Crown Corporations -- Issue No. 33 -- Monday, February 7, 2005

2004 Legislative Session: 5th Session, 37th Parliament
SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON CROWN CORPORATIONS
MINUTES AND HANSARD

Present: Ken Stewart, MLA (Chair); Harry Bloy, MLA (Deputy Chair); Dennis MacKay, MLA; Gillian Trumper, MLA; Ted Nebbeling, MLA; Rod Visser, MLA; Dr. John Wilson, MLA; Paul Nettleton, MLA

Unavoidably Absent: Karn Manhas, MLA; Daniel Jarvis, MLA; Harold Long, MLA; Barry Penner, MLA; Joy K. MacPhail, MLA

Others Present: Jonathan Fershau, Acting Committee Research Analyst

1. The Committee met to consider its Second Report to the House regarding its review of British Columbia Transmission Corporation, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.

2. Resolved, that the Committee meet in camera to consider its Report to the House.

3. The Committee deliberated on its Report to the House.

4. Resolved, that the Committee meet in public session.

5. Resolved, that the Committee’s Second Report to the House this session be adopted as amended.

6. Resolved, that the Chair table the Second Report in the House as soon as practicable.

7. The Committee adjourned at 2:09 p.m. to the call of the Chair.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
(Hansard)

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE
ON CROWN CORPORATIONS



CONTENTS

		Page

Committee Report to the House		475

Chair:

* Ken Stewart (Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows, Liberal)

Deputy Chair:

* Harry Bloy (Burquitlam, Liberal)

Members:

  Daniel Jarvis (North Vancouver–Seymour, Liberal)
   Harold Long (Powell River–Sunshine Coast, Liberal)
* Dennis MacKay (Bulkley Valley–Stikine, Liberal)
   Karn Manhas (Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, Liberal)
* Ted Nebbeling (West Vancouver–Garibaldi, Liberal)
   Barry Penner (Chilliwack-Kent, Liberal)
* Gillian Trumper (Alberni-Qualicum, Liberal)
* Rod Visser (North Island, Liberal)
* Dr. John Wilson (Cariboo North, Liberal)
   Joy K. MacPhail (Vancouver-Hastings, NDP)
* Paul Nettleton (Prince George–Omineca Ind, Liberal)

* denotes member present

K. Stewart (Chair): Good afternoon. Today is Monday, February 7, 2005, and it's the Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations. As your Chair, Ken Stewart, I call this meeting to order.

Looking at the agenda, we have before us the main topic: consideration of the draft report to the House. Given that this is a confidential report, I would certainly look for a motion to go in camera.

K. Stewart (Chair): We're just coming out of an in-camera session, going over the draft report for the select standing committee on the topics of B.C. Transmission Corporation, ICBC and B.C. Hydro. The committee has gone over the report, and the report is now up for a vote.

P. Nettleton: Yes, I do oppose the report as proposed, although I expect that report to be approved soon — that is, sometime today. I would like to make the comment publicly, if I may, particularly with respect to B.C. Transmission Corporation and B.C. Hydro that those are the two parts of that report that I find objectionable. In fact, I had submitted a series of written questions following the meeting with B.C. Hydro on November 4, 2004. Those questions went to B.C. Hydro on November 15. I received a response on January 20, 2005. Then I've been assured, in fact, that those questions and the responses in their entirety will be made part of the public record.

Nevertheless, in my view, there was no serious attempt to respond to those questions. In fact, I now find myself in a position, after having received this draft report this morning, although I understand it was sent out late last week…. In fact, I'm not supportive of this report, particularly those two parts, and would have preferred, had there been some time to prepare a detailed response to this report, particularly those parts of the report that I find objectionable…. Certainly, at this point in time, I do want to register my concerns, my differences with respect to the government members on this committee. I will not be supporting this report as it is presently proposed.

K. Stewart (Chair): Any other comments from members with regard to the report?

I'd just like to — again, for the record, Jonathan…. Just to confirm with you, Jonathan, as the person from the Clerk of Committees delegated to write our report, the questions were all sent to both B.C. Hydro and B.C. Transmission Corporation?

J. Fershau: B.C. Transmission Corporation. I didn't receive any additional questions other than the ones that were proposed by the members at the committee meeting.

B.C. Hydro. I compiled a list of questions that were written by the members on November 5, and those were sent to B.C. Hydro on November 5. Mr. Nettleton's questions came on November 15. I was delayed in sending them out. I can't remember the exact date. It would have been in December. We received the answers on January 8. They were sent to committee members on January 8.

K. Stewart (Chair): With regard to the information — there was obviously a Christmas period over that time — all the questions that were asked in writing received a written response.

K. Stewart (Chair): Those written responses will be part of the public record. That's the intention of this committee. So those will be there. So there's no question in my mind as the committee Chair that those questions were answered, dealt with, by B.C. Hydro. The practice of this committee is once we send a written question to one of the Crown corporations, they do respond to it, and that doesn't necessarily cause a series of discussion after. We've asked a question, we get a response, and the committee deals with that at the report stage.

P. Nettleton: Just a point of clarification, if I may, with respect to the timing. It's not a huge issue, but I just want to make it clear that, in fact, the questions that I had submitted to this committee November 15 to direct to B.C. Hydro were not forwarded to me on January 8, as has been indicated. Our office was open the first week of January. In fact, I was in my office when most other offices were closed, and I had asked on a number of occasions for those responses. I finally received them by e-mail on January 20, 2005. I just wanted to make that point.

With regard to the process of this, again, one of the issues that is before this committee is that of time and that the committee, as of tomorrow afternoon, will not exist, so there will not be an opportunity for a further meeting with regard to this issue if we wish to have this information put forward in the House and the committee report fully made public. At this time, we've had some discussion on this.

I'm looking for a recommendation, which we'll vote on, from the membership to accept this report as amended. We'll take it from there.

K. Stewart (Chair): The following motion from that would be for the committee Chair to present the final amended report to the House at the earliest opportunity.

K. Stewart (Chair): Anything at this point — that is, the full agenda that we had before us? Any other issues, subjects or thoughts?

H. Bloy (Deputy Chair): I would just like to thank the Chair for leading us for this past while.

K. Stewart (Chair): As we come up to the conclusion of this committee for this session of parliament, I'd just like to thank all the members for their consideration and time and Jonathan and Craig for their hard work and also Hansard for their accurate recording of the proceedings and having the patience to deal with some of my fumbling of the button over the period of time.

Anyway, thank you all very much. I do appreciate your support and thoughts, and I'm sure that British Columbia is going to be a more transparent and better place now that the Crown corporations have had this committee in place.

Hansard Services publishes transcripts both in print and on the Internet. Chamber debates are broadcast on television and webcast on the Internet.

Committee Staff:	Jonathan Fershau (Acting Committee Research Analyst)

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS (Hansard)

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON CROWN CORPORATIONS

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
(Hansard)

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE
ON CROWN CORPORATIONS