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From YouTube: Special Standing Committee on Members' Services
Description
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
assembly.ab.ca
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Good
morning,
members
I'd
like
to
call
this
meeting
to
order.
My
name
is
Nathan
Cooper
I'm,
the
MLA
for
the
outstanding
constituency
of
olds,
Didsbury,
three
hills
and
the
speaker
of
the
legislative
assembly
of
Alberta
I
will
now
ask
members
joining
the
committee
meeting
at
the
table
to
introduce
themselves
for
the
record,
and
then
I
will
call
on
members
joining
the
meeting
remotely
to
introduce
yourselves
beginning
with
Mr
Williams
Dan.
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C
Also
joining
us
this
morning
we
have
Darren
Joy,
Finance
and
Dave
Ludwig
from
Finance
I
believe.
Is
there
any
other
staff
joining
us
online
this
morning,
excellent
before
we
turn
to
the
business
at
hand,
a
few
operational
items
please
note
that
the
microphones
are
operated
by
Hansard
staff
committee
proceedings
are
streamed,
live
on
the
internet
and
broadcast
on
Alberta
assembly
TV.
The
audio
and
visual
streams
and
transcripts
of
the
meeting
can
be
accessed
via
the
Legislative
Assembly
website.
C
Those
participating
by
remote
video
conferencing
are
encouraged
to
please
turn
off
your
camera
until
you
are
speaking
and
mute,
your
microphone
when
you
are
not
speaking
members
participating
virtually
who
wish
to
be
placed
on
the
speakers
list
are
asked
to
email
or
send
a
message
in
the
group
chat
to
the
committee
Clerk
and
members
in
the
room.
Please
signal
the
chair.
If
you
would
like
to
be
on
the
speaking
list,
please
set
your
cell
phones
and
other
devices
to
silent
for
the
duration
of
the
meeting.
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Opposed
carried,
thank
you
very
much
members.
This
brings
us
to
item
number
four,
the
primary
purpose
of
our
meeting
this
morning.
I
would
like
to
open
with
some
opening
comments
with
respect
to
the
budget
document
budget
parameters
document
that
was
circulated
and
then
we
can
proceed
with
some
discussion.
Should
there
be
some.
C
After
my
remarks,
I'm
happy
to
open
the
floor
for
discussion
by
way
of
background.
The
legislative
assembly's
current
fiscal
year
budget
is
approximately
72
million,
consisting
of
three
main
components:
the
Legislative
Assembly
office
branch
budget
of
29
million
MLA
administration
of
34
million,
and
the
caucus
budgets
of
approximately
8.6
million
I've
had
a
preliminary
discussions
with
the
Legislative
Assembly
Administration
to
plan
for
a
number
of
increases
based
upon
Alberta's,
Public,
Service,
salary,
adjustments,
inflation
and
operational
requirements.
C
As
we
all
know,
Alberta
is
experiencing
High
inflation.
Inflation
is
affecting
our
operational
costs
and
will
be
reflected
in
our
budget.
We've
also
seen
the
thawing
of
compensation
freezes
in
the
public
service
of
Alberta
and
we
will
review
how
this
change
impacts,
our
caucus
constituency
and
Branch
staff
costs.
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It
is
assumed
that
the
house
will
sit
75
sessional
days
with
an
average
of
30
hours
per
week,
total
of
20
weeks
and
82
committee
meetings
averaging
three
hours
per
meeting
for
a
total
of
246
hours
in
total
I'd
like
to
provide
a
brief
overview
of
the
changes
outlined
in
more
detail
in
the
budget
parameters
document,
as
I
mentioned,
Alberta
is
experiencing
significant
cost
inflation
and
the
legislative
assembly
is
no
exception.
The
conference
Board
of
Canada
forecasts
an
annualized
inflation
of
3.2
percent
for
Alberta
over
the
calendar
year
2023..
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Thus,
we
propose
to
apply
an
inflationary
factor
to
the
operational
cost
of
the
legislative
assembly's
budget,
that
is
for
constituency
office
funding,
MLA
Administration
and
the
Legislative
Assembly
office
branch
budgets.
Members.
You
may
be
aware
that
Alberta
public
service
has
recently
lifted
the
salary,
freeze
and
realigned
salary
grids
for
opted
out
and
excluded
employees.
As
a
reminder,
staff
compensation
consists
of
salaries
as
well
as
the
benefits
component.
