Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To continue, the public accounts report talked about some issues regarding operations in the Department of Finance, in terms of roles and responsibilities. Committee report 13-12(2) stressed the need for a full review of roles played by senior managers in terms of the responsibility for government-wide financial management.
Specifically, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts stated, "Governments should strengthen the roles and responsibilities of the deputy minister of Finance and the Comptroller General. The role of the Comptroller General should be made more independent of Finance, and the accountability of the incumbent should be spelled out more clearly. Both the deputy minister and the Comptroller General, should become more active when dealing with spending problems, and they should ensure that all departments obtain value for money."
This recommendation was carried as a committee motion in the Legislative Assembly on June 25, 1992. However, the standing committee was concerned that government response in this area has been slow. At the August 10 public hearing the Deputy Minister of Finance indicated, "I can advise you that the concerns of the committee have been, and are being, considered by the political level of the government, and that no decision has been taken as of yet. I can advise you, simply, that it is at the political level."
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts reiterates that it is important to see these roles, and responsibilities clarified and restructured to deal more effectively with the financial restraint required in our current fiscal environment.
The committee will continue to pursue this issue actively and urges the government to complete its political level review of this matter, at the earliest possible opportunity.
The government will be held accountable for its decisions in this area, based on whether it is able to structure responsibilities within the Department of Finance, in a manner which ensures a more efficient and effective management of public funds.
I would like to talk about the earlier access to unaudited financial statements. Throughout its public review process the Standing Committee on Public Accounts has been eager to access some indication of the government's financial position, prior to the tabling of the unaudited financial statements on September 30 of each year.
To this end, the committee has reviewed the schedule used by the Department of Finance, in preparing financial statements and public accounts. Discussions were held with finance officers with respect to acquiring summary information, in advance of the date required in the Financial Administration Act. These discussions are continuing and will be reported on at some time in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about legal aid. A number of problems were identified in the Auditor General's report with respect to program costs, and information systems within the legal aid operation of this government. The standing committee is aware that these problems are not unique to the Government of the Northwest Territories, but is concerned with the high cost of this essential program.
In seeking a solution, the standing committee noted that a number of studies and plans have already been completed at departmental request. While each of these make contributions to resolving the current financial situation, the standing committee felt strongly that there should be a single document which synthesizes the various viewpoints and provides a clear basis for planning.
The Department of Justice has provided the standing committee with a copy of its Legal Aid Action Plan which accomplishes that function. The standing committee has now reviewed that document, and has found that many of the needs outlined in the June committee report are addressed in the department's current action planning.
A note about adequate information systems. In Committee Report 13-12(2), the Standing Committee on Public Accounts made a number of recommendations, including the development of adequate information systems within the Department of Justice and the Legal Services Board. Members have been somewhat disappointed with the apparent slow progress made in this regard.
The standing committee noted that although the Legal Aid Action Plan does contain some discussion about the need for computerized information retrieval, no specific time lines have been established. It appears as though the development of the information system has been delayed as a result of difficulties encountered in recruiting for the vacant Executive Director position with the Legal Services Board.
While the standing committee has realized that input from this senior position would be beneficial in the development of a proposed information system, members wish to reinforce the earlier recommendation that these systems should be developed at the earliest possible date.
Should it not be possible to recruit an executive director within the immediate term, the department should find a strategy to nevertheless proceed with the project, without further delay.
A note about eligibility criteria, and a means test. The Auditor General's report raised questions about client eligibility, and cost recovery. Eligibility criteria for accessing legal aid, and an means test to help determine how much individual clients can afford to pay for legal aid services were considered necessary. In reviewing the departments legal aid action plan, the standing committee was pleased to note that this issue was being addressed, and that the department itself had also recognized that. The criteria for receiving legal aid is very weak, and a great deal of discretion is applied. Due to other priorities, collection is not followed up as tightly as it should be, especially for civil matters where there is a delay in settlement.
Within the plan, recommendations are included for the development and implementation of strict guidelines, perhaps by way of a regulation to deal with these issues. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts wishes to urge the department to proceed with the development of these guidelines without delay. The standing committee will continue to follow up on this issue from the perspective of the government's public accounts, and we will be seeking to review the department's action on this issue in the months to follow.
Comments about the Code of Rights. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts continues to be concerned about the fact that many residents of the Northwest Territories are not aware of their rights and obligations within the legal aid system. In committee report 13-12(2), the standing committee recommended that a simply worded Code of Rights should be drawn up and be translated into all official languages. No progress has been made on this direction to date. The standing committee is still of the opinion that it is in the public interest to provide a single document which outlines what a legal aid recipient can expect with regard to confidentiality, quality of services, recourse to appeal decisions of the Executive Director, and so on.
Indeed, it might also be advisable to indicate the obligations which perspective clients have to the system, including the responsibility to provide correct information to legal aid officials, and so on. The Department of Justice and the Legal Services Board should proceed immediately with the preparation of this document, and should be mindful that the Standing Committee will follow up on the matter at subsequent review meetings.
Motion To Receive And Adopt Committee Report 19-12(2)
Mr. Speaker, that is the end of the report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report be received and adopted by this Assembly.