Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 18 the President of the Treasury Board stated that he would report back to the House on the retroactive payments made to Conservative MLAs for sitting on internal cabinet policy committees. 

He has not yet responded to me with a report. To the President of the Treasury Board: why did the government pay $42,000 in retroactive payments to Conservative members for sitting on the internal cabinet policy committees, and who authorized that decision?

Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, for the hon. member to suggest that I did not report back to him on that issue is completely untrue. The next day it was read in here. The exact fact was that those people are authorized under the memorandum that came in October ’08 and stays in place until it is replaced by a concurrent or follow-up OC, which may change membership on the different committees. They are all operating under OCs, that are publicly published and announced. For him to suggest I did not report back is false.

Mr. MacDonald: He did not report to the questions that I asked him, and he knows that.

Now, since the government is unable to provide a ministerial order showing the appointment of all Conservative MLAs to the five internal cabinet policy committees, will the President of the Treasury Board explain what was done to authorize these members to be paid? Was there a secret ceremony, a private swearing-in, or what?

Mr. Snelgrove: We put the little candles out around the room, and we sing Kumbaya and chant, and it would make sense to him.

Mr. Speaker, there wasn’t a ministerial order. In was an order in council. None of the pay involved was retroactive, because the work on committees as well as cabinet members continues whether there is an election or not.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The taxpayers are not impressed with your response to date, hon. minister.

Again, will the President of the Treasury Board clarify whether funding for these cabinet policy committees, reported as a line item in various department budgets, is paid for support staff, members’ payments, or both?

Mr. Snelgrove: As everyone who paid attention while we went through budget deliberations would understand, the department that has the chairman of the standing policy committee funds the total cost of that policy committee through one ministry to make sure that it is streamlined in the most effective way. It does include membership on the committee, support staff, materials, or travel that might be necessary.

Alberta Hansard, April 14, 2010

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