right. to facilitate meeting participation via teleconference and are also now equipped to use video conference technology as well. Mr. Neudorf: Good morning. Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Although the committee has passed a motion to allow tele- Lethbridge-East. conference participation by members, the committee must either Ms LeBlanc: Good morning. Stephanie LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant pass a motion unanimously to allow for video conferencing today, and Senior Parliamentary Counsel. or members may instead pass a motion to approve meeting attendance by video conference for the balance of the Legislature. This would Dr. Massolin: Good morning. Philip Massolin, clerk of committees not preclude the committee from determining that members’ and research services. attendance in person at specific meetings is required. Does anyone have a question? Ms Rempel: Good morning. Jody Rempel, committee clerk. I was wondering if a member would like to move that for the duration of the 30th Legislature the Standing Committee The Chair: Fantastic. on Families and Communities permit committee members to Then we will start with those on the telephone by alphabetical participate via video conference subject to the provision that the order of your last name. committee may require members’ attendance in person at a particular meeting upon passage at a previous meeting of a Mr. Amery: Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ll assume that I’ll start, motion to that effect. then. Mickey Amery, MLA, Calgary-Cross. Mr. Neudorf: So moved, Madam Chair. Ms Glasgo: Michaela Glasgo, MLA, Brooks-Medicine Hat. The Chair: Fantastic. That has been moved by MLA Nathan Mr. Guthrie: MLA Pete Guthrie. Neudorf. I will ask just one question. Is anyone opposed to this motion? Mr. Rutherford: Brad Rutherford, Leduc-Beaumont. Hearing nothing, that motion passes unanimously. Mr. Jeremy Nixon: Jeremy Nixon, Calgary-Klein. The next item of business is to approve an agenda for today’s Mr. Sabir: Irfan Sabir, MLA, Calgary-McCall. meeting. Are there any changes to the agenda, and if not, would somebody like to make a motion to approve the draft agenda? The Chair: Fantastic. Oh, any others? Mr. Neudorf: So moved. Ms Sigurdson: Yeah. I think people are before me alphabetically, The Chair: Fantastic. Moved by MLA Nathan Neudorf that the but Lori Sigurdson, Edmonton-Riverview. agenda for the December 7, 2020, meeting of the Standing Committee on Families and Communities be adopted as distributed. Ms Pancholi: Rakhi Pancholi, MLA, Edmonton-Whitemud. All in favour? Anyone opposed? That motion is carried. We have the minutes from the June 24, 2019, meeting of the Ms Renaud: Marie Renaud, St. Albert. committee. Are there any errors or omissions to note? If not, I would ask that a member move that the minutes . Mr. Yao: Tany Yao, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. Mr. Neudorf: So moved, Chair. The Chair: Fantastic. I believe that is everybody. I’d just like to note for the record that we have an official The Chair: Moved by MLA Nathan Neudorf that the minutes of substitution that came in. We have MLA Marie Renaud substituting the June 24, 2019, meeting of the Standing Committee on Families for MLA Jon Carson. and Communities be adopted as circulated. All those in favour of A few housekeeping items to address before we turn to the this motion? Is anyone opposed? That motion is carried. business at hand. Pursuant to the November 16, 2020, memo from Review of the Office of the Advocate for Persons with the hon. Speaker Cooper I would like to remind everybody of the Disabilities Evaluation Summary Report, October 2020: (a) updated committee room protocols, which require that, outside of mandate, Government Motion 46. Hon. members, on November 25, individuals with an exemption, those attending a meeting in person 2020, the Legislative Assembly passed Government Motion 46 must wear a mask at all times unless they are speaking. Based on referring the evaluation summary report October 2020, prepared by the recommendations from the chief medical officer of health the office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, to the regarding physical distancing, attendees at today’s meeting are Standing Committee on Families and Communities. The committee reminded to leave the appropriate distance between themselves and is required to complete its review of this report within 90 days of other meeting participants. the report being referred, which is February 23, 2021, if the FC-346 Families and Communities December 7, 2020 Assembly is then sitting or within 15 days after the commencement already identified in the motion, that I would just like to ensure that of the next sitting. we have a substantive amount of time to hear appropriate technical As this is the first review undertaken by this committee in the briefings. I have been a member of other committees where 30th Legislature, I would like to take a few minutes to provide an sometimes technical briefings are quite brief, and it doesn’t really overview of how committees have undertaken similar reviews. It is allow for a substantial discussion. If there’s an opportunity right often the case that reviews of this nature include technical briefings now, I’d just like to have a discussion around how long those from those responsible for preparing the report being reviewed as briefings would be. I would say: a minimum of 20 minutes for each well as any additional ministry responsible for administrating the presentation, with the opportunity for questions and answers as legislation under which the report is developed. Once the deemed appropriate by the committee for each of those briefings. committee has gathered information that is deemed sufficient, the committee prepares a report to the Legislative Assembly, which The Chair: I see MLA Neudorf. may include any recommendations that the committee may wish to Thank you, Madam Chair. I agree with MLA make pertaining to matters contained in the report. Are there any Mr. Neudorf: questions regarding the mandate of the committee as to how it Pancholi. I think it would be helpful if Parliamentary Counsel could pertains to this review? Wonderful. at this point provide some direction as to how committees have Hon. members, the first step in most reviews of this nature is for undertaken having these stakeholders present in the past. I think this the committee to decide whether it wishes to receive a technical would be beneficial before we got into too much debate, but, again, briefing in relation to the report. As members are aware, the report these are the two predominant organizations or groups that we was prepared by the office of the Advocate for Persons with would like to hear from. To provide some context with time and Disabilities, and the government ministry responsible for time frames would be helpful at the outset. administering the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities Act is the The Chair: Dr. Massolin. Ministry of Community and Social Services. I would now like to open a discussion in relation to whether the committee would like Dr. Massolin: Thank you, Madam Chair. I can speak to that.