Thank you. Mr. Minister. Mr.
Lovely.
Debates of May 15th, 1996
Topics
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Lovely
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an issue that generates a lot of controversy amongst my colleagues when we talk about the extent to which they'll have flexibility when it comes to the way that they use their money. We feel that the strongest mechanism that we can institute to get positive cost benefits is holding each deputy minister accountable for bottom-line management, and making sure that every expenditure they make, whether it's in the area of buying fuel for their vehicle, renting a vehicle to drive to Rae or from Fort Smith to Hay River, putting out a publication to promote better understanding of programs and services, or to attract tourism to the Northwest Territories. The best way to deal with that is to deal with it from the point of view of assessing the results that we get from the expenditures that are made.
The move towards user-pay is, in many ways, a move towards the empowerment of government departments who, for many years, have been restricted by central agencies like the Financial Management Board Secretariat and Public Works and Services, who have put a lot of roadblocks in their way and made it more difficult for them to get their jobs done. Many of the problems that we experience are because
of the fact that we have too many rules and regulations and we haven't held our managers accountable for the bottom line. That's really a big change that we expect to see as we move ahead on this user-pay initiative and, ultimately, towards community empowerment. Monitoring of those results is going to be critical, I think, to determining whether it's going to work.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Supply services, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, $6.848 million. Agreed?
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Operations
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Page 7-19, operations, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, $1.026 million. Mr. Roland.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a comment on this; with the privatization of different programs within this department, is this another area where the department can realize savings once it privatizes vehicles and equipment, supply services and so on. Is this an area that can be targeted for savings possibly?
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South
Mr. Chairman, this is an activity that has undergone some changes already. There has been a reduction in PYs in this area and there have already been some savings. I cannot say right now what the forecast would be for next year.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Operations, total operations and maintenance, $1.026 million. Agreed?
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Systems And Communications
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Page 7-20, systems and communications, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, $2.374 million. Mr. Miltenberger.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate whether this ... (inaudible) ... systems and communications is going to be involved in that GNWT informatics strategy, where you're trying to integrate the systems and update them to bring us into the 21st century?
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 393
Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South
Mr. Chairman, this activity is involved in the planning for it, but it is also the division that is slated to be privatized.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Total operations and maintenance, $2.374 million. Agreed?
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Page 7-21, detail of capital, systems and communications, equipment acquisition, headquarters, total region, $140,000.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Total equipment acquisition, $140,000.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Total activity, $140,000.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Petroleum Products
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. On page 7-23, detail of capital, petroleum products, buildings and works. Mr. Steen.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 394
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my question is with regard to something that was brought up earlier by other Members. I would like to ask the Minister why the Western Arctic fuel delivery contract and the Keewatin delivery contract are for three years, while the department is suggesting a 10-year contract for the Baffin region.
Committee Motion 15-13(3): To Suspend Application Of The Business Incentive Policy
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 15th, 1996
Page 394
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Minister.