Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the Legislative Assembly Act in order to be paid for sitting on a cabinet policy committee, three things must happen: payments must be reported, the rate of payment must be set through order in council, and the appointments to these committees must be done by an order in council, by a ministerial order, or by regulation. 

My first question is to the Premier: why did the Premier appoint 69 government MLAs, that were paid last year $1.4 million, to five cabinet policy committees without issuing an order in council?

The Speaker: The hon. Government House Leader.

Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All members on CPCs are paid in accordance with an order in council that was passed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Mr. MacDonald: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: given that we have requested a copy of this order in council going back to December 9, 2009, when will this order in council be made public?

Mr. Hancock: All orders in council are published and made public.

Mr. MacDonald: It is interesting, Mr. Speaker, that this one to date has not.

Now, again to the Premier. The Premier set up these appointments; he can answer this question. Who in the Premier’s office decided to set up the cabinet policy committees in such a way that the Legislative Assembly Act was not followed when those appointments were set up?

Mr. Stelmach: They’re not committees of the Legislature.

Alberta Hansard, February 23, 2010

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