Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I could have asked this question previously under the active position summary for the entire department, but I’ll ask it under intergovernmental relations. In the past, the committee has brought up the fact that the department has been low in its number of aboriginal employees and senior management. I am just wondering if the Minister could update us on the strides the department has made, if any, in the area of aboriginal people in senior management within the department. Specifically, because we are on this page, Mr. Chairman, intergovernmental relations, most of the work this government does, although some of it is with the federal government and other provinces and territories, I would say predominantly that’s dealing with aboriginal governments. Of the six employees shown on this page, how many are aboriginal? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The issue of the department’s human resource plan and affirmative action, more specifically, has been one that we’ve dealt with for some time, some initially would say, and challenged us to step up to the plate here and make some changes in the area of delivery. I must say that, or sometimes I would say, the concern about our aboriginal affairs status or percentage of employees is one that we’ve taken to heart. Although, I must say that our success has also been our challenge in the sense we’ve had some of our managers go through here and then get picked up by other departments and move on. One of the things we’ve been working on, along with the Department of Human Resources, is to come up with our human resource plan in the area of looking at our aboriginal content within the department. An example of what we’ve done in this last year is the associate director position where we’ve gone through and we put out for a position that aboriginal people could apply for. They had to be an affirmative action candidate and come into the department at an associate director position and get additional work in that area. We had very good success in that area. Of course, there are many more candidates that we would like to see pursue along these plans and, in fact, I think this example should be undertaken overall by the government through our Department of Human Resources and look at this area so we can have similar positions with our departments to move forward.
Specifically under this section of intergovernmental affairs, there are only six people in this section. One is an aboriginal P1 candidate; two are non-aboriginal but long-time Northerners. So 50 percent of this section make up those stats. Thank you.
I guess, if the committee will allow me to ask this question on this page, maybe if the Minister could just speak to the… I didn’t hear him say it, but overall, the department, the senior management or the department, has there been any improvement there with the number of aboriginal employees in senior management inside of the department? Thank you.
I would say there has been an improvement in the way we’re doing our business when it comes to our human resource plan. Number one, we’ve put a plan together. We’ve worked on the associate director position. We’ve also done a number of internal transfer assignments so we could have managers in training, and how we structured our negotiations teams, as well, has been positive. But for more detail, I’ll go to Mr. Robertson.
Thank you, Premier. Mr. Robertson.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we’ve had the associate director position opened to P1 candidates only. That’s on a two-year term position. In terms of our stats for affirmative action candidates in the department, for management employment we have increased by one. That’s the associate director that’s been added to the organizational structure. So we have one priority 1 candidate in a manager position, two managers are indigenous non-aboriginal employees and one resident woman in management. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Robertson. Thank you, committee. We’re on page 4-25, information item, intergovernmental relations, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 4-26, information item. Lease commitments, infrastructure. Questions.
Agreed.
Page 4-7, information item, work performed on behalf of others. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 4-28, information item, work performed on behalf of others. Questions?
Agreed.
Committee, I’ll ask you to turn back to page 4-7 for the departmental summary. Department summary, Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, operations expenditure summary, $8.180 million. Agreed?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that this concludes the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations?
Agreed.
I would like to thank the witnesses and ask that they be excused. Call for the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses from the House, and thank the Minister.
The next on our list, committee, is, I believe, the Department of the Executive. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
I will ask the Minister if he would like to provide us with opening comments.
I am pleased to present the 2010-11 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive. The goals for the Department of Executive are centred around our role in ensuring effective coordination of government activities, supporting informed decision-making related to policies and programming, and coordinating implementation of strategic initiatives that advance the priorities of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
The overall proposed budget for the department is $14.306 million for 2010-11, which is an increase of $1.910 million or 15 percent from the 2009-10 revised estimates. The overall increase is largely due to $1.828 million for strategic initiatives and $542,000 in forced growth, offset by sunsets of $460,000. The proposed budget includes a total of 68 active positions in 2010-11.
The largest single contributor to the increased departmental budget is the $950,000 and eight positions that are proposed to be added in rural and remote communities to support the single window service centre pilot project. This investment is part of the overall investments proposed in the 2010-11 Main Estimates to strengthen service delivery in our smaller communities that were recommended by the Committee on the Sustainability of Rural and Remote Communities.
Residents of smaller NWT communities often do not have the same access to services as residents in larger communities and the single window service centres will create a focal point for residents in smaller communities to access programs. Staff will be available to help residents identify and access the programs they need, and wherever possible, in the aboriginal language of the community.
The 2010-11 Main Estimates reflect the key activities where the department plays a critical role in leading or coordinating the development and implementation of strategic actions that advance the Assembly’s priorities.
