Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

sixth interim report

1st Session, 42nd Parliament
70 Elizabeth II

 

 

 
  ISBN 978-1-4868-5017-4 (Print)
ISBN 978-1-4868-5019-8 [English] (PDF)
ISBN 978-1-4868-5021-1 [French] (PDF)
ISBN 978-1-4868-5018-1 [English] (HTML)
ISBN 978-1-4868-5020-4 [French] (HTML)

 

 

 

 

The Honourable Ted Arnott, MPP
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

Sir,

Your Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight has the honour to present its Report and commends it to the House.

 

Daryl Kramp, MPP
Chair of the Committee

Queen's Park
February 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Membership list

1st Session, 42nd Parliament

daryl Kramp

Chair

tom rakocevic

Vice-Chair

robert bailey                                         sam oosterhoff

gilles bisson                                                  lindsey park

John Fraser                                                        sara singh

                                                                         (Brampton Centre)

christine HOGARTH              effie j. triantafilopoulos

robin martin

lorne coe regularly served as a substitute member of the Committee.


christopher tyrell

Clerk of the Committee

heather conklin

Research Officer

monica cop

Research Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight is pleased to present its sixth interim report. The report summarizes the testimony and discussion from the Committee hearing that took place on December 14, 2020. In accordance with the Committee’s terms of reference, the Solicitor General appeared as the Premier’s designate and provided an oral report to the Committee.

Further interim reports will follow. The Committee’s final report will be a compilation of all interim reports.

To review the Solicitor General’s full remarks and all questions posed by Committee members, reference should be made to the official Hansard transcript.

Committee Mandate

On July 13, 2020, the government House leader introduced a motion to appoint a Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight. Following debate, the motion carried on July 15, 2020. The Committee was appointed to receive oral reports from the Premier or his designate(s) on any extensions of emergency orders by the Lieutenant Governor in Council related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rationale for those extensions.

Reporting provisions under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 include a requirement that the Premier (or a Minister to whom the Premier delegates the responsibility) appear before and report to a standing or select committee designated by the Assembly, at least once every 30 days, concerning

(a) orders that were extended during the reporting period; and

(b) the rationale for those extensions.

Hearings consist of an opening statement from the Premier or his designate(s), followed by Committee member questions. The Committee is authorized to release interim reports summarizing each hearing.

The Committee’s mandate is reproduced in full in Appendix A to this report.

 

 

Statement and Discussion

Solicitor General’s Statement

The Solicitor General, the Honourable Sylvia Jones, appeared before the Committee on December 14, 2020.

In her opening remarks, the Solicitor General said that we are entering a new year with “renewed hope,” because a vaccine is on the way. Over the coming weeks and months, the following groups will be receiving the first vaccine doses as part of the largest immunization program in the province’s history:

residents, staff, essential caregivers, and other employees of congregate care settings, such as long-term care homes and retirement homes;

health care workers, including hospital employees and staff who work or study in hospitals, and other critical health care personnel; and

adult recipients of chronic home health care.

The Solicitor General reported that this mass immunization is a complex logistical undertaking that is being guided by recommendations from the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, chaired by retired General Rick Hillier and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. As more vaccines become available, and as the federal government shares more information about procurement and approval of vaccines, immunization will become more widespread.

In the meantime, it is the Solicitor General’s opinion that the orders made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, should continue in force.

Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework

The Solicitor General reminded the Committee that the government amended O. Reg. 82/20, O. Reg. 364/20, O. Reg. 263/20, and O. Reg. 363/20 to implement the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework, a scalable COVID-19 response framework that lays out a proactive and graduated plan based on the local situation in each of Ontario’s public health units. The framework provides for five zones or stages to which public health unit regions may be assigned, based on certain public health indicator thresholds:

Green (Prevent) – standard measures

Yellow (Protect) – strengthened measures

Orange (Restrict) – intermediate measures

Red (Control) – stringent measures

Grey (Lockdown) – a measure of last and urgent resort

The Solicitor General explained that public health unit regions are placed into stages or zones based on the number of threshold indicators, such as weekly incident rates, percentage of positive tests, and hospital capacity (including but not limited to ICU beds). Trends in public health data are reviewed weekly. Assignments to the current levels are expected to last for a minimum of 28 days, or two incubation periods, after which time the status of each public health unit region will be reassessed on a weekly basis. If more stringent measures are needed, they may be considered sooner.

