CONTENTS
Standing Committee on Public Accounts
THIRTIETH
LEGISLATURE
of
the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
PUBLIC
ACCOUNTS
Hansard Verbatim Report
No.
7 — Tuesday, May 13, 2025
[The
committee met at 09:24.]
Chair Wotherspoon:
— Okay, good morning. Welcome to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. My
name’s Trent Wotherspoon, MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] for Regina
Mount Royal. I serve as the Chair of the Public Accounts. I’d like to introduce
Sean Wilson, Deputy Chair — MLA Wilson, I should say — MLA Chan, MLA
Crassweller. MLA Kropf is substituting for MLA Harrison. And MLA Pratchler as
well as MLA Gordon are in attendance.
We
have the following documents to table: PAC 36‑30, Ministry of Energy and
Resources: Response to questions raised at the February 25th, 2025 meeting; PAC
37‑30, Ministry of Education: Report of public losses, December 1st, 2024
to February 28th, 2025; PAC 38‑30: Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan:
Fourth quarter financial forecast for the year ending March 31st, 2025; PAC 39‑30,
Ministry of Advanced Education: Report of public losses, January 1, 2025 to
March 31st, 2025; PAC 40‑30, Ministry of Health: Report of public losses,
January 1st, 2025 to March 31st, 2025; PAC 41‑30, Ministry of Finance:
Report of public losses, January 1st, 2025 to March 31st, 2025.
MLA
Gordon.
Hugh Gordon: — Yes, I’d like to
make a motion that I hope this whole committee would be willing to agree to
with respect to having the Provincial Auditor looking into the GTH [Global
Transportation Hub]-Costco fiasco.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — If you’re looking to bring a motion,
you can speak briefly to the motion and then introduce that motion.
Hugh Gordon: — Very well. I move:
That the Standing
Committee on Public Accounts, pursuant to subsection 16(1) of The Provincial
Auditor Act, request that the Provincial Auditor perform a special
assignment investigation to examine the actions, procedures, policies, and
expenditures of the Global Transportation Hub and its recent attempt to
negotiate a deal for the construction of a Costco store near Regina.
And I’ve signed the motion.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Would committee members be ready for
that question? This would be a time that if anyone wanted to speak to it, they
could. Otherwise we would move on to seeing whether there’s agreement with the
motion.
A member:
— Ask the question.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Ask the question? Should I read it
again or just ask it? Do you guys want me to read it again or did everyone hear
what was put? I’ll read it just to make sure it’s clear. This was moved by MLA
Gordon. The motion reads:
That the Standing
Committee on Public Accounts, pursuant to subsection 16(1) of The Provincial
Auditor Act, request that the Provincial Auditor perform a special
assignment investigation to examine the actions, procedures, policies, and
expenditures of the Global Transportation Hub and its recent attempt to
negotiate a deal for the construction of a Costco store near Regina.
Members are ready for the question. So
do members agree with the motion as read?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Some
Hon. Members: — No.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Those in favour of the motion please
say aye.
Some
Hon. Members: — Aye.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Those opposed to the motion please
say no.
Some
Hon. Members: — No.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — The nos have it, so the motion would
be defeated. Okay, moving along to our agenda items here. Okay, I guess there’s
a motion to go in camera for the first item. Oh right, the audit committee.
Hugh Gordon: — I move that the committee do now meet in
camera.
Chair Wotherspoon: — All agreed?
Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair Wotherspoon: — That’s carried.
[The committee
continued in camera from 09:29 until 09:37.]
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay, welcome back out of our in
camera discussion. I’d announce that the committee has made some decisions
regarding the audit committee for this committee, and I’d recognize a member to
move the following motion:
That the Chair
consult with the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies prior to
forwarding the audit committee member recommendations to the Speaker.
Joan Pratchler: — I so move.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Moved by MLA Pratchler. All agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay, that’s carried. Okay. We’re
moving along here with the consideration of a motion for Commonwealth
Association of Public Accounts Committees membership, CAPAC membership.
So as the Chair, I was approached by the
CAAF, the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation, to serve as a
representative from Canada for the CAPAC’s executive committee. There’s a
desire to deepen the leadership role for Canada with the Commonwealth on this
public accounts work. CAPAC is a knowledge sharing group that supports the work
of PACs [public accounts committee] across the Commonwealth.
In order to be part of the executive
committee for Saskatchewan, we’d need to become a member of CAPAC. Members of
CAPAC have access to resources to connect with PAC members and discuss topics
of interest. I believe the organization plans a conference every two years, but
there’s no requirement to attend those conferences. If PAC decided it wanted to
attend a conference, PAC members would need to agree to send members by way of
a motion. So if it was anything formalized through this committee.
