Debates of March 29, 2004 (day 10)

Page 2-71, detail of work done on behalf of third parties. It continues on to 2-72 and 2-73, for a total department of $662,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-74, active positions, information item.

Agreed.

We'll now go back to page 2-65, and that is a program summary, Aboriginal Affairs, operations expense, total operations expense, $8.463 million.

Agreed.

Agreed. Does the committee agree that consideration of the department's estimates has been concluded?

Agreed.

I would like to take a second to thank the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Iveson and Mr. Warren, for attending the session today. We will take a few seconds here while the Minister and his witnesses get cleared away, and we will resume shortly.

Thank you everyone for waiting a few seconds there. We will now ask the Minister of Executive to provide his opening comments on his departmental estimates. Mr. Minister.

I would like to provide an overview of the work of the Department of Executive and the department’s main estimates for 2004-05.

The Executive supports the work of Cabinet and its committees. It provides overall direction, management and coordination for all departments. Executive staff provide advice on legislation, policy, communications, corporate identity and protocol, intergovernmental relations and strategic planning, including our participation in the new Council of the Federation and regular First Ministers meetings; women’s issues, and corporate human resources services aimed at improving employee retention and meeting the development and training needs of our staff.

For 2004-05, the Department of Executive is requesting a budget of $13.75 million. This represents a 6.9 percent or $1.012 million decrease from last year with $1 million of this decrease resulting from a reduction in the funding for the maximizing northern employment program.

While the main estimates before you today were prepared based on the existing business plan, they provide for the continuation of a number of important initiatives.

The department is proposing to co-fund, from within existing resources, the regional office in the Beaufort-Delta. This office will continue to provide a liaison function between the GNWT and emerging self-government structures in the region. A progress report on the work of this office will be prepared by December 31, 2004.

Recognizing the importance of supporting the issues and concerns of NWT women, the department is proposing to reallocate $50,000 from the budget of the Executive offices to the women’s advisory office to ensure the continued success of the Status of Women Council and the Native Women’s Association.

Corporate human resource services will continue to coordinate two important components of the maximizing northern employment program: the summer student employment program and the northern graduate employment program.

During 2003-04, 343 summer students were hired under the summer student employment program. Under the graduate employment program, 46 of the 52 interns placed this year were able to secure continuing employment at the end of their internships.

A forced growth increase of $192,000 is being sought to meet the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement, ratified by the UNW in July 2002. As well, an ongoing reduction to operations and maintenance expenses, specifically travel expenses, in the amount of $204,000, will be initiated in fiscal year 2004-05.

That concludes my opening remarks. I would now be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the Department of Executive’s proposed 2004-05 budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I would now ask the chairperson of the AOC, Mr. Allen, to provide Committee of the Whole the report from the AOC committee on the Department of Executive. Thank you, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met with the Premier on February 17, 2004, to review the draft 2004-2005 main estimates for the Executive offices.

The Executive offices are proposing a $983,000 decrease in operations expenses from the 2003-2004 main estimates. This is primarily due to a decrease in funding to the maximizing northern employment initiative.

A director of regional operations position was created in 2002 to assist with regional coordination in the Beaufort-Delta to prepare for the implementation of a final self-government agreement.

The draft main estimates propose a decrease of $175,000 in the operations expense for this office, as for 2004-2005 the responsibilities of the director will be carried out only as needed by the Inuvik regional superintendent of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The Premier advised committee that there is insufficient work at this time to justify a full-time director of regional operations. The Premier further advised that the director will be preparing an evaluation report that will help to determine whether the office should be continued.

The committee endorses the downsizing of the office for 2004-2005 in light of the lower than expected workload. Members hope to see a completed evaluation report at the time of the 2005-2008 draft business plan reviews.

It has been known for some time that Inuvik will be hosting the meeting of western Premiers and north-western state Governors this summer. Members were therefore surprised to learn that no provision was made for this conference in the Executive offices budget. The Premier advised committee the meeting is still in the planning stages, work is ongoing to seek corporate sponsorships and therefore only a ballpark estimate of the costs is possible at this time.

