Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Government silos continue to live and thrive within the GNWT. Breaking down these silos and finding ways for departments to work together and collaborate has been an issue since day one of the 16th Legislative Assembly. Collaboration between and understanding what different departments are doing at different times will help us find efficiencies within the system and improve the services to our residents. It will also help reduce the duplication of activities and help avoid embarrassment that occurs within our system from time to time when one department says one thing and another department says the exact opposite. Here’s a recent example of what I’m talking about.
On April 8, 2010, the Department of ITI released a new campaign to encourage people to come make their mark in the Northwest Territories. It included an excellent website which outlined a significant number of reasons why people should consider moving to and/or remaining in the Northwest Territories. It’s a great website and the department should definitely be proud of all of their hard work.
In the original release of the website, ITI promoted our existing supplementary health benefits as a reason to come to the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, the day prior to the release of Come Make Your Mark, April 7, 2010, the Department of Health and Social Services conducted a public information session veiled as public consultation on the changing of the existing Supplementary Health Benefits Program; a program which is a clear incentive for people to move to and remain in the Northwest Territories. One hand clearly didn’t have any idea what the other hand was doing. This makes the government look pretty foolish.
As a note to ITI’s credit, when I, members of the public and some of my colleagues pointed out the contradiction to ITI, they immediately modified their website and removed the reference to the Supplementary Health Benefits Program until changes to the program are official. Hopefully the changes will be positive and supp health benefits will continue to be an incentive for people to move to and continue to live in the Northwest Territories.
Early in the life of this government the Premier identified the creation of strategic initiative committees which he indicated would help the government break down these silos. These committees consisted of the Ministers and deputy ministers and were designed to put those individuals in areas outside of their normal day-to-day business. For example, Managing This Land had a deputy head lead from Education, Culture and Employment. This was intended to force individuals outside of their comfort zone and to think outside of the box. In principal this sounds like a great idea.
Mr. Abernethy, your time for Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
On face value it sounds like something that could work. However, we’re two and a half years into the life of this 16th Legislative Assembly and the silos continue to exist.
Do these committees continue to exist? What is the Premier doing to ensure that these committees are working? Is the Premier trying to find ways to break down government silos and ensure that the departments share information and work together? At the appropriate time I will be asking the Premier these and other questions.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
