Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to the Premier. Currently virtually every senior manager and deputy head of the GNWT gets a bonus. I’m curious if bonuses have been awarded to deputy heads and senior managers for services provided during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Hon. Premier, Minister Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of bonuses or performance pay is under review right now. We are looking at it. I don’t believe any departments have paid any out, and there hasn’t been any paid out at this point to deputies.
By “under review” does the Premier mean that he’s developing a process that will actually award or reward senior managers for outstanding performance as opposed to the typical or standard “everybody gets a bonus”?
We are looking at the process of how it happens. We know, for example, that there are some staff that work for departments that fall out of the UNW side, and they’re excluded. But within departments they’re treated differently than deputy minister levels, so we’re having a look at trying to come up with a process that would make sense. It would look at performance for work done.
I’m hoping what that means is yes, performance pay will be based on merit rather than the standard.
I’d like to encourage the Premier to review what the federal government is doing with respect to bonuses to their senior managers. They put in a real comprehensive plan that ensures that not everybody gets one because they are a senior manager but for outstanding performance and doing more than is required or above and beyond. So I’d like to encourage the Premier to check out what the feds are doing.
I’d be more than prepared to have a look at their work and what it entails. Just for the record, I don’t believe every manager gets performance pay in the Northwest Territories. I understand there’s a process, and it’s limited. We’re undertaking that review to have a look at how it’s been done in the past, and we’ll be prepared to take a look at what the federal government is doing going forward as well.
Thank you, Minister Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy? The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
