Nos. 14 and 15 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Ten o’clock a.m.

Prayers by Mr. Throness.

On the motion of Ms. Robinson, Bill (No. M 202) intituled Silver Alert Act was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Order called for “Members’ Statements.”

Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That a Special Committee be appointed to select and unanimously recommend the appointment of an Auditor General, pursuant to section 2 of the Auditor General Act (SBC 2003, c. 2). The said Special Committee shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and in addition is empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

d) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That a Special Committee be appointed to review the Personal Information Protection Act in accordance with section 59 of the Personal Information Protection Act (SBC 2003, c. 63) and in particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by organizations.

The Special Committee shall submit a report arising out of the results of its inquiry to the Legislative Assembly within one year of this resolution being adopted by the House.

The Special Committee shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and in addition is empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to conduct consultations by any means the committee considers appropriate;

d) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

e) to retain such personnel as required to assist the committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That a Special Committee to Review the Independent Investigations Office be appointed to examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to the administration and general operations of the Independent Investigations Office in accordance with section 38.13 of the Police Act (RSBC 1996, c. 367) and in particular:

1. To conduct, before January 1, 2015, a review of:

a) the administration and general operations of the Independent Investigations Office; and,

b) the Chief Civilian Director’s progress towards a goal of having an Independent Investigations Office that is staffed entirely with employees and Independent Investigations Office investigators who have never served as officers or members of a police or law enforcement agency.

2. To solicit and consider written and oral submissions from any interested person or organization by any means the committee considers appropriate.

3. To submit a report, including any recommendations respecting the results of the review, to the Legislative Assembly within one year of this resolution being adopted by the House.

The Special Committee shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and in addition is empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

d) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

1. That all reports of the Auditor General of British Columbia transmitted to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly be deemed referred to the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, with the exception of the report referred to in section 22 of the Auditor General Act (SBC 2003, c. 2), which is referred to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services; and,

2. That the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts be the committee referred to in sections 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 of the Auditor General Act (SBC 2003, c. 2).

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Committee be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

d) to retain personnel as required to assist the Committee,

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be appointed to foster greater awareness and understanding among legislators and the public of the B.C. child welfare system, and in particular to:

1. Receive and review the annual service plan from the Representative for Children and Youth (the “Representative”) that includes a statement of goals and identifies specific objectives and performance measures that will be required to exercise the powers and perform the functions and duties of the Representative during the fiscal year;

2. Be the committee to which the Representative reports, at least annually;

3. Refer to the Representative for investigation the critical injury or death of a child;

4. Receive and consider all reports and plans transmitted by the Representative to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia; and,

5. Pursuant to section 30 (2) of the Representative of Children and Youth Act (SBC 2006, c. 29), complete an assessment by April 1, 2015, of the effectiveness of section 6 (1) (b) in ensuring that the needs of children are met.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon Select Standing Committees of the House, the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be empowered to:

a) appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) conduct consultations by any means the committee considers appropriate;

d) adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

e) retain personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services be empowered:

1. To examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to the budget consultation paper prepared by the Minister of Finance in accordance with section 2 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act (SBC 2000, c. 23) and, in particular, to:

a) conduct public consultations across British Columbia on proposals and recommendations regarding the provincial budget and fiscal policy for the coming fiscal year by any means the committee considers appropriate; and,

b) prepare a report no later than November 15, 2014 on the results of those consultations.

2. a) To consider and make recommendations on the annual reports, rolling three-year service plans and budgets of the following statutory officers:

(i) Auditor General

(ii) Chief Electoral Officer

(iii) Conflict of Interest Commissioner

(iv) Information and Privacy Commissioner

(v) Merit Commissioner

(vi) Ombudsperson

(vii) Police Complaint Commissioner

(viii) Representative for Children and Youth; and,

b) to examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to other matters brought to the Committee’s attention by any of the Officers listed in 2 (a) above.

3. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services shall be the committee referred to in sections 19, 20, 21 and 23 of the Auditor General Act (SBC 2003, c. 2) and that the performance report in section 22 of the Auditor General Act (SBC 2003, c. 2) be referred to the committee.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, the committee shall be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

d) to retain personnel as required to assist the Committee,

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —

That the Select Standing Committee on Health be empowered to:

1. Consider the conclusions contained in the Interim Report, October 2012, of the Select Standing Committee on Health of the 39th Parliament; as such, the Interim Report of the Select Standing Committee on Health, and any submissions and evidence received during the 39th Parliament, are referred to the Committee;

2. Outline potential alternative strategies to mitigate the impact of the significant cost drivers identified in the Report on the sustainability and improvement of the provincial health care system; and,

3. Identify current public levels of acceptance toward the potential alternative strategies.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Health, the Committee shall be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to conduct consultations by any means the committee considers appropriate;

d) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

e) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, 2014, a debate arose.

On the motion of Mr. Krog the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 11.57 a.m.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

One-thirty o’clock p.m.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, 2014.

The debate continued.

On the motion of Ms. Hammell, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 6.26 p.m.

HON. LINDA REID, Speaker

NOTICE OF BILLS

Thursday, February 27

Ms. Darcy to introduce a Bill intituled Tobacco Control Amendment Act, 2014.