This is page numbers 1921 to 1954 of the Hansard for the 16th 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 honourable.

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Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, management of the public service is a shared responsibility with all departments. We do have a deputy ministers’ human resource committee, and we’ll make sure that all of the departments are aware of this.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Before I go on, Members, I would just like to request your cooperation in the length of questions and supplementary questions. We have less than 20 minutes, and we’ve only had six questions asked. So, Members on both sides, if we can keep our questions and answers a little bit shorter. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned in my Member’s statement a number of questions that had come from constituents, various residents that had communicated to me their concerns in terms of revenue, budgeting expenses and so on. I would like to ask the questions that I mentioned in my Members’ Statement to the Finance Minister today. The first one is: where is the analysis of the impact of cutting jobs on GNWT finances?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, it is not clear to me if the Member is talking about government jobs, private sector jobs or just any job in general. We know there is an implication to transfer payments if people leave the North. We know that if there are layoffs in the civil service for whatever reason, there’s a ripple effect in that area as well. There’s been work done over the years in terms of the government — the plan we are taking with reductions both last year and as proposed for this coming year. But we’re very sensitive to the issue of having a negative impact on the private sector, given all that is transpiring as we speak.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks for the answer to that question. The reference, I believe, is to the analysis that is necessary for job cutting within the GNWT public service. I think there’s been a lot of noise made about the lack of analysis done in the previous budget. I think this question deals with that previous budget, but I would like to know from the Minister: what kind of analysis is being done for the cutting of jobs for the operations budget upcoming?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, a lot of that initial direction was set and laid out as we concluded the budget for this current year. As we look forward to ’09–10, we are looking at, as has been pointed out very clearly, living within our means and what it’s going to take to do that, both on the reduction side and looking at revenue options. We are very, very sensitive, as is every other government and individual, to what’s happening in the economic landscape around the world and in Canada with the markets, the interest rates, the fiscal tightening up and moving into an economic recession. So we have to look first and

foremost at what we can afford, how we maintain our core services, as the Minister of Health was talking about, and what choices we have to make at the end of the day to live within our means.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, I didn’t get the answer I was looking for.

The second question that was asked by a constituent is: why are suggestions from knowledgeable people being ignored and critical research absent? I think constituents are concerned that albeit we have a Program Review Office, there is very little analysis prior to job cuts being proposed. There is very little research — in this case “critical research” is the statement — in terms of proposed job cuts. I would ask the Minister again: what sort of analysis, what sort of research are we doing for the job cuts which are liable to be coming up in our new budget?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, once again it is not clear to me what critical research may mean. There are things we’re doing in our planning with departments, with Cabinet, across the board looking at the fiscal realities, program needs, living within our means. There has been work going on basically non-stop, and that work will continue. In due course we will be coming forward in the next number of weeks with our business plan, and this February we’ll come forward with the results of all the work with the budget.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. A final short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me give an example, Mr. Minister. If we are proposing to cut four jobs from a particular program, what analysis is done to determine that those are the best four jobs to be cut? What research is done to determine that the program is or is not valuable and should be maintained?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

That work is done as a matter of course. Ministers are involved, deputies, all the way down to the managers and employees. Choices are made as we look at fiscal targets. We look at what we consider fundamental, essential services, core business versus those that wouldn’t make that definition. So that work is an ongoing process.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about the importance of the traditional practice of harvesting buffalo by Dene elders for subsistence purposes. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Can the Minister tell me if sections of the current Wildlife Act speak specifically on traditional harvesting of bison, or is there any regulation on the same issue as it pertains to the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, the NWT Wildlife Act governs activities in this area and the consequential Big Game Hunting Regulations; in particular, in this case, I understand part V, subsection A of the schedule to those Big Game Hunting Regulations.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Here’s my question, Mr. Speaker. My question is fairly specific. I recognize that the current Wildlife Act may not exactly talk about the bison in the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary. However, I’m wondering if the Wildlife Act with any accompanying regulations has anything covering the traditional harvesting of bison by Dene elders.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, there is a bison strategy that has been taking more time than was initially contemplated. That’s going to be coming out in the next number of weeks, and we’ll be able to have that discussion. We currently have arrangements with the people from Providence and the people from the Tlicho in terms of tags, the management of the herd issues, the hunting zones and how they deal with resident, non-resident and big game hunters. There is consultation about some proposed changes as a result of the Tlicho self-government agreement that is being consulted on with the North Slave Métis as well the Yellowknives. So there are a number of pieces in place that we have to deal with, and there’s other work currently underway.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if the department acknowledges and incorporates the role of traditional knowledge into its policies and legislation; for example, any regulations that may be required as a result of the management strategy?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

We’re going to, as a matter of course, work very closely with the aboriginal governments and the appropriate wildlife boards, both at the community level and with the Wek’eezhii board. We’re consulting with the North Slave Métis and the Yellowknives. We’re going to work closely in terms of the proposed changes — the bison strategy and regulatory changes — and how to best manage the herd. There was a recent assessment done. The herd numbers are down about 21 per cent. So we do have issues to talk about, especially as the bison tend to migrate northward.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to working with interested Members on this side of the House on this very important matter so an arrangement or an agreement can be put in place to allow Dene elders to harvest bison outside and northeast of the Mackenzie Wood Bison Sanctuary for subsistence purposes?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, we are interested in working with the Members. This is a threatened species. There are specific restrictions and criteria that we have to use and follow. There is work underway, but yes, the commitment is that we will work through the appropriate committees as we come forward with the various strategies and proposed changes.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to ask the Minister of ECE, regarding the staff, how they are treating people while giving help or assistance on Income Support and regarding the way they are being treated.