HANSARD
NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
COMMITTEE
ON
HUMAN RESOURCES
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
COMMITTEE ROOM
Appointments to Agencies, Boards and Commissions
Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services
STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
Mr. Ben Jessome (Chairman)
Ms. Suzanne Lohnes-Croft (Vice-Chairman)
Mr. Chuck Porter
Mr. Bill Horne
Ms. Rafah DiCostanzo
Hon. Pat Dunn
Ms. Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin
Hon. David Wilson
Ms. Claudia Chender
[Mr. Brad Johns replaced Ms. Elizabeth Smith McCrossin]
[Ms. Tammy Martin replaced Hon. David Wilson]
In Attendance:
Ms. Judy Kavanagh
Legislative Committee Clerk
Mr. Gordon Hebb
Chief Legislative Counsel
HALIFAX, TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2018
STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
10:00 A.M.
CHAIRMAN
Mr. Ben Jessome
MR. CHAIRMAN: Order, please. Good morning. Welcome to the March 27th meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources. My name is Ben Jessome. I’ll be your chairman. To my left, we have Ms. Judy Kavanagh, our committee clerk, and to my right, we have Mr. Gordon Hebb, our legal counsel. I would ask all members to introduce themselves.
[The committee members introduced themselves.]
MR. CHAIRMAN: I see we have a couple of guests in our gallery today. I just want to make you folks aware that, in the event of an emergency, you’re to exit at the Granville Street exit and head up to Parade Square. There is coffee and tea in the other room if you’re interested.
Today we have ABC appointments.
We did have one other item to touch on briefly. There was a request for a review from our Executive Council Office presentation on the ABC appointment process. There is a hard copy of that presentation on your desk. We have gone through that as a group previously in this session of the House. If there are any further questions or comments on the material as it pertains to the appointment process, I would suggest we can get questions answered away from today’s meeting.
In the interest of sticking to protocol and dealing with ABC appointments specifically while the House is in session, we’re going to proceed with that item of business on the agenda.
Is it agreed? Thank you.
I will call for a motion from the floor with respect to appointments. Ms. Lohnes-Croft.
MS. SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following appointments under the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage be approved: to the Arts Nova Scotia Board, Shalan Joudry as a member; to the South Shore Regional Library Board, David T. Brattston and David Luther as members; and to the Nova Scotia Museum Board of Governors, Elizabeth Crook as a member.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Those are all for the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. Is there any discussion?
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Next please, the Department of Environment. Mr. Porter.
MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Chairman, I so move Peter A. Newton as chairman and member, and Phil Mooney as member for the Resource Recovery Fund Board.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Mr. Johns.
MR. BRAD JOHNS: I’m not quite comfortable with Mr. Newton at this time, given his former capacity as warden and councillor. He was recently sued by the municipality for allegedly agreeing to amend leases with a third party without proper authorization.
So although he may qualify on paper, I’m not quite comfortable with the appointment at this time. Perhaps down the road when the matter has been settled a little bit more, it would be worth considering, but I think that for the best interest of the board and the possibility of him needing to be removed from the board as a result of the alleged illegalities, I feel that this is probably not a perfect time for that appointment.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. Porter.
MR. PORTER: I appreciate the honourable member bringing that information to light this morning. I would agree with Mr. Johns’ statement. If there is some further investigating to be done or assessment - I’m not sure what’s going on there - it’s not our job to be in the middle of that.
I would move to defer Mr. Newton as chairman and member until a future meeting when time may be appropriate and further documentation be provided - whatever needs to be done there - and so move Phil Mooney as a member for the current time.
So my motion is to defer Mr. Newton. That would be an amendment to my original motion under the Department of Environment.
MR. CHAIRMAN: The amended motion on the floor is to defer Mr. Newton’s appointment and proceed with Mr. Mooney’s appointment. Is there any further discussion?
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
The motion on the floor now is to appoint Mr. Phil Mooney as member to the Resource Recovery Fund Board at the Department of Environment. Is there any discussion?
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
The Department of Finance and Treasury Board. Mr. Porter.
MR. PORTER: Mr. Chairman, I so move that Ian Cavanagh and Sarah Greenblatt be appointed as members of the Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation Board of Directors.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Mr. Porter, to start us off for the Department of Health and Wellness.
MR. PORTER: Mr. Chairman, I so move Robbie Shaw and Cheryl Stewart-Walsh as members of the Board of IWK Health Centre.
Is there any discussion? Mr. Johns.
MR. JOHNS: I’m just curious. Where I don’t have any background on either of them, is the mover aware if either of those have a medical background of any type?
MR. CHAIRMAN: If we want to discuss this, we have to go in camera.
MR. JOHNS: I’m okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay, good. Is there any further discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Mr. Porter.
MR. PORTER: Mr. Chairman, I so move Benjamin J. Clarke, David Lamb, and Morris MacLeod as members to the Nova Scotia College of Medical Laboratory Technologists.
MR. CHAIRMAN Is there any discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Mr. Horne.