The executive operations branch includes the strategic planning unit, program review office, Bureau of Statistics, office of devolution, and the regional operations offices for the Department of Executive. In addition to the core business activities, there are a number of priority areas that will be advanced during 2010-11.
As part of the Managing this Land strategic initiative, the Department of Executive has coordinated the development of the land use framework for the GNWT. These main estimates include investments of $468,000 to implementations associated with the land use framework. These resources will be primarily used to improve the GNWT’s capacity to coordinate our role in land use and management activities and ensure consistency in advancing overall territorial land interests. We will also provide support to aid activities that strengthen Northerners working together on land management activities.
As was noted in the budget address, the Northwest Territories has experienced virtually no population growth over the past five years. As part of the Maximizing Opportunities strategic initiative, these main estimates include $255,000 to support planning and implementation of an overall growth strategy. This work, needs to build on the national marketing campaign that the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is undertaking.
Finally, an investment of $155,000 is proposed as part of these main estimates to support the completion of an accurate census in early 2011. As we have seen in the past, the work the Bureau of Statistics did with communities in advance of the 2006 Census resulted in a much more accurate census count than in 2001 when there were significant problems. An accurate census count is particularly critical to our funding arrangement with the Government of Canada and this investment will help ensure problems of the past with the national census were not repeated.
The Cabinet support branch of the Department of Executive is responsible for ensuring systems are in place to support informed decision-making and successful implementation of Cabinet direction. The branch includes the Cabinet Secretariat, Legislation and House Planning, corporate communications and protocol, the women’s advisory office, and supports the Commissioner’s office.
Other key activities for the department that are reflected in these main estimates include the Ministers’ office, which include the Premier’s office and support to Ministers. Also reflected is the departmental director which includes the office of the secretary to Cabinet, who is responsible for providing overall leadership for the public service, supporting Executive Council decision-making, and coordinating the development and implementation of overall government-wide direction. Finally, the department also provides operational support to the Public Utilities Board which is the independent regulatory agency responsible for energy regulation within the Northwest Territories.
That concludes my introductory remarks and I would be pleased to answer any questions that committee members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Premier Roland. Would you like to bring in witnesses?
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Premier. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I’d like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses into the House.
If I could ask the Premier to please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my left is Mr. David Stewart, assistant deputy minister, executive operations; and to my right is Mr. Alan Cash, assistant deputy minister, secretary to Cabinet. Thank you.
Thank you, Premier Roland. I will now open the floor to general comments, Department of Executive. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just curious if the Premier can provide some updates as to what work has been done to help get some of the positions that are typically staffed through Indian and Northern Affairs established here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Premier Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The part of the Executive that would be involved in that is primarily the office of devolution, where we have identified areas where we feel that areas of responsibility should be transferred to the North. That work has been done and there was much discussion about potential positions, either transferring from the federal government just to GNWT throughout the Northwest Territories and further discussion about what decision-makers or staffing is in other parts of Canada that may, as well, be moved here. That area of devolution discussions slowed down to a very slow pace in the first two years of this government and we have since reinitiated our discussions in the sense of re-engagement with the federal government, and we’ve had a technical session with the aboriginal groups and governments across the Territory ourselves, I believe in January, and, in fact, will be looking at our next meeting being held early in the new year to undergo a second round of discussions. That would include, as well, the federal government.
So we initiated. What we need to do, though, is at the regional leaders’ table is to have a further discussion of just our positioning we would take as a northern group, and we’re hoping that we will be able to have that discussion in our next meeting of regional leaders or the Northern Leaders’ Forum at the end of March. Thank you.
How many positions have been identified through this process that should, in our government’s view, rightly belong here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I don’t have that information handy with me, but we can get the previous work that was done in this area. Of course, if we were to progress down this path we would probably have to… I know we’d have to do an updated review of positions identified in the North. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, is the Minister offering that? Thank you.
I’ll get the information we do have on file. I can’t commit to doing the next piece until we actually know what direction we’re going to take as northern leaders. Thank you.
Thank you. I’ll certainly accept that.
The next phase is what work has been identified that’s stopping the transfer of these types of employees to the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
I think that question is a very big question politically on future development of our Territory and the understanding and relationship we have with aboriginal governments, and that is why the Northern Leaders’ Forum plays a critical role as how we go forward. The next piece of work we’re going to engage in is the political development of the NWT with the regional leaders. I think that will go a long way in establishing the relationship forward and building the support for further discussions around devolution and, further to that, the resource revenue sharing piece.
Right now, it’s been a combined package between devolution/resource revenue sharing, and that included the positions to transfer to the North and to the Government of the Northwest Territories initially. Thank you.
