Standing Committee on Public Accounts
ANNUAL REPORT
2011
© 2011 Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Province of Nova Scotia Printed and Published by the Queen’s Printer Halifax
ISSN: 1205-4615
This document is also available on the Internet at the following address: http://gov.ns.ca/legislature/COMMITTEES/accounts.html
Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
Introduction i
Membership i
Membership Changes i
Procedures and Operations ii
Notices ii
Transcripts ii
Annual Reports iii
Research Material iii
Acknowledgements iii
Witnesses iv
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Organizational Meeting 1
Organizational 2
Department of Finance 3
Future Long-Term Energy Initiatives & NSPI Power Rate Increases 5
Patient Access Registry 7
Support4Sport Program 9
Management of Contaminated Sites 11
Office of the Auditor General 14
Office of the Auditor General 15
Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
Registry Systems 16
Rent Supplement Housing 18
Services for Persons with Disabilities 20
Education Program Spending 22
Nova Scotia Public Service Commission 24
Labour Market Agreement 27
Lighthouses Program 29
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia 31
Maintenance Enforcement Program 33
Nova Scotia Water Strategy 36
Office of the Auditor General 38
Office of the Auditor General 39
Family Pharmacare Program 41
Recruiting of International Medical Graduates 43
Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission 45
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND PROCEDURES
Introduction 47
Agenda Setting (September 22, 2010) 49
Agenda Setting (October 13, 2010) 50
Agenda Setting (November 9, 2010) 52
Agenda Setting (January 20, 2011) 53
Agenda Setting (March 9, 2011) 54
Agenda Setting (May 11, 2011) 55 Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
STATEMENT OF SUBMISSION
Statement of Submission 56
APPENDICES
Appendix A List of Documentation Requested 57
Appendix B List of Motions 63
Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
INTRODUCTION
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts, an all-party committee of the House of Assembly, was struck at the beginning of the First Session of the Sixty-first General Assembly. Pursuant to Rule 60(2)(b) of the Province of Nova Scotia Rules and Forms of Procedure of the House of Assembly:
(b) the Public Accounts Committee is established for the purpose of reviewing the public accounts, the annual report or other reports of the Auditor General, and any other financial matters respecting the public funds of the province.
MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the Public Accounts Committee is as follows:
Ms. Diana Whalen, MLA – Chair Mr. Brian Skabar, MLA Mr. Howard Epstein, MLA – Vice Chair Hon. Keith Colwell, MLA Mr. Clarrie MacKinnon, MLA Mr. Chuck Porter, MLA Mr. Gary Ramey, MLA Mr. Allan MacMaster, MLA Mr. Mat Whynott, MLA
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
During the second session of the Sixty-first General Assembly, the committee underwent the following membership change: Mr. Howard Epstein, MLA, (Halifax Chebucto) as Vice Chair; Mr. Brian Skabar, MLA, (Cumberland North) replaced Becky Kent, MLA, (Cole Harbour Eastern Passage); Ms. Michèle Raymond, MLA, (Halifax Atlantic) replaced Mr. Leonard Preyra, MLA, (Halifax Citadel – Sable Island); Mr. Allan MacMaster, MLA, (Inverness) replaced Hon. Cecil Clarke, MLA, ( Cape Breton North); and Mr. Gary Ramey, MLA (Lunenburg West) replaced Ms. Michèle Raymond, MLA (Halifax Atlantic) .
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
PROCEDURES AND OPERATIONS
The Public Accounts Committee traditionally meets on Wednesday morning in either the Legislative Chamber in Province House or in the Legislative Committees Office. During the second and third sessions of the Sixty-first General Assembly, the committee met on the following dates:
September 22, 2010 February 2, 2011 October 6, 2010 March 9, 2011 October 13, 2010 March 23, 2011 October 20, 2010 March 30, 2011 October 27, 2010 April 6, 2011 November 3, 2010 April 20, 2011 November 9, 2010 April 27, 2011 November 10, 2010 May 11, 2011 November 17, 2010 May 18, 2011 November 24, 2010 May 25, 2011 December 1, 2010 June 1, 2011 January 12, 2011 June 8, 2011 January 20, 2011 June 15, 2011
NOTICES
Notices of the Public Accounts Committee meetings are sent to all members of the committee, staff of the caucus offices, Legislative staff and the House of Assembly Press Gallery. The notices are also posted in Province House and are on the committees’ website at the following address: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/committees/.
TRANSCRIPTS
Transcripts of all Public Accounts Committee public hearings are available from the Legislative Library in Province House, the Legislative Committees Office or on the Public Accounts Committee’s website at the following address: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/committees/committee_hansard/C7/.
