British Columbia.

AuthorSimpson, Nicki
PositionLegislative Reports

As reported in the Volume 41, No. 3 (Autumn) issue, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia adjourned on May 31. While the fall sitting of the 41st Parliament did not resume until October 1, parliamentary committees were active during the July to September reporting period, with two public consultations and two statutory appointment processes underway.

As consideration of the budget and estimates were completed in the spring, the fall sitting, which is expected to conclude by the end of November, will likely focus on legislation.

Parliamentary Committees

Public Consultations

As previously reported in the fall, the Select Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fish and Food was reinstated and given a terms of reference to inquire into and make recommendations concerning local meat production and inspection. The Committee travelled to five communities and heard 50 presentations from those in the meat producing and processing industries. The Committee also received 36 written submissions, and 74 survey responses during the consultation and received informational briefings from the Ministry of Agriculture, officials from two regional health authorities, and a representative of the Sustainable Ranching Program at Thompson Rivers University. The Committee's unanimous report was released on September 28 and presented to the Legislative Assembly on October 2. The report makes 21 recommendations to address challenges including local slaughter capacity and training and retention of skilled labour, and focuses on ways to support and encourage industry growth.

The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services held its annual budget consultation from September 17 to October 15, pursuant to the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act. This year, the Committee renewed their consultation outreach and engagement to encourage more British Columbians to participate, particularly Indigenous organizations, community-based groups and first-time presenters. The Chair and Deputy Chair reached out directly to 37 Indigenous leaders in the 14 communities visited by the Committee to encourage participation. Advertisements were placed in local newspapers in three languages, and distributed to libraries, constituency offices, and community centres across the province. The Committee will review all input to make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly on what should be in the next provincial budget. The Committee's report must be released by...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT