New Brunswick.

• Author: Campbell, Rose
• Position: Legislative Reports

Legislation

The First Session of the 58th Legislative Assembly opened on December 3, 2014, and adjourned on June 5, 2015, sitting a total of 63 days. During the session, 51 bills received Royal Assent. Several noteworthy bills were introduced. Of particular interest was Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Smoke Free Places Act, introduced by Minister of Health Victor Boudreau. Effective July 1, smoking is no longer permitted on public patios, playgrounds, outdoor walking trails, or within the boundaries of provincial parks. The legislation also bans the use of electronic cigarettes and water pipes anywhere that traditional smoking is not allowed. Minister of Government Services Ed Doherty introduced the Service New Brunswick Act, which merges four government organizations into a new Crown Corporation. The bill combines the existing Service New Brunswick, the Department of Government Services, FacilicorpNB and the New Brunswick Internal Services Agency into a single organization.

Minister of Energy and Mines Donald Arseneault introduced Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Electoral Boundaries and Representation Act, which clarifies the factors necessary to achieve effective representation of both linguistic communities.

Leader of the Official Opposition Bruce Fitch introduced Bill 38, An Act to Amend the Assessment Act, which extends the period during which a property owner may apply for a review of the assessment for the real and true value of real property from 30 to 60 days.

Committees

Committees were active throughout the session. The adoption of the Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure on March 10, 2015, varied the Standing Rules of the House and modified the structure and mandate of certain committees. The revised rules allow certain bills to be considered in smaller committees rather than a committee comprised of all MLAs. The rule changes were designed to make debate on legislation more efficient. The Standing Committee on Estimates and Fiscal Policy, chaired by MLA Bernard LeBlanc, met 18 times throughout the session and considered the budgetary estimates. The Standing Committee on Economic Policy, chaired by MLA Gilles LePage, met nine times throughout the session and considered 36 bills.

A joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by MLA Trevor Holder, and the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, chaired by Mr. LeBlanc, was held on June 23, 2015. The Committees considered Auditor General Kim MacPherson's...