Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier in follow-up to somebody’s questions here today about the distribution of work amongst the Premier and the seven Cabinet Ministers. I observe what is happening in the Cabinet and I don’t sense that everybody is pulling the fair share of the weight, as the Premier indicated in an answer to an earlier question. He spoke to the even distribution of the work. I don’t think it is evenly distributed. I think some Cabinet Ministers are doing more than their share of work. I could go down the line one by one and tell you who I think is doing a lot of work, and who is doing a lot of good work and who isn’t. I could do that, too. Anyway, I won’t go down the line today, but I will tell you when I look at the workload, the only two people that I see who do not have a full plate, from my opinion, would be the Premier himself with Executive and Aboriginal Affairs and Mr. Krutko with the Power Corporation and the Housing Corporation. I think that that is too light and I would ask the Premier if he would seriously take into consideration a redistribution of the workload to ensure that priorities in our government are given the utmost attention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 123-15(5): Redistribution Of Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The assessment of workload is something that is complicated. My assessment is that people are busy. I can tell you personally I don’t end up with a clean desk very often in terms of my role as Premier, as well as Minister for the two departments and the work I do in supporting other Ministers on various projects, whether it’s on some of the hydro initiatives or other projects. Very often I am the one that has to take that final step in terms of pushing something with Ottawa, or with aboriginal governments, or wherever it may be.

Mr. Speaker, I'll continually be looking at Ministers' workloads and if there's a better way of redistributing it, then I'm open to that. We are late in our government and we have to recognize if we start doing that in the final year with a lot of learning that goes on and a lot of catching up to the issues within a department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 123-15(5): Redistribution Of Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, perhaps there's more to the workload than meets the eye, and I can see that that may be the case. However, I have heard a rumour, I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that Mr. Krutko has gone to Calgary 72 times in his tenure as Housing Minister and I don't know if that's true or not. But if that is true, I would suggest that Mr. Krutko doesn't have enough to do and I don't know what you could do to address that, but I have a concern with that. I do think there is not an even distribution of the workload and I would like to see the Premier come forward with something. One year left in our term is 25 percent. That's one-quarter of our term in office and it's a long time, and if the Premier can't see fit to do that, well, then maybe we need to offer some assistance from this side of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I don't know if I heard a question there, but I will allow the Premier to respond.

Further Return To Question 123-15(5): Redistribution Of Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Mr. Speaker, I didn't hear a question either, but one comment I'll make is that a Minister's travel is distributed. It's on the website, I believe. So we can make it available, and certainly I will check into whether it was 72. That is an awful lot of business done in Calgary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 123-15(5): Redistribution Of Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was one of the questions I was going to ask. There used to be a practice of tabling Ministers' travel in this House and it helped us gauge the kind of work that was being undertaken by the Ministers, and it was informative material. So what happened to that practice and is that still done? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 123-15(5): Redistribution Of Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That information is still posted four times a year on the website. I don't think we distribute a paper document anymore, but it is on the website; it's done quarterly. Thank you.