Michael Miltenberger

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.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the Member for his comments. Just to point out what we know now, there are two calls with deputy ministers from across the country both for infrastructure and transportation with their respective Ministers. In a lot of cases, the appropriate federal or territorial Ministers will be involved in the calls to talk about follow-up from the budget today. We will be looking at, probably in the very near future, some detail about what that means for us as we look at our planning and the cost-shared dollars and the degree of cost-shared portions – is it 50...

The $120 million is booked for accounting purposes. The $15 million is a sign of good faith, but you’ll notice in my budget address I indicated in there that that money will not flow until late 2015.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Our plan is clear. I have laid it out. We’ve agreed to the adjustment of 25 percent. That money will not be available to us as a government until late 2015. We will book that money. We will agree to the 25 percent on an ongoing basis. We will book that and have it reflected in the 2015-16 budget. Thank you.

Cleary, this session there’s an interest by Members in terms of vacancies and this HR issue. There’s a report tabled each session in this Legislative Assembly for the Members where we can have that discussion. We’re also in the midst of a total rewrite of the Financial Administration Act, which will fully involve committee. We’re going to be looking at a total rewrite since it’s a very old document, so I believe the concerns of the Member will be able to be addressed as we look at the rewrite of that legislation. Thank you.