The committee met at 8:32 a.m.

[S. Bond in the chair.]

Consideration of Draft Report

REPORT ON
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2019-20

S. Bond (Chair): Good morning. I very much appreciate seeing all of my colleagues in various places across the province. I’m grateful for the work that all of you continue to do during these very interesting and challenging times for our province.

This morning we only have one item of business — unless, of course, any members want to raise additional items, which I will give them the opportunity to do.

Today we’re going to consider the draft report that actually summarizes the activities of this committee for 2019-2020. I know all members will want to join me in thanking the Clerk’s office and, in particular, Ron Wall and the team for the exceptional job they’ve done over the course of our meetings to keep track. We’ve done a lot of work. From my perspective as Chair, I just want to thank all of you. If you look at the body of work that’s summarized, it is very significant.

I also want to recognize the Deputy Chair, who is such a capable and collaborative partner in managing the workflow of the committee.

With that, all of you have had copies of the report. I would now invite you to make any comments that you might have.

I would open the floor for any comments that members might have. Any comments at all?

R. Sultan: I just wanted to say that I went through the report initially saying I would look for commas and periods missing. Then I hit a couple of sections where I scribbled a bunch of more substantive notes. Just for the benefit of the committee, I think the recording persons who attended our meeting did a very faithful job of capturing the essence of what was said. It’s a very informative report on many dimensions. I would just reiterate what the Chair has already said.

[8:35 a.m.]

This committee covers the waterfront, the beginning to end of the British Columbia government. It’s an incredible assignment we’ve been given. I was really very impressed to see just how many areas we’d gone into.

The one area where I really began to have a bit more heavy going, though, in terms of the synopsis, was on the use of regulatory accounts. I scribbled a lot of notations, because I think the recording secretary, as it were, faithfully copied down all the statements that were made, including some statements by the B.C. Hydro representatives which, frankly, I didn’t think were quite accurate. I was fairly blunt in my editorial suggestions.

I just flagged that as a concern for the committee going forward, because with a new Auditor General coming on board, I think B.C. Hydro will continue to be a bit of a head scratcher for this committee.

I’ll leave it at that.

S. Bond (Chair): Thank you, Ralph. I want to thank you for the work that you undertook to review the document, even if you felt it was extensive. I think it shows that people actually read the report, and it matters. We’re about to, potentially, table this in the Legislature, so it does need to be accurate.

Again, thank you, Ron, especially, for all of the hard work that you have done there.

I see that Mitzi would like to make a comment.

M. Dean (Deputy Chair): As it seems there isn’t much discussion, I just wanted to take the opportunity, as well, to say thank you to all of the committee members, and especially to Ron and everybody on the team who created such a professional report for us here in British Columbia. I appreciate all the work of the committee and the Clerk’s office in supporting us in all of our work.

I have one other item, once we’re done with this item on the agenda, Chair, if that’s okay.

Committee Report to the House

REPORT ON
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2019-20

S. Bond (Chair): With that, we require two motions, then. I think Mitzi is prepared to move the motion. We’ll need a seconder, and then we’ll move ahead with a vote.

Mitzi, would you like to move the first motion, please?

M. Dean (Deputy Chair): I move:

[That the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts approve and adopt the report titled, Summary of Activities 2019-20 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.]

S. Bond (Chair): That is moved by Mitzi.

Is there a seconder?

Thank you, Ralph. We’ll let you second that one, because I know you did a lot of work providing some editorial changes. I appreciate that.

Motion approved.

S. Bond (Chair): I think that is carried unanimously. Thank you very much.

Mitzi and I will work with Ron and the team to make sure, if there are any final changes.

Here is the second motion.

Mitzi, would you like to move the second motion for me?

M. Dean (Deputy Chair): I move:

[That the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts present the report titled, Summary of Activities 2019-20 to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest available opportunity.]

S. Bond (Chair): Perfect. Do we have a seconder?

Thank you, Jane. I appreciate that. I was looking, hoping that someone would step forward there.

Moved by Mitzi. Seconded by Jane.

Motion approved.

S. Bond (Chair): Perfect. That’s, once again, carried unanimously. Mitzi and I, of course, will work together with the Clerk’s office to find a suitable time. I will table the report and would be very pleased if Mitzi would also, at that time, make some comments as Deputy Chair.

