Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. They follow on from my statement yesterday about the Office of the Public Guardian. The Minister received a report and a stack of recommendations about the office about 18 months ago. Regional and central audits of this office haven't taken place in 20 years. The report writers say this oversight may raise liability concerns. What is the Minister doing to reinstate audits in the office? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our priority is obviously stabilizing the Office of the Public Guardian, which includes rewriting the policies and procedures manual and ensuring that the office is adequately resourced, staffed. We are looking at different possible models based on the recommendations, which could be a decentralized model. That is our first priority, but the Member has a point, and I agree with the Member that audits are necessary and required. I have given the department direction that, moving forward, an audit plan will be developed and implemented once the foundational work is complete.
I take from the executive summary I read from this report that the business of doing audits has some urgency related to it, so I would like to hear from the Minister when he thinks this audit plan will be in place and operationalized.
I understand the urgency, and the Member is not wrong. However, until we get an idea of what this office is going to look like and how it is going to be structured, and we are doing that work right now so that we can include it in the next round of business planning, it is a little awkward to say, "Go out and do the audit," when we do not have the resources or the design that will actually support the work getting done. It is necessary. I am committed to making it happen. We will be coming forward during the business-planning process for more discussions around the auditor's office. Like I said, there are a couple of things that we would still like to figure out, whether or not we go with a decentralized model or a more centralized model, recognizing that not all of the cases are in Yellowknife. This is important work. It will help us to have an audit mechanism that can be successful, regular, and efficient, so there is work that needs to be done. I have made that commitment to the Member already, and I will live up to it.
The report writer said this: "The budget for the OPG is just under $300,000 a year. Actual expenditures for the past four years have ranged from 8 to 40 per cent over budget. Projected expenditures for 2016-2017 are close to 50 per cent over budget."
So, given the extent of overspending in this office, I am unsure why the Minister feels he needs to make a business case to supplement funds. Can he explain why the budget has not been increased to cover the costs of these overruns before now?
The report and the Member's comments are contingent upon doing things the same way, which obviously does not work. We need to do the work to review the office. It will change in its operations, its design. We will find efficiencies, and, once that work is done, we will have a better sense of whether or not we are spending our money wisely and getting good value for money. We anticipate that there is going to be some changes. Those changes will help inform what our true costs need to be as opposed to what they would be. If we keep doing things poorly, we will keep getting poor results. We are looking at doing things better.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, it is often said that social services is the poor cousin in this department, and I am sorry to say that the treatment of the Office of the Public Guardian reflects that. It is also true from a legislative point of view the Guardianship and Trustee Act is 20 years old. It is out of date with respect to what the best practice is in this field now in Canada. Can the Minister tell us what his plan is to update this legislation? Thank you.
I think our actions on this file since it has come to our attention show that we do take this seriously, that we want to make changes. It is not particularly fair to suggest that this office has been ignored. If it was being ignored, we would not be having this discussion today. We are making the changes that are necessary to make the improvements. As far as the legislative changes, let us finish the work around the operationalization, which may address the issues that are out there. We are not a hundred per cent sure that they will not. Let's do the work. If legislative changes are required, we will make those legislative changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
