Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We would like to deal with Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95, specifically the Department of the Legislative Assembly, followed by the Power Corporation. If we're able to complete those two items, perhaps we can do Bill 9, Bill 11 and Bill 12. Thank you.

Agreed.

---Agreed

(Microphone turned off)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the proposed budget of the Legislative Assembly before you today has been prepared with the importance of accountability, restraint and efficiency in mind. The Management and Services Board feels that the Legislative Assembly budget has to be prepared and presented to do what Members and the Standing Committee on Finance are constantly asking the Executive and departments to do, which is to expend funds in the most efficient manner.

Mr. Chairman, the budget before you today is presented differently than previous years. To ensure accountability and to enable us to measure performance and to provide value for money, the budget has been broken down to the five activities of:

- Office of the Speaker

- Office of the Clerk

- Expenditures on behalf of Members - Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

- Commissioner of Official Languages

The overall budget of the Assembly is reduced by 14 per cent with a 25 per cent reduction in other O and M and an increase of six per cent in salaries and wages. Mr. Chairman, as indicated last year by my predecessor, Mr. Ballantyne, the estimates presented represented operations out of two facilities. We have now been in the new building for seven months, and, due to the timing to submit our estimates to the FMB, we were required to forecast a number of items that were directly related to the running of this facility. I have to advise committee of the whole that a number of items contained in the budget before you today were estimated, as a number of contracts were not in place. The main area for this is under the task facilities management, and, when all contracts have been awarded, we will be coming forward with a supplementary request in 1994-95 to reflect the actual costs. As you are aware, the Management and Services Board recommends that there be a zero increase to all indemnities for the next fiscal year, and, in fact, Mr. Chairman, Bill 8 to give effect to the zero increase, has been given assent.

On the question of personnel management within the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to report that the Clerk's office is undertaking a number of initiatives to review the present staff complement with a view to implementing cost-saving measures but still ensuring there is no reduction in the level of service provided to Members and to the general public. At the same time the estimates were prepared, Mr. Chairman, what is being perceived as would be required to operate this facility will be different as we see how the operation unfolds. I am confident that we will be able to come in with a negative supp in person years due to initiatives such as half-time positions, educational leave and other areas that are of benefit, not only to the organization, but to our employees. As of January this year, of the 33 staff, 16 are under affirmative action classification which is 48.5 per cent. I have instructed the Clerk to increase and continue to apply this policy in future hires for the Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Chairman, I would now like to indicate a number of areas that are not reflected in this budget but have been subsequently approved by the Management and Services Board and will be coming before the House during the next fiscal year. An important element is public education, not only to visitors to the building, but in the education of our youth in schools and at colleges on our system of government. There is a component in the curriculum on the Legislative Assembly and government under the civics program of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, but this does not reflect the current situation as it has not been updated for a number of years. An education program is in its final stages of being developed and will be piloted in Yellowknife and a couple of communities in the north. I have written to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment seeking his department's support in this important initiative.

Mr. Chairman, there is another area of the budget that has caused some confusion and concern, that being the office of the Languages Commissioner. You will note that there is an increase in this task due to the number of legal opinions the Languages Commissioner feels have to be undertaken. The position of Languages Commissioner, according to the Official Languages Act, reports to the Legislative Assembly. The reporting relationship for the Languages Commissioner has never been established and she noted that in her annual report to the Assembly. If the Languages Commissioner's office is to continue to function, then there need to be clear reporting guidelines and accountability. The Management and Services Board will be looking at this over the next few months, and I note that the Assembly has referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions.

Mr. Chairman, before concluding, I am also pleased to advise that her majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be visiting the Northwest Territories in August. The tentative plans are for their majesties to visit Yellowknife to dedicate our Chamber and to participate in a cultural gathering of western aboriginal peoples. They will also visit Rankin Inlet as an historic recognition of Nunavut and depart Canada from Iqaluit. The Management and Services Board and the Cabinet agreed to extend the invitation to Her Majesty on the condition that the Secretary of State cover the majority of the costs. However, there will be a cost associated with this, but I can assure you that it will be kept to a minimum and full details will be provided when we bring forward the budget for approval later this year.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening remarks and I would be prepared to entertain any questions of an overall nature or specific detail. I also ask the committee for concurrence to allow Mr. Hamilton, the Clerk of the Assembly, into the Chamber at the witness table. Thank you.

---Applause

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the Legislative Assembly and on the Commission of Official Languages, in her opening remarks to the committee, the Speaker noted that there is some confusion and concern regarding the reporting relationship between the Languages Commissioner and the Legislative Assembly. This relationship has never been clearly established, and the Languages Commissioner noted this fact in her annual report to the Legislative Assembly.

Recommendation 24

The committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly establish an overall reporting relationship for the Languages Commissioner such that overall reporting is to the Assembly and financial reporting is through the Standing Committee on Finance. The committee further recommends that, in future, the Languages Commissioner should appear before the Standing Committee on Finance to defend her budget.

Education Program

The Speaker outlined, for the committee, the education program which is in the final stages of being developed. This program provides for public education for visitors to the Legislative Assembly, and also for our youth in schools and colleges to learn about our system of government. The committee would like to see sufficient resources allocated to the education program to allow the Speaker to introduce it in a number of communities throughout the territories.

Pages Program

Committee Members support the pages program that is currently being developed in the Clerk's office. The purpose of this program is to encourage MLAs to recruit more students from across the territories to serve as pages in the Legislative Assembly and become more aware of the political process.

Recommendation 25

The committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly complete the development of the pages' program and ensure that sufficient resources are allocated so that the program can be successfully implemented.

That, Mr. Chairman, concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Finance. I would like to make motions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I move that the committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly establish an overall reporting relationship for the Languages Commissioner such that overall reporting is to the Assembly and financial reporting is to the Standing Committee on Finance. The committee further recommends that, in future, the Language Commissioner should appear before the Standing Committee on Finance to defend her budget. Mahsi, Mr. Chairman.

Question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly complete the development of the pages' program and ensure that sufficient resources are allocated so that the program can be successfully implemented. Mahsi.

Question.

Agreed.

---Agreed

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