Thank you, committee. Page

57, services to

public, infrastructure

investments, $365,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is one item under this particular section. It’s to retrofit some office space. It seems like a huge amount of money to me to retrofit what seems to be a small office.

How big is this office and what kind of renovations are being done that are going to cost us $360,000 or so? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We’ll go to Ms. Hannah.

Thank you, Ms. Hannah. Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks for the explanation.

I understand,

from

a security

perspective, that we need to make sure that our staff are secure no matter where they’re working, but could I get a sense of the scope of this renovation, because $360,000, I could buy a house for that. I am

just trying to understand. Is it just within this office that we’re doing renos or do we have to blast through a brick wall to put another door in or something? I’m not sure. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We can try to get the Members more detailed information on the scope. We are going to be combining the MEP and the rental office. It is a costly venture to be combining these two spaces and putting in the requisite security requirements into the space.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t need

any more information. By the time I get the information, we’ll be done with the budget. That’s all I have, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I have another question from another Member on this activity. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question would be,

what’s driven this initiative.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s the safety of the staff in the office. Thank you.

Was it predicated on an incident or changing a standard in work environment? Was it a union initiative? Was it brought to the department because of some type of concern? Thank you.

The departmental occupational health and safety specialist has identified the current set-up of the rental office as a health and safety risk for the employee staffed in that location. At times the clientele the staff is dealing with can be frustrated and very agitated with their landlords and, therefore, can express aggressive behaviour, putting the staff at risk. Proper physical security measures need to be put in place to ensure the health and safety of that staff. Thank you.

Has there been an incident that any of us have been unaware of? If so, when? Let’s go back to how often there has been an incident, if there are any, in the last year.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. For that, we’ll go to Ms. Haener.

Just to be clear, we are talking about the rentals office. How many incidents have happened recently and how many over the last year, just to be clear?

I’m trying to understand now the

department’s definition of “incident.” Just because somebody is upset, that doesn’t mean… I don’t know. I mean, I’m just trying to understand. We’re talking about the nature of the work that people

are…

In other words, when people file complaints they’re upset. I’d like to know what the definition is they’re using as the low water mark of incident. I want to understand this.