Date
February
14
2005
Members Present
ITEM 1: PRAYER
Assembly Members
Debates of February 14, 2005 (day 35)
Topics
Statements
Member’s Statement On Improved Communication From Public Service Required
Robert Villeneuve
Tu Nedhe
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just want to wish everybody in the House and the general public a happy Valentine’s Day today, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to speak about the need for improved communications within the government system and to the public in general from our public service, Mr. Speaker. I know this is not a new issue, but I’m particularly concerned about communications in departments like Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services where the need to relocate to another community or perhaps down south is primarily determined by the type of communication that is received, be it positive or negative. These changes can have a large impact on people’s lives here in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I know that it is always in one’s best interest to wait until a decision is received in writing from any government department that the request is being made to before making any decisions to either relocate, make changes to your employment status or whatever the case may be which could have a large impact on one’s living arrangements or financial status. Mr. Speaker, this is not always the case as there are situations that arise where people are not notified of their requests until the last minute, or in cases where members of the public decide to phone in to the department or visit the office and get a verbal response to their request. Many people take these as the final decisions and carry on only to find out later, after they have relocated or rearranged their lives based on this verbal confirmation, that this is not the decision that they have received by mail later on and it is, in fact, the very opposite of what they initially received verbally.
The point I want to make, Mr. Speaker, is we have to make sure that everyone in the government and public service who has a direct contact with the public to inform of their applications or requests are not communicating any misleading information to their clients and should inform the clients that they cannot make any rash decisions until they have formal written consent from the proper authorities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause