HANSARD

NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 Committee Room

Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

Hon. Kevin Murphy (Chairman) Hon. Geoff MacLellan Hon. Labi Kousoulis

Ms. Suzanne Lohnes-Croft Mr. Gordon Wilson

Hon. Christopher d’Entremont Mr. Eddie Orrell

Ms. Claudia Chender

Mr. Neil Ferguson, Chief Clerk of the House of Assembly (Non-Voting Member)

[Mr. Ben Jessome replaced Mr. Gordon Wilson]

In Attendance:

Speaker’s Office Adviser
Ms. Deborah Lusby
Director of Administration Office of the Speaker

Ms. Annette Boucher
Assistant Clerk House of Assembly

Mr. Gordon Hebb
Chief Legislative Counsel

HALIFAX, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

11:06 A.M.

CHAIRMAN

Hon. Kevin Murphy

MR. CHAIRMAN: All right, we will now move on to the regular meeting of the House of Assembly Management Commission. The agenda and materials have been circulated in advance to all members. The first item would be the approval of the minutes from the meeting on November 13, 2018. Mr. Ferguson.

MR. NEIL FERGUSON: Mr. Chairman, I have reviewed the minutes, as I expect everyone else has. I did not find any errors or omissions that popped out. A motion to approve them would, therefore, be in order, I believe.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Do we have a motion for approval? Moved by Mr. MacLellan; seconded by Mr. d’Entremont. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The second item is the Management Commission Annual Report for 2018. Ms. Boucher.

MS. ANNETTE BOUCHER: Mr. Chairman, the draft report has been circulated to members. One correction was brought to my attention on Page 6, in terms of the membership of the committee reflecting that David Wilson resigned as an MLA on November 16, 2018, and that Ms. Chender became a member of the commission effective December 7th. I will make those two corrections. Other than that, no one has signalled any corrections to the report, so I don’t know if there are any to be brought forward here at the meeting. If not, I would request that there be a motion to approve the report and to direct you, as Speaker, to table it in the House once the House resumes.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Seeing no questions or comments, can we have a motion to approve the Annual Report of the House of Assembly Management Commission for 2018? Moved by Mr. MacLellan; seconded by Mr. d’Entremont. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Item No. 3 is the Management Commission Audit Committee Annual Report for 2018. Mr. Ferguson.

MR. FERGUSON: Mr. Chairman, there’s not a lot different year over year in the work that the committee does, but this year we had a change in membership, which I think we should highlight for the general commission - although Mr. d’Entremont and Mr. Kousoulis will be familiar with these people already. Lauchlin McKenzie has been here a number of times reporting on behalf of the Audit Committee. The other lay member was Mr. Leo Gallant, former Dean of Business at St. F.X. The Act requires that we have lay members, two people from the professional accounting industry with demonstrated knowledge and experience in financial matters.

These people are selected for membership by the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia. The terms were staggered so that there would be a little overlap. Effective February 1st of last year, Chief Justice MacDonald appointed Ms. Susan McIsaac, who is a partner with McIsaac Darragh Chartered Accountants in Amherst. She is executive officer of the AC Group of Independent Accounting Firms Ltd. and former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. She was brought in to replace Mr. Gallant.

Later in the year, on August 18th, the Chief Justice appointed Mr. Gordon D. Moore, a consultant with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia on audit and public accounting matters. He’s a former CEO and executive director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, and he’s a retired audit partner with KPMG. He was brought in to replace Mr. Lauchlin McKenzie. Later in November, the Management Commission, as you’ll recall, appointed Mr. Moore to be chair of the Audit Committee.

They’re well at work, and we have had a number of very comprehensive meetings. Each of them is definitely drilling down into things and raising lots of good issues, as the members of this commission will have observed. I think we’re in very good hands for the next number of years.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions or comments? Hearing none, can we have a motion to approve the Audit Committee Annual Report for 2018? Moved by Mr. MacLellan; seconded by Ms. Chender. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

We’ll move on to Item No. 4, the 2018-19 third-quarter financials. Ms. Lusby.

MS. DEBORAH LUSBY: They were circulated in advance. They’re in your package. There’s nothing unusual to report. If anybody has any questions once you review it more closely, feel free to ask away.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions or comments? Hearing none - do we get a motion on this? Just tabled. All right.

Thank you very much for that. That concludes the business of the House of Assembly Management Commission meeting for today. We are now adjourned.

[The commission adjourned at 11:12 a.m.]