Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature Third Session Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Friday, December 1, 2017 8:32 a.m. Transcript No. 29-3-9 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 29th Legislature Third Session Standing Committee on Legislative Offices Shepherd, David, Edmonton-Centre (NDP), Chair Malkinson, Brian, Calgary-Currie (NDP), Deputy Chair Aheer, Leela Sharon, Chestermere-Rocky View (UCP)* Drever, Deborah, Calgary-Bow (NDP) Gill, Prab, Calgary-Greenway (UCP) Horne, Trevor A.R., Spruce Grove-St. Albert (NDP) Kleinsteuber, Jamie, Calgary-Northern Hills (NDP) Littlewood, Jessica, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (NDP) Nixon, Jason, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre (UCP) Pitt, Angela D., Airdrie (UCP) van Dijken, Glenn, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock (UCP) Woollard, Denise, Edmonton-Mill Creek (NDP) * substitution for Jason Nixon Legislative Officers Jill Clayton Information and Privacy Commissioner Del Graff Child and Youth Advocate Glen Resler Chief Electoral Officer Marianne Ryan Ombudsman, Public Interest Commissioner Merwan Saher Auditor General Marguerite Trussler, QC Ethics Commissioner Office of the Auditor General Participants Loulou Eng Senior Financial Officer Ruth McHugh Chief Operating Officer Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Participants Bonnie Russell Director, Strategic Support Jackie Stewart Executive Director, Child and Youth Advocacy Office of the Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner Participants Ted Miles Acting Deputy Ombudsman and Director, Office of the Public Interest Commissioner Suzanne Richford Director, Corporate Services, Office of the Ombudsman Support Staff Robert H. Reynolds, QC Clerk Shannon Dean Law Clerk and Director of House Services Trafton Koenig Parliamentary Counsel Stephanie LeBlanc Parliamentary Counsel Philip Massolin Manager of Research and Committee Services Sarah Amato Research Officer Nancy Robert Research Officer Corinne Dacyshyn Committee Clerk Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Aaron Roth Committee Clerk Karen Sawchuk Committee Clerk Rhonda Sorensen Manager of Corporate Communications Jeanette Dotimas Communications Consultant Tracey Sales Communications Consultant Janet Schwegel Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard December 1, 2017 Legislative Offices LO-347 8:32 a.m. Friday, December 1, 2017 propose? If not, do we have a motion to approve the agenda? Mr. Title: Friday, December 1, 2017 lo van Dijken. [Mr. Shepherd in the chair] Mr. van Dijken: Just a question with regard to the information we The Chair: Well, good morning, everyone. I’d like to welcome received from office of the Ethics Commissioner. Is that to be members, staff, and guests to this meeting of the Standing Committee covered in this meeting? on Legislative Offices. I’m David Shepherd, MLA for Edmonton-Centre, chair of the The Chair: Yes. The information received from the Ethics committee. I’d ask that members and those joining the committee Commissioner: we will have the opportunity to discuss that at the at the table please just introduce themselves for the record, and then end of the day, following all of the presentations. we’ll hear from those on the phone. Mr. van Dijken: At which line item? Mr. Malkinson: Good morning, everyone. Brian Malkinson, deputy Ms Rempel: Are you referencing the change to her contract? chair. Mr. van Dijken: Yeah, with regard to the change in contract based Mr. van Dijken: MLA Glenn van Dijken, Barrhead-Morinville- off the bill from the Assembly. Westlock. Ms Rempel: Yes. That will be 5(b). That’s included under 5(b). Mrs. Pitt: Angela Pitt, MLA, Airdrie. Mr. van Dijken: Thank you. Mrs. Aheer: Leela Aheer, Chestermere-Rocky View. The Chair: Any other questions regarding the agenda? Mr. Gill: Good morning, everybody. Prab Gill, MLA, Calgary- If not, do we have a member that would make a motion to accept? Greenway. Mrs. Littlewood. Thank you. All those in favour? Any opposed? On the phone? Did you have any objections to the agenda, Ms Drever? Mrs. Stewart: Good morning. I’m Jackie Stewart with the office of the Child and Youth Advocate. I’m the executive director of Drever: No. child and youth advocacy. The Chair: All right. That motion is carried. