Page 2-138, an information item, work performed on behalf of others. Are there any questions on this? No questions.

Okay, members. Please turn back in your books on page 2-111, program summary, expenditure category, $69.836 million.

Thank you. On page 2-12, in the capital acquisition book, infrastructure acquisition plan, directorate, tangible capital assets, total tangible capital assets, $7.5 million. Total activity, $7.5 million, and total department $7.5 million.

Thank you. Does the committee agree, then, that that concludes the consideration of the Financial Management Board Secretariat?

Thank you. Thank you, Minister Roland, Mr. Taggart, and Mr. Cleveland. At this time, I will ask Minister Dent if he would like to make his opening comments on Human Resources. Minister Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the main estimates for the Department of Human Resources for the fiscal year 2007-2008.

The department's 2007-08 Main Estimates propose O and M expenditures of $31.591 million. This represents a $2.354 million, or 8 percent, increase over the 2006-07 Main Estimates. The net increase results from Collective Agreement adjustments and forced growth changes to reflect medical and dental travel assistance, database administration and software licensing costs.

The Department of Human Resources' main estimates includes funding for 171 positions; 46 in the service centre offices outside Yellowknife and 125 positions in headquarters. There has been a net decrease of 17 positions from fiscal year 2006-07.

Over the past year, Human Resources has built on the transformation efforts started in May 2005. Significant work has gone into implementing recommendations from the review of the people, processes and systems needed to provide a consistent human resource service to help managers effectively manage our human resources. Refinement of roles and responsibilities based on Canadian and North American best practices is well underway.

While there is still work to do, there are a number of indicators of more consistent human resource

management across the organizations. Some indicators are more consistent evaluation of jobs through interdepartmental review committees, common recruitment approaches, a greater consistency among managers in dealing with issues of employee discipline, and accommodation of medical issues. In terms of backlog, the benefits backlog is caught up to a point where few files are more than two months old. On the pay side, part of the organizational change has resulted in a group focussing on current pay and another solely on old files. Not only is the current team staying up to date on files coming in, the termination team has dealt with more than one-quarter of the backlog in less than eight weeks.

In addition to the transformation efforts, programs that make a difference in the public service continue to show strong results. The government is committed to building a northern public service. With solid student employment opportunities in all departments, boards and authorities, we are introducing over 300 students a year to government. When they complete post-secondary education, opportunities are also supported, both in government and in the private sector, for employment in the northern graduate's field of study. For northerners who are already in the workforce, we have introduced limited competitions and under fill some positions in order to allow the GNWT to consider local northern residents on a priority basis. This also allows us to support northerners who may need some additional training and mentoring on the job for the first year to be fully qualified for a position.

Madam Chair, fair and consistent GNWT recruitment and retention practices are critical to the success of our programs and services. With this budget, we look forward to continuing our improvement of human resource management practices across the public service in all communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. At this time, I will ask Mr. Lafferty if he would please give the committee's response from AOC to the Human Resources budget. Mr. Lafferty.

Department Of Human Resources

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee met with the Minister of Human Resources on September 20, 2006, to review the draft business plan for the Department of Human Resources.

The committee noted that the Department of Human Resources is proposing to spend $31.591 million in operations expense in fiscal year 2007-2008. This represents an increase of $2.354 million, or 8.05 percent, since the 2006-2007 Main Estimates due to increased cost for salaries and benefits, medical travel for GNWT employees, database administration and PeopleSoft licensing.

The Department of Human Resources is also proposing to spend $217,000 on capital projects in fiscal year 2007-2008. This amount will be used to complete the PeopleSoft human resources management system upgrade. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. At this time I'll ask Mr. Dent if he would like to bring witnesses to the table. Mr. Dent.

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Is the committee agreed?

Agreed. Thank you. Then we'll ask the witnesses to be escorted in by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

Mr. Dent, for the record, could you please introduce your witnesses?

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right I have Shaleen Woodward, who is the director of Human Resources, planning and policy; and to my left, Ms. Lynn Elkin, the deputy minister of the department.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. General comments on Human Resources. Any general comments? Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for his opening remarks and I welcome him and his staff to our proceedings this afternoon. I just have a few general comments and I know it's been a struggle, to say the least, in terms of the amalgamation of our government-wide human resource services into one department, what is, in effect, now one department. I've been very concerned with the amount of expenditure in this area of our operation from roughly $20 million when it first happened two years ago to the amount that appears before us today, which is $31.5 million. I know the Minister spoke of a decrease of 17 positions in this fiscal year and I think he should be congratulated on that. There's been some work done inside the department by the Hackett Group last summer and I am going to be very interested to see what the Minister has to say on what those recommendations were and how they've been acted upon by the department and what value for money we did receive there.

There's some other interesting questions that I'll pose to the Minister but, again, I think when it comes back to the department itself, when you're a Member of the Legislative Assembly you have constituents, you have people who talk to you who have concerns. To be honest, Madam Chair, the level of concern out there on inaccuracies or timing or access to information, things of that nature, just doesn't seem to me to be getting much better than it was at this time last year. I know we've gone through this Hackett Group report, but a number of our employees are still having issues dealing with the department. It shouldn't be that difficult for our employees to deal with the department. Mistakes are constantly being made on pay and benefits, things like that, and I just, you know, at what point in time do you say that's unacceptable anymore? Are we going to wait another year or two years? Things will happen. Don't get me wrong, Madam Chair; things will happen. Mistakes will be made. But how long are they going to continue to be allowed to happen? I think our employees deserve a Human Resources department that is responsive to their needs and to date I just don't know if all of our employees are getting the level of service that they should get. I'm just being completely honest with the Minister and this House today when I say that. I'll have questions for the Minister during the detail, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Any further general comments on Human

Resources? If not, then we will go to the detail and I'll ask Members if they'll please turn to page 2-49, program summary, operations expenditure summary, $31.591 million. Oh, sorry. We're standing that page down. Please turn to page 2-53, activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $816,000. Agreed?

Agreed. Thank you. Page 2-57, activity summary, human resource strategy and policy, operations expenditure summary, $4.837 million. Mr. Ramsay.