Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to read an executive summary for the committee review into the public accounts.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to present its report on the review of the 2015-2016 public accounts of the government of the Northwest Territories.
The review took place in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, from April 3, 2017, to April 5, 2017. The committee notes that the consolidated 2015-2016 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories received a clean audit opinion from the Auditor General and commends the Government of the Northwest Territories for this achievement.
Members of the standing committee would like to take the opportunity to thank officials from the Office of the Auditor General who travelled from Ottawa and Edmonton to assist the standing committee with its review. The standing committee also wishes to thank officials from the Office of the Comptroller General in the GNWT'S Department of Finance for their appearance before the committee on April 4, 2017.
As a result of this year's review of the 2015-2016 public accounts, the Standing Committee on Government Operations makes the following recommendations to the Government of the Northwest Territories:
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the table titled "Completion of Entities Consolidated within the Public Accounts" be included annually in the unaudited financial statement discussion and analysis section of the public accounts.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Office of the Comptroller General in the Department of Finance work with all GNWT public agencies to assist them to complete their audited financial statements to meet statutory reporting deadlines and to seek the necessary extensions where those deadlines cannot be met.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories continue to include information in the Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis section of the public accounts, indicating how the GNWT has met the provisions related to debt servicing and infrastructure financing in the Fiscal Responsibility Policy.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Minister of Finance work with the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency to develop plain language materials that summarize the public accounts for a given year, in a manner that is understandable for an interested, non-professional reader, focusing on the key financial highlights and significant audit issues arising for that year.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Finance, after consultation with the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Northwest Territories, reconsider amending the non-consolidated schedule of bad debt write-offs, forgiveness, and student loan remissions to protect the privacy of individuals by removing the names of those who have received student loan remissions and reporting only the amount of the remissions.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Member for Kam Lake.
