New Brunswick.

• Author: Davies, Shayne
• Position: Legislative Reports

Building Restoration and Upgrades

The ongoing historic restoration of the Legislative Assembly building continued over the summer months with the installation of a new sprinkler system. Directly following the work on the sprinkler system, a new digital sound and interpretation system was installed in the chamber, replacing an antiquated and unreliable system which had begun to fail during the spring session. Other proposed upgrades to the chamber include the possible installation of two digital clocks on the chamber walls. This would allow the Speaker and Members to monitor speaking times during debates. New Brunswick is grateful for the assistance provided on this project by the staff of the National Assembly of Quebec.

Conflict of Interest Commissioner Retirement

Alfred R. Landry, the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, announced his retirement in July. Commissioner Landry's retirement closes out a remarkable career of public service and dedication to the Province of New Brunswick. Appointed judge of the Court of Queen's Bench in 1985, Landry became a supernumerary judge in 2001 and retired from the bench in 2011. On the unanimous recommendation of the Legislative Assembly, he was appointed Commissioner under the Members' Conflict of Interest Act, effective September 1, 2013.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

In September, the Legislative Assembly building was illuminated in gold in honour of children who are fighting cancer, survived cancer, or who have lost their lives to cancer. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Chris Collins, invited his colleagues from across Canada to recognize this event at their Legislatures, many of whom participated.

Interparliamentary Relations

In September and October, the Legislative Assembly hosted two parliamentary study groups. In conjunction with the Parliamentary Centre in Ottawa, two parliamentary staff from the Kingdom of Bhutan met with various staff and officials of the Legislative Assembly with the goal of examining the parliamentary system in New Brunswick and in particular the bilingual nature of our province. The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the Department of Political Science at St. Thomas University and participate in several classes and interact with the students. The visit culminated with a visit to Speaker Collins'...