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September 22, 2015                   House of Assembly Management Commission                          No. 52


The Management Commission met at approximately 10:28 a.m. in the House of Assembly Chamber.

 

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): I would like to welcome members of the Commission here for this meeting on Tuesday, September 22, which began at 9:00 a.m. with an in camera session. 

 

I will ask members if they would take a minute to introduce themselves.  I will start with myself; I am Wade Verge, the Member for Lewisporte district and Chair of the Commission.

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Keith Hutchings, MHA, Ferryland.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Andrew Parsons, MHA, Burgeo – La Poile. 

 

MS MICHAEL: Lorraine Michael, MHA, Signal Hill – Quidi Vidi.

 

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Glenn Littlejohn, MHA, Port de Grave.

 

MS KEEFE: Marie Keefe, Clerk's Office.

 

MS MERCER: Wanda Lee Mercer, Chief Financial Officer.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you very much.

 

The meeting started at 9:00 a.m. with an in camera session.  There were two matters that we considered in camera and I will report the decisions accordingly.  The Commission, in camera, in decision one, directed that its solicitors take action to pursue payment of the cost as ordered by the court decision respecting Fraser March.  In the second matter, we considered at length a personnel matter, but there was no decision made at this time. 

 

We will now move into the official business.  First, in Tab 2, we have minutes from previous meetings: March 31, 2015; May 26, 2015; and June 8, 2015.  I would entertain a motion, separately, for each one, that these minutes be adopted.

 

Ms Michael, moving that the minutes for March 31 meeting be adopted; seconded by Mr. Parsons.

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, minutes adopted as circulated.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Second, moving the minutes of the May 26, 2015 motion be adopted.

 

Moved by Mr. Hutchings; seconded by Mr. Parsons.

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, minutes adopted as circulated.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Third, a motion made that the minutes of the June 8 meeting be adopted.

 

Moved by Ms Michael; seconded by Mr. Hutchings.

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, minutes adopted as circulated.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Tab 3 is for reporting purposes.  We have reports on authorizations that were made by the Speaker since our last meeting, and there is no decision to be made here.  I do not know if there are any questions. 

 

Seeing none, we move to Tab 4.  In Tab 4 we have some financial information that is being dispersed.  Again, there is no decision; it is for reporting purposes.  The House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act requires that information be reported to the Commission on a regular basis, and this agenda item, as I have said, is for reporting purposes only.

 

There are two sets of financial statements provided in your briefing package for the House of Assembly service, caucus offices, and for the statutory offices.  The Member Accountability and Disclosure Reports outlining expenditures for each member are also provided for each period.  The first statements are for the fiscal year April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 and the second statements are for April 1, 2015 up to June 30, 2015.

 

Any questions or comments?

 

Seeing none, we move to Tab 5, which is the report of the Audit Committee.  Section 23 of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act requires that the Audit Committee provide reports to the Commission with respect to its activities.  This report is the eighth report of the Audit Committee, and it is also provided for reporting purposes only.

 

Does anybody or any member of the Committee wish to speak to it?

 

Mr. Parsons.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: As a member of the Audit Committee, I think the report speaks for itself.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Okay.

 

Ms Michael.

 

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, not to that, but if I might, I would like to come back to Tab 4 with one point I would like to make.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Yes.

 

MS MICHAEL: It has to do with the Statement of Revenue and Expenditure for the Office of the Auditor General, 2.1.02.  There are four footnotes noted but we do not have the information on the footnotes.  It is just for a full report it would be good for us to have the footnotes put in.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Wanda Lee, can you speak to that?

 

MS MERCER: Which –

 

MS MICHAEL: Subhead 2.1.02 indicates four footnotes and so does 2.1.0.3, but 2.1.03 has five and they are in there.  They are explained, but in 2.1.02 the explanation for the footnotes is not included on the page.

 

MS MERCER: Yes, it must have been a printing issue when the explanation was printed.

 

MS MICHAEL: Yes, but for the record I think it needs –

 

MS MERCER: We can bring those back to the Commission with the explanations.

 

MS MICHAEL: Yes, thank you.

 

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, that I missed that initially.

 

MR. SPEAKER: No problem.

 

Moving on with Tab 6.  We do need a decision of the Commission here.  The House of Assembly, under section 23(7)(b) of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act, requires that the Audit Committee would make recommendations to the Commission with respect to the choice and terms of the auditor appointed under section 43 of the act.

 

As per the letter from the Audit Committee included in your briefing package, the Committee has recommended that the Auditor General be appointed to be the auditor for the House of Assembly and Statutory Offices for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016.

 

Would someone like to make a motion that the Auditor General be appointed as the auditor?

 

Moved by Ms Michael; seconded by Mr. Hutchings.

 

All those in favour, 'aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded.

 

Carried.

 

Under Tab 7, again, there are two sets of audited financial information for the Commission's review.  The first are the statements for the House of Assembly and its statutory offices.  These must be signed on air. 

 

The financial statements for the House of Assembly for the year ending March 31, 2015, were prepared by the Auditor General and they were also reviewed by the Audit Committee.  The Audit Committee has recommended acceptance of the statements by the Commission. 

 

The proposed motion is that the Commission approves the audited financial information for April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 for the House of Assembly and its statutory offices as recommended by the Audit Committee.

 

Is there any member prepared to make that motion?

 

Moved by Ms Michael; seconded by Mr. Parsons.

 

All those in favour, 'aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded, 'nay'.

 

Carried.

 

We will take a minute to sign this.  I have to sign, and one other member.  Mr. Hutchings, thank you.  It is completed.  

 

The other financial report is – this is just a reporting requirement.  The financial statements of the Office of the Auditor General must be submitted to the Management Commission.  The statement in your briefing material is that financial information for the Office of the Auditor General for the fiscal year which ended March 31, 2015, prepared by an independent auditor for the Office of the Auditor General. 

 

Are there any questions or comments on that? 

 

Seeing none, we will go to Tab 8, which is again a reporting requirement that one of these – is that annually each of our caucuses, the Speaker's Office, and any independent members must file a report on the expenditures that arise out of the Caucus Operational Funding.  That report is contained in your materials.

 

Is there any comment or question?

 

Seeing none, we will go to Tab 9.  If you recall, February 24, 2015, there were recommendations of the Audit Committee with respect to the Caucus Operational Funding Policy.  They were brought up to the Management Commission for consideration.  The details of the recommendations are in your briefing package. 

 

At that meeting, the Commission directed House officials to draft amendments to the policy that would accurately reflect the recommendations that were contained in the revised policy, and that these be brought back for a future meeting for the Commission to consider and approve.  Details of the revisions and the revised draft policy are included in your package and we would need a motion to approve the proposed revisions. 

 

The motion would read: Pursuant to subparagraph 20(6)(b)(ii) of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act, the Commission approves the revised Caucus Operational Funding Grants Policy. 

 

Moved by Mr. Parsons; seconded by Ms Michael.

 

All those in favour, 'aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded. 

 

Carried.

 

That concludes our business.  Could I have a motion for adjournment?

 

Moved by Mr. Parsons; seconded by Ms Michael.

 

All those in favour, 'aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded. 

 

Carried.

 

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

 

On motion, meeting adjourned.