Thank you, Madam Speaker. As a follow-up to my Member’s statement earlier today, I question the current effectiveness of the secretive program review office that now reports to the office of the executive. Many have questioned as to what this office has been up to for the past couple of years and many think it’s time that we take a real critical look at its structure, mandate and accountability for the Members of this House and for the residents it services. My questions today are for the Premier.
It has been over one year since Regular Members have heard back from the Premier’s office as to the workings of the program review office. Can the Premier indicate to the House what this office has been doing, and especially what has this office done with the list of priorities it received by Regular Members?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’m very pleased that the Member has raised the matter of the program review office. They have been very busy working on the priorities that were developed and the projects that were developed in conjunction with committee. Also, I’m very pleased that their recommendations have and will result in this government saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
It’s shocking to hear about all this money that we’ve saved, because again, we’ve had no report. Not everyone would agree that we’ve got proper communication, and of course, transparency is the key to accountability. So, if one was to go on-line, there is only one public document found, which is a 2009-10 annual business plan and under key activity two of the executive operations, it states under program review, “Results of the ongoing monitoring and reporting process will be updated and made available to the public by on-line publication.”
Can the Premier indicate to the House where can one find this on-line publication? Thank you.
I’ll check with our website designers to see where you can find it. We’ve done better than that. We’ve written committee and updated committee on a regular basis and we’ve even had responses from committee commending us on the work and asking us for more detail on why we are moving the program review office from the Department of Executive to the Department of Finance. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Of course, the Premier is aware that he’s quoting some of the backroom programs, correspondences that I didn’t want to bring here to the House. Clearly, this program review office is working in a shroud of secrecy. Members have seen very little in the last year and it’s definitely not available to the public as was conceived by the previous Assembly and the current House.
Will the Premier commit that it’s time for this program review office to be reviewed, to find better structured input from Regular Members, a clearer mandate of delivery and, more importantly, a better and transparent platform to broadcast its results? Thank you.
This government is always interested in improving all of our programs and services, so we’d be very pleased to undertake a review. But just to make sure that everybody understands some of the work that they have done: the results of the K to 12 school programs and pupil-teacher ratio and inclusive schooling; the general office space evaluation; the health programs and services evaluation; the adult and education training programs evaluation; rationalizing phones, faxes and printers; harvesters’ support program review; single-window service centres and I should also indicate that we are prepared to look at the structure. The structure is not the problem, as I see it. The program review office makes recommendations and it’s very hard to get agreement or even get a decision on the recommendations that they make. If that’s what you are interested in looking at to find a better way to deal with the results and the recommendations, we are all for it, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Some of the recommendations that we’ve heard from the Premier today is news to many of us here, as you can see the shock and awe on our faces here.
When will the Premier be able to table these fine results and recommendations for Regular Members to see? Thank you.
I believe it has all been shared with the Members, but I will resubmit them to committee. Thank you.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
