Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present the 1994-95 budget for the Department of Personnel.
In May 1993, Cabinet approved a reorganization of the department. Many of the department's programs were transferred to the Financial Management Board Secretariat. Personnel retained staffing, work-force adjustment and staff housing.
Personnel's responsibilities for staff housing will be transferred to the NWT Housing Corporation as part of the government's plan to have all housing programs administered by a single organization.
The department recruits for all public service positions except those in the NWT Housing Corporation, Workers' Compensation Board, health boards and teaching positions in school boards. For these organizations, our role is to develop procedures, provide guidance and advice and conduct operational reviews of staffing operations.
Within the staffing program, Personnel ensures the consistent application of the affirmative action policy.
Personnel's role in staffing is complex and crucial. They have to make sure all members of selection committees understand and follow the rules. Personnel officers encourage departments to involve community and regional groups in the selection process. This is especially important when the candidate will be required to work closely with these organizations.
Personnel officers do not make staffing decisions on their own. While they chair the selection committee, decisions are made by consensus. These decisions can be appealed.
During 1993, 1,449 job offers were made; there were 78 appeals. Only 16 resulted in job offers being withdrawn.
The department is also responsible for administering the work-force adjustment program. This program provides benefits for those employees affected by government initiatives such as decentralization, privatization, consolidation and community transfers. Those employees who lose their jobs because of these initiatives can choose from several benefit options which include staffing priority, extra severance pay, retraining programs and educational leave opportunities.
During 1993, 58 employees were affected by work-force adjustment: 27 of them found other GNWT positions; one employee is on educational leave; 24 took severance payments; and, six have not chosen a benefit at this time.
With the exception of educational assistance which is paid by Personnel, funding for these benefits is the responsibility of individual departments.
Under the staff housing program, the department allocates units to staff who require accommodation. In addition, Personnel continues to assist in the implementation of the long-term staff housing strategy. Last year, a new rental scale was implemented and employees were given an opportunity to purchase staff housing.
At the end of January 1994, we had sold 106 houses. These sales produced over $9 million of additional revenue.
User-pay electricity was also introduced last August with the result that employees now have an incentive to reduce their power costs.
Rents will continue to be based on the Yellowknife or local market rates, which have not changed since last year.
Some employees will pay more. Effective August 1, 1994, employees who are paying less than market rent will see their rents increase by either 15 per cent or to the market rate, whichever is less. This approach is being taken in accordance with the Assembly's request for significant increases to be phased in over three years.
Explanations of these changes will be communicated to employees next month, well ahead of the implementation plan.
In January, employees living in government-owned staff housing in level II and III communities were given another opportunity to purchase their units. Where the unit is a row house or other multi-family building, all of the tenants in the building will be allowed to purchase it as a group. Previously, only single detached and duplex units were offered for sale. I expect that this latest offer to sell more units will be well received by our staff.
The situation is slightly different in Inuvik. When Inuvik was declared a level I community for housing purposes, all government-owned detached housing units were offered to employee tenants. Those that did not sell are being sold to the public through the local real estate agency. Blocks of row housing are being sold by public tender.
After we have heard from the employees, the department will review the staff housing inventory in each community to determine if any units can be declared surplus to our staff needs. Wherever there are surplus units, and before any decision is made to dispose of them, the MLA for the community will be consulted.
Mr. Chairman, I believe in leading by example.
Affirmative action statistics for the Department of Personnel show that:
- 50 per cent of our employees are aboriginal;
- An additional 14 per cent are indigenous northerners;
- 50 per cent of our managers are aboriginal; and,
- 50 per cent of our managers are female.
With statistics like these, I believe we are demonstrating that affirmative action and giving preference to northern candidates is working. However, there is always room for improvement.
Personnel is not a large department. It is small and very busy. The budget is $4.5 million with 40 PYs. However, it plays a very crucial role in helping the government achieve its goal to recruit a home-grown public service.
I look forward to hearing general comments from Members and will try to answer any questions about my department. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.