Mr. Chairman, in the monthly reports that are provided, we do indicate the number of people who are travelling with each round of negotiations. We could, but it would be a fair bit of work, break out the number of days and the amount of travel for each Member. That would be a lot of work, but if Members really want that I will do it. It will take a lot of people time to dig that all up. Typically the group of people you would have would be no more than three. Usually we have the smallest delegation at any of these negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of March 29th, 2004
This is page numbers 403 - 454 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will pause on that question for now. The Minister indicated quite often we bring lawyers to these things. Does the Department of Justice pick up that travel cost? Why does the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs pick up that cost if it's the ministry's cost? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, a decision was made a couple of years ago to hire two additional lawyers in Justice to deal with the negotiations. We have been picking up the travel cost for the services that are provided. Mr. Chairman, I believe this is fairly common for Justice to bill back to the departments their legal costs. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just find it an administrative anomaly. It could just be me, though. That's fine.
Just expanding a little further on the travel issue, which I will leave as a comment, I find it an exceptionally large travel budget for such a small department. It just seems perplexing at this stage why we have more than $750,000 in the travel money there. It just seems insane. I am still having a difficult time seeing the reduction. I have to admit when the Minister had indicated earlier that we took a three-year travel average of $700,000 and I still find growth in that, maybe it's just my eyes. Maybe I am not the only one. I will wait until I see that spreadsheet before I proceed. If the Minister is still committed to finding the breakout of the spreadsheet, we can deal with it later. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 433
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, you have to recognize that the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is a little different than a typical department in the government. We don't manage or administer programs in the same way. The business in the ministry is negotiations. So almost all
of our people in the department, with the exception of secretaries and a couple of admin people, are negotiators. They have to travel as part of their job in negotiating sessions. They are doing that on a regular basis. It's not a ministry that you could compare easily to another department that manages the program. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
My time is up, so I will release it for now in case someone wants the microphone.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
The Chair David Ramsay
We will go page 2-67, Aboriginal Affairs, operations expense, total operations expense, $8.463 million. Ms. Lee.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you. I understand the breakdown of other expenses have been stated already. A large part of that is on travel. Could I ask for information on what the remaining portion of that $1.6 million is?
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, we've already gone through the detail. If Ms. Lee wants, I can just give Ms. Lee the page rather than reading into Hansard a second time.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you. Maybe I should just ask questions. How much of it was for contract services under other expenses?
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned earlier, $485,000 is for contract services. Again, as I mentioned, this is for costing, modelling of self-government/devolution-related issues; strategic advice with regard to aboriginal issues; and so on. There are a number of contractual obligations or requirements that we have. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Are they all standing contract agreements or are they subject to renewal as of April 1st? Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Motion 10-15(3): Recommendation That Public Works And Services Adopt A Consistent Practice For Showing Compensation And Benefits Costs, Carried
Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, for example, if you take contract services for devolution, then there is $245,000 in 2004-05. That includes $100,000 for a negotiator, $50,000 for an individual who is doing some background research for us, and there's another $95,000 for two companies who are doing some other research and communications work for us. Thank you.