TO THE HONOURABLE THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Your Standing Committee on Rules of the House presents the following as its First Report. Meetings: Your Committee met on Tuesday, December 7, 2005 at 4: 15 p.m. in room of the Legislative Building. Matters under consideration: Amendments to the Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Committee Membership: • Ms. BRICK • Mr. DERKACH • Mr. DEWAR • Hon. Mr. HICKES (Chairperson) • Ms. KORZENIOWSKI • Mr. LAMOUREUX • Hon. Mr. MACKINTOSH • Mr. SCHELLENBERG • Mr. ROCAN • Mr. REIMER • Mr.

SANTOS (Vice-Chairperson) Agreements: Your committee agreed: THAT the Clerk may re -number the Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and make other minor corrections t hat in no way alter the intended meaning of these Amendments. THAT the Clerk may prepare revised Rules incorporating these Amendments. THAT these Amendments will come into force immediately. THAT these Amendments will be permanent changes to the rules. THAT the Public Accounts Committee review the rule changes relating to their procedures by March 31, 2006 and report their conclusions to the House.

Amendments to Rules Considered and Reported: Your committee agreed to report the following amendments to the Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba: THAT the Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba be amended as follows: (

a) by replacing Rule with the following: 104(1) Members on the PAC shall serve for a term that is equal to the duration of the Legislature. 104(2) Despite Rules 85(2) and 104(1) each caucus may make up to two member ship substitutions per meeting. (

b) by replacing Rule with the following, effective January 1, 2006: Meetings and Hearings 111(1) After consulting with the PAC Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson, the Government House Leader shall call from six to eight meetings of the PAC per year. To the extent practicable, the meetings shall be held at regular intervals. 111(2) The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson must set the agenda for a meeting and provide a copy of the agenda to the Government House Leader before the meeting is called. (

c) in Rule 114, by adding "and answer questions" after "provide advice and opinions"; (

d) by adding the following after Rule 118: Minister and deputy minister may be called as witnesses 118.1(1) If an Auditor General's report relates to a government department or agency, the PAC may call as a witness the minister currently responsible for that department or agency. 118.1(2) If an Auditor General's report makes a recommendation relating to a government department, the PAC may call as an additional witness the current deputy minister for that department, to appear with the minister.

The deputy minister may be questioned on matters related to the Auditor General's report recommendations and related matters of administration within the department. Questions of policy must be directed to the minister. 118.1(3) If an Auditor General's report makes a recommendation relating to a Crown corporation whose annual report stands permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, the PAC may call as an additional witness the chief executive officer of the corporation, to appear with the minister responsible for the corporation.

The officer may be questioned on matters related to the Auditor General's report recommendations and related matters of administration within the corporation. Questions of policy must be directed to the minister. 118.1(4) Despite subrule (1), if the report makes recommendations affecting more than one government department or agency, the chair and vice -chair, on the advice of PAC, may designate the current minister responsible for any of the affected department or agency as the lead minister.

If there are areas not yet addressed by the lead minister or deputy minister, the chair and vice-chair, on the advice of PAC, may call as witnesses, to deal with matters not yet addressed, (

a) the minister of any other department affected by the recommendations and, under subrule(2), the deputy minister of that department; or (

b) in the case of a Crown corporation referred to in subrule (3), the minister responsible for the corporation and, under that subrule, the chief executive officer of the corporation. 118.1(5) The minister and deputy minister may bring to the PAC one or more members of their staff, selected by the minister or deputy minister, to provide advice to the minister or deputy minister on questions posed by committee members. 118.1(6) The minister responsible for a Crown corporation referred to in subrule (3) and the chief executive officer of the corporation may bring to the PAC one or more members of the minister's or corporation's staff, selected by the minister or the officer, as the case may be, to provide advice to the minister or the officer on questions posed by committee members.

THAT Rule 23(1) be repealed and replaced with the following: Daily Routine 23(1) The daily routine of business in the House at 1:30 p.m., and at 10:00 a.m. when it sits on a Friday, is as follows, unless the House orders otherwise: Introduction of Bills Petitions Committee Reports Tabling of Reports Ministerial Statements Oral Questions Members’ Statements Grievances THAT Rule 23(3) be amended by adding the following before the last sentence: For the purpose of listing Bills on the Order Paper during Private Members’ Business, Concurrence and Third Readings shall precede Debate on Concurrence and Third Readings, while Second Readings shall precede Debate on Second Readings.

THAT Rule 136(2) be repealed and replaced with the following: Bill must be distributed before Second Reading 136(2) A bill must be printed and distributed in the House at least one day before Second Reading. Submitted by, ___________________________________ Hon. George HICKES, Chairperson December 7, 2005