Any questions on this? Otherwise I would
ask a member to move a motion with regard to applying for membership to CAPAC
and to authorize the Chair to be its representative from Saskatchewan.
Sean Wilson: — I got it.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay. Moved by Deputy Chair Wilson.
All agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — That’s carried.
Moving along here, we’ll talk just a
little bit about the CCPAC/CCOLA [Canadian Council of Public Accounts
Committees/Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors] conference which we’re
hosting here in Regina, within the province here, from September 7th to 9th,
2025.
This is the annual conference that
provides professional development and an opportunity to come together with
every other province’s public accounts committee, the territories’, and the
federal government’s. So you have leadership and members from those public
accounts committees that come together — that’s your CCPAC portion — as well as
with your Clerks that support that work.
And it’s done in conjunction with the
auditors from across Canada, the territories, and the federal government.
That’s the CCOLA portion. Some of the sessions are done jointly with both the
auditors, the Clerks, and the public accounts members. Some are breakouts and
focused more specifically on the public accounts aspect, or on the audit side
as well.
We’re hosting it here in Saskatchewan.
It rotates throughout all the jurisdictions, so it’s our turn once again. I
want to thank the organizing committee for all their work. Our Clerk has worked
very hard on this. Our auditor has been involved in this work. Obviously any
time we’re hosting we want to showcase this wonderful province in the best way
possible. We’ve recently sent out a letter inviting members and public accounts
and Clerks and auditors from across Canada. We’ve highlighted some of what our
incredible province has to offer. Hopefully some folks decide to stick around
and learn more about our great place.
We want to do a really good job of this.
I do want to say thank you to the Clerk and that committee for their work, as
well to our Deputy Chair for his work as a steering committee. We interact with
that committee and, you know, offer a bit of direction or input as we go as
well.
Members have copies of the preliminary
conference program for delegates. As I’ve said, the steering committee has been
working with the committee Clerk and the Office of the Provincial Auditor. Now
typically the committee approves sending up to four committee members to the
conference — usually two, the Chair and a member from the opposition, and then
two members of the government’s side, the Deputy Chair and someone else — so
four members. But since it’s here in Saskatchewan we’d like to have everyone
there, because obviously it’s affordable for us to access it here in
Saskatchewan. We’re not travelling the same way we would if we’re going to BC
[British Columbia] or Ontario or something for it. And it provides a really
good learning opportunity for all members.
And then I would suggest as well as
members of the PAC, that’s of the host jurisdiction, we all can play a really
nice role as well in just, you know, proudly showcasing our province and being
a bit of a steward to the conference.
So I’d ask a member to move the
following motion:
That the Standing
Committee on Public Accounts authorize the attendance of all Standing Committee
on Public Accounts members at the Canadian Council of Public Accounts
Committees, CCPAC, and the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors, CCOLA,
annual conference to be held in Regina, Saskatchewan from September 7th to 9th,
2025.
Brad
Crassweller: —
I’ll make the motion.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — The mover, MLA Crassweller, moves
that motion. All agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay, that’s carried as well. So
mark that on your calendar, folks. It’ll be a nice opportunity.
[09:45]
Okay, we’ll move along to our final
piece of business. You have the report that’s been shared by our Clerk that
details our activities as a committee between May 9th, 2024 and May 13th, 2025.
Any discussion on the report, the annual report from our committee?
The Clerk puts together this report, and
it simply details all of the work of this committee in that one-year period.
Once moved, this would be presented to the Assembly.
Not seeing any discussion, but I don’t
want to rush folks if there is. There’s nothing subjective in this report. It’s
simply a straightforward record of proceedings. Members care to have a little
more time with it? Or are they ready to adopt it?
Okay, so it looks like there’s no
further questions here. Folks have given it a second look here. So since we’re
ready as a committee, I’d ask a member to move the following motion:
That the first
report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for the thirtieth
legislature be adopted and presented to the Assembly.
Moved by MLA Crassweller. All agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay, that’s carried. No other
business on our agenda. Not seeing any other motions or anything, at this point
I’d welcome a motion for adjournment. Moved by MLA Crassweller. Motion to
adjourn. Is that carried?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
Wotherspoon: — Okay, that’s carried. It’s agreed
this committee stands adjourned to the call of the Chair.
[The committee adjourned at 09:48.]
Published
under the authority of the Hon. Todd Goudy, Speaker
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