Robert Hawkins

Who is there to guide the performance and consistency of the policy? It sounds as if I keep getting the same answer that it’s up to the departments, up to the deputy ministers and in some ways up to the Minister, but all I hear is inconsistencies of application. What I’m asking for, and other Members are asking for, is consistent application and someone to take a leadership role.

So back to the issue at hand is, who is ensuring there is consistent policy being complied with, because it’s a carrot or stick approach. It’s great that you can write all these guidelines and come up with some...

So there’s no way of guaranteeing consistent application of policy. We’re all allowing the departments to run in on their own and to apply the policy as they feel satisfied.

Is this not part of the performance management process of the deputy ministers, because that’s what I’m hearing now being repeated we’re going to make it part of? To date has it not been part of it?

Thank you, Madam Chair. With pleasure, I would like to weigh into this discussion a little bit. The opportunity before us here really comes down to something simple, which is one of the challenges about coordination. Through our corporate focus here, who is going to take charge of some of these WSCC fines and coordination and, certainly, safety? Wouldn’t this now be the time for the department to say we’ll approach the Premier and Cabinet to find a coordinating role and this could be the opportunity? Clearly, we’re hearing several Members, I was glad to hear Mr. Bromley speak up to that issue...

Madam Chair, the Minister shouldn’t think I am not hearing him. I do. But what continues to be the pillar of the issue for me is the fact that there is no coordinating role. How do you know we are all on the same song sheet just because they provide advice and guidance, but he keeps farming out responsibility to individual departments? When we consider complying on all these types of things, again it is the consistency of applying. Why is it so complicated to say that all information that would be going towards WSCC needs to have a check box that goes through Human Resources that can...

Is this something you don’t want to do or can’t do?

Maybe the Minister of Human Resources could help educate the Legislature on the inconsistencies of filing paperwork and how that is so incredibly difficult that we need a new risk matrix to explain the elements of why it’s so inconsistent in some areas and why we couldn’t have a consistent pattern across the board and, by the same token, someone to ensure there is a level of compliance.

And the answer to my question?

So maybe if it’s part of the performance process and the Department of Human Resources doesn’t seem interested in creating a coordinated role, who does coordinate to ensure that the deputies do comply?

I’m sorry, but I’m just not seeing it. The hoping that every department steps up to the plate still misses the coordinating role. It’s like an orchestra. We need a conductor to ensure everyone is playing the same tune. Sure, they all play wonderful instruments that are polished nice and they practice on their own, but the reality is, without that person tapping on the music and causing it to come together properly, it doesn’t have that element.

Here is a good example of the fact that no one is in charge of this particular thing. It’s all left up to the deputies by saying, don’t worry, you’re on...