2010 Legislative Session: Second Session, 39th Parliament

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH

MINUTES AND HANSARD

MINUTES SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Monday, October 25, 2010

9 a.m.

Douglas Fir Committee Room

Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.

Present: Joan McIntyre, MLA (Chair); Maurine Karagianis, MLA (Deputy Chair); Marc Dalton, MLA; Mable Elmore, MLA; Douglas Horne, MLA; Leonard Krog, MLA; Nicholas Simons, MLA; Jane Thornthwaite, MLA

Unavoidably Absent: Stephanie Cadieux, MLA; John Rustad, MLA

1. The Chair called the Committee to order at 9:06 a.m.

2. The Chair updated the Committee with respect to work undertaken with the Deputy Chair, pursuant to the motion adopted by the Committee on June 2, 2010.

3. Resolved, that the Committee approve and endorse the section of the committee report on the child poverty briefings as included in the draft annual report. (Jane Thornthwaite, MLA)

4. The Chair noted that although it was both customary and appropriate for parliamentary committees to consider draft reports to the Legislative Assembly while meeting in-camera, the Deputy Chair and she had discussed the matter and acknowledged that the committee's draft report essentially addresses matters already dealt with in public sessions of the Committee. Therefore, it was agreed by all Committee members present to deliberate on the draft report in public session.

5. Resolved, that the committee approve and adopt the 2009-2010 annual report of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth and that the Chair and Deputy Chair work with the Clerk to finalize any minor editorial changes such as discussed this morning on the one issue that has to be clarified and that the Deputy Chair and Chair approve the final report. (Douglas Horne, MLA)

6. Resolved, that once the annual report has been finalized and agreed to by the Chair and the Deputy Chair, the Chair present the report to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest available opportunity. (Marc Dalton, MLA)

7. Resolved, that the Chair and Deputy Chair, on conclusion of the completion of the report and all its editorial changes and corrections, issue a short press release, letting the public know that the committee has filed its annual report and that it is available, and a brief summary of the final recommendation, which was the subject of some discussion this morning. (Leonard Krog, MLA)

8. The Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair at 9:46 a.m.

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
(Hansard)

select standing committee on
children and youth

Monday, October 25, 2010

Issue No. 8

ISSN 1911-1940

[ Page 157 ]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010

The committee met at 9:06 a.m.

[J. McIntyre in the chair.]

J. McIntyre (Chair): Good morning, everyone. I'll think we'll begin.

I hope all of you have before you an agenda. You'll see from the agenda that today is basically, I guess, what you could call an internal committee meeting, because we have two very important things to do.

I assume everyone is fine with the agenda. I don't need an official motion with that.

I'll go to item 1. We're looking at the follow-up, really, from our June 2 meeting, where we had that interesting discussion, sort of back and forth, in terms of what we have heard and learned from the meeting we had at the end of May with the expert presentations.

We also — the Chair and Deputy Chair — in response to your request on June 2, in response to the motion about how we should wrap some of what we heard and how we handle that and what we want to do with that information as a committee…. You kindly delegated that to the Chair and Deputy Chair, if I can refresh your memories.

Maurine and I actually did have several meetings through the summer, through June and July, and some major back-and-forth. I will in item 1 report out to you what that decision was and then ask for, hopefully, your approval about the work that we did do through the summer. Then we will be carrying on to the other agenda items.

Update on Child Poverty
Deliberations and Resolution

J. McIntyre (Chair): So let me start with No. 1.

From the very beginning I think we took very seriously when the child and youth representative asked us, I guess, way back in February, March…. She said that poverty was a recurring theme in a number of her investigations, and she asked us to embark on a much larger task.

I think that given the seriousness of the subject matter and the fact that we all wanted to learn and hear more and have, within the mandate of this committee, an obligation to increase awareness about some of these important issues for children at risk, we — I think quite correctly — embarked on a course to hear what's going on from experts, academics, people in practice. We looked at that reading list, which we had composed and circulated to the committee.