The Solicitor General listed the respective zones for all public health units as of December 14, and noted that Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and York Regional Health Unit had joined the City of Toronto Health Unit and Peel Regional Health Unit in the Grey (Lockdown) zone.

Update on Orders

The Solicitor General began her review of emergency orders by noting several amendments to O. Reg. 82/20 (Rules for Areas in Stage 1). Specifically, this order, which applies to areas in lockdown on December 4, 2020, has been amended to

clarify that indoor farmers’ markets that primarily sell food items are permitted to be open in lockdown zones, and that restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments in these markets may open for takeout or delivery service only;

set the limit for in-person instruction and exams at 20 individuals, with physical distancing, for post-secondary institutions in lockdown zones for specified programs critical to support the health care workforce response to COVID-19; and

ensure that driver certification programs and organizations continue to provide in-person commercial training and testing to commercial drivers and to allow private career colleges to provide in-vehicle instruction for commercial drivers in lockdown zones.

The following orders have been extended until January 20, 2021, without amendments. Orders are listed chronologically and include a brief statement of the Solicitor General’s rationale for extension.

O. Reg. 74/20 (Work Redeployment for Certain Health Services Providers) – The hospital sector continues to experience increased demands and pressures as a result of COVID-19. An extension of the order is necessary to address surgical backlogs, human resource shortages across long-term care homes, and to ensure sufficient hospital beds during the pandemic.

O. Reg. 75/20 (Drinking Water Systems and Sewage Works) – The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks implemented a one-time reduction in annual training for waste water operators from 40 hours to 10 hours for 2020 to address the shortage of available training due to COVID-19.

O. Reg. 76/20 (Electronic Service) – This order allows document service in legal matters to be handled electronically instead of in person. The continuation is needed to reduce unnecessary contact between individuals in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

O. Reg. 77/20 (Work Deployment Measures in Long-Term Care Homes) – This order is necessary because flexibility for long-term care operators to recruit and reassign staff remains crucial for preventing and managing outbreaks and ensuring stability and quality in long-term care homes.

O. Reg. 95/20 (Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes) – This order ensures that long-term care homes have the flexibility required to maintain operations. Streamlining requirements under the order ensures the care and safety of residents in long-term care homes.

O. Reg. 98/20 (Prohibition on Certain Persons Charging Unconscionable Prices for Sales of Necessary Goods) – Consumers continue to file complaints with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services for price gouging with respect to the necessary goods set out in the order, some of which remain in short supply.

O. Reg. 114/20 (Enforcement of Orders) – This order provides police officers and other provincial offences officers with necessary enforcement powers.

O. Reg. 116/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Health) – The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create increased demands on public health units. This order allows boards of health to take any reasonably necessary measures with respect to redeployment and staffing to respond to, prevent, and alleviate the pandemic.

O. Reg. 118/20 (Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes) – This order allows flexibility for retirement home operators to recruit and reassign staff and remains crucial for helping to prevent and manage potential outbreaks and to ensure stability and quality in resident care, especially with the increases in cases in recent weeks.

O. Reg. 121/20 (Staffing Flexibility Measures for Service Agencies Providing Services and Supports to Adults with Developmental Disabilities) – This order has been extended so developmental service agencies and intervenor services providers will continue to have the authority and flexibility they need to redeploy their staff to support critical services for vulnerable individuals. Streamlined quality assurance requirements continue to be needed so developmental service agencies can alleviate staffing pressure while responding to challenges posed by COVID-19.

O. Reg. 129/20 (Signatures in Wills and Powers of Attorney) – Stakeholders have indicated to the Attorney General that they are still relying on the order to ensure wills and powers of attorneys can be safely executed, as there are no alternative processes available.

O. Reg. 132/20 (Use of Force and Firearms in Policing Services) – This order allows chiefs of police to authorize members of police services to perform duties involving use-of-force and to carry a firearm if those members have successfully completed relevant training within the 24-month period before the authorization is made, instead of the prescribed12 months. Public health restrictions continue to be in place, making delivery of timely training challenging.

