COMMITTEE BUSINESS

CONTENTS

Wednesday 31 May 2000

Committee business

STANDING COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES

Chair / Président
Mr Gerard Kennedy (Parkdale-High Park L)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Président
Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough-Rouge River L)

Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay / Timmins-Baie James ND)
Mr Sean G. Conway (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke L)
Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough-Rouge River L)
Mr Gerard Kennedy (Parkdale-High Park L)
Mr Frank Mazzilli (London-Fanshawe PC)
Mr John O'Toole (Durham PC)
Mr R. Gary Stewart (Peterborough PC)
Mr Wayne Wettlaufer (Kitchener PC)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants
Mr Gerry Phillips (Scarborough-Agincourt L)
Mrs Brenda Elliott (Guelph-Wellington PC)
Ms Marilyn Mushinski (Scarborough Centre / -Centre PC)

Clerk / Greffière
Ms Anne Stokes

The committee met at 1548 in room 228.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

The Chair (Mr Gerard Kennedy): Members, I call the meeting to order. We're going to have a business meeting and we hope to expedite that so that all the camaraderie being expressed can continue without delay.

Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay): It's just one great big happy family here.

Ms Marilyn Mushinski (Scarborough Centre): It's because we have such a civilized group from Scarborough here.

The Chair: Yes, we have high hopes for the heavy representation from Scarborough in terms of the conduct of the meeting.

I'd like to introduce Anne Stokes, who's our clerk of the committee, and Arlene Cedilnik, who's here from Hansard, and to welcome you to the first sitting of the estimates committee for this budget year.

The only business on the agenda is the selection of ministries. As you know, the standing orders provide that there are two rounds by each of the parties. Each gets to choose, for a total of 15 hours, up to two ministries. Without further ado I will turn to the official opposition.

Mr Bisson: Just a question, Chairman: When do you expect the business of the committee to start when they are actually here before us?

The Chair: We would normally give some notice to the ministries, so we'd be looking at June 13 as our commencement date.

Mr Bisson: I just wanted to double-check that it wasn't next week.

Mr Gerry Phillips (Scarborough-Agincourt): I'd like to move, if that's the way it's normally done, that we request the Ministry of the Environment, Minister Newman, and the Minister of Education, Minister Ecker, and we request seven and a half hours for the Ministry of the Environment and seven and a half hours for the Ministry of Education.

Mr Bisson: We'd like to suggest that we would split the 15 hours for our first round between the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General.

The Chair: Is that a 50-50 split?

Mr Bisson: Yes, we'll go for an equal split on both.

Mr John O'Toole (Durham): The government would choose the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Labour.

The Chair: Your hours portion?

Mr O'Toole: That's 7.5.

Mr Bisson: Can I just get a recount?

The Chair: I'd be happy to do that. We have selection from the government party: tourism and labour equally split at seven and a half hours each. Is that correct, Mr O'Toole?

Mr O'Toole: Yes, that's right.

The Chair: The original selection is environment, 7.5; education, 7.5; and then, for everyone else's benefit, health and Attorney General, and all of the ministries are basically seven and a half hours.

The second round of selection.

Mr Phillips: They've taken tourism, which we were interested in. We'd like to request that Management Board appear for seven and a half hours, Minister Hodgson; and municipal affairs and housing for seven and a half hours. Our request would be that that be on the housing portion. I don't know whether that's necessary or not.

Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough-Rouge River): Is there still a Minister of Housing?

The Chair: I think the whole ministry will attend, and maybe as a courtesy we could relay that to the ministry at that time. But I think the other parties will also be able to direct whatever questions the estimates will permit. So that will have to be something-

Mr Curling: There is a Minister of Housing, though?

The Chair: There is a Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and he is now selected to come forward.

Mr Bisson: My first pick is to again split it seven and a half hours. The Ministry of Community and Social Services would be one, and if I had to pick another one I guess it would be the Ministry of-boy, this is tough-Northern Development and Mines.

Mr O'Toole: We would like to pick the two justice ministries: Solicitor General and correctional services.

Mr Bisson: We already did the Attorney General.

Mr O'Toole: No, Solicitor General.

The Chair: The Solicitor General and correctional services are now separate ministries.

The Chair: And in the same division, Mr O'Toole?

Mr O'Toole: Yes.

The Chair: Seven and a half hours each.

I would call a conclusion, then, to the selection of ministries and I'll ask if there is any other business the committee wishes to raise at this time.

Mr Bisson: Again, just so we get this clear: CSS and ND, and the pick over here was housing and-

Mr Phillips: Management Board of Cabinet.

The Chair: Municipal affairs and housing, and Management Board actually preceded that. Perhaps for the benefit of everyone, I'll read it out to make sure that the list is in sequence, because, as you know, that will be how we deal with the ministries: environment, education, health, Attorney General, tourism, labour, Management Board, municipal affairs and housing-

Mr Bisson: Can I make a switch to one of our orders then?

The Chair: I think, with friendly agreement-this is the selection time.

Mr Bisson: The reality is we're not going to get to some of the later ones and I want to make sure one of them comes up. I'd like to switch the AG to community and social services, and put the AG in that spot.

The Chair: So instead of Attorney General, you would have health, then Comsoc, and Attorney General would then appear as the choice after northern development and mines?

Mr Bisson: Yes. Then after that we would go to MTR and labour, right?

The Chair: No, we do not have MTR. Just coming back to the list-oh, pardon me, tourism and recreation.

Mr Bisson: Then do we go to both picks again, both picks and both picks, or is it-

The Chair: No, we're done. We're at two rounds each. We're allowed to choose up to 12 ministries and we've basically done that now.

Mr Bisson: That's not what I'm asking. Once we finish with the Ministry of Labour, which is the sixth ministry to come before this committee, we would then go to housing?

The Chair: No. Sorry, I was a little further on the list. I'll just go back so we're all clear: tourism, labour, Management Board, municipal affairs and housing; now, Attorney General, northern development and mines, Solicitor General and correctional services. Those are the sequences, and we've already had for the record, I'm sure, identified which party has selected each.

Mr Curling: Mr Chair, the first ministry called will be tourism, the first ministry coming forward?

The Chair: No. I was joining the list from where we started. The first ministry is environment. I won't endeavour to do the list again unless there's a specific request for it. Basically, our first four ministries will be environment, education, now health and community and social services.

I'm advised that the detailed estimates will be ready by June 12, so we will anticipate meeting on June 13 and our considerations will go until the following week, June 22. I have been advised that the House leaders are discussing the possibility of some sittings either in August or September. They'll report back on that, I'm sure.

If there is no further business, I'll declare this meeting adjourned. Thank you for your contribution today.

The committee adjourned at 1556.