I think it was very important that we did find a way. We were not all exactly on the same page, but I think we needed to find a way that really did justice — I guess that's what I'm looking for — to the work we did do. There was a substantive amount of work done, actually, behind the scenes in terms of even figuring out who to have — to compile that reading list, which is substantive now.

So Maurine and I met. We went back and forth. As you indicated, we went back and looked at our terms of reference and everything else. What we thought is that it would be important to have it in writing — that we have, obviously, something in writing. We thought that there was an opportunity to have something maybe a little more substantive or less high level in terms of making sure that we did justice to each of the presenters, because they all had different perspectives. There were some consistent things, but they had different perspectives and different information and were highlighting different things.

Maurine and I thought it best that we provide a written presentation, a summary, which the Clerk's office helped us with, of each of the presentations and that it really made sense to include this in the annual report, first of all, even for the timing. It would be a report that we would bring out this fall. We had already thought that it made a lot of sense to do our annual report this fall, because we began our deliberations last year in November, December, going through the rep's service plan and annual report.

We are about to do that again, so it made a lot of sense to just tie our year's work up together with an annual report and sort of a more elaborate discussion or presentation of what went on at the poverty hearings. I think that's fair.

You're nodding, Maurine — that was a fair summary. I think it made a lot of sense to do that.

[0910]

There was also the issue of: okay, then, what do we do? Now that we've got this material written, how do we then…? Do we make a recommendation to the Legislature, or how do we handle that?

Draft Committee Report:
Child Poverty Section

J. McIntyre (Chair): It actually sort of leaps into item 2 on our agenda to look at review. But I would like and will be happy to open the floor to any comments on what we put together in the written submission. But I do need to draw your attention — I hope we've all got the same draft — to page 22, where it talks about our committee decision on June 2. Do you see that in the middle of that page?

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): It's 23.

J. McIntyre (Chair): It's 22 in mine. Okay, so it's page 23, for those of you who have the one that was circulated this morning.
[ Page 158 ]

You'll see, underneath the resolution on June 2, where you deferred this matter to the Chair and the Deputy Chair. I'm going to ask you to not look at the next sentence but to look at the bottom sentence, which really is where Maurine and I spent some time on coming up with the wording that we thought would work. I'm going to read it out loud for the record.

"Given the recurring themes and recommendations from the expert submissions, the committee is urging all members of the Legislative Assembly to read all the related materials in this report in order to better understand the trends and for the Legislature to give serious consideration to the suggestions contained."

That's what we came up with, and that's what we're asking for your blessing on today. I'll come back to the middle sentence in a moment. Because you asked us to look at this and we do want the endorsation of this committee at large, we're asking you….

I guess I'll open the floor, and Maurine may want to start. I'm happy to hear any comments about the written report and Maurine's and my joint recommendation.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Great. I think Joan has captured, really, the work that we did over the summer to try and take everything that we had discussed both at the poverty hearings themselves and in the discussion we had afterwards here, which I think was really important.

Again, I'd like to thank both sides of this committee, all members of this committee, for participating in that in such a fair and thoughtful way.

When we spent some time deliberating on how we would stay within our mandate and yet really impart to the Legislature how strongly all of us felt about what we heard at the poverty hearings…. Again, language is always the essential part of this, trying to capture that and stay within the mandate and yet make the strong suggestions that we thought were important for the Legislature to adhere to and pay attention to coming out of the hearings.

I would hope that everyone's happy with this language. It did, you know, take some thought — to try and take everything that had been said around this committee and really represent that fairly and thoughtfully. So I hope that members will see that this does reflect the general feeling that we all came away with from our discussions.

I really appreciated the fact that we did have that internal discussion with the committee. I've said to Joan that I really think that's an important function that this committee often doesn't take advantage of.

I hope that in the future we will have more of these discussions around the committee about what we hear and what we learn and broaden, perhaps, our interpretation of our mandate to make this committee work in a slightly broader way, rather than just being a conduit strictly for the children's representative.

