Agreed.
We have nothing in legal aid services. We’re moving on to page 7-8 through page 7-10, the financial summary, financial details on page 7-9. Any questions? So, Department of Justice, activity summary, court services, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $200,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Under services to the public from pages 7-11 through 7-13. Committee, questions? Page 7-12, details. The Department of Justice, activity summary, services to the public, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $120,000.
Agreed.
Next we have services to government on page 7-14 through 7-16. Details, financial details on 7-15. Committee, we have the Department of Justice, activity summary, services to government, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $150,000.
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I believe that sends us back to the departmental summary on page 7-2. The Department of Justice, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.096 million
Agreed.
Does committee agree that that concludes the capital estimates for the Department of Justice?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Thanks very much to the Minister and to your witness, Ms. Watters. I would ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort Ms. Watters from the Chamber.
Committee, next on our list of departments is the Department of Human Resources. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
I will ask the Minister if he wishes to bring in witnesses. Minister McLeod.
Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Committee, we are going to proceed with the Department of Human Resources. I would like to call on Minister McLeod to introduce the witness.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me I have Tom Williams, deputy minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Minister. Welcome to the House, Mr. Williams. Committee, we have, to begin with, the department summary on page 2-2, which we will defer until we complete the detail. We’re starting with human resource strategy and policy. It begins on page 2-3 and goes through 2-5. Financial details are on 2-4. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There’s one item here on shift scheduling software. I was wondering if I can get the Minister to just give me a quick update. I understand that primarily or initially this is going to be used for shift scheduling at Stanton, but I understand that in the future it will be available for other facilities like corrections facilities. Can you confirm that?
Also, has any analysis been done on how much we expect this could save us over time by way of scheduling more effectively with less redundancy and overlaps and double times and things like that? How much do you think we’re going to save and is it going to be available to go into other areas other than health?
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Payback, Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. What this project will do is it will allow us to streamline our administrative processes through fixing the foundation as part of our 20/20: A Brilliant North, the NWT Human Resources strategic plan. This will allow us to reduce the significant inefficiencies of people and manual-based shift scheduling.
With the software based shift scheduling, services will be used to maximize resource usage. This will include having the right qualified staff in the right place at the right time, monitoring rules for overtime to maximize regular hours versus overtime, and utilizing existing staff to the maximum within collectively bargained working hours.
Now, our preliminary estimates indicate that we will save about $550,000 per year in avoided overtime and third weekend time costs. As we go further into the process, it is our expectations that it will allow all departments and agencies that have shift workers... In addition to Health and Social Services, there is the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources, and those departments will also be able to streamline shift scheduling, reduce administrative costs and make more time available for core services.
That is really great news. It’s nice to see us come forward with a program that is going to pay for itself in a year and a half, so I am quite happy with that and I look forward to you getting that implemented and utilized across the government. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Just a comment there and I think, committee, we are on page 2-4, Department of Human Resources, activity summary, human resource strategy and policy, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $940,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. That concludes the detail for the department and we will return to the departmental summary on page 2-2. Department of Human Resources, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary $940,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that this concludes the Department of Human Resources 2011-2012 capital estimates?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I would like to thank the Minister and his witness, Mr. Williams, and ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witness from the Chamber.
Thank you. What is the wish of committee? As per committee’s discussion this morning, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move we report progress.
---Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. A motion is on the floor. Do you have a seconder? The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Monday, October 25, 2010, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project
Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits
Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits - What We Heard
Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northern Voices, Northern Waters: NWT Water Stewardship Strategy
Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012
Tabled Document 75-16(5), Response to the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future”
Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act
Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act
Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Tourism Act
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, October 25, 2010, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
