Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two returns to oral questions. One asked by Mr. Ootes and one by Mr. Krutko on October 3 and 4 with respect to position reductions and layoffs. A number of questions have been asked in the past regarding position reductions and layoffs within the GNWT as a result of the Deficit Recovery Plan. In the fiscal year 1996/97, to date there has been an overall reduction of 345 positions. This figure includes positions reduced debt, pardon me, includes position reductions made by all government departments, divisional boards of education and colleges, but does not include position reductions made by health boards. Information on health board reductions is being gathered, and I will update this figure when the information becomes available.
Every effort has been made within the government to minimize the impact of the budget reductions on employees by wherever possible eliminating positions that are vacant or redeploying staff.
As a result of these efforts in 1996/97 to date, a total of 207 GNWT employees have been laid off, of whom 22 have been rehired and redeployed. We do anticipate further position reductions and possible layoffs in 1997/98 as we implement year two of our Deficit Recovery Plan.
Departments are finalizing business plans for next year, and are in the early stages of preparing the 1997/98 budgets. However, we will not know the full extent of potential reductions; that will be Main Estimates tabled in the House next January.