O. Reg. 141/20 (Temporary Health or Residential Facilities) – The Ministry of Health, hospitals, and municipalities need adequate capacity in the hospital sector and in the emergency shelter system to address possible future outbreaks of COVID-19. The ability to install new temporary health and residential facilities and to convert existing buildings for this purpose will be needed until there is no threat of new waves of COVID-19.

O. Reg. 145/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Service Agencies Providing Violence Against Women Residential Services and Crisis Line Services) –This order has been extended so that service providers will continue to have the authority and flexibility they need to redeploy their staff to support critical services for survivors of violence against women and victims of human trafficking.

O. Reg. 146/20 (Limiting Work to a Single Long-Term Care Home) – This order is necessary because limiting the number of staff moving across multiple settings is an important component of infection prevention in long-term care homes.

O. Reg. 154/20 (Work Deployment Measures for District Social Services Administration Boards) – This order provides district social services administration boards (DSSABs) with the flexibility they need to redeploy their staff to support critical services. DSSABs are being surveyed about the order, and extending the order will allow sufficient time to assess responses to determine next steps.

O. Reg. 156/20 (Deployment of Employees of Service Provider Organizations) – The need to extend the order is based on ongoing staffing issues at long-term care homes and retirement homes.

O. Reg. 157/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Municipalities) – This order has been extended to give municipalities the flexibility to redeploy staff to ensure front-line services continue to be delivered in critical areas of need. Continuity of service delivery at the municipal level is critical to the health and safety of Ontario’s communities and province-wide efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

O. Reg. 158/20 (Limiting Work to a Single Retirement Home) – This order remains necessary because limiting staff from working in other retirement homes, long-term care homes, and other health care settings is an important component of infection prevention and control practices in retirement homes.

O. Reg. 163/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Mental Health and Addictions Agencies) – This order is necessary to give service providers the required authority to maintain health human resource flexibility, especially as mental health and addictions providers work to maintain in-person services during the second and any possible future waves of COVID-19.

O. Reg. 177/20 (Congregate Care Settings) – The order has been extended so that staff movement across multiple employers in developmental services, intervenor services, and violence against women and anti-human trafficking sectors will continue to be limited as an important infection prevention measure to protect staff and vulnerable clients. It is critical to ensure these measures are still in place to help prevent or manage an outbreak.

O. Reg. 192/20 (Certain Persons Enabled to Issue Medical Certificates of Death) – This order allows registered nurses appointed as coroner investigators to complete medical certificates of death instead of a physician or nurse practitioner. This gives physicians and nurse practitioners more time to focus on patient care.

O. Reg. 193/20 (Hospital Credentialing Processes) – This order is still necessary because the hospital sector continues to experience increased demands and pressures as a result of COVID-19. Maintaining flexible health human resources is critical for hospitals during the pandemic.

O. Reg. 195/20 (Treatment of Temporary COVID-19 Related Payments to Employees) – The order ensures that any temporary COVID-19-related payment for personal support workers and direct support workers for work performed while the order is in effect are excluded from the maximum increases in compensation set out in the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019.

O. Reg. 210/20 (Management of Long-Term Care Homes in Outbreak) – Long-term care homes are still experiencing outbreaks. This order is necessary to allow the placement of temporary management to effectively protect residents from COVID-19. These management orders enable the director to swiftly take appropriate actions to reduce or alleviate harm to residents and staff in homes that are in outbreak.

O. Reg. 240/20 (Management of Retirement Homes in Outbreak) – This order is necessary because retirement homes are still affected by outbreaks. It is important to ensure measures are in place so that the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority can act quickly in case of outbreaks and in instances where an operator is unable or unwilling to manage operations of the home.

O. Reg. 241/20 (Special Rules Re Temporary Pandemic Pay) – Extending the order will help facilitate the implementation of temporary pandemic payments for work performed during the eligibility period.

O. Reg. 345/20 (Patios) – This order has been extended to allow municipalities to quickly authorize the establishment or expansion of bar and restaurant patios while maintaining public health measures, despite winter conditions. The continuation of this order is needed by the hospitality sector for the upcoming spring season, so that bars and restaurants can plan, continue to operate, and overcome the economic effects of COVID-19.

According to the Solicitor General, the government decided to extend these orders now (rather than closer to their expiry date of December 21) in order to provide “as much certainty and transparency” as possible to Ontarians in advance of the holiday season.

