2013 Legislative Session: Fifth Session, 39th Parliament

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON PARLIAMENTARY REFORM, ETHICAL CONDUCT, STANDING ORDERS AND PRIVATE BILLS

MINUTES AND HANSARD

MINUTES SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON PARLIAMENTARY REFORM, ETHICAL CONDUCT, STANDING ORDERS AND PRIVATE BILLS

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

10:00 a.m.

Douglas Fir Committee Room
Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.

Present: Colin Hansen, MLA (Chair); Harry Lali, MLA (Deputy Chair); Donna Barnett, MLA; Jagrup Brar, MLA; Murray Coell, MLA; Mike Farnworth, MLA; Randy Hawes, MLA; Jenny Wai Ching Kwan, MLA; Mary McNeil, MLA; Jane Thornthwaite, MLA

1. The Chair called the Committee to order at 10:05 a.m.

2. The Committee considered Private Bill Pr 401: The Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013.

Witness:

• John van Cuylenborg, Agent

3. Resolved, that the Committee recommend to the House that Bill Pr 401: The Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013 proceed to Second Reading. (Harry Lali, MLA)

4. The Committee considered Private Bill Pr 402: Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act.

Witnesses:

• Kevin Boonstra, Agent

• Dale Wall

• Bruce Guenther

5. Resolved, that the Committee recommend to the House that Bill Pr 402: Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act proceed to Second Reading. (Harry Lali, MLA)

6. Resolved, that the Committee meet in-camera to consider the Statutory Review of the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act. (Murray Coell, MLA)

7. The Committee met in-camera from 10:16 a.m. to 10:26 a.m.

8. The Committee continued in public session at 10:26 a.m.

9. Resolved, that the Committee approve and adopt the draft Report as amended today and further, that the Committee authorize the Chair and Deputy Chair to work with committee staff to finalize any minor editorial changes to complete the supporting text. (Mary McNeil, MLA)

10. Resolved, that the Chair present the Report to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest available opportunity. (Harry Lali, MLA)

11. The Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair at 10:27 a.m.

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
(Hansard)

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM, ETHICAL CONDUCT, STANDING ORDERS AND PRIVATE BILLS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013

Issue No. 10

ISSN 1703-2474 (Print)
ISSN 1703-2482 (Online)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013

The committee met at 10:05 a.m.

[C. Hansen in the chair.]

C. Hansen (Chair): Good morning, everybody. First off on the agenda is the consideration of two private bills. The first one is Bill Pr401, The Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013. The second one is Bill Pr402, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act. We have representatives from both of these organizations available for us this morning.

I'd like to start with a discussion on the Hooper Family Foundation Act. John van Cuylenborg is on the phone.

Bill Pr401 — The Hooper Family
Foundation (Corporate Restoration)
Act, 2013

C. Hansen (Chair): We did have an opportunity to discuss both of these pieces of legislation at our meeting last week, so I'm not expecting that there will be a lot of debate, because I think they're fairly straightforward. But I'll certainly open it up to the committee for any questions they may have in terms of the Hooper Family Foundation Act.

J. van Cuylenborg: Sure. I'd be happy to receive any questions.

M. Farnworth: So if we do this, it won’t happen again. I take it that when we pass this, if we pass it, we will not be dealing with it again, as in they will make sure it doesn't fall off their records again.

J. van Cuylenborg: I think I heard the question — to try to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

M. Farnworth: That's correct.

C. Hansen (Chair): Yeah, I think that it's probably one of those routines that I'm sure no organization would want to have to go through twice.

J. van Cuylenborg: No. It's certainly an expense.

C. Hansen (Chair): Okay. I appreciate....

Any further questions? Hearing none, I will invite a motion.

H. Lali (Deputy Chair): I move that the committee recommend to the House that Bill Pr401, The Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013, proceed to second reading.

Motion approved.

C. Hansen (Chair): Thank you very much, John, for participation. We will expect that it will be going through the House this afternoon or tomorrow, but certainly we'll get it wrapped up before this session ends tomorrow afternoon.

J. van Cuylenborg: Okay, great. Thanks very much.

Bill Pr402 — Mennonite Brethren
Biblical Seminary Act

C. Hansen (Chair): Moving on to Bill Pr402, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act. We have Bruce Guenther here and Dale Wall. Also, Kevin Boonstra is on the line.

So on this one, any questions or comments for any of these representatives?

R. Hawes: Just very briefly. I think everybody's familiar with this. The Mennonite Brethren have been granting degrees in British Columbia for 50 years — somewhere around there; I think Dr. Guenther can probably clarify that, but I think it's about 50 years — through a charter in California.

A reorganization of the Mennonite Brethren has created a Canadian chapter. Their ability to grant these degrees under the California charter has disappeared. They are in a five-way partnership, I guess I would call it, with other denominations through Trinity Western University, which, obviously, I think everybody here knows, is an extremely reliable, honourable, trustworthy organization. I think everybody knows that the Mennonite Brethren are also the same.

