The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met with the Premier on January 13, 2003 to review the Department of the Executive's draft 2003-2004 Main Estimates.
The Department of the Executive is proposing an increase of $32,000 to its proposed operations expenses budget from the amount presented to Committee in September, when we reviewed the Business Plans for 2003-2006. The increase is due to an increase in the grant-in-kind lease for the NWT Native Women's Association.
Growth In Department
As the committee reviewed the department's proposed increase in operations expenditures, Members expressed concern about the ever-expanding resource allotment for non-service departments of the GNWT.
Members of the committee are particularly concerned that departments such as the Executive and the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, that do not deliver services to the public, have significantly increased their yearly budgets.
Prior to the division of the NWT and Nunavut, the Department of the Executive's budget was approximately $10 million, 1998-99 Main Estimates. The budget for 2003-2004 is projected to be almost $15 million, a growth of over 50 percent since the beginning of this Assembly. Post-division, one would expect that costs should have decreased, if anything. Members encourage the department to find ways to limit growth and address new priorities from within the department rather than continually increasing their annual budget.
Social Agenda - Support For NGOs
During the review of the 2003-2006 business plans the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight pointed out a lack of resources for implementation of the recommendations from the Social Agenda report.
Shortly afterwards the government tabled Doing 'Our Part - The Government's Response to the Social Agenda' in the Assembly. A subsequent briefing was provided to the committee outlining a proposed investment of $1.4 million for the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
The committee reviewed the intended investments and noted a planned expenditure of $170,000 for the Department of the Executive from the Social Agenda funding. A total of $50,000 was to be allotted for administration related to the implementation and communication of Social Agenda recommendations while the remaining $120,000 was to address a shortage of space available to the Status of Women Council of the NWT.
The committee sent a letter to the Premier outlining their support for the allocation of resources for the Social Agenda but also expressing concern that funds appeared to address long-standing concerns of departments rather than front-line actions. For that reason, the committee recommended that the need for additional funding by the Status of Women Council of the NWT be addressed within the department of the Executive's budget rather than under funding labelled as responding to the Social Agenda recommendations.
After reviewing the draft 2003-04 main estimates it appeared that the Department had chosen instead to cut the social agenda-related funding to $32,000. Then Members became aware that the Status of Women Council of the NWT had recently moved into new offices leased by the GNWT.
The Premier explained that the Status of Women Council of the NWT is actually a public agency, pursuant to legislation enacted by the legislature, and is therefore entitled to occupy government-owned or leased premises. The government decided to move the council office into space in the Northwest Tower. The department then provided an additional $32,000 in grant-in-kind funding to the Native Women's Association of the NWT to allow them to expand into the Status of Women Council's previous office space.
The standing committee is pleased to see that their concerns about labelling Social Agenda funding were at least partially addressed and that the subsequent decision adequately accommodated both women's organizations without incurring a significant increase in resources.
Restructuring Government
During the review of the business plans, the Premier informed the committee that as part of planning for transition to the 15th Assembly, a number of task teams of deputy ministers are looking at possible ways of restructuring and streamlining government services and departments. These task teams are referred to as the cost mitigation task teams. The Premier stated that a draft plan would be available in March 2003 that would contain their general and specific recommendations.
A subsequent briefing on the corporate review and transition planning project indicated that four Interim Reports would be made available to the committee in order that Regular Members would be able to review proposed changes and offer input. These reports were to be provided in November 2002 and February, June and September 2003.
During the review of the main estimates however, the Premier indicated that a draft report would not be made available until May/June of this year. Members are concerned that this leaves little time for them to have adequate knowledge of and input to the proposed changes for the new government of the 15th Legislative Assembly.
A letter was sent to the Premier requesting confirmation that the interim reports will be provided as initially indicated during the review of the business plans.
Executive Director For Beaufort-Delta
Regular Members noted that a new executive director position for the Beaufort-Delta had been created. The Premier stated that this was a commitment he had made during a conference in the Beaufort-Delta to assist in regional co-ordination in preparation for the implementation of a final self-government agreement.
Members asked when other regions participating in self-government negotiations would be entitled to similar positions within their own regions. The Premier advised the committee that as other groups progress in their negotiations that the government will consider adding positions as they become necessary.
During the review of the main estimates members asked for and received a copy of the job description for the position. Members also became aware that this new regional office was being implemented on a one-year term basis and the effectiveness of the new division would be evaluated before permanent status would be given.
Members are interested in knowing more about the evaluation process and potential measuring sticks to be used to gauge effectiveness of the office. Members are somewhat concerned, as well, by the short period of time that the director has to prove the division's usefulness to the region and department.