I think that our mandate allows us to do more of this thoughtful consideration, perhaps investigating other areas of childhood and trends in childhood and some of the new thinking and new information and new approach to children in care, to children's education and to the whole realm of what childhood and growing up in B.C. should and could be.

I hope we'll have more discussions like that that are just for our committee and that we then take some of that and impart it to the Legislature, because I really think it's an important function that we haven't taken advantage of. I'm excited about the fact that this will be the first time we really engage with the Legislature in a meaningful way, rather than just as a reporting body.

I thank you, Joan, for your hard work on this as well.

[0915]

J. McIntyre (Chair): I have a speakers list — on anything, either on this suggestion or recommendation for the Legislature or on any comment you might have. We took some length back and forth with the Clerk's office to make sure that we captured the highlights of each of those seven presentations. There was actually a fair bit of work done on this through the summer.

D. Horne: I think one of the wonderful things that you hear in committee, and the work that this committee does that's different than what we see in the House, oftentimes, is the way that we can work together in a non-partisan way and the way that we can explore ideas and actually work collaboratively.

I think that the hearings were a really good opportunity for us to work together. What it did was allow us to more fulsomely understand some of the issues that are facing British Columbians. Obviously, the important aspect and what this recommendation does put forward is, I think, that other members of the Legislative Assembly should understand that in a more fulsome way in order to be able to address it, because it is a very, very important issue.

Obviously, this committee, as Maurine has just said…. The ability for this committee to explore this further, I think, is important. The opportunity that we've had to date has been very, very good, but obviously, this is an important issue and something that we all should spend more time on. So I see this as the beginning, not the end. I see this report back to the Legislature as a very good start.

I thank both the Chair and the Deputy Chair for all the work that that they did over the summer.

L. Krog: Firstly, I want to express my thanks to the Chair and the vice-Chair for the work they've done. I want to express my thanks to the whole of the committee. All of us got here by chucking spears at our respective parties. I mean, essentially this is a warrior class in
[ Page 159 ]
our society. We don't use bullets and guns; we use verbal assaults and expensive advertising and door-knocking and all sorts of things.

This committee, however, was set up for some very specific reasons arising out of, I think, a very sad set of circumstances. It has taken — and I say this quite sincerely — advantage of a remarkable opportunity to demonstrate some cooperation.

You know, there is a certain tide in politics where societies agree on all kinds of things. It may be public health care. Suddenly it just goes from not existing to existing. My sense, particularly because of signals that are coming from the business community in this province, is that around the issues of children there is a remarkable unanimity. This committee, I think, reflects that.

I encourage all of us to demonstrate a little political courage that comes with cooperating with the other side, which is not the hallmark of our British parliamentary tradition. I want to encourage that cooperation but also encourage a certain level of idealism, which is how Ted Hughes, I think, envisioned what this committee would be all about.

I'm going to happily accept the wording that has been proposed this morning. Some drafter may argue that it's not entirely perfect. Maybe it's not the Gettysburg address, but it's certainly good enough for me here in British Columbia today. I think it reflects a sincere wish to do the right thing.

I encourage this committee, as I say, to consider within its respective caucuses trying to see and make at least one committee of the Legislature work in a fashion that is contrary to everything we're taught; that is contrary to the process by which we get here, which is highly adversarial; that is contrary to the way all of us behave in the chamber.

If we can do that, you know what? British Columbians just finally might actually start to think that politicians, as both a class and as individuals, really do reflect some hope and reflect some of the best sides of British Columbians. I think that is what this committee is about.

I'm delighted. I was so pleased that this committee chose to proceed with the hearings. It's a difficult issue. It's an issue that is loaded, potentially, with an opportunity to be entirely partisan. Instead — and I'm not including myself, necessarily, in this — I think it rose above all that.

[0920]

I think the people and the broad interests, both on a political level and in terms of the community of interest around the issue, that came together during the committee hearings tell us that there is that interest, and we should seize that opportunity.

Maybe this is the time when the old joke applies. The politician is standing beside the crowd, wondering where it's going and trying to figure out how to get out in front of it.

I don't see it that cynically, but I do think that what is reflected here is reflective of what British Columbians are feeling, and that is that we have not done well by our children, that we are not doing as well as we could and that we should do more. This committee has an opportunity, I think, to encourage that.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thanks, Leonard. Very well put.

J. Thornthwaite: I'm going to say just a little bit of a comment, but I do actually have a motion, if you want me to do that at the end. I just kind of wanted to reiterate what the folks on the other side have said.

I think it's been good. I think it's a reflection of the Chair and the vice-Chair and the way that you've obviously worked very well together. We've actually accomplished quite a bit. We've reviewed quite a few of the representative's reports. We've heard her speak numerous times. Some of us were at that conference. Then, of course, it culminated in that great session on poverty, when we had all those experts in to help us with our recommendations.

I'm totally in support of the conclusions that the Chair and the vice-Chair have come up with, with regards to the wording. I don't care about how fancy it is either. I would be happy to put forward a motion if that's appropriate. If other people want to speak or whatever, just let me know.

J. McIntyre (Chair): I still have Nicholas as a speaker. So Jane, that's fine, but I'll make sure everybody's had an opportunity to speak who'd like speak, and then we can wind up.

N. Simons: I'd also like to express my appreciation to the Chair and the vice-Chair for the work they've done. I think that the committee has done a lot of extremely important work. We had wonderful hearings on poverty, and I think the people of British Columbia were probably glad to see that we were working and trying to dig deep into the issues.

That being said — it's not a "but"; I'm not adding "however" — I am going to add a comment about the wording. We are as close to the levers of power in this province as anybody is. We are tasked to undertake work that will benefit children in this province. We are tasked to do so due to extremely unhappy events that have taken place in British Columbia.

I think it's our responsibility, yes, to get along and to work well but also to speak the truth and to speak it as clearly as possible. In this recommendation we're simply asking if they have time to glance over the recommendations and the findings that we've come up with respecting child poverty. If we're not the ones to say, "This is the time to act," who is? We're the legislators. We're the ones that need to put what we learned into practice.
[ Page 160 ]

I think we are doing ourselves a disservice to sort of back in the door and ask for permission or ask those we'd like to read this to "please read it sometime, and you might get some good ideas." We know that the vast majority of child protection concerns come out of issues of poverty and related issues. I would have preferred — this is no disrespect intended — that the committee tasked with this important issue feel comfortable to make a strong statement without worrying about being accused of partisanship.

Sure, there are the Liberals and the NDP in the House, but it's about children. The non-partisanship is not about us getting along; it's about doing what is right for the children. I think I would prefer to see stronger language, because we are the ones who've been asked to do this.

[0925]

It's a privilege to be here, and it's our responsibility as legislators to do what's best for our children in our constituency. I'm just wondering if it's possible to put this into more concrete terms. I'm not going to say that it's apologetic, because it isn't. It's a request that legislators read the recommendations.

I would prefer to see us come up with actually calling for something, calling for some action — phrasing it as politely as possible but calling on action to be taken, not further research into what we've found.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thanks, Nick. I appreciate that you've been very consistent in your perspective. If I could add one little thing. And I do take the point. We are asking a little more than for them to read; we are asking for the Legislature to give serious consideration to these suggestions. It's a little bit further than you have characterized, if that gives you any tiny bit of comfort.

M. Dalton: I'd like to say thank you to the Chair and Deputy Chair and to all the committee members for working together on these really important issues, as we mentioned, with kids and trying to make a difference in their lives, with children in care, so that we can see improvements in their lives.

This has been a very positive experience for me and informative. I believe we've covered a lot of material. There's a lot more to do, as has been mentioned. There are steps that need to go forward, and so I'm looking forward to continuing that work. Again, thank you, everyone, for what we've been able to accomplish and, also, just for the rapport that we've been able to have with the representative.

I know that sometimes there have been tensions, and I think that we've been able to, as much as possible, really coordinate and cooperate and get on the same page.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thanks, Marc. Is there anyone else who would like to make a comment before we go to the motion?

