Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, we’ve heard the Minister’s 2010 budget address and the main estimates have been tabled in the House. As I listened yesterday, I was struck by a particular statement in the Finance Minister’s address. He said that we’ll have to return to, “a sustainable path,” and, “maintain a tight rein on spending in the fiscal year following this new budget.”
I support our current level of spending and I support the same level of spending for the 2010-11 year as it’s laid out in the budget. But I recognize, as does the Minister, that we will have to reduce or cut back our spending in the fiscal year 2011-12.
It might be a bit premature, but I am already concerned about two things in regards to that 2011-12 budget. First of all, how will we reduce our expenditures and, secondly, what will we do in anticipation of shrinking revenues? The Minister stated yesterday that expenditures will be capped at a 3 percent growth for 2011-12. It’s likely to be a difficult target considering that this proposed budget for 2010-11 is 7.5 percent bigger than the current budget year we are in now.
But there is a knight in shining armour, so to speak, to solve our expenditure dilemma. Two years ago, we established, under the Department of Executive, a new entity called the program review office. It exists to evaluate the business of government to find efficiencies within our bureaucracy and presumably savings, but we’ve heard little about the workings of this office. Granted the program review office did undertake a study of GNWT office space requirements and produced a very comprehensive and useful report, but what else has the office done? Members know about a couple of projects, but are not privy to the results of those projects. It’s quite likely that the results of these projects, undertaken since the office was established, helped to shape the main estimates that we are about to debate. Members have no report to consider and have not been briefed on most of the program review office projects.
I, for one, would like to be able to review the work of this office and be able to know if any savings were realized and I think the public deserves access to these results as well. If we really mean it when we say we are a transparent, accountable government, as we so often hear, then this kind of information must be shared.
Looking ahead a year, what of the 2011-12 budget and the impending cap on our expenditures? What will the program review office be doing over the next fiscal year? Does the Minister of the Executive already know these areas that will be targeted?
Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
----Unanimous consent granted.
Does the Minister of the Executive already know the areas that will be targeted for the 2011 budget? If so, will he let Regular Members and the public know? I say again, for the sake of transparency, this kind of information must be shared and I will have some of these questions for the Minister of the Executive at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
