This is page numbers 73 - 93 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was review.

Topics

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Ms. Cournoyea.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, I will have to take that question under notice as I have not received the report yet.

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government Leader has made assurances to this House that Members would have an opportunity to review an implementation strategy before recommendations from the report "Strength at

Two Levels." Can the Government Leader advise the House whether the changes in six positions in the Personnel department earlier this week were related to streamlining recommendations from the Beatty report and if so, why they were made prior to the House seeing an implementation strategy?

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, all I can say is I just heard about that yesterday. To my knowledge it had nothing to do with streamlining. This is generally a normal happening in government within the department, that these changes take place. We have not implemented a lot of our consolidations as of yet, so this would be a separate issue that would be normal government procedures on their day-to-day activities.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The last few days have been dominated by discussion of the Beatty report. I would like to ask the Government Leader, since this report really would involve a massive reorganization of government and the Government Leader has indicated she would like to move on it quickly, has she had a chance to consult with our constitutional commission to make sure that the work that is in this report will relate to and not contradict what is going on with another government funded commission, which may result in constitutional arrangements with a completely different separation of powers?

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, whether there was a report "Strength at Two Levels," whether there was a report or not, the things that we are doing today would have to be done anyway. In the last election, as you know, the question was: Where is the government spending their money? Are we making the best use of the funds that we have? Do the funds of the GNWT reflect the aspirations of the community and the programs and services that have to be delivered in the communities. Whether or not there was a report, given this position, this exercise in terms of streamlining the central agencies, would have had to go on anyway.

All the Members of the Legislative Assembly when they went and sought election were told, and it was very much reported, that there was a very strong feeling that the funding that we have as a total in government, could be utilized better at a community level and for the clients that we are serving. So I think what we should consider at this point in time is not necessarily what is in the report, but what the government must do to respond to the electorate and our clients. Thank you.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Would the Government Leader not agree that the report "Strength at Two Levels" recommends a delegation of authority, through negotiations between one level of government and another, so that local government could assume responsibilities which have nothing at all to do with constitutional guarantees. This is just simply a matter of us deciding how much you could do at this particular time. Is that really a proper characterization of what the government intends?

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, yes.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, has the government planned to put in place a system, so that everybody throughout the NWT will have equal opportunity, even though we will not have constitutional guarantees, an equal opportunity to assume those responsibilities locally that they would like to have, so that everybody would be treated, in a sense, in a manner in which a constitution would give them guarantees of assuming these powers.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, I could not answer that question because the commission right now is dealing with that issue in terms of the constitution and the set-up of a political body. I would be predetermining what a commission out there is presently doing. I cannot do that.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Lewis, last supplementary.

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Would the Government Leader then be open to a proposal to refer this particular report "Strength at Two Levels," to the constitutional commission, to see if what is being proposed in this report will not be at variance with what the commission has found to date and where it seems to be heading in terms of providing the level of guarantee at the local level of the provision of Government Services.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, when the report was received it was distributed as soon as possible, at which time everyone, including the commission, has a copy. Thank you.

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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This has been a week filled with talk of restraint and gestures showing restraint. Earlier this week the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism was questioned about employees flying first class to Spain. I would like to ask the Government Leader: Will the

government issue a directive immediately requiring all employees to fly economy fare when trips must be taken on short notice and requiring the travel is planned, whenever possible, to take advantage of advance booked, reduced rate tickets?

The Speaker Michael Ballantyne

Madam Government Leader.