Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think the Minister responsible for refocusing government has to wait for April to find out what Members think. I think very little research is really required to find out whether or not this side of the House supports going from 70 boards to seven boards. The Minister sat here today. He’s heard all 11 Members on this side of the House stand up and say we don’t like your policy, we don’t like your process, we don’t like the way you’re going about this. Why don’t you just save us all a lot of time and trouble and commit here today to take this off the table?
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for refocusing government, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The broad issue is board reform. If that is not the way forward, what is the way forward on board reform? If the decision of the House is that board reform is off the table in its entirety that is a significantly different and more fundamental issue than we don’t like a particular concept. But we think there’s some value to board reform and what is that direction going to take.
Any responsible government should always be monitoring for efficiencies and effectiveness in any governance model that they have. That would be an expected thing to do. I sat on the committee for Agencies, Boards, and Commissions’ review with the Minister and with Ms. Lee in the last Assembly. Somewhere between the research inventory of our boards and what has come forward now from this government there has been a strange quantum leap. Where did this Minister get this idea that going from 70 to seven was ever going to fly in the Northwest Territories?
---Applause
I’d like to call attention to the visitors in the gallery. We welcome you here. We hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. But I would like to remind you of the rules that there is not to be any applauding in the Chamber. I’ve been very patient today so far, but just a reminder and I ask for your cooperation. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we embarked upon this initiative it was recognized that there is a significant restructuring that is entailed in this particular initiative; that there was going to be, when there was engagement across the North, a lot of discussion about how to deal with board reform. We have put forward an initial suggestion. We recognize that there is a lot of concern. The issue of board reform is still a priority of the 16th Legislative Assembly. I’ve heard comments from a number of the Members that they don’t necessarily agree with this particular approach, but there is some type of board reform needed. It was hoped that in April we would be having that discussion. If it’s not this, what is it? If it’s nothing and board reform is going to be pulled off the table as a priority of this Assembly, then that’s a discussion as well that can be held.
The boards and agencies which currently exist in our communities and regions across the Northwest Territories took many years to evolve to the point that they did. They were intended to encourage participation from people more than us. Consensus government doesn’t stop at the doors of this building. Consensus government is a Territory-wide concept. What does Mr. Miltenberger say to those people who are contributing here in Yellowknife and in the communities around the Northwest Territories. What does he say to those people who have contributed so much to build this capacity and be involved for the work that they have done?
We appreciate the work that every board member has contributed over the years, but we also recognize that we have a system that has evolved without a lot of planning over the years, often by program area, by ministry, and we have evolved now where we have 150 boards for 42,000 people for a whole host of different program areas. We have 70 in health and social services, housing, and education alone. We are of the opinion that there are ways to provide enhanced decision-making at the regional community level at the same time as rationalizing some of the board structures.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very divisive initiative that this government has gone out with. It has not been costed. There are so many unanswered questions. It is causing people in the regions, in the communities, in the aboriginal governments to consider their confidence in this government. What can the Minister suggest that we do to dial back on this initiative and start again to look for efficiencies and effectiveness? What venue or process would he suggest going forward?
There are a number of options. If the intent is to have further and greater consultation within a specific time frame, there are committees in the past that this Legislature has struck special committees for different things with a specific budget and timeline and clear mandate to go out and do business, which is one way this Legislature has to take that matter into this Legislature. The mandate and all those things would be worked out is one option that comes most immediately to mind as I stand here.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