Okay, then I guess I'll give the floor back to Jane. You indicated you have a motion.

J. Thornthwaite: Yeah, just a draft. I move that the committee adopt the review of the child poverty section within the draft report, 2009 to 2010, at the report of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth. I don't know how you want to word that.

We're adopting the portion on the child poverty section of this report — the draft. I don't know if you want to put the date.

J. McIntyre (Chair): I think we also want endorsement. We want approval and endorsement as well — right? — and adoption.

I'm talking about the poverty section. I want to be clear here.

So Jane, is it fair? Can I, with the Clerk's help here…? I think we both want approval, want some endorsement and adopting.

N. Simons: Of the report?

J. McIntyre (Chair): Of the poverty section — with the Clerk's help. We're not at the annual report yet.

N. Simons: No, I know. I'm just wondering. May I ask a question, Chair?

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes.

N. Simons: I'm not familiar with approving sections of reports. Is this…?

J. McIntyre (Chair): Okay, then, you know what? Maybe….

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): If I may, everyone will note on page 23 — or 22, as the Chair has — the sentence just before the recommendation we have made, "In response, the Chair and Deputy Chair recommended" — and in brackets it says, "and the committee endorsed, to be confirmed" — "that an extended section on the poverty briefings be included," etc.

I believe at this point what we're looking for is an endorsement of this particular section of this report only — I don't think you should make it a big motion; I think it's just an endorsement — so that we can clarify that bracketed part of the report.

[0930]

Once we've endorsed it, then in fact it truly does reflect that this committee has endorsed the report and the recommendation, as laid out here. I think that would simplify things down a little bit…

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes, I know. Thank you.
[ Page 161 ]

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): …and not interfere with the issue of the entire report, which could be, hopefully, a separate discussion.

J. Thornthwaite: And then the second discussion would encompass the entire report?

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): The entire report.

J. Thornthwaite: Okay. Sure. All right, I'm fine with that.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes, and I'm sorry for that confusion. I didn't refer to the sentence you had because that sort of was part of this approval of the annual report. I'm sorry that it got complicated, but it did get complicated.

To the point about referring and adopting sections, I think that might be unusual, but what we're trying to do is respond to what the committee asked us to do on June 2 — which was to come back and decide how we're going to handle the poverty section, which is a written summary of the expert presentations to be included in the annual report with our recommendation. Both the Deputy Chair and I are looking for endorsement for that so that we can summarize it properly in the annual report.

J. Thornthwaite: So we just need an endorsement. Is that what you're saying?

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes, so shall we do that?

N. Simons: Are we speaking to the motion?

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes, but we need the motion first.

N. Simons: Okay, we haven't got that yet.

J. Thornthwaite: Are we endorsing or putting forward a motion, then? So put forward a motion to endorse…?

J. McIntyre (Chair): The Clerk is saying a motion. Let's be clear here, sorry. I'm sorry for the confusion here.

We do, I think. I agree with the Clerk's suggestion that, to make sure that the intention of the committee is evident, we should entertain a motion that endorses this section of the report, to be included in the annual report.

J. Thornthwaite: All right. To the Chair: we put forward a motion to endorse the extended section on the poverty briefings included in this annual report.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Any discussion?

N. Simons: I'd like, if I may, hon. Chair…. Further to my previous comments, I guess this would be our opportunity to make more definitive statements about the issue of child poverty. If this is our only opportunity to do that in this committee, I suggest that we contemplate that. I know a lot of work has gone into finding language that offends nobody and that puts nobody on the spot, but I do think that as legislators it's our job to have opinions.

I note that the committee is refreshing their coffee during my comments. I will not take that personally. If the microphone was mobile, I myself would go back there and get more coffee.

However, within the mandate of the committee, being such as it has been presented us, I believe it is our responsibility to strengthen the statement at the conclusion of the discussion on child poverty in our report. As it stands right now, it looks to me simply like a gentle referral, as opposed to a long, complicated, expensive, in-depth analysis of child poverty that has resulted in a statement that we all would have been able to come up with prior to those discussions.

I'm not going to vote against a resolution, which everyone seems to want to pass, that this language is okay, but I have serious problems with this language. I think that I just wanted to make sure that that's on the record.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Anyone else have a comment?

Okay. With that, I call the motion.

Motion approved.

[0935]

Draft Committee Report

J. McIntyre (Chair): If we can move on to agenda item 3. It is customary and appropriate for parliamentary committees to consider the draft reports to the Legislative Assembly in camera. Actually, the Clerk kindly informed the Chair.

The Deputy Chair and I both, I think, agreed that the committee's report essentially deals with matters that we've dealt with in public, and I think we both agreed that it was appropriate to do this in public. But I just wanted to make sure that everybody knew and understood that we're doing this in a slightly different manner. So unless anybody objects, we'll proceed on the record. Any objection?

Thank you. So we will proceed. I do thank you very much, Deputy Chair, for your clarification at the other part, but again, on page 23, that sentence that's second from the bottom I did insert there because we are wanting to incorporate the proceedings from today, October 25, into the annual report, and we'll be looking for direction on that. I think it's important that we reflect that the
[ Page 162 ]
committee endorse, and I think, now we've done that, that sentence becomes appropriate. I guess I'm looking for any other comments.

Again, I'd like to thank the Clerk and also Byron Plant, who did a lot of work on pulling together for us, which summarizes pretty well going back to last November when we first entertained the representative's service plan in her annual report.

It does, I think, reflect quite a body of work. We've heard I think at least three reports from the rep, and she's been giving us some updates and, of course, does include the poverty section as well. I guess I'm looking for any comment — hopefully, nothing major we've omitted or nothing we have not interpreted fairly.

I guess I'll turn it over — any comment on the annual report as such. And I'm happy to start with Maurine if she'd like or just to take a speakers list.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): I'm fine for us to just take a speakers list, Madam Chair.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Anyone want to make comment? Well, this is easy. This is easier. I like this.

What we actually would like — and Kate, again, has helped us….

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Can I just provide clarification?

This draft report is for this particular session of the committee work. I do note that there is some allowance in the table of contents for other meetings that may be required in this section. Do we anticipate that our next meeting with the children's representative on November 8 would be included as part of this, or in fact, does today represent sort of finality on this and there would be no additions? That would be the start of a new cyclical session.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Yes, and thank you for clarifying that. Yes, I thought that we should end with this, which is why I just had that little sentence in there that we wanted to respond to the June 2 request that we figure out what to do with this and the fact that we've now endorsed the poverty section. It's all being included in this annual report. I think it makes perfect sense that November 8 is the beginning of the new cycle where, once again, we entertain the….

You know, we've already been looking at that draft agenda, where we'll be looking at the representative's service plan and her annual report. It seems like a good way to do our annual cycle.

In fact, you'll see, as the Clerk has given us some suggestions here, that I'm going ask in the motion that the committee give the Chair and Deputy Chair the opportunity to do any little sort of last-minute finalization, which would be exactly those kinds of things, and it would refer to the comment on page 23 that the to-be-confirmed, all that stuff, would all get now incorporated in the final report.

I'm going to ask that the committee give you and I the final glance at the last version of the report, but today would end it.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Good.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Is there any comment on that, actually, now that I've clarified?

Okay. I've asked Doug to just give us a motion on that.

D. Horne: I move that the committee approve and adopt the 2009-2010 report of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth and that the Chair and Deputy Chair work with the Clerk to finalize any minor editorial changes such as we've talked about this morning on the one issue that has to be clarified and that the Deputy Chair and Chair approve the final report.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Any discussion on the motion? We're all happy?

Motion approved.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thank you very much.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Madam Chair, do we anticipate a date that this would be released?

[0940]

J. McIntyre (Chair): Good question. We had talked about it being this fall. We could try and do it before November 8. I don't know if that's critical, but certainly…. I mean, yeah, in the next few weeks. I guess really, with the Clerk's office we'll work to finalize it. I mean it should be done in the next short while.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Just so that it's on the record for the public and for the committee members that we expect to finalize this report.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Shall we say prior to the end of November? Would that be reasonable on all counts?

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): That sounds fine. Good.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Okay. I don't think we need to add that to the motion, but I think we've now talked about it in public. We'll commit as a group to have it to the…. We'll need a motion for that, as well, which I think Marc can provide us with.

M. Dalton: We'll count one of the motions, Chair.
[ Page 163 ]

Once the report has been finalized and agreed to by the Chair and the Deputy Chair, I move that the Chair present the report to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest available opportunity.

J. McIntyre (Chair): You may want to add "by the end of November."

M. Dalton: By the end of November.

J. McIntyre (Chair): I'm going to ask the Clerk to clarify that process.

K. Ryan-Lloyd (Clerk Assistant and Acting Clerk of Committees): Thank you. Good morning, Members. Just to clarify. We will work diligently with the Chair and the Deputy Chair to finalize your now final draft of your report.

The process when and if the House is not in session at the time of the completion of your report is that a copy can be deposited with the Office of the Clerk, which has the effect of making it a public document at that time. At that point we will distribute it widely on your behalf. It will be available to all of you, of course, but also on the committee's website, and we will send copies to other interested agencies including the representative's office.

When the House does next convene, on your behalf, pursuant to the motion just adopted, the Chair will present the report to the Legislature for formal tabling at that time.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thank you.

J. Thornthwaite: Does that mean that there will be a formal press release, as well — that this has been released?

J. McIntyre (Chair): It's an annual report on a select standing committee. I don't think typically it would, unless there's a will here. But I don't think it usually generates that much….

J. Thornthwaite: Well, it's just that the representative…. Her reports are all widely publicized, and I'm just wondering whether or not we would want ours to be.

J. McIntyre (Chair): We're not as savvy, maybe. That's on the record — right?

J. Thornthwaite: Well, maybe that's got to change.

J. McIntyre (Chair): I think it's not typically done unless there's a huge will.

M. Karagianis (Deputy Chair): Perhaps, in view of the significant work we've done around the poverty hearings, there may be an opportunity for us to take advantage of that and perhaps blow our horn a little bit on this. I would not object to that.

If the committee agrees, I think this is a unique component of our report from previous years, and I would be very happy to see us publish something that echoes the language we've agreed to here, and again, that just highlights that we have gone through this process, that we all supported this process and that we do strongly suggest that legislators read it and take some action on the recommendations there.

I'm certainly not opposed to us using this opportunity to further the cause here a little bit. I would certainly like to encourage us to do that.

J. Thornthwaite: My intent was to let the public know, and I think Leonard had brought it out that this was a good example of both sides working together as opposed to what they normally pick up in the paper. That was my only intent — that they knew that we had come to a conclusion and were moving forward and on the same page sort of thing. That was my only intent. It wasn't, you know….

Yes, we can blow our own horn and all that sort of stuff, but I just think it's unique. Given the fact that what we're going to say is not that newsworthy, perhaps it won't get picked up anyway.

J. McIntyre (Chair): It is newsworthy.

L. Krog: Madam Chair, in light of the discussions, I'm going to move that the committee ask the Chair and Deputy Chair, on conclusion of the completion of the report and all its editorial changes and corrections, issue a short press release, letting the public know that the committee has filed its annual report and that it is available, and a brief summary of the final recommendation, which was the subject of some discussion this morning.

[0945]

J. McIntyre (Chair): Any discussion on Leonard's motion?

Okay, I'll ask the question.

Motion approved.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Any other business — last item here?

With that, I'll ask for a motion to adjourn.

Motion approved.

J. McIntyre (Chair): Thank you all very much. I appreciate that. I think we should be proud of the work we've done together, and I hope that Justice Hughes would be as well.

The committee adjourned at 9:46 a.m.

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