Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met on Wednesday, May 24th, 2000 to review the 2000-2003 business plan and the 2000-2001 main estimates for 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.

Goals, Strategies, Outcomes and Outcome Measures

The committee expressed to the Speaker their dissatisfaction with the lack of clearly defined outcomes and outcome measures in the Legislative Assembly's business plan. Upon the committee's request, more defined outcome measures have subsequently been supplied.

Affirmative Action Statistics

As in the case for the whole Government of the Northwest Territories, the committee was dissatisfied with progress made by the Legislative Assembly in the area of affirmative action. Every government department should be striving to achieve a workforce that is representative of the population it serves. The Legislative Assembly does not appear to be doing this. Committee members felt that the Legislative Assembly should be setting an example for the rest of government in attempting to achieve a more representative workforce. The committee encourages the Legislative Assembly to set targets in regard to affirmative action representation and implement programs to achieve these targets.

Official Languages

The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight noted that the Official Languages Commissioner did not submit a business plan to the committee for review. The committee is gravely concerned with the lack of a co-ordinated approach taken by the Government of the Northwest Territories in regard to our official languages. The lack of a co-ordinated effort and attention of our government places the future of aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories in jeopardy.

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 operation of the Official Languages Act. This review is to be done at the next session following December 31st, 2000. The Members look forward to this review. This concludes the committee's report on this department. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.