Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other day, on Tuesday to be precise, the Finance Minister indicated that considering reductions to the workforce to ensure expenditures do not exceed revenues is part of the obligation they have to provide the 18th Assembly with the best information possible.
Further to that, the Minister of Public Works said today in the House, with a flat revenue outlook and the need to take a hard look at how we spend our money in coming years, operating effectively and efficiently is more important than ever.
In light of what both Ministers have commented on and stated in this House, what is the Department of Human Resources doing in their transition planning with respect to reducing public servants as a cost-cutting option and measure going forward?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister responsible, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, we have an obligation to ensure that the 18th Assembly is provided with the best transition information as possible as to our fiscal situation so that they can make decisions based on the challenges and opportunities that are before them.
The Finance Minister, in his fiscal update just two days ago, said the revenue is flat and, in essence, by the year ’19-20 he had said that we will be down to what we estimate is a $10 million surplus that will fund things like capital, and of course, it will be the short-term cash deficit.
Can the Minister of Human Resources elaborate as to what this government is doing to ensure that we don’t face that type of financial crash in our cash position, so we must be looking at layoffs, as I’ve heard repeatedly in multiple departments? Can he elaborate as to their strategy and details that they’re going through in those exercises and initiatives?
The only budget that we’re dealing with for the rest of this sitting will be a capital budget. The government of the future will be discussing other budget items. This government will evaluate the cost of human resources. The government does want to give the incoming government an opportunity to contemplate all of their options, and part of the options is looking at the cost of human resources.
I can never say enough, but jobs are important, and I know how important they are to not only Yellowknife but to the small communities. They have a major impact on our economy. In the publication we call 20/20: A Brilliant North, NWT Public Service Strategic Plan, we talk about growing the public service. We often hear the Finance Minister directly talking about trying to attract 2,000 new people to the Northwest Territories. Lastly, I’ll say even from the Minister’s fiscal update, he talks about the importance of our flat population growth as the main source of revenue as it begins to decline, noting that only 19 percent of total revenues are ones of our own source. I don’t know how we’re going to do it by cutting, slashing and laying off.
How do layoffs, in comparison to those concerns that I’ve been raising, balance out with the objectives under the 20/20: A Brilliant North strategy to build the public service? Thank you.
This government will not be laying any of the public service off, but we do provide the best information possible, as I indicated, for the next government to look at and for the next government to have all of the information necessary through the complete costs of human resources, the current vacancy rates of human resources. If the next government was to look at the vacancy rates then that would be presented, if they wanted to look at the costs of the public service, how many casuals we’re carrying in the public service, they would look at our workforce planning strategies. We have the Building 20/20 as a recruitment and retention and development of talent strategies. Those are all of the things that we will provide to the next government so they can make those informed decisions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister clearly articulate how many positions they’ve evaluated for potential layoffs as a recommendation to the next government? This work is going on right now. They have said repeatedly it’s not their hand on the rope, but I can tell you they’re giving the next government the nudge and all the material that they need. So I want to understand the valuation and evaluation that they’ve looked at, at this particular second, that they’re billing department by department by department. No one can dodge that question because it’s the responsibility of this Cabinet. That information falls on your shoulders. So, I hope the Minister of Human Resources can answer that question. Thank you.
Thank you. Any of this type of work with human resources will include talking about the 900 vacancies that we’re currently carrying in the books. We don’t have the number of positions that we are evaluating for layoff because I haven’t seen any such plan to lay off certain people who are currently in the public service at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
