CONTENTS
Wednesday 29 January 1997
Committee business585
STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Chair / Président: Mr Floyd Laughren (Nickel Belt ND)
Vice-Chair / Vice-Président: Mr Tony Silipo (Dovercourt ND)
*Mr RickBartolucci (Sudbury L)
*Mr EdDoyle (Wentworth East / -Est PC)
*Mr Douglas B. Ford (Etobicoke-Humber PC)
*Mr GaryFox (Prince Edward-Lennox-South Hastings /
Prince Edward-Lennox-Hastings-Sud PC)
*Mr MichaelGravelle (Port Arthur L)
Mr BertJohnson (Perth PC)
*Mr PeterKormos (Welland-Thorold ND)
Mr FloydLaughren (Nickel Belt ND)
*Mr Gary L. Leadston (Kitchener-Wilmot PC)
Mr FrankMiclash (Kenora L)
*Mr DanNewman (Scarborough Centre / -Centre PC)
Mr Peter L. Preston (Brant-Haldimand PC)
Mr TonySilipo (Dovercourt ND)
*Mr BobWood (London South / -Sud PC)
*In attendance /présents
Substitutions present /Membres remplaçants présents:
Mr DaveBoushy (Sarnia PC) for Mr Preston
Mr TonyMartin (Sault Ste Marie NDP) for Mr Laughren
Clerk / Greffière: Ms Donna Bryce
Staff / Personnel: Mr David Pond, research officer, Legislative Research Service
The committee met at 1011 in room 228.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
The Acting Chair (Mr Tony Martin): We're going to bring this meeting to order. I believe all we have to deal with this morning are some procedural or housekeeping items. We don't have anybody appearing before us.
I would entertain a motion to adopt the subcommittee report of January 16.
Mr Bob Wood (London South): I move adoption of the subcommittee report dated January 16, 1997.
The Acting Chair: Any comment or discussion? All those in favour? Adopted.
I would now entertain a motion to adopt the subcommittee report of January 23.
Mr Bob Wood: I move adoption of the subcommittee report of January 23, 1997.
The Acting Chair: Any discussion? If not, all those in favour? Adopted.
Mr Rick Bartolucci (Sudbury): Because of the announcement made in the House yesterday by the Management Board Chair, I move that Michael Gravelle permanently replace Bruce Crozier as the member on the subcommittee for committee business for government agencies.
The Acting Chair: Any discussion? If not, all those in favour? Approved.
We have a scheduling issue here that we need to deal with in the person of Carol Marie Pinke, intended appointee as member of the Licence Suspension Appeal Board. She was to appear January 22. However, she is an intensive care nurse who works shifts and therefore is unable to attend until February 26. The problem with this is that it puts it beyond the time lines, so is the request here to ask the secretary to hold this appointment until we've had a chance to interview this person or do we waive the interview?
Mr Gary L. Leadston (Kitchener-Wilmot): I move that we waive the interview process. If you've read her résumé, she's eminently qualified for this position. She is a very experienced nurse in the ICU unit in Hamilton. When there are serious accidents in a certain district within Ontario, she's the one who's in the helicopter with other resource personnel flying out to the site to administer medical aid. The difficulty at times for her, and that occurred with the last hearing, is because the serious nature of her employment somewhat dictates her availability and her time. Unless the committee feels otherwise, I move that we waive the interviewing process based on that information.
Mr Bartolucci: Just one comment on that: Certainly when I read the résumé she seemed to be very qualified, and I think there's a very valid reason. If her skills require her to try to save lives on the way to emergency procedures, then so be it.
The only problem I have with this is that this was a selection of the third party, and the third party is now coming to speak to the selection, why it may have wanted to select her. The only problem I would have in not supporting this is that the third party obviously wanted this witness to attend. There must have been some reason. Now that Peter's here maybe we can find out that reason and then decide whether or not we want to waive it.
As far as the résumé goes, it was very impressive, and if she's a highly qualified nurse requiring that she can't attend because she had to fulfil life-saving duties, one should understand that. But there must have been a reason and maybe the representative from the third party would have that reason.
Mr Peter Kormos (Welland-Thorold): I'm sorry I'm late, but the hallway was cordoned off by the police on the instructions of somebody, probably the Premier's office. In view of the fact that obviously this building's been privatized too and is no longer accessible to the public in a repugnant display of politicization and use of the police to achieve political ends, it's very sad, very tragic. I had a difficult time finding my way through the number of good people, most of them Torontonians, who came here as members of the public to speak with their elected officials, prevented from doing so by a cordon of police officers. It was very tragic.
But with respect to this selection, we're prepared to waive the selection and hope that resolves the issue.
The Acting Chair: Any further discussion? If not, all those in favour of waiving?
Mr Bob Wood: If the third party's waiving it, I don't think we have to vote on it. I think the motion becomes academic.
The Acting Chair: There's a motion on the floor and it would be simpler if we just take the vote on it.
Mr Bob Wood: I think it would be in order to withdraw the motion.
Mr Leadston: I'll withdraw the motion.
The Acting Chair: No problem. Then it's waived. The interview has been withdrawn.
We also have in front of us this morning a withdrawal notice of the appointment of Robert Patterson to the Lakehead University Foundation board of directors. That's for your information.
Are there any other issues that anybody would like to raise this morning at the committee? If not --
Mr Bob Wood: I'll move a motion to adjourn.
The Acting Chair: All those in favour? Carried.
The committee adjourned at 1018.