Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Finance about jobs. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement today, my concerns are about public service jobs and fair and transparent notice.
I’ve been told by our program managers that they’ve not been filling positions and they’ve pulled some off the table during competition processes because deficits are growing and they’re recognizing this both in the regular public service as well as in our authorities, which are ultimately a responsibility of the House.
Finally, the Members at large have seen the fiscal outlook, and frankly, many of us are certainly worried about where this government is taking us. I’d like to know, as well as many of the public servants I’ve been talking to who have been talking about the layoffs, that the lists have been drafted in the public service and multiple departments and I am just wondering what type of information is being provided to the public service employees that we employ here to provide programs and services in a transparent way, that this is a consideration or an option that is being evaluated as we’re going into the upcoming budget with the new government. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is getting way ahead of himself on this particular issue. There is going to be no budget that’s done by this government. The only budget we’re dealing with is the capital plan budget before the House, and what we will be providing is a transitional document that encompasses a whole range of activities that Members are aware of, and the incoming government and Assembly then will make their own determination once they get their briefings. The fiscal forecasts, the issues and challenges before them and opportunities and decisions will be made to exactly what steps the 18th Assembly will take at that juncture. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the new government hasn’t taken over, so the operation of the present government in the context of finance is the responsibility of the present government and, furthermore, the responsibility of the Finance Minister. So when departments are drafting these potential lists for consideration for future governments, it’s a responsibility of today at today’s direction, which is ultimately the responsibility of this House, Mr. Speaker.
What type of transparency process is put into place as the government cobbles these options together? Ultimately, I am worried about fair, honest and transparent notice for the public service, and as I said in my Member’s statement, if you’re young and trying to start off your life or if you are a seasoned employee working to retirement, people need fair and honest notice.
What type of information and transparency is being given to the public service as the list is being cobbled together by departments? Thank you.
Once again let me state for the record that the Member is getting way ahead of himself on these questions. There is nothing that’s going to be decided by this government. There is transition planning in a whole range of areas that is going to be done.
As the Premier indicated in his statement, balancing our revenues and expenditures is a challenge of this government and will carry on as a challenge to the next government. When I do my fiscal update tomorrow, I will be making that same declaration. All we are doing is getting our transition documents ready and there will be no decisions made in the life of this government about what the 18th Assembly may decide to do in their wisdom. Thank you.
As we all know, time and time again, that budgets aren’t drafted overnight. It takes many months and planning, Mr. Speaker, and many months and planning without Members that just show up on our desks before they need to be approved.
That said, the reality is the public service, the management, the bureaucracy, you name it, they’ve spent many months of planning. I am asking about what exercises are being drafted now for consideration going forward. Yes, these budget exercises may be the final ultimate decision of the 18th Assembly and when it rolls in, minus a couple of Members, it might be a reflection of what’s here today. The reality is the work is being done today, and that’s what I’m asking.
What work is being done? What type of transparency is being conveyed to the public service as these lists are being cobbled? Thank you.
We, as the government, are looking at how we make sure that our revenues and expenditures, on a going forward basis, stay the same, that our expenditures do not exceed our revenues and that we don’t start borrowing money for programs that we anticipate and plan for what has been determined and demonstrated to be a flat economy with revenues going down. So, we have an obligation as we look to making sure that the 18th Assembly is provided with the best information possible, to pull together all that information for the consideration of the 18th Assembly.
I want to point out that it’s anticipated at this juncture, given the lateness of this election, that we would be looking at an interim appropriation to allow the incoming Legislative Assembly the full time it needs to decide the path forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I gingerly put it on three occasions here in my Member’s statement, or during my question statement that is, to frankly ask are layoffs happening and is that being considered. The Minister at no time took the opportunity to say that it isn’t part of the evaluation process that will ultimately be decided by the 18th Assembly.
The Minister can deny it on the last one because he gets the last word, but the fact is, is the government looking at drafting layoff plans as part of the consideration going forward in the 18th Assembly? If the Minister says no, great, but the reality is I am hearing it throughout the department. If he says yes, I want to applaud him in his honesty and full transparency to the public service so they are fully aware of what may be coming, and they certainly deserve that.
Is the government looking towards, as an option, layoffs in the 18th Assembly and are they building those lists, cobbling names on pieces of paper department by department? Thank you.
We have over 5,000 employees. Our human resources costs are the single biggest costs in the government.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