C
The
Legislative
Assembly
will
make
these
changes
to
lay
in
stock
lockstep
with
the
Alberta
Public
Service
compensation
adjustments
by
modifying
both
management
and
non-management
salaries
and
benefits
with
benefit
adjustments
made
based
on
known
actual
premiums
or
anticipated
change
to
premiums.
These
adjustments
would
be
applied
across
the
Legislative
Assembly
budget
for
eligible
staff,
including
constituency
office,
staffing,
caucus,
Staffing
and
Branch
Staffing,
with
specific
requests
to
how
these
affect
MSA
and
caucus
budgets,
factors
will
be
applied
to
the
labor
component
of
these
budgets.
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C
The
costs
related
to
this
change
total
475
thousand
dollars,
consisting
of
a
hundred
and
sixty
five
thousand
dollars
for
a
record
management
system
that
integrates
peace,
officers
and
EPS
to
track
incidents
or
or
clients
a
hundred
and
ten
thousand
dollars
for
equipment
and
training
and
facility
costs,
as
well
as
two
hundred
thousand
dollar
a
year
for
wages
for
part-time
Las
staff
training.
We
expect
an
increase
related
to
health
spending
accounts
by
two
hundred
thousand
dollars.
C
Traditionally,
the
billing
for
health
spending
accounts
through
the
government
of
Alberta
has
been
once
per
year
in
April
for
the
then
count
of
mlas
and
employees.
The
government
of
Alberta
has
indicated
that
these
accounts
have
been
underfunded
and
will
be
changing
to
a
monthly
billing
cycle.
We
estimate
that
this
will
result
in
a
cost
increase
due
to
the
large
number
of
new
staff,
the
Legislative
Assembly
hires
in
an
election
year.
C
The
Legislative
Assembly
has
taken
a
number
of
steps
to
protect
our
information
and
Technology
assets,
including
various
technical
protections
and
cyber
security
awareness
training.
The
Legislative
Assembly
proposed
to
acquire
cyber
security
Insurance
to
complement
the
third
party
insurance
coverage
already
provided
to
the
Legislative
Assembly
under
the
government
of
Alberta's
risk
management.
Insurance
Fund.
The
legislative
assembly
is
just
to
the
point
of
acquiring
a
quote
for
such
insurance,
but
it
is
budgeted
a
hundred
and
fifty
thousand
dollars
per
year
for
this
coverage.
Another
component
of
our
future
Information
Technology
strategy
consists
of
our
Erp
project.
C
Our
current
Erp
system
was
installed
in
1996,
although
the
project
to
replace
the
current
system
started
this
time.
Last
year,
the
Legislative
Assembly
has
had
to
take
some
project
changes.
Our
plan
is
still
to
deliver
a
mobile
portal
to
support
expense
submissions,
payroll
related
activities
for
members
and
staff
by
May
2023,
with
the
full
back
office.
Erp
system
include
installed
by
December
2024..
C
In
summary,
two-thirds
of
the
proposed
budget
increase
is
driven
by
the
Alberta
Public
Service
compensation
changes
and
a
3.2
percent
increased
operational
costs
due
to
inflation.
The
remaining
one-third
of
the
increase
relates
to
the
Legislative
Assembly
office's
proposals
on
recommended
operational
improvements.
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C
The
member
Williams
moves
that
the
special
standing
committee
on
member
services
approved
the
2023
2024
budget
parameters
for
the
legislative
assembly
of
Alberta,
presented
to
the
committee
December
19th
2022
as
distributed
and
B
direct
legislative
assembly
office
to
prepare
the
2023-2024
budget
estimates
in
accordance
with
the
approved
budget
parameters.
Is
there
any
other
discussion
questions
comments
concerns
seeing
none
on
the
motion
is
proposed
by
The
Honorable
member
Williams
in
favor.
Please
say
aye
opposed,
please
say
no
on
the
phones,
please
say
aye
opposed,
please
say
no
carried.
B
C
No,
no
apologies
needed
good
to
have
you
here
for
the
time
that
we
do.
This
takes
us
to
a
item.
Number
five
proposed
amendments
to
orders.
There
are
three
potential
changes
to
orders.
These
changes
are
largely
cosmetic
or
to
reflect
the
will
of
the
decision.
The
committee
made
a
number
of
years
ago
that
was
missed
in
the
orders
you're
aware
that
members
group
life
insurance
orders
and
the
member
group
plan
orders
outlined
outlined
the
insurance
and
benefits
coverage
provided
to
members.
Pursuant
to
section
39
of
the
legislative
assembly
act.
C
Members
receive
coverage
that
is
similar
to
the
plan
for
management,
opted
out
and
excluded
employees
of
the
Public
Service
of
Alberta.
