Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're pleased to be here via video conference from Edmonton. I believe you've been provided with a brief overview of our estimates process, which we provided to the committee clerk last week. My comments will be very brief to give you the gist of what we do

Government Operations committee  In answer to your question about the resources given to members of the committee, members of each caucus have research budgets and nothing in addition to that is provided for review of supply documents in particular. In terms of the documents that are tabled when the budget addr

Government Operations committee  They're made public as soon as they're tabled. Each member receives copies of the package on his or her desk in the chamber.

Government Operations committee  I think perhaps there has been some misinterpretation of my opening remarks. In Alberta no estimates are deemed approved. Every department is considered by either a policy field committee or the committee of supply.

Government Operations committee  You are correct, we do not vote program by program.

Government Operations committee  Can you pose that question again, please?

Government Operations committee  It changed in 1993. Amendments to legislation mandated three types of supply votes for each department. I can't speak to the rationale at the time but it was brought in when Premier Klein took office, and the legislation that was brought forward was called the Deficit Elimination

Government Operations committee  Again, the three types of votes that are presented for each department have been in place for almost 20 years. I can't speak to anything further with respect to program by program voting, because I've only been here since 1996.

Government Operations committee  Ministers are scheduled to appear before the committees, and only ministers may address the committees. However, the minister is often accompanied by his or her deputy and two or three other staff.

Government Operations committee  No voting occurs during the policy field committees' consideration of estimates. All the voting is deferred until the final day in the process. The short answer is no.

Government Operations committee  The estimates are presented at the same time that the budget address takes place. The information in connection with the announcements in the budget address does form part of the estimates, and it's tabled at the same time.

Government Operations committee  I would say there's a difference of opinion as to whether some members think there is enough time given to consideration. Some think there's not enough time.

Government Operations committee  The estimates document for this year outlines all of the details for the departments' forthcoming fiscal year. Because the address typically occurs in February or March, it coincides with the contents of these estimates.

Government Operations committee  Supplementary estimates in our cycle are typically presented in a fall sitting, or at the very end of a fiscal year.

Government Operations committee  We use the terminology “performance measures”, and information on the performance measures is found in the departments' business plans.