I’m just trying to understand. Was it being explained that the northern leaders are impeding the process? I’m just trying to understand that. Thank you.
No, Mr. Chairman. The Northern Leaders’ Forum or regional leaders are, in fact, through this process going to help us work together to come with a common vision and understanding of how we can proceed forward.
Before that it was table-by-table or negotiation process by negotiation process. With those groups that have settled claims and self-government, they have a different role and a clear understanding of their way forward. The areas that are in negotiations we’re concerned about. If they sided or did a devolution agreement, would that take away from what they were trying to negotiate? Again, between the actual self-government being the Tlicho Government as well as land claims which, again, is claims but they’re negotiating self-government and those areas that are just negotiating -- not just -- but a comprehensive approach to land and self-government. So there are different interests on the table; it’s very complex, and the Northern Leaders’ Forum would help iron out some of those complexities as we look at how we would proceed forward. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, does the Premier have the support of these northern leaders for this type of transfer? Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, in the past the devolution/resource sharing agreement was signed by the previous Government of the Northwest Territories and a number of the groups. We did not get official response on that agreement that was sent to Ottawa. Since then, this government has taken an approach where we’re inclusive of all groups and we have agreed to work out a process for ourselves here in the Northwest Territories and that process is underway, as I explained earlier, under Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. I would say, again, there’s competing interests at times of, again, the complexities as we recognize on different places where different aboriginal groups are at in their negotiations. But I feel the Northern Leaders’ Forum will help us clear up that vision and agree on some principles that we can then decide to move forward on. Thank you.
Again just speaking strictly to the area of transfer of positions, of course, does one particular group have a veto over anyone else? Is there any veto established in the context of the Government of the Northwest Territories working to proceed with the transfer of those types of positions established through the federal government; vis-à-vis mainly Indian and Northern Affairs positions to be transferred here to the Northwest Territories? Does any group have a veto through that process? Thank you.
It sounds like an easy question to ask, but it is a rather loaded one when you look at the complexities and the environment we work at here in the Northwest Territories. Previous Governments of the Northwest Territories have worked with the federal government and Indian and Northern Affairs and Development Canada to come up with a position that… No one has a veto, but we fully recognize, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we need to work in partnership with our aboriginal groups in the North to come up with the best plan for ourselves. That is ourselves as the North. Thank you.
Then by saying that we all have to work together, does that then not instil the reality that someone could obtain a veto or what is the process therein? Thank you.
I just told the Member there is no veto in place but our way of working together is being inclusive, much like this Assembly, and work together on coming up with a common position. It doesn’t mean we all have to agree on initiatives undertaken and so on, but there is no established veto for a group. But as we found out and history shows, things move much slower when there are opposing views put on the table. To the federal table, for example, on initiatives that may be undertaken, so the Northern Leaders’ Forum is a way of coming up with a common position and approach to how we would try to bring authorities north and have aboriginal governments and territorial government playing a more positive, influential role as we move forward. Thank you.
Just two last questions, recognizing the clock is ticking away. The first is: what progress on mutually agreeable ideas has come forward that can be moved on. The second issue, which is on a different subject but speaks to the principle of our government, is with Privy Council and an Order-in-Council that says our Premier is actually defined as a Government Leader. Has the Premier ever thought about taking on the initiative to ask them to make that adjustment to reflect the modern definition of who is in charge of our government? Now, I say this more on a symbolic term, it doesn’t change the letterhead that perhaps comes out of the Minister’s office, but yet it is more of a symbolic issue of recognition by Canada. So in other words, if they feel they are dealing with a Premier, although the courtesies may extend by the current Prime Minister, you are still defined technically by that Privy Council order which says you are a Government Leader, not a Premier.
Great strides have been made by previous leaders, such as Nellie Cournoyea, to shift that momentum in that direction, so I ask it from a purely symbolic point of view. What does that Premier think of that regard, about attitude towards these types of initiatives and, furthermore, as I said in my first question, what issues have come forward that have been mutually agreeable that we are able to act upon? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the second question first, being the title of the position of Premier versus Government Leader. It is a symbolic one, the most recent letter I received from the Prime Minister recognized the position as Premier and we say that is a significant move, just on that piece alone. Further to that, if we were to request a change, that would still require the NWT Act to be opened up and we think there is, as we go forward and talk about self-governments, talk about the changing relationship and the changing nature of the Northwest Territories, there will be a time when a number of amendments could be made going forward and that would be the more appropriate time to do it. On initiatives that have been jointly undertaken by regional leaders and ourselves as the Government of the Northwest Territories, two examples I gave out earlier are the Water Strategy and the Land Use Framework, that we have worked together on and continue to do that going forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Premier. Next on my list is Mr. Beaulieu.