Any
changes
to
that
plan
are
considered
to
have
been
orders
with
respect
to
members.
Recently
there
was
an
issue
identified
that
requires
an
update
to
the
orders
proposed
to
incorporate
a
previous
decision
of
the
committee
in
relation
to
the
cost,
sharing
benefit
premiums
until
the
age
of
75
of
former
members.
These
amendments
will
also
ensure
that
the
language
of
the
orders
reflect
the
current
coverage
being
provided
to
members
and
former
members.
C
You
will
also
and
will
also
ensure,
that
the
coverage
mirrors
any
changes
of
benefits
provided
to
management
opted
out
and
excluded
employees
of
the
public
service
committee.
Members
have
received
a
copy
of
the
proposed
amending
orders
that
has
been
circulated
previously.
Are
there
any
questions
or
concerns
related
to
the
document
circulated?
C
If
not
I
am
prepared,
we
we
do
need
to
pass
three
motions,
they
have
been
circulated
and
the
first
motion
will
be
coming
up
on
the
screen
momentarily.
It
will
say
the
following
that
the
special
standing
committee
on
member
services
approved
the
proposed
amendments
to
the
group
members
group,
insured
life
insurance
as
distributed.
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B
C
C
Oh
Mr
Williams.
Sorry,
any
other
questions
concerns
comments,
debate,
seeing
none
on
the
motion,
as
proposed
by
member
Williams,
all
those
in
favor,
please
say
aye
opposed.
Please
say
no
on
the
phones
in
favor,
bye,
bye,
opposed,
please
say
no
motion
is
carried
and
so
ordered
last.
The
last
order
change
is
respect
to.
During
the
second
session
of
the
30th
legislature,
the
assembly
passed
Bill
787
electoral
divisions,
Calgary
buler
McCall
Amendment
act
as
members
will
recall
the
bill
renamed
the
Electoral
division
to
Calgary
from
Calgary
McCall
to
Calgary
boular
McCall.
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C
Is
there
any
other
questions?
Oh
the
motion
is
the
standing
committee
on
member
services
approved
the
proposed
miscellaneous
schedules
Amendment
order
2022
as
distributed?
Is
that
correct
reflects
the
name
change
of
the
Electoral
division
of
Calgary
McCall,
which
was
changed
to
Calgary
Boulevard
McCall
in
recent
amendments
to
the
Electoral
divisions,
Act,
any
other
discussion
on
the
motion,
as
proposed
by
members
of
beer,
all
those
in
favor,
please
say
aye.
What's
up
opposed,
please
say
no
on
the
phones,
please
say
aye.
A
C
Opposed,
please
say:
no
motion
is
carried
honorable
members
item
six,
the
dissolution
guidelines.
This
is
a
for
your
information
and,
as
we
would
like
these
guidelines
as
part
of
the
public
record,
the
dissolution
guidelines
have
been
provided
to
the
committee
for
your
awareness
and
for
reference.
These
guidelines
are
what
will
be
in
place
during
the
forthcoming
election
period
next
spring.
These
were
recently
circulated
to
all
members
and
staff
and
are
now
posted
on
the
assembly
website.
C
The
Legislative
Assembly
office
has
also
conducted
training
for
constituency,
office
staff
and
we'll
be
reaching
out
in
January
to
caucuses.
To
offer
similar
information
sessions.
Should
you
or
your
staff
have
any
questions.
There
is
a
list
of
legislative
assembly
office
contacts
at
the
end
of
the
guidelines.
Please
do
not
hesitate
to
reach
out
for
any
assistance.
C
C
The
other
business
is
there
any
other
business
item
number
four.
The
date
of
the
next
meeting
will
be
at
the
call
of
the
chair.
I
can
give
some
general
timelines
for
that
meeting.
I
anticipated
to
be
in
the
last
week
of
January
likely
the
31st,
but
I
will
circulate
to
confirm
that
in
the
first
couple
days
of
January
likely
with
all
that
said.
Thank
you
all
very
much
for
your
participation
in
the
meeting
today
hope
that
you
have
a
happy
holidays.
C
If
you
are
celebrating
the
holiday
season,
a
very,
very
Merry
Christmas
and
please
stay
safe
out
there.
During
these
frigid
temperatures
have
a
Merry
Christmas
and
with
that
I'll
entertain
a
motion
to
adjourn.
Remember
Roswell,
all
those
in
favor,
please
say
aye
any
opposed.
Please
say
no
on
the
phones,
please
say
aye.