Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I gather there was no report that was done that perhaps could be shared with committee. If there is, I would appreciate clarification of that.
My last question has to do with whether or not the Department of Executive has a human resource plan. I understand that each department has been tasked with developing a human resource plan. I can’t remember whether the Executive has one or not.
We’ve been preoccupied with devolution and some other priorities, but we will develop a human resource plan. With regard to whether there was a report developed in response to the Auditor General, through you I will ask Mrs. Ballantyne to respond.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mrs. Ballantyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Minister has indicated, the Auditor General’s recommendations were reviewed. The deputy minister of Finance and I, along with some other senior deputies, did meet with the Auditor General’s staff and had good discussions about what they were intending by their recommendations. What emerged from that is the need for all departments to have an approach to risk management that’s clearly articulated. Through the Deputy Ministers Audit Committee we have been working through the Audit Bureau staff to develop principles and templates for risk management that are being shared with departments. The idea is that all departments will have a formalized risk management framework that will articulate what the risks are inherent in the business of the department and what steps the department is taking to monitor and manage those risks.
Thank you, Mrs. Ballantyne. Ms. Bisaro, your time has expired. Moving on I have Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Premier and his staff with this issue of devolution. We’re on the brink of some major changes in the Northwest Territories. We really are yet trying to assume and presume what kind of changes are going to come with devolution. We’re preparing our best. We’re getting our tools ready, and we’re getting the people ready, and we’re getting the communities ready for how it will impact our communities. One of the things I know about this change here, is that we must spread the word that devolution is coming. One of the things is, when I was even in the Sahtu, listen to the people.
I want to ask the Premier, in putting together the communications plan and harnessing the power of working together, we need that coalition, because it’s going to affect us, affect our grandchildren and so forth. We’re preparing something big for our people. I think by switching now from negotiations to implementation, we are actually planting some very strong seeds for change for our people. How do we communicate our vision for devolution?
I want to ask the Premier, my first question would be, as Mr. Miltenberger would say, how do we bring everybody under the tent. The whole North. My colleagues are talking about that. How do we bring them under one tent and say this is the deal, this is what we have?
The Premier talked about the amount of revenue coming in because of the deal and the amount of revenue that could be there waiting for us. It’s like a prosperity devolution because we’re going to receive additional dollars now that detours to the Northwest Territories and some will slowly trickle to Ottawa. That’s just the nature of the game here. We have all the Aboriginal governments who are settled on our side and we’re still working with the others on the unsettled land claim areas. We’re slowly aligning ourselves and strengthening our relationships.
This new trail that we’re carving out, called devolution, we’re becoming a developing nation just shy of being called a province. We’ve got provincial-like powers. That’s something that we need to look at. With all the talent and mustering all the skills that we have in the Northwest Territories with the first step of communicating, talking, listening to people is the Minister’s communication plan. Do we have enough time to advise our people well, and to say let’s grab our best players? Let’s do this job for us. People are credible.
I also want to give our Premier a pat on the back, saying this process is happening. I never thought it would be. It was only talk. Now it’s actually happening. It is scary because I’m not too sure, and that’s okay. It’s okay. Our people, we have to reassure them. How you reassure them is to go into the community and talk to them, talk about this stuff. Talk about the fears and the unknowns to make it known and that it’s going to be okay.
I want to ask the Premier, in his communication plan that we as MLAs would have some discussion and a team to go into our communities and start discussion right down the whole North, he’s already indicated he’s not too sure about the budget because he still has to work out some more plans. That’s understandable. On this important devolution deal, we’re going to have some time to talk to the people. Are you looking at something like a team to go into the communities along with our staff? We have various teams right now. We have the Addictions Forum team out there. We have the Mineral and the Economic Strategy. We’ve got some models already. I just want to raise this as a possibility and I’d like to hear what you have to say.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have been to communities several times. We do have a process that we’ve been using. We’ve been going in partnership with regional Aboriginal governments and we’ve joined up together and gone to the various communities together. As I indicated earlier, we have developed a draft communications strategy. When we go to the regions, we go with our Aboriginal government partners. We will also go to all the communities and we will have our devolution team that will go. It will all be described in our draft communications strategy that we’ll be sharing with committee.
The Premier is correct on the partnerships and I guess he’s looking at the different aspects of the Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, Sahtu, and how to work with them. When in Rome do as the Roman’s do sort of concept. I’m looking at the GNWT and I guess that’s how it will be done. It has to happen with the Akaitcho or the Dehcho, even in Yellowknife – there’s a large population here – Hay River, I guess, looking at those types of support for communicating the Devolution Strategy. I look forward to the draft communications strategy and I’m pressing to him to say yes, okay, we can maybe look at something like that, but he’s going to stay consistent with his draft communications strategy. That’s okay. I’m looking to see if there’s some flexibility, but it doesn’t seem to be getting to that point there. I’m going to leave it at that. I’ll see if I can use a different angle some other time and get to the Premier’s mind there.