This gives them the right to grant degrees, postgraduate degrees. There are some students who I know will be waiting for the degree, and so any delay in this would cause, I think, some unfair problems for those students who are now going to be waiting for a degree.

I guess I'll leave it there, and probably Dr. Guenther or Dale would have….

Good seeing you back in the building, Dale.

Maybe either one of them may have some further clarity.

[1010]

C. Hansen (Chair): Anything you wish to add to that, briefly, Dr. Guenther.

B. Guenther: Just to reiterate that it was, in fact, a change in ownership in 2010 that left us without access to a charter. We subsequently then became an independent Canadian entity, and that's the reason we're before you here today — to seek a degree-granting status for that particular Canadian entity.
[ Page 80 ]

As Randy already indicated, we're part of this consortium of seminaries that's located on the campus at Trinity Western University. We work collaboratively with four other denominations, four other schools.

Our graduation is arriving in April. This has been an outstanding issue for us. One of the requirements for us, for being a part of that consortium, is in fact to have degree-granting status, and the other partners have been very patient with us.

We've been actively involved in that consortium for almost 15 years, but the Mennonite Brethren as a denomination have been active in theological education for almost 100 years in North America. So we're well-established.

The consortium is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools, which is the gold standard of theological educations in North America. We're not an organization that's just starting from scratch or that hasn't been around before.

H. Lali (Deputy Chair): I think this is a pretty straightforward request, and I think MLA Hawes and Mr. Guenther have done a pretty good job of explaining to committee members what this is all about. I don't think we're going to find much opposition.

J. Brar: I support the bill here, but I would like to know a few things, if you can clarify for me. First, what is the range of degrees? Are you going to grant PhD or undergraduate degrees? That's one question I would like to ask.

The second one is: is there any fee for the individual who is going to get the degree?

The third one is that I saw, I think, quite a while ago that there was an American institution, probably, that came to B.C. to grant a degree to an individual based on his life work. There was quite a bit of criticism about that, about the due diligence done by the institution.

I would like to know the process you actually go through before making determination to grant the degree.

B. Guenther: I'd be happy to answer those questions.

The first question, with respect to what kinds of degrees we offer…. We pool our resources in this consortium. We pool faculty, we pool tuition revenue, and then, collectively, we run eight different degree programs, all at a graduate level, all theological degrees.

Some of them are focused specifically on preparing people for professional ministry positions. Some of them are personal interest kinds of degrees for theological studies. Some of them are more specialized. Several of the degree programs prepare people for further education in some of the theological disciplines at a PhD level. And we have one degree that's called a doctor of ministry degree, which is a terminal professional degree for people involved in professional Christian service.

The second question, with respect to costs. Everyone pays tuition. We're a private school. We don't receive public funding. Our costs per credit hour are approximately $400, so one course costs students about $1,200. We have a range of scholarship subsidies for students that are given to us by donors in our constituency.

With respect to the third question, I don't know about that situation. We certainly don't grant degrees on an ad hoc basis to individuals. They need to complete the requirements of every program.

C. Hansen (Chair): Any further questions?

R. Hawes: Just to Jagrup. I think you're talking about the World University, which was going to be centred in Chilliwack, which was, as it turned out, not credible. It has since had its charter revoked, I believe. No students from British Columbia paid any tuition to go there. They never really opened their doors. It was a proposal for an international university that never really got off the ground.

[1015]

C. Hansen (Chair): Okay. Seeing no further questions or comments, I would invite a motion.

H. Lali (Deputy Chair): I move that the committee recommend to the House that Bill Pr402, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act, proceed to second reading.

C. Hansen (Chair): I have a seconder, Mary McNeil. Thank you very much.

Motion approved.

C. Hansen (Chair): Thank you very much, gentlemen. As I have mentioned before, we will, hopefully, be dealing with these today — but if not, then tomorrow. Royal assent should happen before the end of the afternoon tomorrow.

Could I have a motion to go into camera? Moved by Murray; seconded by Donna. Thank you very much.

Motion approved.

The committee continued in camera from 10:16 a.m. to 10:26 a.m.

[C. Hansen in the chair.]

C. Hansen (Chair): Thank you very much for those deliberations. Now I would gladly entertain a motion to approve and adopt the report.
[ Page 81 ]

Committee Report to the House

M. McNeil: I move that the committee approve and adopt the draft report as amended today, and further, that the committee authorize the Chair and Deputy Chair to work with the committee staff to finalize any minor editorial changes to complete the supporting text.

C. Hansen (Chair): Thank you very much. I understand it doesn't need a seconder.

Motion approved.

H. Lali (Deputy Chair): I move that the Chair shall present the report to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest available opportunity.

C. Hansen (Chair): Again, no seconders required.

Motion approved.

C. Hansen (Chair): Is there any further business?

D. Barnett: I would just like to thank the staff, the Chair and our colleagues for all the hard work and dedication that's been put into this committee in my term of office. Thank you.

C. Hansen (Chair): Thank you very much.

With that, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

The committee adjourned at 10:27 a.m.

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