Annual Report January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013 Letter from the Speaker
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Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island 2013 Annual Report January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013 Letter from the Speaker October 14, 2014 To the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown It is my pleasure to submit the Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island and the Prince Edward Island Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the period January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013. I wish to acknowledge and thank all staff of the Legislative Assembly for the important work they do in supporting the exercise of parliamentary democracy on Prince Edward Island. Respectfully, Hon. Carolyn I. Bertram, MLA Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Table of Contents Clerk’s Message 5 Our History 6 Our Services 7 Our Staff 10 Community Engagement 12 Events 15 Technology 23 Committees 25 Statistics 31 Legislative Assembly Budget and Expenses 33 Assemblée parlementaire francophonie 35 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 36 Prince Edward Island Branch Clerk’s Message October 10, 2014 Hon. Carolyn Bertram, MLA Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Province House, Charlottetown Dear Madam Speaker: I have the pleasure of presenting the 2013 Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, which includes the 2013 report of the Prince Edward Island Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. This report highlights the various activities of the Office of the Legislative Assembly and the Office of the Clerk for the period January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013. Respectfully yours, Charles H. MacKay Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and Secretary, PEI Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 5 Our History The modern Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island was created in 1893 with the amalgamation of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council, but its history reaches back to the late eighteenth century. Walter Patterson, the first governor of the Island, was appointed by the crown in 1770, and he, in turn, appointed a council of seven to help him administer the colony’s affairs. The first election of members to a House of Representatives was on July 4, 1773, with the first meeting taking place in Charlottetown, July 7-17, 1773. During the early years, the members met in private homes and taverns until, in 1847, the House of Assembly began to meet in Province House, then called the Colonial Building. Just a few years later, and following a ten year campaign, Prince Edward Island achieved responsible government, a major milestone. In 1864, the Charlottetown Conference happened in the Island’s capital, and eventually led to the formation of Canada in 1867. Prince Edward Island joined the Canadian Confederation later on July 1, 1873, nearly a hundred years to the day from its first meeting of elected representatives. In 1893, the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council were merged to form the Legislative Assembly, with fifteen dual-member ridings. This remained largely unchanged for many years, until the creation of 27 single- member consitituencies in 1996. There have been major changes to the Legislative Assembly since its creation, among them the secret ballot for provincial elections and the enfranchisement of women. Technological updates have come to the Legislative Assembly in recent years as well, including the establishment of a Hansard service, televising proceedings, and a presence on the Internet and in social media. 6 Our Services The Office of the Legislative their parliamentary functions by facilities to Members. Chaired Assembly provides nonpartisan services administered by the Clerk, by the Speaker, its mandate and procedural, administrative, the chief executive officer of the membership are specified in the educational and outreach services Legislative Assembly. The Clerk has Rules of the Legislative Assembly. to the Members of the Legislative both procedural and managerial Assembly and the public. responsibilities, and oversees the Independent Offices of the delivery of nonpartisan services Legislative Assembly to the Members of the Legislative Assembly. The Clerk’s responsibilities • The Conflict of Interest Office of the Speaker include Commissioner assists Members and Ministers in The Speaker is the presiding officer • the safekeeping of the records reconciling their private and of the Legislative Assembly, and is and documents of the House; public interests to enhance responsible for public confidence in the • maintaining the official record Legislative Assembly. • presiding over the proceedings of the House and publishing of the Assembly, maintaining the Journal of the Legislative • Elections PEI administers all order, and regulating debate in Assembly; elections in Prince Edward accordance with the rules and Island. practices of the House; • serving as secretary to the Standing Committee on • The Information and Privacy • ensuring all viewpoints have Legislative Management; Commissioner accepts the opportunity of a hearing in appeals from applicants, debate; • advising the Speaker and or third parties, who are Members on parliamentary not satisfied with the • casting the deciding vote in the procedure, traditions and response they receive from event of a tie; precedents; public bodies as a result of • guarding the privileges of the an access to information • administering the oath of request. The Commissioner Assembly and protecting the allegiance to all duly elected rights of its Members; also investigates privacy Members at the beginning of a complaints. • representing the Legislative parliament; Assembly outside of the • The Indemnities and • presiding over the election of a Allowances Commission chamber and embodying the Speaker. authority and prestige of the reviews and recommends House; salaries and benefits for the Members of the Legislative • chairing the Standing Committee Standing Committee on Assembly. on Legislative Management. Legislative Management The Standing Committee on Legislative Management deals with Sessional Adminstration Office of the Clerk the administration of the House During the sittings of the Members are supported in and the provision of all services and Legislative Assembly, additional 7 administrative support is required. the province and the annual environment for Members The Sessional Administration Office report of the Auditor General. of the Legislative Assembly, supports the Clerk with regard and the visiting public. The to the production, dissemination • The Standing Committee on Sergeant-at-Arms, who is the and safekeeping of documents. Its Health, Social Development head of Security Services, responsibilities include and Seniors is responsible also fills a ceremonial role for, among other matters, during the proceedings of • archiving a copy of everything recommending to the the Legislative Assembly. tabled in the House; Legislative Assembly persons Additional responsibilities of to serve on the Prince Security Services include • producing and distributing Edward Island Human Rights physical copies of House Commission. • monitoring and proceedings and debates to maintenance of electronic Clerks, Members, and the media, surveillance equipment; as well as posting to digital copies to the Legislative Assembly Hansard • issuing and controlling the website; Hansard Services is responsible card access system; • undertaking daily mailings to for transcribing, digitizing, • training of security various provincial and federal and publishing into print the personnel; libraries and government offices; proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and its committees. • liaising with the providing training, support, and Additional responsibilities of Charlottetown Police as scheduling to Legislative Pages. Hansard Services include required; • creating the Journal of the • creating contingency plans Legislative Assembly of for bomb threats and fire Committees Prince Edward Island, which evacuations; and is the official record of the The standing committees of the proceedings of the Legislative • serving as contact for Legislative Assembly are groups Assembly; assistance with public of up to eight Members of the demonstrations. Legislative Assembly who consider • creating the Index to specific matters, either referred to Committees and indices for the them by the Legislative Assembly or daily debates of the Legislative chosen by majority decision of their Assembly; Human Resources, Finance memberships. There are seven and Administration standing committees (excluding the • writing and editing the Standing Committee on Legislative biographical information of This office supports the work Management), each having a Members of the Legislative of the Speaker, Members and sessional mandate with general Assembly who served between Office of the Clerk by assisting subject areas set out in the Rules of 1993 and 2011, to be published with financial, administrative and the Legislative Assembly. The Rules in Minding the House: Volume human resource management also set out specific responsibilities II. services. Responsibilities include for two standing committees • administering payroll • The Standing Committee on and benefits for staff and Public Accounts is responsible Security Members; for, among other matters, the The objective of Security Services • advising employees with review of the public accounts of is to provide a safe and secure regard to benefits; 8 • providing information to both requests from other Canadian the Government House and jurisdictions; Opposition Leaders on staffing