I want to say that my other question is, with the devolution, will we have enough time to do the communication? Are we giving it enough time? There are still people in my communities who do not understand devolution. I understand, you see, if given dollars and whatever they do in the Sahtu with that money, it’s theirs, but I’m still getting people who are saying, but what is it? It might be a few people who understand but not the common folk that is based in the community and doesn’t go out too much. It might be our political leaders that are, and we really can’t tell them how to do their job. I do not want to assume that everybody knows, just because we give them the money that everybody knows. I hope our government doesn’t make that mistake by assuming that this is what’s happening. That’s what I’m mostly referring to.
When I was a negotiator in the Sahtu Land Claim we went door to door as chief negotiator in all five Sahtu communities. We voted on our land claims, with 97 percent in favour of settling our land claim. That’s what I want to press the point to the Premier, that communication, what he’s saying is key to having this deal and people saying yes, I understand it. That’s what I wanted to remind the Premier here. It’s a good deal. People should be celebrating when we sign the finalized deal, not asking any more questions. That’s what I go by. Mahsi cho.
I think we’re saying the same thing. We’re planning to go the communities. In the regions we’re going to partner with our Aboriginal governments. We’re also going to go to the regions where the Aboriginal governments haven’t signed on. They’re going to come with us, their regional government, whoever is representing them. Even though they haven’t signed on, we’ve done that before where we’ve gone to the communities. For example, in the Deh Cho we’ve gone to the communities with Dehcho First Nation representatives. Then we’ll be going to all the communities and regional centres as well.
One more point I wanted to emphasize is we will also try to make sure that we communicate in their Aboriginal language that they speak in their communities. We’re going to provide for that as well.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Page 2-13, Executive, activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $6.756 million.
Agreed.
Page 2-14, Executive, activity summary, directorate, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $185,000, total grants and contributions, $185,000.
Agreed.
Page 2-15, Executive, information item, directorate, active positions.
Agreed.
Page 2-17, Executive, activity summary, Ministers’ offices, operations expenditure summary, $3.635 million.
Agreed.
Page 2-18, Executive, activity summary, Ministers’ offices, grants and contributions, grants.
Agreed.
Page 2-19, Executive, information item, Ministers’ offices, active positions.
Agreed.
Page 2-21, Executive, activity summary, executive operations, operations expenditure summary, $7.552 million. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to make a comment here to the regional operations. I spoke to the people in my region and they’re very, very happy that the regional operations for the overall management and the single window services centres are very good. I think they really were happy that we are continuing support and expanding in my region. They were quite happy with this. I think they said this is probably the best thing since sliced bread here. The people are happy and the people could have operations done in their own language, so this was good. Whoever thought about this idea, I mean, they should be getting the Premier’s Award on this one here. I just wanted to say that, Mr. Chair, that the people were quite happy with it.
The other issue I want to talk about is, the federal government is making a 10 percent cut right across the board with the band funding support and tribal council funding support, and it’s going to affect the Northwest Territories band office. I just, again, came from the Sahtu Dene Council meeting where this was brought up. The implementation of these cuts will take effect April 1, 2014.
I wanted to just raise it with the Premier here. Hopefully, we’ve got about a year’s grace time before the implementation takes effect. We should start looking at this issue, because if nothing gets done about it, closing some of the band council offices is a real possibility. Lutselk'e, Tsiigehtchic, Colville Lake, Tulita, they’re going to severely be hit by federal government cuts. There’s a formula that doesn’t quite work in our favour in the Northwest Territories and somehow we’ve got to let the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs, the Minister know, or the Prime Minister know that this formula needs to be changed, and changed quickly, because I’ve seen the numbers and we can’t operate our bands on $50,000 or $90,000. It’s like having those kinds of drastic cuts.
I’m looking forward to the Premier having some discussion. Not right now, but looking at this issue very seriously and seeing if the GNWT could help our band governments, the band offices deal with the federal government cuts and see if they could persuade the federal government to reconsider the special type of funding we get in the Northwest Territories. I wanted to raise that to the Premier under this page here.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I don’t mind taking responsibility for general service officers. But I think it was the staff of the Executive that came up with the idea. I think it was largely through the regional directors that work in the communities.
As far as cutbacks in band government funding, I’ve heard about it, but none of the chiefs have been in contact with me about it. I meet with the grand chiefs on a regular basis so we can ask them about it and see what the implications are.
I was notified, just saying that the bands were going to be, right across Canada get 10 percent. I didn’t really get into it until I got to Tulita and sat down with the chiefs and they started talking about some of the information, so I’m glad the Premier would be open to some discussion, if it does happen, with the chiefs and the councils and looking at the impacts of this funding that will be taking place here. It’s preliminary right now, just having an early discussion, and we’re not getting our feet dirty and our hands dirty on this issue here. I’m looking forward to the GNWT’s support to the bands that are going to be hit by these cuts. Tribal councils will also be hit. For example, the Sahtu Council fall under a tier one formula from $558,000, 2011-12. They’re going to be cut to $200,000; the same with the Akaitcho, Dehcho and Gwich’in tribal councils, because of that tier one funding they’ll be getting $200,000 a year now. That’s way over half of their funding, so that’s something that I’ll leave with the Premier to have some of his good people start doing some work on. I know that it’s an issue for the Sahtu Dene Council chiefs.
