Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, earlier this spring I released a supplemental report on the Creation of the Western Territory which identifies a number of the key transition costs related to the establishment of a new Western Territory. The report has been widely distributed and will soon be available on the GNWT website.
These costs include $10 million for staff retraining, $3.8 million for office space rationalization, $3.6 million/year for a Western Human Resource Development Strategy to build a representative public service and $500,000 to assist NWT bodies such as Sport North and the Status of Women Council in their preparations for division. As well, the report identifies the need for federal funding to cover both the transitional and incremental costs that will result from changes to western governance. The amount of these costs will be more clear as constitutional development proceeds.
As Members are aware, the Premier of the NWT has committed that no existing GNWT staff will be laid off as a result of division during the term of the current government. The $10 million identified in the report is intended to allow retraining of employees affected by the staffing adjustments needed to move to a smaller western headquarters.
We will use this funding to encourage and provide opportunities for any affected employees to pursue retraining if needed so that they can acquire specific skills required to fill vacancies in the new western government. Affected staff will be retained while awaiting a vacancy for which they are, or have become through retraining, qualified. The GNWT considers it very important to retain its experienced and skilled staff, and we are committed to treating staff fairly through the transition.
I would like to say a few words specifically about the new Human Resources Strategy included as part of the supplemental report, which I personally believe represents a very positive step in the creation of the Western Territory.
The Western Human Resource Development Strategy is designed to focus our efforts on the goal of a competent qualified public service which is representative of the public it serves by the year 2004. Over the past two decades, we have made considerable progress in developing a northern public service but we also know that there is more work to be done to reach our goals.
We know that partnerships and strategic alliances will be critical to our success. The strategy is designed to be flexible and leaves room for creativity in finding ways to meet unique local and regional as well as territorial-wide needs.
There will be opportunities for communities and regions to work with the GNWT to design specific initiatives tailored to their unique requirements. Groups such as aboriginal organizations, women's organizations, support for disabled persons associations, community governments, band councils, divisional school boards, Aurora College, and non-profit and private training organizations all have potential roles to play in support of the strategy. We will be consulting with these and other groups to develop partnerships and joint projects.
The effectiveness of the new western government will depend on the skill, knowledge and attitude of the public service. This plan would establish key building blocks on which an effective and representative workforce can be established and maintained.
I am very much looking forward to further discussions with western stakeholders and with DIAND, and to beginning the implementation of the strategy once funding has been secured. I strongly believe it will help us to build a better future for the residents of the Western Territory.
For the strategy to be successful, it will, of course, be important to ensure that it is adequately financed. As we did for Nunavut, we have proposed to the federal government that they provide incremental funding to support the strategy. A commitment of about $3.6 million/year over a six-year period has been proposed in the supplemental report on western transition costs. The report was sent to Minister Stewart requesting a meeting to discuss funding the costs identified. It is important to note that Minister Stewart had previously provided a verbal commitment that reasonable transition costs with respect to staff retraining and office space rationalization will be funded.
Since that time, Minister Stewart has indicated that she will be in a position to discuss the other important issues raised in the report this June. For the reasons I gave earlier, we are particularly interested in pursuing discussions with her with respect to the funding for the Human Resource Development Strategy.
I am looking forward to the upcoming discussions with Minister Stewart and will continue to keep Members informed of progress in securing commitments from the federal government to fund the transition costs identified in the report. Mahsi.
--Applause