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 Service Alberta Consideration of Main Estimates Wednesday, November 4, 2015 9 a.m. Transcript No. 29-1-4 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 Anderson, Wayne, Highwood (W)* Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Greenway (PC)** 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 Mark Smith ** substitution for Dave Rodney *** 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 Service Alberta Hon. Danielle Larivee, Minister Mark Brisson, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Modernization Tim Grant, Deputy Minister Sonja Johnston, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Shared Services Cathryn Landreth, Assistant Deputy Minister, Open Government Ed Ryan, Assistant Deputy Minister, Registries November 4, 2015 Families and Communities FC-45 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 4, 2015 members and the minister may speak. For the next 20 minutes Title: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 fc private members of the government caucus, the New Democrats, [Ms Sweet in the chair] and the minister may speak. For the time remaining, we will follow the same rotation just outlined to the extent possible; however, the Ministry of Service Alberta speaking times are reduced to five minutes as set out in Standing Consideration of Main Estimates Order 59.02(1)(c). Members may speak more than once; however, speaking times The Chair: Good morning. I’m Heather Sweet, and I am the chair for the first rotation are limited to 10 minutes at any one time. A of the Families and Communities Committee. I would like to call minister and a member may combine their time for a total of 20 the meeting to order and welcome everyone. The committee has minutes. For the final rotation, with speaking times of five minutes, under consideration the estimates of the Ministry of Service Alberta once again a minister and a member may combine their speaking for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. time for a maximum total of 10 minutes. Members are asked to I’d ask that we go around the table and introduce ourselves for advise the chair at the beginning of their speech if they wish to the record. Madam Minister, if you could please also introduce your combine their time with the minister’s time. staff when it’s your turn. If members have any questions regarding speaking times or the rotation, please feel free to send a note or speak directly with either Mr. Ellis: Mike Ellis, MLA for Calgary-West. the chair or the committee clerk about the process. Mr. Cyr: Scott Cyr, MLA, Bonnyville-Cold Lake. Three hours have been scheduled to consider the estimates of the Ministry of Service Alberta. With the concurrence of the committee Mr. Orr: Ron Orr, Lacombe-Ponoka. I will call a five-minute break near the midpoint of the meeting. The clock will be stopped for the break, and the meeting end time will Mr. Yao: Tany Yao, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. be adjusted accordingly to accommodate this. Is there concurrence? Any disagreement? Thank you. Mrs. Pitt: Angela Pitt, Airdrie. Committee members, ministers, and other members who are not Mr. W. Anderson: Wayne Anderson, Highwood. On my right is committee members may also participate. Ministry officials may be my assistant, Andrew Koning. present, and at the direction of the minister officials from the ministry may address the committee. Members’ staff may be Ms Larivee: Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal – of Service present and, space permitting, may sit at the table or behind their Alberta. Excuse me. That was last night. To my right is my deputy members along the committee room wall. Members have priority minister, Tim Grant. To his right is Mark Brisson, assistant deputy for seating at the table at all times. minister for service modernization. To my left is Balraj Sangha, the If debate is exhausted prior to three hours, the ministry’s manager of financial planning and analysis. estimates are deemed to have been considered for the time allotted in the schedule, and we will adjourn. Otherwise, we will adjourn at Mr. Shepherd: David Shepherd, Edmonton-Centre. 12 noon or shortly thereafter if a break is taken. Points of order will be dealt with as they arise, and the clock will Ms McPherson: Good morning. I’m Karen McPherson, MLA for continue to run. Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill. Any written material provided in response to questions raised 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 Mr. Westhead: Cameron Westhead, Banff-Cochrane. ministry estimates has concluded and will occur in Committee of Mrs. Littlewood: Jessica Littlewood, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan- Supply on November 23, 2015. Vegreville. If there are amendments, an amendment to the estimates cannot seek to increase the amount of the estimates being considered, Ms Payne: Good morning. Brandy Payne, Calgary-Acadia. change the destination of a grant, or change the destination or purpose of a subsidy. An amendment may be proposed to reduce an The Chair: Thank you. estimate, but the amendment cannot propose to reduce the estimate Please note that the microphones are operated by Hansard, and by its full amount. The vote on amendments is deferred until we’d ask that BlackBerrys, iPhones, et cetera, be turned off or set Committee of Supply convenes on November 23, 2015. to silent or vibrate and not placed on the table as they may interfere Amendments must be in writing and approved by Parliamentary with the audiofeed. Counsel prior to the meeting at which they are to be moved. Twenty Speaking orders and times. Hon. members, the standing orders copies of the amendment must be provided at the meeting for set out the process for consideration of the main estimates. Before committee members and staff, and the original must be provided to we proceed with consideration of the main estimates for the the committee clerk. Ministry of Service Alberta, I would like to review briefly the I would now like to invite the Minister of Service Alberta to begin standing orders governing the speaking rotation. As provided for in with her opening remarks. You have 10 minutes. Standing Order 59.01(6), the rotation is as follows. The minister or the member of Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf Ms Larivee: Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning. As the new may make opening comments not to exceed 10 minutes. For the Minister of Service Alberta I am pleased to present estimates for hour that follows, members of the Official Opposition, the the 2015-16 fiscal year. With me are some of my staff to help me Wildrose, and the minister may speak. For the next 20 minutes the provide specific information and answer any questions you may members of the third party, the Progressive Conservatives, if any, have. As previously indicated, seated beside me are my deputy and the minister may speak. For the next 20 minutes the members minister, Tim Grant; Balraj Sangha, the manager of financial of any other party represented in the Assembly or any independent planning and analysis; and Mark Brisson, assistant deputy minister FC-46 Families and Communities November 4, 2015 for service modernization. Behind me are my department’s The next-largest capital investment is to modernize the registry executive team, who will introduce themselves if they are asked to systems for greater automation. The balance of the capital budget is address the room. for systems to better serve vulnerable Albertans, migrating systems Service Alberta provides a broad range of services to benefit and to a standard IT platform, upgrading aging IT infrastructure, routine protect Albertans. We manage the government call centres, that are maintenance, and digital identification and authentication for public often people’s first contact with their government. We manage users. registering vehicles, obtaining marriage licences, registering the The third area of expenses is financial transactions, which birth