Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Ms. Lee. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring in witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not getting any feelings of assurance that the number of people at headquarters is being well monitored and managed. It would just seem too coincidental that you could take a $30 million program activity out of Housing, transfer it to ECE, and somehow you would need exactly the same number -- no, more people under the new mandate. It seems a little bit unscientific to me. Could the Minister give us a general idea of what the new mandate is going to include in terms of activity that could not only absorb the existing staff, but require more? Thank...

Clause 3.

Agreed. Thank you. Bill 9 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, Minister McLeod and your staff. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he will escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Committee, I direct your attention now to Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. I will ask the Minister of Justice if he has opening comments. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the changing mandate of the Housing Corporation that the Minister has referred to, does he anticipate that the new mandate will require the same level of staffing at headquarters? Thank you.

We will now refer to a clause-by-clause review of the bill. Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, clause 1.

Agreed. Thank you. To the bill as a whole.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the consolidation of the human resources function is something that has happened government-wide. Every department gave up human resources people. Besides the human resources people, has there been any reduction in the staff at headquarters as a result of this transfer of money to ECE and the recent contracting out by the Housing Corporation? Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Bell.

Clause 2.