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Graff: Good morning. I’m Del Graff, Child and Youth All right. Adoption of the meeting minutes, then. We have the Advocate for the province. minutes from the November 28, 2017, meeting of this committee. They were posted online. Are there any concerns, errors, or Mrs. Russell: Good morning. I’m Bonnie Russell, the director of omissions in those minutes? If not, do we have a member that would strategic support with the office of the Child and Youth Advocate. move approval? Mr. Kleinsteuber. All those in favour? Any opposed? On the phones? Thank you. That motion is carried. Ms Woollard: Denise Woollard, MLA, Edmonton-Mill Creek. That brings us today, then, to our review of the budget estimates Mr. Horne: Good morning. Trevor Horne, MLA for Spruce Grove- for the officers of the Legislature. We’re reviewing the 2018-19 St. Albert. budget submissions of the officers. We have a full schedule, so I hope we can keep things running efficiently and effectively. Mrs. Littlewood: Good morning. Jessica Littlewood, MLA I’d like to call on our first officer, Mr. Del Graff, Child and Youth representing the beautiful rural constituency of Fort Saskatchewan- Advocate, to begin his presentation. If you could keep your Vegreville. presentation to about 20 minutes, that would leave sufficient time for questions from committee members. If you could just begin by Mr. Kleinsteuber: Good morning, folks. Jamie Kleinsteuber, once again introducing your team, and then please go ahead. MLA for Calgary-Northern Hills. Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Ms Rempel: Good morning. Jody Rempel, committee clerk. Mr. Graff: Good morning, Chairperson Shepherd and committee The Chair: Excellent. Thank you. members. I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk with you For the record, I’d just like to note the following substitution. We this morning about our 2016-17 annual report, our three-year have Mrs. Aheer substituting for Mr. Nixon. business plan, and our proposed 2018-19 budget estimates. With Before we turn to the business at hand – oh, pardon me. On the me on my left is Jackie Stewart, who’s our executive director of phones? child and youth advocacy, and Bonnie Russell on my right, who’s Drever: Deborah Drever, MLA for Calgary-Bow. our director of strategic support. Both have appeared before this committee a number of times. Today’s presentation focuses on the The Chair: Thank you, Ms Drever. highlights of our first five years as an independent office, on our Before we turn to the business at hand, just a few quick activities in 2016-17, on the year ahead, and on our 2018-19 budget operational items. Microphone consoles are operated by the estimate. Hansard staff. Please keep cellphones and BlackBerrys on silent This slide outlines the legislative authority of the office of the Child and off the table as they can interfere with the audiofeed. Audio of and Youth Advocate, which I trust you are all familiar with now. the committee proceedings is streamed live on the Internet and In our annual report we’ve highlighted some of the milestones recorded by Alberta Hansard. Audio access and meeting transcripts over the last five years. Our mandate expanded to include advocacy are obtained via the Legislative Assembly website. for young people in the youth justice system; investigating the Our first item of business. A draft agenda was distributed for serious injury or death of young people; providing education, consideration. Does anyone have any issues to raise or changes to engagement, and research; being an independent advocate for LO-348 Legislative Offices December 1, 2017 young people so their rights are upheld, their interests are considered, The legal representation for children and youth program, or and their voices are heard; and identifying issues and making LRCY as we call it, is responsible for appointing lawyers to recommendations to improve the systems that serve young people. represent young people involved under the Child, Youth and The functions of our office are grouped into five areas: individual Family Enhancement Act or the Protection of Sexually Exploited and systemic advocacy, legal representation, investigations, Children Act. We have 65 lawyers from across the province on the engagement and education, and internal organizational support. We roster. In the last five years we made 5,887 legal appointments to currently employ 67 staff located in Edmonton and Calgary. With represent 9,270 young people, and we increased the eligibility our current duties and responsibilities and with more changes to requirements to become a roster lawyer and to stay on the roster. come resulting from the amendments to the Child and Youth A highlight of the LRCY program this past year includes 1,261 Advocate Act, the need has arisen for us to revisit our appointments made to LRCY lawyers, involving 2,011 children. organizational structure. Moving forward, we will be realigning our This represents a 15 per cent increase in the appointments and a organization to take on these new initiatives and to better provide 21.7 per cent increase in the number of children receiving legal services to young people. services. Looking ahead, we will be reviewing the role of counsel I’ll now talk briefly about our 2016-17 annual report and the guidelines for LRCY lawyers, providing training to roster lawyers major activities of our office between the period of April 1, 2016, on how to better work with indigenous communities and with and March 31, 2017. Some of the key highlights of our office this sexual- and gender-diverse young people, and identifying ways to past year have included participation in the review of the Child and reduce costs as the demand for legal representation increases.