Michael Miltenberger

As we sit here debating and considering the budget put forward by the government, the expenditures for the year are laid out. We’ve made an accommodation on the Heritage Fund. That will be included in this as we go forward. So we need to address that issue.

I would be happy to have further discussions with the Member in this venue or other venues of a more social nature where there may even be some food on the table to help promote discussion. But, very clearly, I anticipate that we will be continuing this discussion once we conclude the debate on this current budget.

As it pertains to health and social services, I know that there has been, over the years, a lot of discussion, a lot of planning, a lot of creating of models of what would be an ideal staffing model in the communities for all health and social services programs and when we look at the actual numbers – and you’ve seen some of the requests that come through – they would bankrupt the government.

So every year we do business plans, every year we sit down with communities, we sit down with the departments and we go through the programs and services that are there, always within the fiscal context...

I would ask the Member to give one shred of evidence about pet projects, about the allegations he’s making. He says, why are we even here? We’re approving a $1.6 billion budget that provides services to every man, woman and child in the Northwest Territories. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to make laws that are going to benefit our people. We’re here to provide direction and oversight of a very complex organization.

The Member has some questions and concerns about positions. We have over 5,000 jobs. He’s talking about a few hundred vacancies, which we will lay out in detail as to where they...

The Member is making very harsh, unfounded allegations of criminal wrongdoing, which is what he said, and asking that people be fired on the basis of the fact that for the last three days we’ve been sorting through vacancy rate numbers and he’s now convinced that there is a criminal wrongdoing, which would mean, since the deputies all report to Ministers, that there was some type of complicity or conspiracy.

Very clearly, this Legislature votes positions, when they are part of the budget process, to fulfil functions in government. Once those positions are in place and they are staffed or in the...

It doesn’t.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize, as well, Ernie Bernhardt, a senior boy, my roommate way back in the mid-‘60s back in Grandin College. I was a junior boy and they put me in with him so I could learn a thing or two and I learned all sorts of things that I don’t really want to talk about, but about dating girls and all that kind of stuff from Ernie. Also, his son O.J. and his daughter Donna. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. None of that money is going to be available to flow until late 2015, so as I have indicated, we are going to honour our commitment to 25 percent and put it into the ‘15-16 budget. Yes, the deal starts on April 1st, but we’re going to wait until we get the money so we’re not going to be borrowing money at a high interest rate to put it into a fund where we’re not even sure what the number is. The money will go in in ‘15-16 as we have indicated. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, many of our residents want to access more government services “on line,” rather than standing “in line.”

We are looking at ways to improve service delivery. In 2013 we approved the Service Innovation Strategy, a government-wide strategy to improve the delivery of programs and services by leveraging technology and by taking a more coordinated approach to service delivery.

I share this Assembly’s goal of efficient and effective government. It is time to move into the 21st century. It is time to focus on on-line services to complement the services we provide in person and by phone. We...

Mr. Speaker, the number is 5 percent not 1 percent, so the Member is incorrect. I will personally ensure that a copy of that policy is on the Member’s desk before the end of the day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The very experienced and capable staff in the Department of Finance, vetted through the appropriate processes and signed off by FMB.