Mr. Speaker, I have a final return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell, on December 8, regarding division secretariat established by Cabinet.
Mr. Speaker, the Division Review Committee has been formed to deal with administrative and organizational matters pertaining to division.
The committee is chaired by the secretary to Cabinet, membership includes: the principal secretary; the deputy ministers of Education, Culture and Employment; Justice, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs; Public Works and Services; Financial Management Board; Municipal and Community Affairs; Finance; Personnel, assistant deputy minister; Renewable Resources; NWT Housing Corporation; regional director, Kitikmeot; and, regional director, Inuvik.
Three subcommittees have been formed to deal with the work-load. One, infrastructure, chairman, deputy minister of Public Works and Services. Two, subcommittee, education/training/human resource planning, chairman, deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Three, finance/fiscal/agreements, chairman, deputy minister of Finance. All deputy ministers can attend meetings.
The division review committee's mandate is to develop and make recommendations to Cabinet on operational and administrative matters relating to division, provide technical analysis and gather information on the operations of two new territorial governments, and serve as the primary contact point between Canada, Nunavut Tunngavik and the GNWT at the bureaucratic level.
The secretariat consists of two staff who are being funded from internal resources. Costs have been kept to a minimum with departments providing expertise in specific areas. No decisions have been made on the size, shape or organization of the secretariat until caucus and the Legislative Assembly have determined how they will address division issues.