Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re 13 months into the mandate of the 17th Assembly, nearing one-third of our term when we meet next in February. Today I would like to expand on my earlier assertion that this is the Assembly that studies much and does little in hopes of reversing this fact.
On Friday the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation announced the beginning of consultations on a new Energy Plan. Once completed, this plan can be added to the Biomass Plan, the Energy Priorities Framework of 2008, the Hydro Strategy and, of course, Creating a Brighter Future, the 2010 report that culminated in a massive review of NTPC power rates. The new Energy Plan will, presumably, be complementary to the Greenhouse Gas Strategy which has yet to result in any rollback outside the GNWT’s limited operations in the increase of greenhouse gas production. Meanwhile, electricity rates are soaring, we’ve taken firm steps backwards from controlling our energy costs by cuts to renewable energy programs, and there’s a distinct lack of progress on the one pilot co-generation system promised in the Biomass Strategy.
We’re several years and one comprehensive study – at least one – on considering community midwifery services. Despite the benefits in patient care and cost savings demonstrated in our expensive ruminations, we have eliminated one of the two community midwifery programs we have, but we plan to introduce more sometime later.
Bulk drug purchasing. There’s another important area of study.
The Early Childhood Development Framework has been dragged forward through three budget cycles and we are still studying that one.
We completed a client satisfaction survey on income assistance but, as we heard Friday, we are still unable to put cheques in the hands of the impoverished with any dependability.
The Student Financial Assistance Review, also long overdue, is still being reviewed.
Our mental health courts and Mental Health Strategy are supposedly rumbling forward. That is, we are doing yet more planning and gathering of information.
In the area of addictions, an area where we of the entire country should have beaucoup expertise, we have created another forum on addictions soon to start its work.
We are embarking on a study and consultations for a Land Use Sustainability Framework, even while the environmental management regime we will inherit is being mangled to nothingness by the federal government without so much as a by-your-leave from us.
We are embarking on the next Economic Development Strategy and the Mineral Strategy with consultations upcoming.
We are carrying out consultations on fiscal strategy even though that was set in stone last February and its strictures are now strangling needed program improvements that would save us money in the long run.
Looking into it, exploring, researching, considering options, reviewing – the list goes on and they’re rarely followed up with action verbs on what we will actually do. We have made progress in finally putting the Deh Cho Bridge boondoggle to rest, although the tower of death and lost opportunities will be with us for a long, long time. Unfortunately, any lessons learned there have been cast into the bottom of the next money pit: the Inuvik-Tuk highway for which we are now 13 months and almost $12 million into planning.
One-third of the way through our term as of February, and we have as yet not brought one substantial piece of legislation to the floor of this House. Several observations can be made on this state of affairs.
First, departments still seem to be struggling with attempts to break down silos.
We’re moving forward on development of an Anti-poverty Strategy, and that’s good. The basis of that effort is the need for a coordinated cross-government approach to program development, delivery and evaluation. It’s a lesson that can be applied equally across all our programs.
It’s taken a mighty effort to get our Education and Health department players at the same table on the early childhood work.
As I said, the linkages aren’t being made between support for renewable energy programs and the continuing hemorrhage of taxpayer money into buying down electricity rates all under the general topic heading of “cost of living.”
In this area what we are talking about is government – all of government – taking an entirely new and integrated approach to doing business. That’s a tall order, I admit. In this environment of supposed austerity, it is essential, if we aren’t going to continue putting off preventative measures that would save us money in future program delivery.
Here I hand it to our Cabinet, they are working hard to work with cross-departmental issues and demolishing the long-standing silos that have resulted in opposing policies. Unfortunately, despite the effort, we are still floundering with our attempts to break these down and failing in our reach for effective results. The opportunity here is for management to deal with the situation. That is, for our Premier to step in and tune up integrated approaches to be more timely and effective. Often a lead Minister treats an issue with priority, while other Ministers, whose coordinated effort is required, do not. There is an entrenched reluctance and lack of traditional process to work in an integrated way across departments and in full cost-accounting ways. I am not saying this will be easy or that it can be done without resources, but something obviously needs to be done to capture the preventative approach we desire.
That’s the other big area to be emphasized. We are failing in prevention. In areas such as family violence, midwifery, mental health diversion courts, early childhood development, addictions treatment, cost of energy and increased renewable energy alternatives, we are not spending the money today to prevent continued and mounting costs later.
A lot of this I credit to the myopic view with respect to devolution. How many times have we heard that until a bounty of new funds flowing under devolution is in our hands, we can’t afford anything new? I always treat this explanation with extreme caution for two reasons. First, the money coming under the Devolution Agreement is too little for the programs we will be delivering. Rather than a blessing of new resources, we will be scratching around for funds once the reality of that underfunding sinks in. As I’ve said, the federal dismemberment of the environmental regime is going to see us even more desperate for funds when or if we try to shore up the damage.
I appreciate this opportunity to respond to the opening address. Almost one-third of our way through our term, we need to do a bit of critical navel gazing to assess what we are achieving in relation to our goals. I do not see big improvements for our people in today’s society and with today’s trends. In many cases I see their challenges mounting. We need to recognize their challenges and begin putting new policy in place and implementing it in a way that meets these concerns and that begins to undercut the key militant expenses that accrue when prevention is missing in action.
I will be seeking the support of my colleagues and Cabinet to get obviously needed and straightforward programs in place and implemented rather than continuing to study them ad infinitum. Let’s examine our performance and start implementing programs that will meet our public needs and expectations.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the Order Paper.
---Unanimous consent granted
Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