All live coverage and re-broadcasts of the Public Accounts Committee are available on EastLink Cable channel 95. Live webcasts are co-produced by Legislative Television and Communications Nova Scotia. Video archives and podcasts are available at: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/proceedings/legislative-tv.
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
ANNUAL REPORTS
All reports of the Public Accounts Committee are compiled and written by the committee clerk. The draft is then sent to committee members for consideration. Upon completion of the review and approval of the report, the Chair tables the report with the Speaker of the House of Assembly or with the Clerk of the House of Assembly.
Distribution of the report is as follows, to: the Speaker and to the Clerk of the House of Assembly, all members of the committee, all witnesses who appeared before the committee, the Legislative Library in Nova Scotia, and the caucus offices. The report is also available to the general public upon request through the Legislative Committees Office or on the committees’ website at the following address: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/committees/standing_committees/public_accounts.
RESEARCH MATERIAL
All research for the Public Accounts Committee is coordinated between the committee clerk and the researcher at the Legislative Library. Research material is compiled in an electronic format and is distributed one week prior to the meeting to members, staff and witnesses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts wishes to extend its gratitude: to the witnesses for their time and co-operation; the staff of the Legislative Committees Office; Mr. Robert Kinsman, Editor of Hansard Reporting Services, and staff; Mr. James MacInnes, Coordinator/Director of Legislative Television and Broadcast Services, and staff; Ms. Margaret Murphy, Legislative Librarian, and staff, with special thanks to Ms. Heather Ludlow, Information Services Librarian, for her invaluable research assistance.
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
WITNESSES
September 22, 2010 Organizational Meeting Setting the Agenda
September 22, 2010 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
October 6, 2010 Department of Finance In camera Briefing
October 6, 2010 Organizational Setting the Agenda
October 13, 2010 Department of Finance Overview of the Public Accounts for 2009–2010
October 13, 2010 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
October 20, 2010 Department of Energy Future Long-Term Energy Initiatives and NSPI Power Rate Increases
October 27, 2010 Department of Health and Wellness Patient Access Registry
November 3, 2010 Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation Support4Sport program
November 9, 2010 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
November 10, 2010 Department of Environment Management of Contaminated Sites
November 17, 2010 Office of the Auditor General In camera Briefing
November 24, 2010 Office of the Auditor General Report of the Auditor General
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
December 1, 2010 Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Registry Systems
January 12, 2011 Department of Community Services Rent Supplement Housing
January 20, 2011 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
February 2, 2011 Department of Community Services Services for Persons with Disabilities
March 9, 2011 Department of Education Education Program Spending
March 9, 2011 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
March 23, 2011 Nova Scotia Public Service Commission Attrition, Retention & Demographics in the Public Service
March 30, 2011 Department of Labor and Advanced Education Labour Market Agreement
April 6, 2011 Department of Justice Lighthouses Program
April 20, 2011 Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia
April 27, 2011 Department of Justice Maintenance Enforcement Program
May 11, 2011 Department of Environment Nova Scotia Water Strategy
May 11, 2011 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures Setting the Agenda In camera
May 18, 2011 Office of the Auditor General In camera Briefing
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
May 25, 2011 Office of the Auditor General Report of the Auditor General
June 1, 2011 Department of Health and Wellness Family Pharmacare Program
June 8, 2011 Department of Health and Wellness College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services Recruiting of International Medical Graduates
June 15, 2011 Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission Project Financing, Toll Increases and Regional Transportation Planning
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PUBLIC HEARINGS
Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING Re: Setting the Agenda September 22, 2010
WITNESSES
Representatives from the Office of the Auditor General and the Legislative Counsel Office were in attendance. No witnesses were present.
MATTERS OF DISCUSSION
This was the first meeting for the new session of the Public Accounts Committee to re-organize and prepare the fall/winter agenda. As a result of a motion put during the previous session, the Public Accounts Committee reconvened in order to re-establish the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures.
The Chair informed the members of the committee of the upcoming 2011 CCPAC conference that will be hosted by the Public Accounts Committee and the Office of the Auditor General.
MOTIONS
The following motions were presented to the Public Accounts Committee by Mr. Leonard Preyra, MLA, Vice Chair:
―That this committee approve the re-establishment of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures‖.
Motion carried
―Questions of policies and procedures of the Public Accounts Committee and the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures be referred to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures and that the subcommittee consider it [sic] and make recommendations to the Public Accounts Committee as soon as it can‖.
Motion carried
The standing committee then adjourned and the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures was called into session.
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts Annual Report 2010 - 2011
ORGANIZATIONAL October 6, 2010
WITNESSES
There w