Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in follow up to my Member's statement on conflicts of interest in GNWT employees with regards to outside activities. My questions will be directed to the Minister of human resources. Can the Minister provide the number of GNWT employees who were approved for an outside activity form? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this number could well be into the hundreds. The requirement of having these forms is for any employee who is taking part in any outside activity. That could be anything as simple as volunteering as a sporting coach to having self-employment or to having some additional part-time employment, being on a board, et cetera. This is a good opportunity to make it clear that all employees should be filling out those forms, but it's really a number that is quite likely into the hundreds, if not beyond that, and it's done department by department. I have not had the opportunity here today to necessarily gather up the total number. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can only imagine the vast number of outside activity forms that have been approved within each department, and there are many departments and many employees. Can the Minister provide a process each department has to perform prior to approving an outside activity form?
Again, this is something that comes out through each department, where any employee who wants to take on any kind of outside activity, employment, service, volunteer, anything of that sort, obviously needs to be outside of their regularly scheduled hours of duty, and they are expected to notify their deputy head in writing. Quite often, each department has their own form that they would fill out in order to examine and explore the nature of the activity. The point here is to avoid, certainly, conflicts of interest, but also the appearance of conflicts of interest. That would then be approved either by the deputy or possibly delegated to a senior manager.
I am curious as to who approves the outside activity forms within each department and their qualifications as to which outside activity is actual or perceived. Can the Minister provide that information?
This is another occasion where, although the Department of Finance, specifically within human resources, may give guidance on the matter, it does go down to each department. Each department does have their individual deputy minister specifically assigned to undertake the approval of these forms and then may well delegate that to senior managers.
Mr. Speaker, there does need to be some flexibility certainly. We would want to ensure that when there is an individual in a particular region making an application or making a request of this sort that the individual making the approval understands the nature of the activity at issue so that they can indeed assess whether or not there is any appearance of conflict.
Again, this is something that perhaps hasn't come up very often in the House. I think it's valuable to have this issue raised, because understanding the nature of conflicts and the appearance of conflicts is one that we certainly do take seriously. I do appreciate the questions, and I am confident that, as others may be listening, that deputies will be paying attention to ensure that they are following the process appropriately.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for all those answers. They're very much appreciated. Can the Minister commit to reviewing all approved outside activity forms from GNWT employees and corroborating with listed outside agencies to ensure that there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest? I believe this may require the services of the Integrity Commissioner in looking at these. Mahsi.
As I had said earlier, they may well be into the thousands, the number of forms. I am not going to be in a position myself, personally, to do this. The Integrity Commissioner, of course, monitors the activities of MLAs here within the House, but what I certainly can do is go back to the Department of Finance and speak to those in human resources and ensure that we are doing our best to communicate department by department and to individual regions in what it is to understand the nature of a conflict, what it is to understand the appearance of conflict, and ensure that those materials are adequate, up-to-date, and regularly communicated so that those who are charged with making this decision and reviewing these forms have the best possible knowledge of how to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
