Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw Members' attention to the graphic under capital expenditures. Note that since 1996-1997, there has been a marked decrease in the percentage of the Government of the Northwest Territories' monies being spent on capital items.
Capital Expenditures
Mr. Speaker, it was brought to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight's attention that there seemed to be an increase in the percentage of funds being used to increase and sustain bureaucracy.
It is the opinion of the committee that these funds could be better spent on infrastructure or other essential programs or services for the people of the Northwest Territories. By drastically cutting capital expenditures for projects and maintenance we have only postponed the inevitable. Decreases in capital expenditures may get us through our present cash crisis, but in the long term we are just getting behind -- not keeping up with necessary repairs and replacement. Deferring the inevitable cost for building and maintaining our infrastructure will only result in the problem being compounded in the future.
As indicated earlier, since 1996-1997, there has been a marked decrease in the percentage of the Government of the Northwest Territories monies spent on capital items. The committee is of the opinion that reductions in capital expenditures must stop before the state of government infrastructure reaches a crisis level.
Informatics
Mr. Speaker, throughout government, an informatics strategy exercise is underway. This undertaking has been long-drawn-out and has produced little results. Each department is carrying out their own review of informatics in addition to a government-wide review.
Members expressed concern with respect to the methodology employed in the review. Individual departmental and government-wide reviews require a great deal of resources. It is important that the informatics strategy be updated and implemented to allow for increased efficiency in the workplace. There are people doing manual work that should be handled by computers. Perhaps it is time for a more efficient and cost effective approach for the management of informatics within government to be explored.
Program and Functional Review
Measuring the effectiveness of government programs and functions is an ongoing need, particularly in the era of fiscal restraint. Programs must be justifiable. The committee had expected that the long-awaited program and functional review would supply direction in regard to government programs and functions and the identification of programs that are duplicated or unneeded. However, indications are that the government's senior management task team, which was responsible for this review, has made little progress.