2nd Meeting of Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives - Meeting Summary

Meeting started at 1:03pm

Chair T. Lake advised that requests to appear before the Committee had been received but given the narrow scope of the Committee and discussing the requests with the Committee Deputy Chair that those requests to appear will be denied

A Question & Answer Period between Committee Members & Elections BC staff ensued on how an Initiative Vote could proceed.  Questions included:

* How an Initiative Vote is conducted (Mail-in-Ballot vs Full Voting Process)
* 28 Questions submitted to Elections BC Staff prior to Committee meeting on Initiative Vote Process
* Can Provincial Government submit another referendum question for public vote at same time as Initiative Referendum Vote and what is threshold for success?
* Precise wording of question & preamble to question on Initiative Vote - how is it done?
* Advertising during Initiative Vote - only registered proponents opponents and 3rd Parties can do so

Meeting recessed at 1:56pm
Meeting resumed at 2:02pm

The Committee resumed the adjourned debate on a motion by the Committee Deputy Chair (Committee recommend the House ask the Provincial Government to table the proposed HST Extenguishment Act as soon as practically possible)

Those who spoke in favour of the Motion - Jenny Kwan, Mike Farnworth, Katrine Conroy, and Rob Fleming - (BC NDP - 4)

Those who spoke opposed to the Motion - Dave Hayer, Eric Foster, Richard Lee, Pat Pimm and John Slater (BC Liberals - 5)

The Chair called the question on the Motion and the following recorded vote (Division) took place:

YEAS - Kwan, Farnworth, Conroy and Fleming - 4
NAYS - Hayer, Foster, Lee, Pimm and Slater - 5

Eric Foster then moved -

"The Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiative refer the Initiative Petition to the Chief Electoral Officer for the conduct of a Referendum"

Those who spoke to the Motion were - Jenny Kwan (NDP), Mike Farnworth (NDP), Eric Foster (BC Liberal), Rob Fleming (NDP), Dave Hayer (BC Liberal), Katrine Conroy (NDP)

The Chair called the question on the Motion and it was declared Carried

The Committee adjourned at 3:20pm