Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
We believe there might be five others, but we would have to confirm that and share that with the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think this is another example where the fiscal strategy is driving the bus here again, and we are developing an action plan, yet we're cutting staff while we are doing that, or at least maybe the position is vacant, but we are cutting positions while we are developing the policy and the framework to do it. We have seen this whether it is Aurora College or whatever. It is just a repeating pattern within the government where we are cutting positions for a fiscal strategy before we have the policy work, the action plan to actually get the work done.
Can the Minister convince me that this is not one of these examples and that we are still going to be able to have a fiveyear action plan and deliver on this by the end of the mandate by cutting this position now? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't think the reductions are driving this budget. The department feels that they have produced a fiveyear action plan entitled "Healthy Land, Healthy People, Government of the Northwest Territories Priorities for Advancement of Conservation Network Planning." Our position is that we feel we have the necessary capacity within our existing department or existing people to complete the work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the response from the Minister, but I will continue to disagree that we have the capacity to deliver, but time will tell, and I will look forward to the progress on this initiative, and I will continue to monitor it as it moves forward. Thanks, Mr. Chair. That's all I've got.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McNeely
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is on page 63, conservation planning. As I mentioned in my opening comments here, and the Minister has answered earlier or Dr. Kelly has answered earlier on the cuts taken to continue on with conservation planning, and I just want to mention, is there sufficient resources there after Thaidene Nene is done to move on to the next task at hand, and if it may be the Rampart Wetlands, I just want to hear that you have enough confidence or enough resources here to proceed to that conclusion request for preservation? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I can assure the Member that ENR does have the necessary resources, and the Ramparts are priority. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Seeing nothing further from the committee, I will call this activity. Environment and National Resources, conservation assessment and monitoring operations, expenditure summary, total activity $7,606,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will move on to the next activity. Activity two of six, corporate management, found on pages 66 to 69. Comments or questions from committee? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is the area that was of greatest concern for me, as I mentioned in my opening remarks. On page 69, you can see that the positions that are being eliminated in corporate management. There are four of them here in headquarters. Can someone from the department tell me what the titles of these four positions are? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the time that we came forward with the business plan and the main estimates, we had identified four positions. Since that time, we have had some natural attrition. The only position that has actually been eliminated is the director position. We had the incumbent retire, and with the amalgamation, we only need one director.
The other positions that were identified were of a policy or communications nature, but due to attrition, we have not had to affect any employees or eliminate any positions. We are taking this time because we have met the fiscal responsibility of reducing the budget. We are taking this time to do an assessment of the upcoming workload and the capacity of the staff that we do have within not only corporate services but also within the department to respond to the upcoming priorities and initiatives. When we are settled and we have finished our functional review, we will come back to Cabinet with an information item to address the FTE changes to reflect how we actually land; but at this point in time, Mr. Chair, we have actually only reduced one FTE. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Great to hear that we are going to have a functional review, but are the figures in the main estimates correct then in terms of the active position reductions and the reductions in, it looks like it is the corporate services function within this section? Are those the actual figures or have they been changed in some way? Thanks Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The numbers on page 69 where it shows headquarters going from 30 positions to 26 positions, that's where we will come back when we are settled with an information update to address the FTEs. While we have met the fiscal, the monetary changes, we have not affected those other three positions that we originally targeted.
For right now, our FTE count is less than the number of FTEs that we have, but we will make that correction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. If I wasn't confused before, I certainly am now. What is the right number then for active positions for headquarters on page 69 for 201718? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Right now, the correct number is 26, from 30 to 26; and as Ms. Craig said, once we do the work and functional review, then we may come back again, but for the purpose of this exercise, the number is 26. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess what I'm hearing then is that positions are being cut in the budget. The funding is being cut in the budget, and they're going to do some sort of a functional review. They may come back. The Minister might come back at some point during the 201718 fiscal year for supplementary appropriation for additional positions. Is that what I'm hearing? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, while we wouldn't necessarily have to come back with a supplementary, we would just come back with an information item as to which positions may have changed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Of course, I've never seen one of these information items, what it might look like. Is the Minister saying then that they might find the resources internally then to fill another position or two? Or how would the new money be found if the department does this functional review and they want to have more capacity? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we would look internally. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess, once again we have a situation here where positions are being eliminated before there is actually a plan in place, the functional review, so to speak. It follows this pattern of the fiscal strategy driving cuts in the budget again rather than looking at the workload that the department has to deliver on.
I have talked about the workload. There are five pieces of legislation the Minister has said he is bringing forward. We have air quality regulations, that are now behind schedule; the Bathurst caribou range plan; climate change work; fire management; a number of other initiatives that the department has going on. The workload assessment, the functional review has not been carried out, yet we are eliminating the positions. It just does not make any sense. I don't know if I am going to get any further response from the Minister, but I am open to hearing it if he has any further justification for cutting these positions? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Anything further? Minister.
Yes, gladly, Mr. Chair, thank you. We had a plan. Because of attrition we have eliminated four positions, and that gives us an opportunity to work on a new plan, recognizing some of the workload that ENR is going to be facing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Anything further? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the response from the Minister, but I just do not think that these are wise reductions at a time when the department has a lot to deliver on in terms of its mandate, the mandate commitments that have been made, the announcements that the Minister has made. I just think that legislation and policy work, programs and services are going to continue to be delayed and not to the standard that our public deserves, so I continue to disagree with these cuts. I don't think I have anything further to say other than these are very serious concerns for me. I think they are shared by most or all of the Regular MLAs, and we just do not see how the department is going to be able to deliver on its mandate. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am looking on page 68 and finding this financial allowance quite consistent outside of corporate services, quite consistent, and I am glad to see that there is consistency there to support communities like Colville Lake who are very active in trapping. Everybody knows one of the best sable comes out of Colville. The youth there are working very cooperatively and very positively with the resource council and the band to get subsidies by them as well as this government and this department to continue that trade. I just point that out. I recognize the consistency, and I respect that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Would the Minister like to respond to Mr. McNeely's comment? Nothing from the Minister. Seeing nothing further on this activity, I will call it. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like to ask the Minister just to clarify the four positions. The four positions, one is being retired, correct, and the three positions are not filled, so those three positions, is that money gone, or is that money just staying within the department? I am just trying to get a clear picture on this. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the money for the four positions is gone from the budget.
Thank you, Minister. Nothing further from Mr. Thompson. The issue has been clarified. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity corporate management under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Main Estimates, 201718 on page 67 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and is nondebatable. All those in favour. All those opposed.
Carried
Thank you, committee. We have deferred corporate management. On to the next, environment, found on pages 70 to 73. Comments or questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
