Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to see all these students out here today in pink, and for those of us who caught the flash mob, we realize we’re in the presence of a bunch of great dancers, both students and teachers. Mahsi.
---Applause
During this budget review, I’ve been examining the startling figures for travel by GNWT departmental employees. For example, Aboriginal Affairs will spend over $13,000 per employee for travel in ‘13-14, or $520,000, over half a million for 39 workers. MACA anticipates $18,000 per employee, over $2 million for 115 employees. ENR projects $2.5 million in travel costs, or $8,000 per employee – a big department – ITI, $7,000. In fact, the cost per employee for all 2,500 GNWT workers is $7,000, totalling $17.3 million. Note that these projections do not include travel for the 2,300 other employees of our boards and agencies who travel under separate budget.
Travel is a crucial element of many departments’ duties. Circuit court and prisoner movements, for example, are surely a big chunk of Justice’s annual $2.9 million in travel costs. Some face-to-face meetings are indispensable. Our public servants need professional development, which may be in the provinces, and deputy ministers are to be vigilant reviewing all requests for southern travel. Still, with these numbers I have to wonder whether the technological alternatives to travel are even being considered before the costly last resort of travel and person is chosen.
Human Resources spends the least on travel, about $2,000 for each of its 189 workers, and the PWS, Public Works and Services, comes in modestly at under $3,000 per employee. I’m assuming these departments achieve this partly by relying on doing staffing interviews by telephone and contract management by electronic contract.
The often wasteful practices of full costs and first-class travel, expensive ticket changes, repeated trips to Ottawa for two-hour meetings and trips to distant destinations, not unusually overseas or in the deep south, are well known. The public is aware, travel agencies are aware, and many are disgusted at such waste of taxpayer dollars.
I have no problem with necessary travel adding to an employee’s travel point collection, but how are we sure a travel decision…
Mr. Bromley, your time for Member’s statements has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I have no problem with necessary travel adding to an employee’s travel point collection, but how are we sure a travel decision isn’t influenced by travel points rewards?
Perhaps there are lessons here for all departments. Video conferences and teleconferences are not the same as meetings in person, but at $7,000 in travel per employee across the entire government, I know that every travel authorization is not being critically reviewed before signing off. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
