CONTENTS

 

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

 

 

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE

of the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

 

STANDING COMMITTEE ON

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

 

Hansard Verbatim Report

 

No. 1 — Wednesday, December 4, 2024

 

[The committee met at 09:08.]

 

Procedural Clerk: — Good morning, committee members. Welcome to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. I’m Miranda Gudereit, the committee Clerk. It is my duty as committee Clerk to preside over the election of a new Chair.

 

I’d like to remind members of the process. I will first ask for nominations. Once there are no further nominations, I will then ask a member to move a motion to have a committee member preside as Chair. I will now call for nominations for that position. I recognize MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] Conway.

 

Meara Conway: — I nominate Trent Wotherspoon to serve as Chair.

 

Procedural Clerk: — MLA Conway has nominated MLA Wotherspoon to the position of Chair. Are there any further nominations? Being none, I would now invite one of the members to move the motion. I recognize MLA Conway.

 

Meara Conway: — I move:

 

That Trent Wotherspoon be elected to preside as Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

 

Procedural Clerk: — It has been moved by MLA Conway:

 

That Trent Wotherspoon be elected to preside as Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

 

All in favour of the motion?

 

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

 

Procedural Clerk: — All those opposed? I declare the motion carried and invite MLA Wotherspoon to take the Chair.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — Good morning. My name’s Trent Wotherspoon. I serve as the MLA for Regina Mount Royal. I’m thankful to serve along with you as the Chair of Public Accounts. I look forward to the work ahead of us.

 

Our first item of business today will be the election of a Deputy Chair. I just want to remind members of the process. I’ll first ask for nominations. Once there are no further nominations, I’ll then ask a member to move a motion to have a committee member preside as Deputy Chair. I’ll now call for nominations for that position. I recognize Minister Harrison.

 

Hon. Daryl Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move:

 

That Sean Wilson be elected to preside as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — Minister Harrison has nominated MLA Wilson to the position of Deputy Chair. Are there any further nominations? Seeing none, I would now invite one of the members to move a motion. Mr. Harrison.

 

Hon. Daryl Harrison: — I so move.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — Moved by Minister Harrison:

 

That Sean Wilson be elected to preside as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

 

All in favour of this motion?

 

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — All opposed? I declare the motion carried. The next item of business on our agenda is the establishment of our steering committee. I’d ask a member to move the steering committee motion. I recognize Minister Harrison.

 

Hon. Daryl Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move:

 

That a steering committee be appointed to establish an agenda and priority of business for subsequent meetings and that the membership be comprised of the Chair and Deputy Chair; and further,

 

That the steering committee shall meet from time to time as directed by the committee or at the call of the Chair; that the presence of all members of the steering committee is necessary to constitute a meeting; and that substitutions from the membership of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be permitted on the steering committee.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — So moved by Minister Harrison. Is that agreed?

 

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — That’s carried. We have the following items to table: PAC 1‑30, Ministry of Education: Report of public losses, March 1st, 2024 to May 31st, 2024; PAC 2‑30, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan: First quarter financial forecast for the three months ended June 30th, 2024; PAC 3‑30, Ministry of Finance: Report of public losses, April 1, 2024 to June 30th, 2024; PAC 4‑30, Ministry of Advanced Education: Report of public losses, April 1, 2024 to June 30th, 2024; PAC 5‑30, Ministry of Health: Report of public losses, April 1, 2024 to June 30th, 2024.

 

PAC 6‑30, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan: Second quarter financial forecast for the six months ending September 30th, 2024; PAC 7‑30, Ministry of Advanced Education: Report of public losses, July 1, 2024 to September 30th, 2024; PAC 8‑30, Ministry of Health: Report of public losses, July 1, 2024 to September 30th, 2024; PAC 9‑30, Ministry of Education: Report of public losses, June 1, 2024 to August 31st, 2024; PAC 10‑30, Ministry of Finance: Report of public losses, July 1, 2024 to September 30th, 2024.

 

I’d like to advise the committee that pursuant to rule 142(2), the following documents were committed to the committee: Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan 2024 report volume 1, sessional paper no. 224 from the fourth session of the twenty-ninth legislature; Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan Annual Report on Operations for the Year Ended March 31, 2024, sessional paper no. 226 from the fourth session of the twenty-ninth legislature.

 

Government of Saskatchewan 2023‑24 Public Accounts volume 1, summary financial statements, sessional paper no. 229 from the fourth session of the twenty-ninth legislature; Government of Saskatchewan 2023‑24 Public Accounts volume 2, General Revenue Fund details filed with the Clerk on October 31st, 2024, sessional paper 17 from the first session of the thirtieth legislature; Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan Business and Financial Plan for the Year Ended March 31, 2026, sessional paper no. 29 from the first session of the thirtieth legislature; Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan 2024 volume 2, sessional paper no. 40 from the first session of the thirtieth legislature.

 

That concludes our business here today. I’d ask a member to move a motion of adjournment. Minister Harrison.

 

Hon. Daryl Harrison: — I move that this committee now adjourn.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — Minister Harrison has moved. All agreed?

 

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

 

Chair Wotherspoon: — That’s carried. This committee stands adjourned till the call of the Chair.

 

[The committee adjourned at 09:15.]

 

 

 

 

 

Published under the authority of the Hon. Todd Goudy, Speaker

 

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