Saskatchewan.

AuthorUrsulescu, Stacey
PositionLegislative Reports

End of session

The spring sitting, which focused on the review of bills and the passage of the budget, concluded on May 14, 2015. The Assembly and the Committees debated and scrutinized legislation and estimates for slightly more than 150 hours. Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield gave Royal Assent to 38 bills including an appropriation bill to defray the expenses of the public service.

Two very significant bills, Bill No. 180--The Legislative Assembly Amendment Act, 2015 and Bill No. 181--The Officers of the Legislative Assembly Standardization Amendment Act, 2015 were passed into law during the spring sitting. For the first time ever, none of the offices and organizations of the legislative branch of government come under the administrative authority of executive government. The legislation also establishes the basis of an important accountability framework for the legislative arm of government including the Officers of the Legislative Assembly.

The highlights include:

* a provision that all Officers of the Assembly, including the Clerk, are appointed by the Assembly and not by Cabinet, which was the case for some Officers;

* a uniform process for the appointment, reappointment, suspension, and remuneration of the Officers of Assembly, including the Clerk;

* direct authority for the Clerk and Officers to employ staff to exercise the powers and duties of their respective offices;

* designation of the employees of the Officers as employees of the Legislative Assembly rather than executive government (i.e. the Public Service Commission), to be consistent with the status of the Officers themselves and the long-standing status of the employees of the Legislative Assembly Service and employees of the Provincial Auditor;

* direct authority for the Clerk and Officers to set policies and processes that are best suited to the operational necessities of their particular organization;

* a requirement that the Officers and the Legislative Assembly Service must have human resource and financial administration policies and that these policies must be tabled with the Board of Internal Economy (or Standing Committee on Public Accounts [PAC] in the case of the Provincial Auditor) to ensure accountability and transparency;

* a requirement that Officers and the Legislative Assembly Service table quarterly financial forecasts with the Board (or PAC);

* a uniform process for supplementary funding and special warrant for the legislative arm of...

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