Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The activity structure of the Legislative Assembly establishes the accountability framework for the Office of the Legislative Assembly. The program delivered by the Office of the Legislative Assembly is divided into five ongoing activities: Office of the Speaker, Office of the Clerk, expenditures on behalf of Members, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner of Official Languages. The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Commissioner and Conflict of Interest Commissioner are included in the Office of the Clerk.
At the time the 1999-2002 business plans and the 1999-2000 main estimates for the Legislative Assembly were being developed, the number of Members in the 14th Assembly was undetermined. The business plan utilized a 17 Member Assembly for its projections and the main estimates were developed on the basis of a 14 seat Assembly. With the formation of two new Territories, there will be a reduction in the overall operations and maintenance. The amount of this decrease is difficult to forecast, as the number of seats in the Assembly has not been finalized. The recent Conflict of Interest Inquiry has been concluded. All parties had until December 15, 1998 to submit their invoices. The financial details of the Conflict of Interest Inquiry have been covered in the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 5, 1998-99.
A review of the Legislative Assembly in regard to Year 2000 compliance has been completed. The review concluded that neither performance nor functionality would be affected by dates before, during and after the year 2000. The review further indicated that the telephone system must be replaced; the cost of which is $56,000. Recabling will result in one outlet handling all electronic linkages and allow for video-conferencing. The total funding for this project is $230,000 which will be spent over the years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000.
The Assembly is following the government policy of no more layoffs until further notice. It is difficult to predict precise staffing requirements as the number of Members in the Assembly has not been finalized. The eventual committee structure and the workload of Members are also undetermined. This may result in either an increase or a decrease in the number of staff. In the review of the main estimates, committee Members requested that the Legislative Assembly try to hire aboriginal individuals to fill summer student positions.
Members noted that there was a lack of measurable indicators in the presentation of the business plans. In order to have a fair and consistent evaluation there must be discernible performance measures for Assembly goals and strategies. Without these measurements, it may be difficult for future Assemblies to evaluate progress. However, staff noted that it is difficult to establish measures as the political landscape changes frequently and the Legislative Assembly must be flexible to accommodate this.
During the review of the Main Estimates, the Members were informed that the Speaker has plans for an arts policy to be developed for the Legislative Assembly. This would enable outstanding works of art from the new Northwest Territories to be exhibited in the building. The committee expressed support for the policy but suggested cultural activities, such as drumming, should also be included.
A Youth Parliament Program has been started at the Legislative Assembly. The first program, with Yellowknife students, will be held in April. The second program, with students from throughout the Northwest Territories, will be held in May. The staff are also working on an Elders Parliament. This will be the first program of its kind in Canada.
Not included in the Main Estimates are amounts for the purchase of video-conferencing units. The Assembly will be requesting money to purchase one portable and one stationary unit. This initiative will be a joint venture with the Departments of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Health and Social Services, and the Financial Management Board Secretariat. The stationary unit will be located in the Assembly building.
The Official Languages Act of the Northwest Territories has provisions for mandatory review every ten years. According to the Act, the Legislative Assembly or a committee designated or established by the Legislative Assembly, shall review the provisions and operations of the Official Languages Act. This review is to be done at the next session following December 31, 2000. Presently the Languages Commissioner presents her business plans and Main Estimates directly to the committee. The budget for this office falls under that of the Speaker. The committee questions the rationale as to why the Languages Commissioner presents her business plans and Main Estimates to the committee and not to the Speaker. The committee felt that this protocol should be reviewed in the near future. Mr. Chairman, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee of Government Operations on the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.