I don’t have that information, but maybe if the Member could share it with us as a start.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Committee, we’re on 2-21. Continuing on with questions I have Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions here. I wanted to also state that I think the single window service centres have been extremely well received. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about them. I think, in the Minister’s remarks, he did talk about establishing three new government service officers in three new communities, and that’s great. I was wondering if the Minister or the department could advise what the end goal is here. How many communities do we want to get single window service centres? Where do we want to have them? How many are we going to end up with when we’re done expanding?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess our end goal is we want all citizens in the smaller communities to have access to government services. I’ll have to go back and check at all the communities. I don’t have any government representation, or very limited government representation, to see what our end goal is so far. To date, where we’ve been able to find some resources, we’ve been trying to establish government services officers. The last time I checked, we were up to 13 government service officers. I imagine there are probably at least seven other communities that might need government services officer positions.
Thanks to the Premier for that information. We’re doing three in this budget year that we’re discussing, so is it the intention of the department to add another two or three every year until we reach the complement of where we want to get to?
I think the approach that we’ve been taking is that if there were resources that became available, either through greater efficiency or through restructuring, we’ve been converting it to GSOs, at least certainly in Executive. I don’t think we’re taking the position that we’re going to go and ask for additional dollars to create GSOs. That certainly wasn’t our intention. As resources became available and we could make the case to convert it, we were doing so.
Thank you for the explanation. That’s a great way to go with not having to ask for new dollars, but I guess I would encourage the department to make sure that if we don’t find efficiencies, that we do make sure that we expand into all the communities where we don’t have government representation, because it seems to be a very effective method of providing service to our residents.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mrs. Ballantyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re building capacity in a number of different ways. One is we do have professional evaluators. We have folks, for example, who have Master’s degrees in program evaluation who work in the unit, and they can provide that expertise directly. But we also are trying to work in partnership with departments that don’t have that expertise, so that they can work with us and pick up some training on the project, as it were. Of course, we’re always encouraging staff to take advantage of training opportunities. Several of the folks that we have who have earned Master’s degrees in evaluation have received those degrees through support from the GNWT on the job, so we’re encouraging folks to do that too.
Over the long term our goal is to get away from having to always contract out for evaluation, and to really build an evaluation culture within the GNWT so that this constant improvement focus is there in all of our programs and services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mrs. Ballantyne. Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks, Mrs. Ballantyne. The program review office has been in place and in effect for a number of years now. I wonder if I could get an idea of a number of projects or the number of reviews, I guess, that the department does in any one year. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We’ll go to Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On average, it’s about six a year.
The other thing I wanted to ask here, is I had gathered that the PRO, program review office, has established a work plan. I’d like to know is it an annual work plan or is it a multi-year work plan.
It’s a three-year board plan, so I guess it’s a multi-year plan. Thank you.
Thanks for that info. I’m glad to see that we are not doing just year by year. I think a multi-year or three year or whatever it is work plan is a good thing.
My next question has to do with whether or not the work plan of the program review office is a public document. I think there would be a lot of people, both within government and without, I think, who would be interested in knowing what we are reviewing, what things are coming up. We may even get input which tells us that we’re moving in the wrong direction. So is this going to be a public document, the program review office’s work plan? Thank you.
It was not our intention to make it a public document. We had shared it with committee and asked committee to submit their priority areas, which we were pleased to get feedback from committee. But as of now it is not our intention to make it public. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Just a comment here, I guess, in response. To the Premier, I would suggest that you seriously consider making it a public document. We talk about wanting to be transparent, we want to be accountable to residents and so on, and there’s this sort of perception out there, rightly or wrongly, that the government is a great big bureaucracy, and inefficient, and wasting money and time and effort and so on. So this may be one way that we can show NWT residents that, yes, we are actually efficient and these are the things that we’re looking at. Again, it may be an opportunity for us to get something from our residents which is going to help us out and help us become more efficient. We may get steered in a direction that we haven’t thought of. So I would encourage the department to consider making this document public. Just a comment. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
If committee makes a recommendation for us to look at it, we’ll look at it. The information that comes out of the public review sometimes is very sensitive information. In the past, committee and government haven’t seen that as the way to go, but if committee wants to look at doing this, certainly we would look at it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Just one last comment. I wasn’t asking for the work of the PRO to necessarily be public – as much as possible, yes – but I’m talking about the work plan, what this division is planning on doing and what things they’re going to be looking at. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
We’ll look at it and see why we weren’t making it public in the first place. So we’ll take it under consideration. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Committee, we’re on 2-21, Executive, executive summary, executive operations, operations expenditure summary, $7.052 million. Does committee agree?