Members were concerned that the absence of a budget for the meeting gives free rein to the organizers to allow costs to spiral out of control without any accountability. By including a fixed amount for the meeting in the budget, the Premier has an opportunity to signal that costs need to be kept at reasonable levels and that there is an expectation any over expenditures will have a solid justification.

The committee wrote to the Premier on February 27, 2004, to recommend that the Executive offices budget be adjusted to make provision for the western leaders meeting before presentation of the main estimates to the House.

The new management assignment program provides an opportunity for GNWT employees to develop management and leadership abilities through training and transfer assignments. The program was established in response to a concern that the public service is aging and there is a need to have trained staff in place to fill positions that become vacant as senior managers retire. Twenty-five employees have been accepted into the program to date.

Members were very concerned that the list of enrolees for this year does not reflect the number of aboriginal employees in the public service. Members were also disappointed to see that only a few staff from regional offices were admitted to the program. The committee believes that now more than ever it is essential the government train more aboriginal and regional managers. These are the people that will help the government and northerners with the transition to self-government and the new government-to-government relationships that will need to be forged.

The committee looks forward to further discussion of this program in the broader context of the government’s overall human resource policy.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes the report on the Executive offices. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. I will now move to general comments. Sorry. Mr. Minister, would you like to bring in your witnesses?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort in the witnesses. Does the committee agree?

Agreed.

The committee agrees. Thank you, Sergeant-at-Arms.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We would ask that you please introduce your guests, for the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me are Liz Snider, secretary to Cabinet for a couple more days, and Carl Bird, director of corporate services. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We will now move on to general comments. General comments from committee.

Detail.

Detail. The department's summary starts on page 2-11. We will go to page 2-13, Commissioner's office, operations expense, total operations expense, $242,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-15. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I be allowed to go back to page 2-13, please?

Does the committee agree?

Agreed.

Committee agrees. Page 2-13, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I ask for the breakdown of the other expenses? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I have a breakdown of all the other expenses by category, and copies for all the Members.

Oooh!

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee, would you like the Minister to supply everyone with the information that he has? Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the copies, but I would like it read into the record. Thank you. So I would like the Minister to state the breakdown for other expenses under Commissioner's office. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. A breakdown, Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the travel and transportation -- and I'll give the broad categories, Mr. Chairman -- $602,000; materials and supplies, and this includes office supplies, publications, printing, minor equipment supplies, promotional presentation items and so on, $210,000; purchased services includes telecommunications, delivery and courier, advertising, postage, conference and meeting expenses, $209,000.

Excuse me, Mr. Minister. The question was on page 2-13, and that was other expenses under the Commissioner's office. If I could have you read into the record the breakdown on other expenses.

I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. I was giving the Commissioner a big budget. The travel and transportation, $25,000; materials and supplies, $15,000; purchased services -- and this includes telecommunications, delivery and courier, advertising, meeting expenses -- $10,000; contract services, mainly for equipment leases, $2,000; fees and payments, $10,000, and that's made up of entertainment allowance of $4,000, transportation allowance of $6,000. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Page 2-13, Commissioner's office, total operations expense, $242,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-15, Ministers' offices, operations expense, total operations expense, $3.730 million. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could I have the breakdown for $822,000 under other expenses? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. A breakdown, Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, travel and transportation -- this is duty and Cabinet travel -- $316,000 and home travel, $80,000, for a total of $396,000 under travel and transportation; $72,000 for materials and supplies; $118,000 for purchased services; $50,000 for contract services; $182,000 for fees and payments, and this is ministerial housing, furniture, rent, entertainment allowances, miscellaneous fees like memberships, registration fees and so on; and other expenses, $4,000, and that's used as need to replacement of office furniture and the budget is located in my office. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. Just one last question on that item. How much entertainment budget do Minister's get? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, each Cabinet Minister gets $1,500 a year non-accountable. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ministers' offices, operations expense, total operations expense, $3.730 million.

Agreed.

Page 2-17, grants and contributions, Ministers' offices, grants, $158,000.