Kam Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Hackett report, it also says that the Government of the Northwest Territories is completely out of whack with an organization of comparable variety where you look at employees per transaction. In a normal government operation, you look at seven. We have 24 employees per transaction, Mr. Speaker. What exactly is an organizational design specialist? Is this just to organize the 170 employees at Human Resources, or is this position government-wide organizational design? Thank you.

Debates of , (day 7)

One of the general themes stemming from the NWT Alcohol and Drug Program’s discussion paper from last fall was that there needs to be more attention paid to health promotion and prevention programs. Investments need to be made and programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing the onset of addictions. These would be required in order to effectively combat alcohol and drug issues. The more children in the NWT that we can get into sports and recreational type activities, the better the chance they will have to choose healthy living. We need to get more physical activity into our...

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to wrap this up, again, I know we talked about this at length now, but, to me, if we don’t send the message out there that it is not okay to run up huge deficits and come back to the Legislative Assembly to have us rubberstamp basically saying it is okay. You can run up a $7 million deficit. It is okay. We are just going to rubberstamp it and approve it anyway. I don’t think that is the message that I want to get out there. I think these health operations in the regions have to be run effectively and they have to be managed effectively. They have to be funded...

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have had this discussion with the Minister before in committee regarding the deficit situation at some of our health boards at Stanton and the Beaufort-Delta. Am I to understand too that there is some deficit accruing in the Sahtu as well? I would like the Minister to elaborate a little bit on what the plan is to better manage these facilities and these boards if they are allowed to run up what amounts in the last few years here over $10 million in deficit and then come back to supplementary appropriation to, in effect, wipe out their deficit. That is not a very...

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How is prenatal care coordinated in the NWT today? Thank you.

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to support the motion that is before us for many of the reasons my colleagues have talked about. With all due respect, I think to my colleague from the Sahtu and others, I know these are regional positions, but I have been consistent with challenging the government on job position growth and I am believer, Mr. Chairman, that the government has a systemic inability to manage its human resources, always has had and continues to have. We really need to focus more on the future and come up with a comprehensive plan.

What I see happening, Mr. Chairman, is the...

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you. I'd like to call Committee of the Whole to order and ask what is the wish of the committee. Mr. Lafferty.

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to return to item 15 on the Order Paper.

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have mentioned, in the Department of Human Resources there are six managers managing six people. I would like to see somewhere….I know it is not mentioned in the Hackett report, but how can we keep hiring manager-type positions, positions where we are going to have to pay more to have these folks employed at Human Resources? Why do they all have to be management positions? What is the ratio of management positions in Human Resources to actual on-the-ground employees in that department? Thank you.

Debates of , (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask questions today to the Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Dent. Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of jobs advertised in the local media. Mr. Speaker, one of my favourites was manager of total rewards. It got me to thinking that perhaps the employees of the government were accumulating points to redeem for some toasters, camcorders or iPods, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Human Resources, a department that has, as I mentioned the other day in the House, six managers managing six people. Of these new...