May 20, 2009

Legislative Calendar and Budget in Play

Minister of Finance Colin Hansen probably has been advised about the qualifications the Auditor General will include in the province's financial statements for the year April 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009. The Auditor would not include qualification without giving senior officials in the Ministry of Finance ample opportunity to respond to his concerns. The government will not be happy about giving the opposition an opportunity to use the Auditor's Report to question its credibility, hence there is speculation that the Legislature could be called to pass a revised budget before the Auditor's Report is released. The financial statements, known as the Public Accounts, were released on July 17th last year, late compared to the June 29th release in 2005, but about the same as the July 11th release in 2007. Premier Campbell has yet to say when he plans to call the Legislature. In order to pass budget estimates by mid-July, either the opposition would have to cave in or the government would have to use closure.

The election does not officially end until the "return of the writs" from the District Electoral Officers to the Chief Electoral Officer on June 3rd. Writs are a written order given by the Chief Electoral Officer to the District Electoral Officers following receipt of a cabinet order instructing that such writs are to be issued and what dates they must specify, including the date for their return which is the date when the election results are certified. After that date, but not before, the new and returning MLAs can be called for a session of the Legislative Assembly.

In 2005, the government chose not to call the Legislature to approve a revised budget until September 12th, and it sat until November 24th. The Standing Orders for the last Legislative session called for the House to sit from the first Monday in October to the last Thursday in November inclusive.

The Legislature should be called for another Speech from the Throne on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010, and budget on February 16th, but the Olympics are February 12 to 28, and Paralympics, March 12 to 21. Will the Legislature be like other employers who are asked to suspend their business so as to accommodate the games? After all, with the exception of the promised Recognition Act, Premier Campbell made no promises during the election campaign which would require the Legislature to sit and pass legislation.

That gets us back to the requirement to pass a budget so as to authorize government spending and the inconvenience of a report from the Auditor General. In 2007 the Auditor included seven qualifications in his report. Gone are the days when the Campbell government could boast of a "clean" financial statement. In addition to quarrels about the treatment of various accounts, don't be surprised if the promised 2007-2008 surplus turns into a deficit. February's budget projected a surplus (before the stabilization reserve) of $800 million for the year ended March 31, 2009. It also forecast positive economic growth, which has since proved to be negative.

With half of British Columbians not bothering to vote, it will be interesting to see how many pay attention to the twists and turns of what happens with their tax dollars.