Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Members’ statement I talked about the work that is being undertaken to look at the review of boards and agencies in the Northwest Territories. My questions today are for Minister Miltenberger.
I would like to ask: how much consultation has already taken place? What’s the status of the work being done? This is something that people in the public are very interested in having input into. I’d like to know where we are in terms of the consultation and the development of a plan.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been work underway now for the last eight months. We have briefed committee, as was noted. We’ve had some meetings and discussions recently with the DECs and the board chairs as well as the health folks. I will be coming into the House, hopefully this week, with a more detailed report to the House about what’s being proposed.
So there is work underway. There has been consultation, and there will continue to be consultation as we continue to carefully move forward with this large, complex undertaking.
We know that the North is small and people like to have input into how the services are provided in their communities and their regions. I would like to ask Minister Miltenberger if any of the actions undertaken by this government could be characterized as a centralization of that kind of either governance through input on an advisory basis or a management basis.
Mr. Speaker, the plan is to have an integration of service at the regional level to bring together and to tune up the legislative pieces that are needed to be there to allow things to function more appropriately, to bring together the administrative and finance systems, which are now scattered and often disjointed and unconnected. The intent is to keep the decision-making at the community and regional levels.
I wonder if the Minister could speak to the issue that was raised in my Member’s statement about the diversity of the different regions. Certainly some regions, like the Tlicho area…. There’s kind of an obvious way for that to work. That’s why the community service board is always held up as a prime example, and a good example, of how the integration of various social services — housing, education, health, social services — has worked in the past. That’s a very unique scenario.
When you look at communities in the South Slave, for example, you have two relatively large communities and a number of small communities. Some of the history we’ve seen with the governance of education, for example, with the District Education Council…. Has the Minister got anything he could share at this time on how the government is going to deal with that diversity issue?
Mr. Speaker, the Member raises a point that we’re very cognizant of and sensitive to. That is that while recognizing there is a need to better plan, to do case management, to integrate these fundamental services of housing, education and health at the community level so we can be more effective in our planning and integrate service delivery, we need to tailor these to the specific regions.
In the South Slave, for example, it’s anticipated that we will have moved toward a regional board split between Fort Smith, Hay River and Fort Resolution. The services on the ground will still be there, so the decision-making can be made in a timely way. The board function and management oversight will be provided through that type of board.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s been reference made to the efficiency and effectiveness, but I’d like to ask: is there an underpinning to this exercise? Because this has to do with saving money.
The intent, clearly, is to put as much money as possible toward program delivery at the community level. We know the money we have currently as a government is insufficient. As we look at things like reductions and revenue options, we’re also looking at how we’re structured. Are we structured to best deliver the programs that are needed? If we’re more efficient and effective in terms of administration, would there be more money that could then go to the program delivery area? That’s the approach we’re taking.
The money that’s in the system will stay in the system, but we’ll try to put it as close to the community as we can to focus on programs if at all possible.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
