2002 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 37th Parliament
The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.
Nos. 66 and 67
OF THE
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
Ten o'clock a.m.
Prayers by the Hon. S. Bond.
The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."
Bill (No. 34) intituled School Amendment Act, 2002 was again committed.
Sections 22 and 23 of Bill (No. 34) passed, on division.
The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
And then the House adjourned at 11.58 a.m.
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
Two o'clock p.m.
The Hon. M. de Jong (Minister of Forests) presented to the Speaker a Message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:
Iona Campagnolo Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 39) intituled Protected Areas Forests Compensation Act and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
May 3, 2002
Bill introduced and read a first time.
Bill Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.
The Hon. M. de Jong (Minister of Forests) presented to the Speaker a Message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:
Iona Campagnolo Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 41) intituled Forest (First Nations Development) Amendment Act, 2002 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
May 3, 2002
Bill introduced and read a first time.
Bill 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."
The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:
Honourable Members:
On May 2nd, the Leader of the Opposition rose on a point of order relating to "privileges of Members and reports of committees funded out of the Legislative Assembly budget." She later specifically stated that she was raising a point of order not a point of privilege.
The gist of the Member's question was whether the stipend paid pursuant to section 8 of the Legislative Allowances and Pensions Act, to the Chairman of the Government Caucus Offshore Oil and Gas Committee made the Committee subject to parliamentary privileges insofar as that funding comes out of the Vote 1 general budget rather than the Liberal Caucus global budget.
Select Standing and Special Committees are a subsidiary component of the Legislative Assembly. They are formed of Members from all parties, chosen by the Committee of Selection, instructed by order of the House and report to the House in accordance with those instructions. Both Parliamentary law and the Legislative Assembly Privilege Act apply to Legislative Committees. On the other hand, Caucus Committees are formed by a party caucus from its members and are subject only to its control. They have no official status in the House, do not report to the House and play a role only within the party caucus.
The payment of a stipend to the Chairman of a Caucus Committee pursuant to section 8 of the Legislative Allowances and Pensions Act does not transform that committee into a House committee comparable to a Select Standing or Special Committee.
Therefore, the short answer to the question raised by the Leader of the Opposition is in the negative.
Claude Richmond, Speaker
The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."
Bill (No. 34) intituled School Amendment Act, 2002 was again committed.
The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
Bill (No. 36) intituled Energy and Mines Statutes Amendment Act, 2002 was committed, reported complete with amendment, and by leave, read a third time and passed.
And then the House adjourned at 5.52 p.m.
CLAUDE RICHMOND, Speaker
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