MR. BILL HORNE: Mr. Chairman, I so move the following nominations to the Nova Scotia Health Authority Board: Frank B. van Schaayk as chair and director; and Louise A. Cloutier, Dr. Cynthia A. Forbes, David Graham, Patricia (Patti) Anne Hansen-Ketchum, Marie McCully Collier, Jaime L. Smith, George A. Unsworth, and Victoria (Vicki) Harnish, as directors.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Ms. Martin.
MS. TAMMY MARTIN: As this is a provincial board, I would be curious to know if each area is represented within the Health Authority.
MR. CHAIRMAN: That’s a good, important question. Bear with us for a second here.
Ms. DiCostanzo, please.
MS. RAFAH DICOSTANZO: I have them lined up here. Victoria L. Harnish is Halifax Regional Municipality; Jaime L. Smith is New Glasgow-Pictou County; George Unsworth is Cape Breton Regional Municipality-Sydney. Patricia Anne Hansen-Ketchum is Antigonish County; Frank van Schaayk is Cape Breton Regional Municipality-Marion Bridge; Marie McCully Collier is Truro-Colchester County; Louise A. Cloutier is Wolfville-Kings County; David Graham is Halifax-Dartmouth; Cynthia Forbes is Halifax-Waverley.
MR. CHAIRMAN: It looks like we have a pretty good spread there, Ms. Martin. Good question.
Mr. Dunn.
HON. PAT DUNN: I’m just checking on one more thing. To my understanding, the chair is on the Cape Breton Regional Foundation - wouldn’t that be a conflict? Should this person step down from that foundation first before he’s appointed to chair and director of the NSHA?
MR. CHAIRMAN: I’m not 100 per cent whether that is or is not a conflict. I would recognize Mr. Porter at this point in time.
MR. PORTER: I’m not sure either. I’m just going to defer to Mr. Hebb. He’s sort of shaking his head as unknown at this point in time. Gordon?
MR. GORDON HEBB: I’m not aware - without knowing more about it, I couldn’t suggest . . .
MR. PORTER: I know it’s important to get these people appointed, as we need to. But at the same time, Mr. Hebb, from a legal perspective, should we defer this gentleman until it’s clarified? Maybe the chairman has something more to offer.
MR. CHAIRMAN: The committee clerk has brought to my attention that in the notes with respect to the application, there is an indication that he would in fact need to resign from that position as per your comment. I guess I would defer to the committee on whether we move on the appointment.
Mr. Porter.
MR. PORTER: That being the case, if it’s in there that one supersedes the other, I think it’s probably fine. So I would move we carry on with the appointment in an effort to fill it.
I guess maybe that clarity would be followed up on by way of the appointment. Once it was made, we would ensure that he would, in fact, be stepping down from the other. I see Mr. Hebb wants to intervene as well.
MR. HEBB: The appointment doesn’t become automatic as soon as this committee approves it. It still goes back to the Executive Council office. I’m sure they would take care of that.
MR. CHAIRMAN: My personal feeling is that if he doesn’t get appointed to one, he’s still going to want to participate on the other. He has indicated that it is a to-do beyond appointment to this particular committee. So if it’s agreeable with the committee, we’ll vote on the motion on the floor.
Is there any further discussion? Mr. Johns.
MR. JOHNS: Just for clarification, this gentleman would be notified that there is a potential conflict, and the choice would be left to his discretion.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. Johns, he has acknowledged that he will have to step away from that position in order to carry on with this.
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Moving on to the Board of the College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia. Mr. Horne.
MR. HORNE: I move that Gerry Johnston, Sean Ponnambalam, and Phoebe Rai be appointed as members.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Moving to the Department of Justice. Ms. DiCostanzo.
MS. DICOSTANZO: For the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, I move that Cynthia Dorrington be appointed as commissioner.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
Moving to the Municipal Boards of Police Commissioners. Ms. DiCostanzo.
MS. DICOSTANZO: For the Municipal Boards of Police Commissioners, I move that Darren Lipsett and Blake Orman be appointed as members.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
The Department of Labour and Advanced Education. Ms. DiCostanzo.
MS. DICOSTANZO: I move that the following be appointed: for the Cape Breton University Foundation, Cindy Turner as member 5(1)(a); for the Université Sainte-Anne Board of Governors, Joël LeFort as member; and for the Women in Engineering Scholarship Selection Committee, Christine Bonnell-Eisnor as member.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Is there any discussion? Ms. Martin.
MS. MARTIN: This may not be the time, but I believe Workers’ Compensation is under the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. Is there not a vacancy there as well?
MR. CHAIRMAN: Ms. Martin, this is what we have on the agenda to deal with today. If there is a vacancy on that board, we will perhaps deal with it at another meeting, once that comes to our table.
The motion on the floor is for those three: Cape Breton University Foundation, Université Sainte-Anne Board of Governors, and the Women in Engineering Scholarship Selection Committee. Is there any further discussion?
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
We have no further business on our agenda. Is there any further discussion for today’s meeting?
Hearing none, this meeting is adjourned.
[The committee adjourned at 10:19 a.m.]
