Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 28th Legislature First Session Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Monday, December 10, 2012 9 a.m. Transcript No. 28-1-8 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 28th Legislature First Session Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Chair Young, Steve, Edmonton-Riverview (PC), Deputy Chair Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Dorward, David C., Edmonton-Gold Bar (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (W) Goudreau, Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley (PC) Jablonski, Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (ND) Quadri, Sohail, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC)* Quest, Dave, Strathcona-Sherwood Park (PC) Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (AL) Smith, Danielle, Highwood (W) * substitution for Steve Young Support Staff W.J. David McNeil Clerk Allison Quast Executive Assistant to the Clerk Bev Alenius Executive Assistant to the Chair Robert H. Reynolds, QC Law Clerk/Director of Interparliamentary Relations Shannon Dean Senior Parliamentary Counsel/ Director of House Services Brian G. Hodgson Sergeant-at-Arms Cheryl Scarlett Director of Human Resources, Information Technology and Broadcast Services Scott Ellis Director and Senior Financial Officer, Financial Management and Administrative Services Jacqueline Breault Manager, Corporate Services, Financial Management and Administrative Services Valerie Footz Legislature Librarian Liz Sim Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard December 10, 2012 Members’ Services MS-127 9 a.m. Monday, December 10, 2012 Are there any other housekeeping items, by the way, that Title: Monday, December 10, 2012 ms anyone else wishes to mention? No? Okay. In which case, we’ll be [Mr. Zwozdesky in the chair] happy to recognize Mr. Mason if he would just sign in for the record, please. The Chair: Good morning, everyone. I have 9 a.m. It’s Gene Zwozdesky. I’m assuming that we have everybody with us in one Mr. Mason: Sure. Thank you. This looks like a fair fight for a capacity or another. This is officially a breakfast meeting given change. Brian Mason, MLA, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood. that members have driven longer distances to be here, so I will declare food is okay at the tables as is coffee or whatever other The Chair: Thank you, Brian. choice of drink you might like to have. We’ll move on to approval of the agenda, item 2. Could I get a This meeting is hereby called to order. We’ll start with the roll motion from someone to please approve today’s agenda as call, beginning with members who are here on behalf of circulated? Hector Goudreau has moved. Can you do it for the themselves or on behalf of others, the people who are present. record, please, Hector? Let’s start with Mr. Quest. Mr. Goudreau: I’ll move the adoption of the agenda. Mr. Quest: Good morning. Dave Quest, Strathcona-Sherwood The Chair: As circulated. Thank you. Is there any discussion in Park. that respect? Neither hearing nor seeing any, I’ll call the vote. Mr. Goudreau: Good morning. Hector Goudreau, Dunvegan- Those in favour of Mr. Goudreau’s motion, please say aye. Those Central Peace-Notley. opposed, please say no. That is carried. We move on to approval of the minutes, which is item 3, from Mrs. Jablonski: Good morning. Mary Anne Jablonski, Red Deer- the December 4, 2012, MS Committee meeting. These also were North. circulated. Could I get a motion from someone to approve these minutes? Moved by Mrs. Jablonski. Would you for the record Mr. Dorward: Morning. David Dorward, MLA, Edmonton-Gold enunciate, please? Bar. Mrs. Jablonski: I move that we approve the minutes of the Mr. Quadri: Sohail Quadri, Edmonton-Mill Woods. I’m sitting in December 4 meeting. for Steve Young, Edmonton-Riverview. The Chair: Thank you very much. Is there any comment with The Chair: And we have on the teleconference – who do we have respect to Mrs. Jablonski’s motion? I’m not hearing any com- there? We’re doing government members here. Is there one more ments. Those in favour of the motion to approve the minutes of government-type member? Pearl, are you there? the MSC from December 4, please say aye. Those opposed, please say no. That is also unanimously approved. Thank you. Ms Calahasen: Yes, I am here. Pearl Calahasen, Lesser Slave We’re moving on to our first item under old business. Mr. Lake. Mason, just before you entered the room, I was crediting you and saying thank you, so to speak, for having raised this issue of The