Thank you Madam Chair.
Under the Legislative Assembly, the various reports provided to the committee included a projected shortfall of $350,000, in the Legislative Assembly's budget, 1996/97. Much of the extra cost is related to committees meeting more often than was originally expected in the budget.
On the other hand, committee members noted that most of the reductions in contractual costs recommended during the business plan review process earlier this year, are being achieved, and that cuts to Members' compensation and pensions were also achieved, as planned. Final calculations of the actual savings and reductions to Members' pensions will be forthcoming from the administrators of the pension plan.
Committee Members also noted a concern regarding affirmative action levels among employees of the Legislative Assembly. Under the Affirmative Action Policy Review, in 1989, the government implemented the Affirmative Action Policy, which included a provision for the policy to be reviewed in 1994. A comprehensive review was undertaken in 1994/95. In June, the chairman of the Financial Management Board presented a draft report on the review of the Affirmative Action Policy to the standing committee. Committee members have previously expressed concerns about the policy. All noted that the policy did not work. That is, it did not raise levels of employment within the GNWT for affected groups significantly. Members noted that the problem was especially serious for professional and management positions.
The standing committee agreed that a broader approach is needed. Members suggested that a broad northern employment policy be developed. Such a policy would recognize that hiring practices are only one part of achieving a goal of a public service representative of the population that it serves. Education and career training are equally important issues that must be addressed in order to attain that goal, and a broader employment policy would include measures to deal with those issues.
The committee also agreed that such a policy would be more effective if more of the implementation was handled at the regional or community levels. Members suggested that one reason the policy has not been effective to date, is its top down nature.
The committee was disappointed that the draft report, rather than providing options and suggested courses of actions, merely seemed to ask more questions. The chairman of the FMB asked for direction from the committee, and following the June meeting, the standing committee presented its concerns to the chairman. Committee members expect to see a new draft of the policy review this fall.