Debates of March 29, 2004 (day 10)

Agreed.

Contributions, 515,000.

Agreed.

Total grants and contributions, $673,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-19, executive offices, operations expense, total operations expense, $9.282 million.

Agreed.

Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I have the breakdown for other expenses for $5.197 million? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, travel and transportation, $141,000; materials and supplies, $111,000; purchased services, $147,000; contract services, $331,000; and, fees and payments, $4.267 million. This includes maximizing northern employment as the largest piece, interdepartmental training and development, staff retention and miscellaneous fees. Other expenses, $200,000, and this is primarily the TSC chargeback. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. On that breakdown, Mr. Chairman, I would like to first of all ask a question on maximizing northern employment. The Premier's introductory remarks made note of the fact that there will be a reduction in this for $1 million, I believe. May I just get the information? I would like to know from the Premier what the impacts of the reduction of this program might be in terms of what components of this program will not be continued or curtailed back. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the main piece of this is with the nurse educator mentor positions. In many cases we found that there were difficulties in finding the individuals to hold these responsibilities in the communities. In some cases we also had situations where we might have a nurse educator mentor, but not have a graduate placed in that particular community. So there were difficulties in utilizing this money effectively. Reducing the budget in this area does not impact on the ability of the Department of Health and Social Services to deliver the program. In fact, they are in agreement and are in the process of reviewing and revising the nurse mentorship program to try and come up with a program that will work more effectively in placement of nurse graduates in the small communities in particular. So, Mr. Chairman, it doesn’t have an immediate impact, and we expect to have a new program someday soon. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I need to make note of the fact that this is one of the divisions where more is being allocated under other expenses than compensation and benefits. I don’t understand why something like a program would be budgeted under fees and payments. Maximizing northern employment is a separate program on its own. I really think that the Members on this side should work with the government to change the way we allocate these budget numbers and how we categorize them. Having said that, Mr. Chairman, earlier today I tabled a document and it was an expression of interest for corporate training. The tender went out under the Executive under the Premier’s name, and this was in the paper on March 8th, in the News/North, and the closing of this tender is March 19th. So it is about an 11-day time frame. It is probably less than that in working days, and it is a pretty complicated package. It says corporate training, and it is a contract for two years, and it is to provide training to a broad range of jobs across government. I would like to ask the Minister for some more information. I am assuming that this contract would come under this item, the Minister can correct me if I am wrong, and if he would direct me to the right area I would be prepared to ask questions in the right time thereto. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, this is an ad that was put out by corporate human resources. This is the right section for it. It is for interested parties to deliver quality corporate training programs for GNWT employees in specific subject areas. We have received nine packages from northern individuals, companies that are interested in doing this, as well as some from southern training deliverers. So it certainly is something that there is an interest in in the North. The corporate human resources has conducted a training needs survey across government and is compiling the results of that. These results will be used along with discussions with departments to determine which courses would be most beneficial. This is also being done in conjunction with Aurora College, who will help us in the planning with more non-generic kinds of courses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. May I ask what the dollar value of this contract would be for and, also, why is it that the Aurora College was not given the mandate to provide the whole program? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, there is no dollar value to it yet. This is just calling for expressions of interest. Depending on expressions of interests as well as the results of the training needs survey that we have done, then we would determine more specifically what it is we would have contracting for. We are working closely with Aurora College. As I said, the college will coordinate the more generic courses that are not government specific, while corporate human resources would deal with those that are very specific to our government. So I think there is close collaboration between ourselves and the college, no overlap or conflict in this one. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was assuming that fees and payments allocated for $4.2 million would include this kind of contract. Now I am learning that it does not. I am surprised to learn that there is no dollar amount allocated in that. Shouldn’t that be part of the planning when a government is asking for an interest from businesses to come up with a training plan for two years? Is there any idea at all from the Cabinet office or executive offices, or whoever was in charge of putting this out? Obviously there was a need for it, the Premier indicated that the needs survey for training of the employees identified this need. I would think that there would have had to have been some kind of planning that went into it to determine the scope and breadth of the training needs, as well as the dollar amounts that might have to go with that. Could the Premier give me any indication as to whether we are looking at $50,000 work, $100,000 work, $1 million work, what are we looking at? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned before, this is looking for expressions of interest to determine the extent to which there is interest out there by deliverers to bring those kinds of programs forward. When we look at our fees and payments, corporate human resources or Executive has an interdepartmental training and development budget of $350,000, but that is for more than just the delivery of these government specific courses. So in terms of ballpark we are looking at something less than the $350,000 for sure, but we don’t have a specific amount at this point until we receive the expressions of interest, then we will know more about the results and then we can build the specific programs that departments require. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could I get a further breakdown then on what else is included in that fees and payments, and the contract services for $331,000, and other expenses under other expenses for $200,000? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, under contract services, the $331,000, there is some consulting contracts, miscellaneous contracts, there are photocopier leases, there is the Ottawa office lease. Under fees and payments there is maximizing northern employment, the amount in there is $3.646 million for MNE, interdepartmental training and development, $350,000, staff retention, $250,000, there is an entertainment allowance which is for the secretary to Cabinet, $1,000, and then miscellaneous fees, memberships, registrations, legal fees, $20,000. In other expenses there is the TSC chargeback, that is $159,000, and systems and communications chargebacks of $41,000. Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned before, I would be glad to give copies of this to all Members.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee, your time has expired. Any other questions on page 2-19? Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one more follow-up on the staff retention component. Could I get some more details about what is involved in that? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I will ask Ms. Snider to explain that budget item. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Snider.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was a commitment to GNWT employees that if they were in a position that was going to be affected, which meant that they could no longer remain in that position, we would make efforts to find them another position within the government rather than laying them off. This provides money to potentially retrain them so that they could move into another position or provide them with some interim salary dollars until another position can be found. There is actually a policy that lays out the number of weeks that they would have priority status within the government, and what efforts would be made. There is actually a retention program that is developed for each employee that is affected so that they know what is being done for them.

Thank you, Ms. Snider. We will go now to page 2-19, executive offices, operations expense, total operations expense, $9.282 million.

Agreed.

Agreed. Now we will go back to page 2-11, executive offices, program summary, operations expense, total operations expense, $13.750 million. Sorry, 2-23, Public Utilities Board, operations expense, total operations expense, $371,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I have the breakdown for $217,000 please? Thank you.

Mr. Minister, a breakdown.

Mr. Chairman, travel and transportation for staff and board members, $30,000; materials and supplies, office supplies, publications, printing, minor equipment, $7,000; purchased services, telecommunications, delivery and courier, advertising, meeting expenses, $10,000; contract services, this covers the chairman’s salary, the consulting services for rate review activities, equipment leases, $145,000; and fees and payments, membership in the Arctic Alliance, for $12,500, and legal and miscellaneous registration fees of $12,500; for a total of $25,000 in fees and payments. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. To page 2-23, operations expense, total operations expense, $371,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-25, Beaufort-Delta regional office, operations expense, total operations expense, $125,000.

Agreed.

Page 2-26, active positions, information item.

Agreed.

Page 2-27, detail of work performed on behalf of third parties, total department, $6,000.

Agreed.