In conclusion, the Solicitor General noted that, due to limited supplies, “it may be a while yet before all Ontarians have the opportunity to be vaccinated.” The initial distribution of vaccines, she said, will focus on Ontarians who are most vulnerable and at greatest risk. This means that the emergency orders may need to stay in place for “some time to come.”

Discussion

Questions from the Committee

Following her report to the Committee, the Solicitor General responded to questions on a range of issues from the Committee, including:

Transmission Through Workplace and Work-Related Travel – Citing a Toronto Star article, which stated that neighbourhoods with larger proportions of essential workers have higher levels of mobility post-lockdown, a Committee member asked whether Ontario’s COVID-19 Command Table had completed “a risk analysis” on COVID-19 transmission through workplace and work-related travel. The Solicitor General responded by noting that the Select Committee received presentations on modelling and mapping of risks and outbreaks at its last meeting.

Crowded Public Transportation – A Committee member asked whether the government or the Command Table is considering additional funding and support for public transit to add more buses to busy routes. The Solicitor General responded by noting that financial assistance has been provided through Metrolinx, GO, and municipal partners that operate municipal transit systems, and that the Minister of Transportation has ensured significant access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for bus drivers. She added that it is her understanding that the Toronto Transit Commission has added more buses to its routes, even though ridership is down.

Workplace Transmission – Asked whether the government is considering providing more transparency about COVID-19 transmissions within workplaces, the Solicitor General said that she did not have statistics regarding workplace transmissions; however, she noted that many workplaces with transmissions are proactively letting their employees know and are carrying out follow-ups with public health units and additional cleaning following the outbreaks. She also said that public outreach is carried out following outbreaks within schools to educate families, students, and teaching staff, but not for private businesses that have exclusive access to their employees.

Timing of Order Extensions – Asked to explain why the emergency orders were being extended now, and why until January 20, 2021, the Solicitor General said that it was an attempt to give people some clarity in the lead-up to the holiday season and to inform them of the length of the extension.

Decision to Open St. Lawrence Market – One Committee member, noting that the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto had opened the previous weekend despite the City being in lockdown, asked whether there is a more “systematic” way to make decisions regarding which businesses may stay open. The Solicitor General pointed out that the St. Lawrence Market did not open as a result of changes to an existing emergency order; rather, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that the Market was allowed to open because it was in compliance with the terms of the original emergency order. Specifically, only takeout and food items similar to those available in a grocery store were on offer; sit-down dining was not available. The Solicitor General also emphasized that decisions regarding openings and closings seek to provide “as much clarity as possible to both the municipalities and the businesses that are operating.”

Effectiveness of the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework – In light of the fact that the second wave has resulted in more frequent changes to the “standing” of various regions in the province than during the first wave, one Committee member asked whether the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework (which provides that regions stay in a zone for 28 days or two incubation periods, unless stricter measures are needed) is able to react quickly enough to these changing trends. The member also asked specifically whether Toronto and Peel will continue in the Grey (Lockdown) zone for another incubation period or two. The Solicitor General said that no one has a “crystal ball”; however, she stressed that the important factors for extending restrictive measures include the number of positive cases and hospital capacity. With respect to the latter, it was noted that important surgeries are no longer being delayed, so tracking the available number of beds and ICU beds has become an even more “important piece of the decision-making model.”

Decisions Based on Modelling – The Solicitor General was asked for an explanation of how the government is using the modelling presented at the last Select Committee meeting to make its decisions to amend orders, and how one model is chosen from among various other models. The Solicitor General explained that modelling provides an opportunity to test different scenarios and that Ontario had a significant advantage in being able to model the various approaches taken by other earlier-affected jurisdictions. She stressed the importance of being able to track all data points, including “available personnel, available spaces and where they occur,” because these figures are not consistent across Ontario. Knowing certain limitations about inventory, such as the number of beds available, has also been part of the modeling.