That’s the only formal item of business. I’ll turn it over to Mitzi.

Kate, I’m going to just put you on notice, ever so briefly here. If you could just give us an update on the arrival of the new Auditor General and where that is at — at some point, if we could cover that. I should have had that on the agenda. I apologize to the committee for not thinking of that in advance.

Mitzi, would you like to bring forward your item of business, and then we’ll have Kate do a brief update.

[8:40 a.m.]

Action Plan Progress Assessments
on Auditor General Reports

M. Dean (Deputy Chair): I went through the binder with the APPAs in the follow-up progress reports that we’d received. I skimmed through all of them. I noticed that the workstation support audit APPA doesn’t have self-assessments in the responses. It looks like they’re fully or substantially completed, from what they’re saying in the text, but there is an expectation in the pro forma, in the template, that they actually put in a self-assessment.

At some point, we’re going to have a discussion about reviewing all of those. I was wondering if we could go back to the ministry — I think it’s Citizens’ Services — and actually ask them to update that particular response and just make sure that they have put in their self-assessment of how much of the recommendations of the audit they think they have actually completed.

Chair, I’ll send an email to you and to Kate just with my kind of initial thoughts from having skimmed through them so that we can talk about how we want to get them reviewed through the committee over the coming months.

S. Bond (Chair): Thank you, Mitzi. That’s very much appreciated. I will confess that I have not yet worked my way through all of them. What we will do, Mitzi, is receive that information, move forward with…. I can’t imagine the committee will be concerned about following up on that. We will go ahead and do that. Then what Kate and I will try to do with you is set a date for a subcommittee meeting so that we can talk about the process, and others will then be able to bring their similar feedback to the table. So thank you for that, Mitzi.

We’ll move that forward, Kate and Ron, to the ministry and point out that oversight. Then we’ll work to find a brief meeting of the subcommittee to deal with the process for all of them.

Are there any other items of business? If not, I’ll have Kate give us a quick update on where the new Auditor General is at and what might be happening, especially in these very unique COVID circumstances.

Anything else from committee members?

Kate, would you mind giving us a brief update, if you have one?

Update on New Auditor General

K. Ryan-Lloyd (Clerk of the Legislative Assembly): Yes, I’d be happy to. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning again, Members.

Our new Auditor General will begin his eight-year term on Monday, July 27. I have made arrangements to administer his oath, pursuant to the Auditor General Act, on that date. If any members of this committee happen to be in Victoria on Monday, July 27, at 12 noon, in my office there will be a short ceremony. You’re very welcome to attend to meet him in person and welcome him to British Columbia.

In the days that follow, I’m hoping to connect with Michael as well as Russ Jones with respect to CCPAC conference planning, to ensure that Michael is up to speed with the arrangements that we have underway for the half-day virtual conference in September. I’ll keep you all posted on that front, but I’d be pleased to set up an opportunity for those who are connecting with us virtually these days to also meet with Michael if there is interest to do so.

S. Bond (Chair): Kate, just a question. Since your office and parliament have become so adept, is there any chance of contemplating Public Accounts being able to see his oath by Zoom?

K. Ryan-Lloyd (Clerk of the Legislative Assembly): Yes, I am sure everything is possible with my talented friends in Hansard. I’ll see if I can have a virtual connection streaming that event as well, for those who would like to attend. I’ll send out an email confirming details and timing shortly.

S. Bond (Chair): I think that would be really wonderful. I see that Mitzi and John and others are nodding. I think it would be great for us to virtually, at least, welcome Michael to British Columbia. It was a fantastic process. The team worked really well together to select him, so it would be wonderful to actually see that happen if at all possible. I look forward to that.

If Kate’s able to work her magic and make that happen, hopefully some of us will have the opportunity to participate. It is at noon on Monday, so that would follow private members’ morning. Hopefully, we can all just…. Maybe you can give us a bit of leeway, Kate, in terms of switching from one session to the other.

Any other items of business this morning? I’m very happy that Michael is going to be taking over the helm. We look forward to…. Well, we’ll see. He certainly will do his job well, as we look back at his history in other roles.

Seeing no other hands up for items of business, I would entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting. We look forward to gathering together, hopefully in the not-too-distant future — virtually, of course.

Mitzi has made a motion to adjourn. A seconder? John has seconded that motion.

Motion approved.

The committee adjourned at 8:45 a.m.