Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Madam Minister.
Debates of March 29th, 1993
Topics
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason why I said as soon as the budget is passed, is our staff has been busy during the sitting of the Legislative Assembly. There will not be any need for additional resources. Thank you.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, as I indicated in the budget for 1993-94, in the definitive objectives for work to be carried out, it does not say anything in this current budget to reflect the functional review. I realize the Minister indicated that she probably will not require additional funds to undertake this initiative. Is the Minister definitely going to undertake this comprehensive functional review as requested by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was one of the standing committee's recommendations that we are acting on. That is why it is not in the definitive objectives. I think it was with the Standing Committee on Finance during the review of the budget in the beginning of February. The budget had already gone to the printers.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, perhaps I can re-phrase my question, since the Minister does not understand what I am trying to say. The Auditor General's report identified that a functional review of the department is badly needed in order to establish a base for the mandate and operation of the various divisions within the Department of Health. We agreed with that particular observation, Mr. Chairman. We passed a recommendation to that effect. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts indicated, regardless of the fact that other planning activities may be under way at the departmental or Cabinet level, our committee recognized a need for the Department of Health to complete a functional analysis that was planned to take place before consolidation of Health and Social Services. This was to include a review of structure, processes and operation within the department. In her current year budget for 1993-94, there are certain objectives that are listed in her department. The department was aware that this functional review was going to be recommended by the Auditor General. Why did they not include it in their 1993-94 definitive objectives to undertake this review?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To be quite honest, I do not know. As you know, I was not the Minister at the time when the budget was prepared, so it is difficult for me to answer that. It was not under my direction.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, perhaps the Minister can refer that question to the departmental officials that are seated at both sides of her.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dave Kinloch, would you please respond to Mr. Zoe's question and see what the previous Minister's direction was?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Dr. Kinloch
Thank you, Madam Minister. Mr. Chairman, as I understand it, the question is, why was the functional review not included as a definitive objective in the 1993-94 main estimates? In part, Mr. Chairman, because the conducting of a functional review was a long overdue activity, one whose need has been foreseen more than a year ago, before the review of the Auditor General, that for reasons of operational work load and because of the announcement of an impending consolidation with the Department of Social Services, that exercise was put on hold. However, it appears there is no necessity whatever to withhold or hold back on conducting such a functional review pending such a consolidation. Therefore, we intend to proceed with it. The fact that it does not appear as a definitive objective does not mean it is not going to be done. Indeed, it is our intention to get on with it.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, I realize what the deputy minister is saying, nevertheless the department was aware this type of recommendation was coming forward by the Auditor General. Surely, the department could have added in a line within the definitive objectives to indicate to the House that they are anticipating this. It appears, in my view, that the department did not take the Auditor General's recommendation very seriously. The Auditor General discussed his recommendation with the department thoroughly. Surely, the department was aware of these types of comments that were going to come from the Auditor General's office. To me, it seems like the department did not take the Auditor General's office very seriously.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The response can be made when we make a response to the recommendations to the Auditor General's report and to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. As well, the OPPLAN was approved in July and August by FMB. We cannot change the definitive objectives. SCOF could have recommended that OPPLAN be changed.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, I am not going to belabour this point, but just to note that the Auditor General's office reviewed the department in 1991 and 1992. The findings were conveyed to the department. This was even before the OPPLAN in August. The report was finalized in late 1992, when it was reported to the Speaker and then later on tabled in the House, Mr. Chairman. Nevertheless, I wanted to make that particular point.
With regard to our report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, we passed a serious motion, motion one, which expressed the House's disapproval with regard to how the department made responses to the Auditor General's report. Mr. Chairman, this motion, in my view, is a motion of censure. Will the Minister make a commitment to address this matter with her departmental officials to ensure they understand the seriousness of the situation and implement measures for more appropriate responses to the committees of this House? Would the Minister make that commitment?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We definitely will be looking at the recommendations by standing committees and by this committee very seriously. Thank you.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, with regard to our report, I was concerned when I noted comments in the Auditor General's report, which indicated that departmental officials have not been able to make good use of information generated through health research projects in the Northwest Territories. I can see, Mr. Chairman, from the proceedings that were tabled in this House, that, when departmental officials appeared before the standing committee, they indicated that some research is carried out within the Department of Health. Is the Minister aware of whether there are policies which regulate internal research practices of the department or do departmental staff proceed with whatever activities they think are appropriate?