Regional Leadership Structure for Vaccination Rollout – One Committee member observed that public health is leading the vaccine rollout in the city of Ottawa, and highlighted the importance of having “trusted voices” in charge of this process, since the rollout involves public education in addition to logistics. Asked how the vaccine rollout will be rolled out across the rest of the province, the Solicitor General said that, due to limited supply, the University Health Network in Toronto and the Ottawa Hospital will, in the initial stages, lead a limited vaccine rollout. These two regional centres will be monitored to identify best practices; however, the pace of the rollout will depend on supply. In the longer term, the Solicitor General anticipates a vaccination plan similar to the widely available shingles or flu shot vaccination programs.

Public Education Campaign – In light of reports about vaccine hesitancy and public expectations of how life will be after the vaccine, the Solicitor General was asked when the public education campaign on the COVID-19 vaccine will commence. The Solicitor General prefaced her response by noting that “a lot of [these concerns arise] every time Minister Elliott, the Premier and General Hillier stand up and speak to the public about what they can expect.” She acknowledged the challenges of promoting a vaccine that is in limited supply, and emphasized that the facts of limited supply should be communicated to the public. She said first vaccinations would go to the Grey (Lockdown) and Red (Control) areas of the province; however, she also noted that the Premier and Minister of Health have confirmed that the vaccine will not be mandatory.

Residential Eviction Ban During Second Wave – A Committee member noted that hot-spot communities, such as Brampton and Scarborough, contain large numbers of essential workers, and that there may be other underlying factors contributing to the spread of COVID-19, including housing issues. Asked why the initial ban on residential evictions was not continued during the second wave, the Solicitor General highlighted numerous other programs that have been implemented by ministries across the provincial government, including transit and social assistance programs. She also indicated that there are many other partners assisting those who are most challenged by the pandemic.

Policy Priorities; Isolation Centres – According to one Committee member, communities like Brampton have not received the investments they need to deal with community spread; for example, they lack the resources to create isolation centres. The member also noted the lifting of the ban on residential evictions and the lack of paid sick days. Asked why these matters are not a priority for the government, the Solicitor General pointed out that when there was a severe outbreak in Essex region with migrant farm workers, the city of Windsor, with the assistance of the provincial and the federal governments, immediately set up isolation centres to ensure workers could self-isolate. She also indicated that Brampton recently secured approvals from the federal government to start its own isolation centre.

Financial Support for Affected Businesses – The Solicitor General was asked how the government decided which businesses “were allowed to stay open” and “which ones were allowed to close,” and why there was no direct financial support from the provincial government for those businesses in lockdown regions that were forced to close. Noting that the fiscal year ends in March, the Solicitor General emphasized “the importance of having some funds available to be able to pivot and provide the supports that are needed is critical.” She stated that there has been a program in place for over six weeks that offers $1,000 to businesses to provide personal protective equipment for their staff. In addition, the Ministry of Finance is offering “full hydro relief” for any business that is in Grey (Lockdown), as well as municipal tax relief.

Surgery Backlogs – Asked what the government is doing to address the backlog of elective surgeries, the Solicitor General mentioned that the Minister of Health has made announcements with respect to increasing the number of beds in Ontario hospitals and that, even with a second wave, elective surgeries will continue (keeping in mind that there are limited human health resources).

O. Reg. 95/20 (Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes) – The Solicitor General was asked to elaborate on why it is important to streamline operational requirements—specifically for long-term care homes—during a pandemic. She explained that these regulatory changes allow a long-term care home that has experienced an outbreak or is in the middle of an outbreak to quickly modify their practices in order to ensure that the vast majority of residents and staff remain safe. She also clarified that it is considered an outbreak in a long-term care home when one individual contracts the virus.

Orders Re: Legal Matters – A Committee member asked whether the changes that have allowed for the virtual signing of wills and powers of attorney, as well as the electronic servicing of documents, might become permanent. The Solicitor General responded by quoting the Attorney General, who recently said that “the justice system has come a hundred years in 30 days.” She also noted that it surprises many people that we did not have the ability to do electronic signatures on wills prior to the pandemic.

