Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have opening remarks. The Department of Executive provides overall management and direction to government so that the government and its partners can achieve acceptable results. Core business activities include support to the Premier, Executive Council and to the Ministers' offices, as well as coordinating the Government of the Northwest Territories' relations with other governments and the public.

For the year 2001-2002, the Department of Executive is seeking approval of a forced growth increase of $342,000 to meet the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement that was ratified by the UNW in December and a critical investment of $330,000 to fund aboriginal government participation in the Intergovernmental Forum. These investments will allow the department to continue its efforts to promote strong and effective public governments that will operate cooperatively to ensure a strong future for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Many initiatives of the department are already producing results such as those which promote a stronger public service and the work of the Intergovernmental Forum.

The first investment of $342,000 results from this government's efforts to recognize the importance of the people who work for this government. The provisions of the agreement reached with the UNW have been extended to all excluded and management group employees as well. The total investment of 6.4 percent in salary dollars over two years is significant when compared to current inflationary trends.

A second investment of $330,000 is the funding we are providing to aboriginal governments in order that they may participate in the Intergovernmental Forum or IGF. This increased funding requirement was identified in the business plan that the standing committee reviewed last fall.

Mr. Chairman, Better Governance Through Partnerships is a key component of the 14th Assembly's vision, Towards a Better Tomorrow. The Intergovernmental Forum, which has been established by the parties as a forum for the discussion of important initiatives such as devolution and resource revenue sharing, will allow partnerships to be forged and is critical to achieving our agenda.

The success of the Intergovernmental Forum depends on aboriginal government participation. This is recognized not only through this investment proposed by the Department of Executive, but also through the federal government's agreement to also provide support to the IGF in the amount of $670,000 per year. In essence, for every dollar this government spends on supporting aboriginal government participation in the IGF, the federal government will spend two dollars. Given the parties' commitment to this partnership, the funding the department is seeking in support of this initiative will allow this government to make a fair and reasonable contribution to this important process.

On December 1, 2000, the Government of the Northwest Territories and a majority of aboriginal leaders from across the Northwest Territories agreed to begin a formal process to determine how the transfer of authority over lands and resources, currently held by the federal government, will devolve to appropriate territorial and aboriginal governments.

Mr. Chairman, other than these two important investments in our future, the Department of Executive is presenting a budget consistent with the business plan reviewed by this committee. We have held the line on other operational spending and have added no new positions to the department's staff complement.

I would now be happy to answer any questions that you may have on the department's 2001-2002 main estimates submission.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Department of Executive is composed of three separate and distinct programs under the authority of their own Ministers: the Executive offices, the Financial Management Board Secretariat and Aboriginal Affairs. Corporate services supports all three programs of the department by providing budgetary, financial and administrative services. The Financial Management Board Secretariat and the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs submit their own business plans and main estimates for committee review.

The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development met to review the main estimates of the Executive offices, Department of Executive on January 16, 2001.

Business planning is crucial as a planning process and as a means to arrive at the budget figures presented in the main estimates. The only change in budgeting for the 2001/2002 fiscal year, since the business plan review, is an increase of $342,000 to meet the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement that was ratified by the UNW in December.

During the review of the 2001/2004 business plans, it came to the attention of the committee that the Executive offices planned to consolidate the Women's Advisory with the Office for the Status of Women in the 2002-2003 fiscal year. In its report, Review of the 2001/2004 Business Plans, the committee recommended this consolidation not occur and that the funds be reinstated in the 2002-2003 operations expenses for the department. The committee was pleased to learn that the department has decided not to proceed with the proposed consolidation.

In his opening remarks to the committee, the Premier stated, " On December 1, 2000 the GNWT and a majority of aboriginal leaders across the Northwest Territories agreed to begin a formal bilateral negotiating process to determine how the transfer of authority, currently held by the federal government, over lands and resources will devolve to appropriate territorial and aboriginal governments and to develop a position of resource revenue sharing."

The committee is pleased with this development but worries that the government may hold itself in limbo awaiting finalization of negotiations. While the focus is on devolution at the territorial level, opportunities for development at the regional and community level may be lost.

The committee requests an up-to-date status report on devolution and revenue sharing negotiations.

During the review of the 2001/2004 business plans in October, the committee requested that an events chart be developed to give members a perspective of what has to be done as the Northwest Territories moves towards devolution and revenue sharing. An events flow chart was circulated to members. However, the committee was surprised to hear that Cabinet has abandoned this chart as a planning tool and have not circulated it outside of Caucus. Departmental staff indicated that by suggesting target dates, aboriginal partners might feel that negotiations with the Government of the Northwest Territories are "precooked".

The committee is of the opinion that there are events that the government and other organizations have already agreed upon that could be put into a schedule. The committee is aware of legislation which is new or is under review that could easily be put in the events calendar. It is also well understood that our pursuit of devolution and resource revenue sharing requires a sequence of events to occur. It would be helpful for these events to be identified, not necessarily with a target date.

The committee hopes that Cabinet revisits its decision not to use an events chart as a planning tool. The committee empathizes with the difficulty in setting target dates when negotiations are involved. However, Members and the committees still would like to have targets and a sequence of events to assist them in their planning for the remaining term of this government.

That concludes the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development's committee report on the Department of the Executive. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have on my left the secretary to Cabinet, the deputy minister of the Executive, Liz Snider. On my right Carl Bird, director of finance and administration.