Chair: Okay. Thank you. constituency office budgets and the matrix element right at our Let’s go to Danielle. I thought I heard your name. very first meeting – you may remember that – which gave rise to a number of visits to constituency offices by myself. You were one Ms Smith: Danielle Smith, Highwood. of the people I visited, and I will be visiting more this week and The Chair: Danielle Smith. Anyone else from Wildrose? more next week as well so that I have a very good round up for it. Thank you for that. Mrs. Forsyth: Heather Forsyth. The first item under old business is the Legislative Assembly budget estimates for 2013 and 2014. I’m going to give a brief The Chair: Anyone from the Liberal opposition? Once again, I’m recap for about three or four minutes on this before we get into it. just asking: is anybody joining us yet from the Liberal opposition? However, I want to also make sure that everybody has their I’m not hearing anyone, so I’ll assume that they are going to binder, which was provided at the last meeting, I believe. That participate, but they’re not on the line yet. They’re not here in binder has a number of tabs to it which we’ll get into in just a person yet either. moment. The New Democratic opposition. Anyone with us? I’m not I want to open up by commenting that the budget that we’re hearing anyone from the New Democrats, so perhaps they’re in a going to be looking at is for all LAO. All. That means people who similar boat to the folks from the Liberal opposition. We’ll work here as LAO staffers. That includes everyone referenced in announce them as they join us. the extensive overview that Scott Ellis, the director of financial Thank you very much, everyone. I do not have any housekeep- management and admin services, gave us at the November 27 ing items to bring to your attention other than to tell you that I’m meeting. That would be two meetings ago. It includes the continuing my trips to the outlying areas. I’m heading out to explanations that he gave with respect to the role and function of Drayton Valley, Rocky Mountain House, Sundre this week, and LAO with respect to the eight different branches that comprise then I’ll be picking off a couple more spots as they become LAO and work to support MLAs both here in the Annex as well as available so that I can become more acquainted with your local in MLA constituency offices, and it certainly includes the process circumstances. You may recall that this issue goes back to when that he outlined by which the LAO budget that is before you today Brian Mason raised it at our very first meeting, which is why is developed. What goes into that process, how it’s done, and so we’re dealing with it in the order we’re dealing with it, on was all covered by Mr. Ellis. constituency office budgets and so on, and that’s the meat of our He also provided us with an organizational chart to help us agenda for today. better understand how the pieces fit together, how they function MS-128 Members’ Services December 10, 2012 together, what their particular role is in the bigger picture of with a net expenditure, and that’s what we’re going to be talking things. In turn, that will help facilitate a much better meeting about in smaller groupings, of course, but nonetheless, of today and, if needed, a second meeting, which I suspect will be the $71,097,000. case. That’s it for the overview. I’m going to suggest that we go into In other words and in a nutshell, the proposed budget that we’re the first category, then, for discussion. We’ll go through each of going to get into and start discussing in a moment deals with these so that it’s clear how the numbers were developed and what absolutely everything that comes under the broader banner of the broad parameters we’re following in accordance with what Mr. term “LAO.” For the record all private members, which every- Ellis offered. body on this committee is, for example, are considered under the umbrella of LAO. Ms Smith: Mr. Chair, can I seek a clarification that you did not go I think Dr. Sherman has just joined us if you wouldn’t mind just through just so that I have the context? I just need to understand signing in, Raj. your difference between 2012-13 estimate comparable and the column that says 2012-13 forecast. I’m assuming that 2012-13 is Dr. Sherman: Raj Sherman, Edmonton-Meadowlark. what we budgeted last year, and then the 2012-13 forecast is what The Chair: Thank you very much. we’re actually spending this year. Are you able to clarify on that? So when I say the broad banner of LAO – and I say this because The Chair: I can.