Mr. Todd, what was that, I was counting the Members. What was that? Proceed, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have no general comments for the Department of Finance. We have a number of small motions that we would like to pass, then we can get on to general comments and line by line, if we can, Mr. Chairman.

Proceed, Mr. Todd.

Thank you. I was curious, Mr. Chairman, I wondered when the former department was up, when there was some morse code going on between the red lights, we should vote for this, vote for that.

One of the concerns expressed by the Standing Committee on Finance, and not only with the financial department, but with other departments, was the managing for results system. The last Legislative Assembly approved two motions to integrate the management for results system with the main estimates process and human resource management system, and to engage the necessary expertise to evaluate the reasons why the M.R.S. has not yet been successfully implemented and take the necessary corrective action.

The government has agreed with both of these motions, however, they are not shown as objectives in the 1992-93 Main Estimates.

Therefore I move that the committee recommends that the Department of Finance list the following objectives in their 1993-94 Main Estimates.

1. To work with the Department of Personnel and develop a government wide human resource management system, complementary to the management for results system and its implementation;

2. To integrate the management for results system with the main estimates process, and;

3. To take the necessary corrective action to successfully implement the management for results system throughout the government.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Proceed, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the concerns expressed by the Standing Committee on Finance, not only with the Department of Finance, but with other departments, was in the computerization of government.

It seems to us that there is an enormous duplication of effort and as they say, the left hand did not seem to know what the right hand was doing. The committee is pleased to see that the Department of Finance is coordinating the development of a government wide informatics strategy. However, concern was expressed that the Department of Government Services, system and computer services division, seemed uninvolved. Further, that costs seemed to have gone out of control.

When we were going through department by department, there were enormous expenditures in computers in all the departments. It appeared to us that there was not an integrated approach to the thing. Clearly there is a need for a review. For example, the user costs for the government's financial information system has increased dramatically, and departments reported that they are not getting the information that they require to properly manage. There must be some control on the cost increases. There must be an integration of the systems and it must be more effective.

Therefore I move that the committee recommends that the Department of Finance prompt greater involvement of the systems and computer division in the development of an informatics strategy. Further, the Department of Finance should include an objective in the 1993-94 Main Estimates to review the cost efficiency of computer systems, integration and whether there are any abuses.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Proceed, Mr. Todd.

On the boards and agencies liaison team, I could not even figure out what the heck this team did. Under the Department of Finance, there is a board and agencies liaison team, the committee believes that the further need for the board and agencies team has not been demonstrated.

Thank you. Mr. Todd. Your motion is respectively in order. To the motion. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Continue, Mr. Todd.

As with all other departments, there is a clear requirement for measuring output and the effect. The committee wishes to know what the department is going to accomplish with the money put into the finance programs.

Therefore I move that the committee recommends that the Department of Finance report as a minimum, the following performance measurements in the 1993-94 Main Estimates:

1. An indicator of level of satisfaction of departments and agencies with the Finance Departments support;

2. Success of accessing new resources of revenue and capital;

3. Success of managing for results on a government wide basis, including results of program evaluations; and,

4. The production of timely and accurate financial statements and forecasts.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Todd.

No, Mr. Chairman, I have no further motions. If we may, I would like to proceed with the general comments, and then line by line.

Department of Finance, general comments? Line by line, page by page, thank you. We are on page 4-8. Department of Finance, activity summary, directorate, total O and M of $2.306 million. Mr. Todd.

Could we ask the Minister responsible to sit in the witness chair and bring along her witnesses?

Thank you. Can we have the concurrence of the committee to have Madam Minister bring in her witnesses.

Agreed.

Thank you. Proceed, Madam Minister. Madam Premier, for the record would you introduce the witnesses to the committee?

Department Of Finance

Mr. Chairman, we have the Secretary to the Financial Management Board, Lew Voytilla, and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Eric Nielsen.

We are on the directorate, total O and M of $2.306 million. Agreed?

Agreed.