Investments for Long-Term Care Homes – A Committee member remarked that the government appears to have shifted its attention to the vaccine as the primary tool for addressing the pandemic. The member said that, “even if we do everything right,” experts say that the full effect of a vaccination program will not be seen for at least eight to 12 months. In light of this possibility, the member asked why the government is not being more “aggressive” in investing in long-term care and other institutions to make sure people are safe. The Solicitor General in response pointed to four “fast-builds” for long-term care that were recently announced, and noted that “ward rooms” (four seniors living together in a room) are no longer permitted. In addition, she said that the Minister of Long-Term Care has expanded the community paramedic program, which ensures that individuals waiting for long-term care beds can get regular visits from local community paramedics. She also said that various ministries are working together (for example, to train health care practitioners), and mentioned the emergency orders that are intended to facilitate work redeployment.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force – The Solicitor General was asked to describe the task force’s vision, who it reports to, and how it interacts with various ministries. In addition, she was asked to share how its members were chosen and what skills and experience they bring. The Solicitor General responded that the task force is chaired by General Hillier, and reports to the Minister of Health and to the Solicitor General. Its role is to “advise and recommend”; however, decisions are ultimately made by Cabinet. With respect to the selection of task force members, the Solicitor General said, “we basically looked for the best and the brightest” when putting together the task force. The experts have experience in logistics and distribution, security, medical efficacy, and ethics.

Emergency Powers Re: Vaccine Distribution – Asked whether the government has considered emergency powers relating to vaccine distribution, the Solicitor General emphasized that “we are very much in the hands of the federal government.” Ottawa, she noted, procured the vaccines and has provided assurances that they will be distributed among the provinces on a per capita basis (Ontario represents 38% of Canada’s population); however, at this point it is unknown how many vaccines Ontario will receive or when they will be received.

Communications with the Federal Government – One Committee member suggested that the success of the vaccine distribution will depend on the steady flow of information from the federal government. In this regard, the Solicitor General was asked, who in the Ontario government is communicating with Ottawa? She responded that “different conversations are occurring regularly,” including at the first ministers’ conferences (with Premiers and the Prime Minister). She also noted that direct conversations have taken place with Pfizer (the manufacturer of the only COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada as of December 14) to obtain exact specifications on where and how the vaccine can be used and who has access to it. According to the Solicitor General, the most important thing that the government can communicate to people is “to continue to do what we all need to do,” which includes practicing social distancing, washing hands, and using hand sanitizer.

 

 

Appendix A:
Terms of Reference*

That a Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight be appointed to receive oral reports from the Premier or his designate(s) on any extensions of emergency orders by the Lieutenant Governor in Council related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rationale for those extensions; and

That the Committee shall have a membership of up to eleven Members, comprised as follows:

Up to seven members of the Government party

Up to three members of the Official Opposition 

Up to one Independent Member; and

That the House Leaders of each of the Recognized Parties shall indicate in writing to the Clerk of the House, their Party’s membership on the Committee; and

That the Government House Leader, in consultation with the Independent Members, shall indicate in writing to the Clerk of the House, the Independent Member on the Committee; and

That the deadline for indicating Committee Membership with the Clerk of the House shall be Thursday, August 20, 2020; and

That the Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair as follows:

Up to 30 minutes for the Premier or his designate(s) to make an opening statement

Up to 60 minutes for Members of the recognized Parties to pose questions to the Premier or his designate(s) in 3 rounds of 10 minutes for each Party

Up to 10 minutes for the Independent Member to pose questions to the Premier or his designate(s) in 2 rounds of 5 minutes each

Report writing in closed session; and

That the Clerk of the Committee shall convene the first meeting of the Committee no later than Thursday, August 27, 2020 to elect a Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, but no Sub-committee shall be appointed; and

That for business conducted under this order of reference, the provisions of Standing Orders 38 (b), (c), and (d) and 134 (c) and (d) shall be suspended.

That the Committee is authorized to present interim reports summarizing each hearing to the House, or deposit interim reports with the Clerk if the Legislature is not in session; and

That the Committee’s final report shall be a compilation of all interim reports; and

That the Committee shall be dissolved 30 days following the Government House Leader indicating in writing to the Speaker that the Committee is no longer required; and

That the Committee’s final report shall be tabled in the House, or deposited with the Clerk if the Legislature is not in session, before the Committee is dissolved; and

That if the Committee fails to meet this deadline the cumulative interim reports shall be deemed to be the Committee’s final report and deemed to be tabled on the date that the Committee is dissolved; and

That an Order shall be placed on the Orders and Notices Paper for discussion of the Final Report of the Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight following its presentation to the House.

*Votes and Proceedings, July 15, 2020, 42nd Parliament, 1st Session