Thank you. The committee wishes to know what the corporation will accomplish with the money put into its programs.

I move that the committee recommends that the N.W.T. Power Corporation report, as a minimum, the following performance measurements in the 1993-94 main estimates: the trend of average power costs per community; customer satisfaction; extent of local employment and expenditures, and; power outage statistics.

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

---Carried

Thank you. Mr. Antoine, does that conclude the report of the Standing Committee on Finance?

Yes, Mr. Chairman, that concludes it.

Thank you. Is it agreed that the Minister bring in witnesses? Agreed?

Agreed.

Sorry. Madam Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I was advised by the Standing Committee on Finance it would not be necessary to bring officials. However, if there are any questions I can answer, I will endeavour to do so.

Thank you. Are there any general comments? Detail? Mr. Koe.

Just a couple of points I would like to raise. I am sure the Minister, and all Members, are aware that when the Government of the Northwest Territories purchased the Power Corporation from the federal government there were many expectations of various things that would happen to benefit northerners. Key on the list, there was a great expectation that once this government would own the Power Corporation power rates would not be increasing as fast as they have been.

Another, was that there would be more decentralization of responsibilities and authorities, and more employment of local northerners. I am not so sure that all of these expectations have been realized. In some cases, I know they have not. It is an area that will be focused on, in terms of an audit, that has been requested by motion. Also, the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards, and Commissions will be looking at some of the activities related to the Power Corporation, in future assignments.

I just wanted to make those comments. Mahsi.

Thank you. Information item, N.W.T. Power Corporation. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will not be asking any questions, as opposed to making several comments, and maybe raising a couple of concerns that I am hoping the Minister will address. Mr. Chairman, I want to indicate that when he first had the motion for the audit come forward, I would have supported the motion. I think the idea of the audit is necessary. However, I do have a couple of other issues before we get on with concluding this particular item.

One, a more specific constituency issue, and that happens to be what is going to happen to the Aklavik plant? It is not clear yet. I do not necessarily need the answer today, as opposed to asking the Minister if she could have, at least, someone contact me as to what we intend to do.

Secondly, about a year ago I raised a concern with the former Minister about the increase in qualification that are being requested for plant supervisors, and area supervisors. There is still movement afoot, to move from stationary engineer, or those kinds of qualifications, into an engineering degree. I am concerned about that because what bothers me is, I have always been under the impression that those that have had 15 or 20 years experience in the system, know the system, and education does not necessarily mean being qualified as an engineer, or an engineering degree. It means that you can answer those questions, that most people who know and work in the plants understand and know about.

So, it still is a concern to me. The other thing is that it concerns me in that community people who have worked in the system, for many years are, in fact, going to be left out in the process. That may not have been the intention, but I can tell you that the facts are that people are being asked to leave jobs, and locations, because they do not meet the qualifications now being requested by the Power Corporation.

I think the suggestions in the requirements that are being requested are in some cases ludicrous, to say the least, and I think if the intention is to improve the quality of people, then my suggestion is at least train those that are on site now, so that they can manage the systems. I think it is wrong to not take care of those who have put in their time, and their efforts, bringing in new people from southern Canada, just to manage our system. I think we should take care of those who have made a commitment in the north first.

I will raise other concerns with the Minister, but those are just the two issues that I wanted the Minister to deal with. She does not have to deal with them now, Mr. Chairman, but I wanted to raise them now, and she can respond to me through a written ledger, or some information, if that is the way she wants to deal with the issue.

Thank you. Information item, Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Back to page 16-7 program summary. Total O and M, $4.49 million.

Agreed.

Thank you. Is the committee agreed that this item is concluded?

Agreed.

Thank you. Now what is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Thank you. The Department of the Executive. Government Leader.

Introductory Remarks, Department Of Executive

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to introduce the O and M budget for or the Department of the Executive, for the 1992-93 fiscal year, main estimates of $17.366 million are proposed, and this represents a decrease of 13.4 percent from the revised 1991-92 estimates. There are 149 permanent person years proposed in 1992-93, compared to 152.7 person years in the 1991-92 revised estimates.

Restraint reduction initiatives of $1.37 million, and 10.5 person years, have been included as the department's contribution to the government's restraint initiative. Of this reduction, $755,000. and 5.5 person years comes from headquarters.

One of the thrusts of this government has been to streamline the operation by removing layers of management. In this regard, we are eliminating one associate deputy minister in headquarters and all assistant regional directors plus associate support staff. All affected staff have either been redeployed within the government, or have opted to take advantage of the Work-Force Adjustment Program.

As Minister responsible for the status of women, it is my intention to help raise the profile in this area. The present directorate will be replaced by a special advisor on the status of women, who will report directly to the Minister. This position is about to be filled, and I would like to thank the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories for assisting in the process.

The proposed budget for regional council contribution is being reduced by $213,000, from $1.184 million in 1991-92, to $971,000 in 1992-93. In order to mitigate the effects of these reduction, the regional offices have offered to share support services, and assist in other ways such as travel coordination.

Other restraint initiatives include a 10 percent reduction in travel, yielding a $143,000, saving, and a reduction in the contribution to the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories of $150,000. A $52,000 reduction in the furniture and small equipment budget, general O and M reductions to the Audit Bureau and Bureau of Statistics of $100,000 and $25,000 respectively, and a one-time reduction to the Commissioner's Awards Program of $23,000.

In line with this government's initiative to rationalize and streamline, much emphasis has been directed towards reviewing government operations, decentralizing a number of departmental divisions and agencies, and assessing the most appropriate method of transferring responsibility to the communities. In order to facilitate this exercise, it has been necessary to dedicate resources to this undertaking.

New funding of $1.472 million, and 11 person years is being requested for the operational review, and the community transfer committees. It is anticipated that much of the work of these committees will be completed within the current fiscal year, and that the funding requirement on an ongoing basis will cease. Furthermore, significant savings are anticipated to result from the functional analysis being conducted by the Operation Review Committee.

Another major initiative, of the department has been the creation of a separate ministry of intergovernmental and aboriginal affairs to bring together all responsibilities related to the negotiations and implementations of land claims, political and constitutional development, division, self-government, and the development of strategies to advance and achieve N.W.T. interest in development of an Arctic Council. The Ministry was formed using the existing resources of intergovernmental affairs, aboriginal rights, and constitutional development, and the office of devolution.

In order to increase the profile of official languages and better coordinate the resources dedicated to this program, certain official languages responsibilities were transferred to the Department of the Executive, effective August 4, 1992.

This transfer is not reflected in the main estimates. It entails the transfer of five person years, and associated O and M, including one assistant deputy minister, and four support positions.

The official languages agreement information shown in the main estimates will be amended through a supplementary appropriation.

This 1992-93 budget submission was designed in an atmosphere of restraint, but it will enable the department to continue to fulfil its very diversified mandate. While the Executive is carrying incremental costs related to the restructuring of government, these are one-time costs only, and will result in significant savings over the longer term. Difficult decisions were necessary to streamline operations, and keep program impacts to a minimum.

Those are the opening statements for the Department of the Executive, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Dent.