Mr. Chairperson (Ben Sveinson): Will the Committee of Supply please come to order. This section of the Committee of Supply will be considering the Estimates of the Legislative Assembly. Does the honourable government House leader have an opening statement?

Hon. Darren Praznik (Government House Leader): Mr. Chair, I think the first order of business should be to replace this microphone, since it fell apart. No, I do not have an opening statement.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you. Does the official opposition critic, the honourable member for Flin Flon, have an opening statement?

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Just for clarification, are we dealing with the Department of Highways Estimates? [interjection] We are not.

An Honourable Member: Legislative Assembly.

* (1450)

Mr. Jennissen: Okay. Can we have about a two-minute break, so I can check who is dealing with that?

Mr. Chairperson: Order, please. You would like a two-minute break to get the critic in here.

Mr. Jennissen: That is correct.

Mr. Chairperson: We will take a two-minute break. Thank you.

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Mr. Praznik: Mr. Chair, since I am here in my capacity as House leader, these matters are obviously those of the Speaker and the operation of the House, and my critic is in the same position. I would ask if our staff could now join us at this particular time.

Mr. Chairperson: The staff can now join us.

Mr. Praznik: Mr. Chair, if I may also ask the indulgence of the committee to smooth the operation of the flow, rather than have the staff whisper in my ear to answer the questions of the critic, if the committee is prepared to agree, why do we not let Mr. Bryans answer the questions directly? If the critic is in agreement, I have no problem with having staff answer the questions directly.

Mr. Chairperson: Is it the will of the committee that Mr. Bryans be allowed to answer the questions directly? [agreed]

Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): Mr. Chairman, given that that delegation has taken place overall at the beginning, but there are a number of areas here which I think people would want to have a ministerial response or at least a responsible one. I am thinking particularly of the Ombudsman, the Chief Electoral Officer and the Provincial Auditor.

Mr. Chairperson: Then how we have handled this in the past is that the minister will direct the questions as he wishes to Mr. Bryans.

Mr. Praznik: Mr. Chair, just to clarify for the member for Wolseley, even some of those particular amounts on allotment I have no problem answering to the best of my ability, but they are agreements that are made by the Legislative Assembly Management Committee, so that this is really a different set of Estimates from the norm, so we will endeavour to make sure all things are put on the record that are required, but perhaps Fred would like to introduce himself and his staff.

Mr. Fred Bryans (Executive Director, Legislative Assembly): Yes, I am Fred Bryans; I am the executive director of the Legislative Assembly. This is Susan Scott. She is the director of members' services.

Mr. Chairperson: We should then go to item 1.1. Indemnities (Statutory) (a) Members $3,479,000 and (b) Additional Indemnities $108,000. These amounts are statutory.

Ms. Friesen: Mr. Chairman, I understand a number of these are statutory amounts, and that we will be passing one vote at the end, but I think we may have other members who will be interested in asking questions in this area. Given that there is one vote at the end, is it possible that we can range over this department in asking questions?

Mr. Chairperson: There are resolutions for each one of those departments.

Ms. Friesen: We will pass the first one.

Mr. Chairperson: Okay. We have item 1.1. Indemnities (a) and (b) of $3,587,000.

Resolution 1.1: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $4,778,300 for Legislative Assembly for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

Item 1.2. Retirement Provisions (Statutory) (a) Pensions and Refunds $1,429,500; (b) Registered Retirement Savings Plan $288,100.

Item 1.3. Members' Expenses (Statutory) (a) Constituency Expenses $2,226,200; (b) Temporary Residence and Living Expenses $340,300; (c) Commuting Expenses $39,400; (d) Travel Expenses $519,600; (e) Special Supplies and Operating Payments $120,100; (f) Printing and Franking $290,800; (g) Committee Expenses $5,000.

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Are there questions on the statutory amounts?

Item 1.4. Election Financing (Statutory) (a) Election Act Expenses $3,000,000; (b) Election Finance Act Expenses $3,000,000. A total of $6,000,000. Are there any questions on that statutory amount? None? None as seen.

1.1.5. Other Assembly Expenditures (a) Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition (1) Leader of the Official Opposition's Salary $27,000–pass; (2) Other Salaries and Employee Benefits $134,500–pass; (3) Other Expenditures $32,500–pass.

1.1.5.(b) Salaries and Employee Benefits $3,235,500–pass.

1.1.5.(c) Other Expenditures $1,348,800–pass.

Resolution 1.1: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $4,778,300 for Legislative Assembly, Other Assembly Expenditures, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

1.2.6. Office of the Provincial Auditor (a) Salaries and Employee Benefits $2,795,600–pass; (b) Other Expenditures $917,100–pass.

Resolution 1.2: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $3,712,700 for the Legislative Assembly, Office of the Provincial Auditor, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

1.3.7. Office of the Ombudsman (a) Salaries and Employee Benefits $1,309,600–pass; (b) Other Expenditures $481,600–pass.

Resolution 1.3: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $1,791,200 for the Legislative Assembly, Office of the Ombudsman, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

1.4.8. Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (a) Salaries and Employee Benefits $478,000–pass; (b) Other Expenditures $166,700–pass.

Resolution 1.4: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $644,700 for the Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

1.5.9. Office of the Children's Advocate (a) Salaries and Employee Benefits $243,000–pass; (b) Other Expenditures $82,200–pass.

Resolution 1.5: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $325,200 for the Legislative Assembly, Office of the Children's Advocate, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

1.6.10. Amortization of Capital Assets $153,200–pass.

Resolution 1.6: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty a sum not exceeding $153,200 for the Legislative Assembly, Amortization of Capital Assets, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2000.

That completes the Legislative Assembly. We will now proceed on to the Estimates of Highways and Transportation.