Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Although committee Members noted some improvement in this department's budget presentation to the committee, serious concerns remain. Committee Members feel that the department's budget does not respond adequately to the needs of its clients. The department is, so far, apart from increases to treatment centre employees, unresponsive to direction from the Assembly and its committees. Furthermore, the committee believes that the department's management philosophy is characterized by reacting to circumstances, rather than providing leadership.
The committee has doubts about the ability of the department to take the lead in comprehensive new initiatives such as income security reform. We feel strongly that the Minister must assume responsibility for determining and priorizing the main initiatives of the department, and for developing a budget and a strategy which will allow those initiatives to be met.
Departmental Budgeting
A specific example of the committee's concerns was raised by the budget presented for the 1994-95 year by the Minister. The committee feels it is obvious that a department's budget should reflect the department's best estimate of funds that will be expended in the coming fiscal year. However, committee Members noted various examples throughout the budget where estimates for 1994-95 bear no obvious relation to actual figures for previous fiscal years.
In fact, the Minister informed the committee that they had provided increases of nearly $3 million, half for inflation and half for increased volume. However, the committee notes that this increase of $3 million didn't even bring the total up to what this year's actual figures will be. The department is not keeping up with demand and inflation. We do not understand how those assigned to deliver the programs of the department can adequately provide those services if the amounts budgeted continue to be unrealistic and unrelated to demand.
The committee appreciates that the department has a new deputy minister, and that the FMB is encouraging the department to provide better budgeting information. However, we would like to emphasize that we consider this a critical issue, particularly in view of the department's critical role in the future well-being of the citizens of the NWT, and it must be dealt with very quickly.
Recommendation 32
The committee recommends that the Financial Management Board Secretariat and the Department of Social Services develop a plan to improve the department's budgeting process, and respond to the committee with that plan by August 1, 1994.
Zero Tolerance For Violence
Committee Members noted that there has been no increase to grants and contributions in family violence prevention services, child sexual abuse programs and family counselling. These are areas where we expected to see funding increased in order to support the zero tolerance for violence position adopted in this Assembly. This should be a major priority of this government. These programs require funding support. If these programs are not tackled now, we are going to have extreme social problems in our communities in the next generation.
Family violence affects not only the victim, but also the offender and the families of each party. The impact is felt by the community as well. In addition to providing funds for community groups to address the problem of family violence, we need to provide appropriate training so that people can deal with these problems at the community level. The Department of Social Services must identify the training needs and ensure that an appropriate curriculum is developed to respond. Members expressed some concern that the current program at Arctic College may be more focused on processing and administration than on teaching people how to deal with human problems.
Committee Members feel that the government, in consultation with social agencies and special interest groups, must develop a range of options to address these major social problems. Different solutions are required for different situations. The old solutions are not working. We have to devise new and innovative community-based approaches.
Recommendation 33
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services work with the Department of Justice to develop and implement an action plan which supports the declaration against family violence. The committee further recommends that the Department of Social Services, in consultation with social agencies and special interest groups, develop a range of program options and training plans for family violence prevention services, child sexual abuse programs and family counselling. A preliminary report on the overall status of this initiative should be made available to the committee at least one week prior to its review of the 1995-96 capital budget.
Income Security Reform
As discussed under the Executive, the committee is impressed with the proposed income security reform package. However, we are concerned that the Department of Social Services may have difficulty playing the lead role in this initiative. In order for the income security reform programs to be at all effective, the leadership of the department must improve.
On the other hand, committee Members do not want to see the department wait for income security reform to happen before addressing other important issues. Income security reform should not be seen as a cure-all for the many social problems facing northerners today. Rather, the department must address the important issues now, as best it can, while it attempts to change and improve.
Partners In Youth
The partners in youth project being piloted in Edmonton was discussed under Education. We strongly recommend that the Department of Social Services participate with the departments of Education and Justice in implementing such a proposal in selected northern schools on a pilot basis. So many of the social problems in the north affect school age children; either directly, or indirectly through their situations at home. If these children have a single, central place they can go for help, their school, they are much more likely to ask for and receive the help they and their families might need.