HANSARD
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PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
Ms. Diana Whalen (Chairman)
Mr. Leonard Preyra (Vice-Chairman)
Mr. Clarrie MacKinnon
Ms. Becky Kent
Mr. Mat Whynott
Mr. Howard Epstein
Hon. Keith Colwell
Hon. Cecil Clarke
Mr. Chuck Porter
[Mr. Jim Morton replaced Mr. Clarrie MacKinnon]
[Mr. David Wilson replaced Ms. Becky Kent]
[Mr. Harold Theriault replaced Hon. Keith Colwell]
[Mr. Allan MacMaster replaced Hon. Cecil Clarke]
In Attendance:
Mrs. Darlene Henry
Legislative Committee Clerk
Mr. Alan Horgan
Deputy Auditor General
Mr. Gordon Hebb
Chief Legislative Counsel
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HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010
STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
9:00 A.M.
CHAIRMAN
Ms. Diana Whalen
VICE-CHAIRMAN
Mr. Leonard Preyra
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Good morning, members of the Public Accounts Committee. I'd like to call the meeting to order if I can, and welcome back. This is the first meeting of the Public Accounts Committee since the summer break. I wanted to welcome everybody. I hope you had a good summer and hope we're set for a good year with, again, a lot of interesting topics for the Public Accounts Committee to look at.
I wanted to first begin with the members introducing themselves but just before we do that, I understand that Becky Kent had an injury and is away for at least a couple of weeks. I would hope that you send our best wishes to her on behalf of the committee.
[The committee members introduced themselves.]
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. We have no witnesses with us today, so that introduces everybody here.
I did want to make a couple of notes before we begin. One was that we've had meetings of the committee that's planning next year's conference for the CCPAC, which is a national conference of Public Accounts Committee members. We will be hosting that next summer, which is the reason that your vice-chairman, Mr. Preyra, and myself have met with members of the Auditor General's Office, Jacques Lapointe and Evangeline Colman-Sadd. I wanted all members of the committee to be aware of it right now because we will all play a role in hosting members of that committee.
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I want to extend a warm invitation to all members of this committee to be active in that conference next summer when it is held at the end of August. That's just to let you know that we've begun and we're working on an agenda and, in fact, at the end of the last conference we made an invitation to all the other provinces to join us next summer. I think that's an important thing coming up.
Today our main purpose is to get an agenda underway for the coming year, so I wonder if I could call on Mr. Preyra for a motion.
MR. LEONARD PREYRA: Thank you, Madam Chairman. As you know, we've been meeting through the summer and looking at the establishment of the agenda and calling witnesses. I think we've agreed that the best way to do that is to re-establish the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures, so I move that this committee approve the re-establishment of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Thank you. Is there a seconder for that motion?
MR. MAT WHYNOTT: I so move.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. With that, I'll put the motion, all those in favour of re-establishing the subcommittee, as moved.
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
That's very good, we now have a Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures.
Is there a second motion, Mr. Preyra?
MR. PREYRA: Yes, Madam Chairman. There were some issues outstanding from the last meeting about the policies and procedures of the Public Accounts Committee itself and the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures. I move that those questions be referred to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures and that the subcommittee consider it and make recommendations to the Public Accounts Committee as soon as it can.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, I think that's a good motion. Again, I need a seconder for that motion.
MR. WHYNOTT: I so move.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
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The motion is carried.
With that, I think the only other item of business was the Public Accounts Committee Annual Report. I'm not sure if we have it on our list here, but that has been circulated to all members of the committee and I know we have a couple of substitutes today. The annual report is another item that we need to sign off on for last year. We suggested that it go to the subcommittee as well but if any members of the committee have changes or corrections or any additions to that report, please let us know.
I think we'll allow at least a week - let's say one week. I think that the clerk had allowed until - what date did you ask, Darlene? September 27th was in the e-mail that we would have received for feedback. Yes, Mr. Preyra.
MR. PREYRA: Just to be clear, the recommendation is for the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures to review the annual report and then to discuss it and approve it at the next meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, so people will have a chance to both speak to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedures as well as at the Public Accounts Committee. So it's probably a couple of weeks.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Okay, we'll allow a couple of weeks but I wanted members to be aware to review that. If you have any changes, let your member on the subcommittee know or pass it on to us so that we can review it.
Thank you very much. I think that concludes the business of today's meeting with the full committee, unless there are any other comments or questions.
Hearing none, we are adjourned. Thank you very much.
[The committee adjourned at 9:08 a.m.]
