HANSARD
Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services
Ms. Maureen MacDonald (Chair)
Mr. James DeWolfe (Vice-Chairman)
Mr. Keith Colwell
In Attendance:
Ms. Mora Stevens
Legislative Committee Clerk
Mr. Gordon Hebb
Chief Legislative Counsel
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HALIFAX, TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2006
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
11:00 A.M.
CHAIR
Ms. Maureen MacDonald
MADAM CHAIR: I will call the subcommittee to order, please. We're going to go through this agenda in the following way, I think. We're first of all going to be in camera to have a discussion about the Farm Loan Board and with Legislative Counsel with respect to matters that we've asked Legislative Counsel to give us some advice on. Following that process, we will end the meeting by opening the meeting to the media, at which time we can conclude the items of business. So I think this is the process that we will use this morning. So at this stage, we are going to be in camera and we would ask members of the media to bear with us. (Interruption)
It is really hard to say. It could be an hour, or it could be shorter or longer. So I really don't want to predict. I have no idea. We're scheduled for two hours. We have a two-hour meeting scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
[11:08 a.m. The meeting moves in camera.]
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[12:06 p.m. The meeting resumed.]
MADAM CHAIR: I guess just to summarize the discussion that we've had, the subcommittee and the Public Accounts Committee already are not satisfied that the subpoenas that were issued to the Office of Economic Development have been complied with. That is, I think, supported by the advice of our Legislative Counsel that the warrants have not been fully complied with. We're reflecting on the opinion that has been provided to us by Legislative Counsel, we will reflect on that. We're also requiring some additional advice from Legislative Counsel. We have set a time frame to have that by the Public Accounts Committee meeting on May 3rd, prior to the Legislature resuming. Really, that is as much as we can say at this stage, I think.
With respect to the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board documents, we've had an opportunity to look at what has been provided. The committee is pleased that the Farm Loan Board has fully complied with the warrant. We've looked at the documents and we think at this time there's nothing in this documentation that sheds any further light on the matters that were in front of the Public Accounts Committee with respect to this specific loan that involved the former minister. So we don't feel that releasing these documents to the public adds to our understanding of what occurred with respect to that loan, so we will be continuing to hold them in confidence, as was requested by the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board, in this matter.
The committee now stands adjourned until some unknown date in May. Thank you.
[The committee adjourned at 12:10 p.m.]
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