Mr. Speaker, the concern is being raised out there about the government’s focus on reduction. There are rumours about the number of positions that may be taken out of the system, and they are just that — rumours.

We are working on putting the information together. We’re looking for input from Members. We’re looking for the method of how we’re going to do this.

More refocusing of government across departments’ initiatives will probably be brought forward and have an impact in ‘09-‘10. Some of the exercises we have to do is going to have an impact on our employee levels because, Mr.

Speaker,

almost 50 per cent of our expenditures across the Northwest Territories is related to compensation and benefits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear something encouraging from the Premier so that we could look at effecting these cuts and reductions with the absolute least impact on employees as possible.

At any given time in the public service of the G.N.W.T., I believe there’s about a 15 per cent vacancy rate. I know that in some positions, it’s not possible to deliver the programs and services without positions being filled. But with a 15 per cent vacancy rate, isn’t there an opportunity to look at perhaps not re-staffing positions that are not absolutely essential and integral to delivering a program or service as a way of saving money in the interim?

Mr. Speaker, that is, in fact, one of the areas that we’re looking at — the basing of fees within departments, of removing those types

of dollars or identified positions that are not filled, as well as attrition.

If we set a target and we know that people are retiring, then we could look at doing that. If there are areas that are not a priority but we are reinvesting in initiatives, we can see if we can transfer employees over as well.

So there’s a whole number of tools we can do in limiting the impact on our staff. That is some of the work that we are looking at as we compare the strategic initiatives we want to put in place in the 16th Assembly and the areas that don’t fit in

priorities. Thank you.

Mr.

Speaker, I think

measures like that and communications like that are the most prudent on behalf of our government.

We’ve heard that our government is not the employer of choice anymore. We know that in all various sectors of the labour market, there’s extreme competition out there. I don’t think that we can afford to scare anybody out of our public service and out of the Northwest Territories. We need the people we have, and we work at professional development and investing in our employees.

I would like to ask the Premier if he will clearly communicate to his deputy ministers what the policies and the rules of the government are. My fear is that in the absence of very, very clear direction, deputy ministers could use this cost-reduction exercise inappropriately. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as to the reason why we’re moving forward in this manner, instead of a main budget being this session we’re in, we’re looking to delay it so that we can do the right analysis for what we bring forward in cost savings as well as investing in the new initiatives. The message has been that we need to look at that.

The earlier question today about the deputy ministers being involved in reviewing who’s being hired is part of that overlap. The policies haven’t changed. We’re just ensuring that if we’re going to go through this exercise, we don’t unduly affect employees that are either just hired by us or have long service with us.

Mr. Speaker, I know, at least for myself, I want to make sure that we use government resources to impact our residents in the most positive way possible. Our public service is a huge piece out there.

I would love to hear the Premier today tell us and confirm with us that layoffs of employees in the public service will be a last resort in terms of reducing the expenditures of this government.

Mr. Speaker, we will be

measured, careful in the way we approach this, and I’ve laid out a number of things that are under consideration.

When we look at the options that are before us, there’s the impact of the delivery of programs and services to the people that are out there expecting the delivery that we say we will provide, our employees who deliver those programs, looking at vacancies, looking at attrition, looking at transfer assignments that can happen — all those tools that we will be incorporating as we proceed forward.

But I must say, as difficult as it is, the unfortunate reality is there will be some impacts. We’re going to minimize that as much as possible.

I’d like to ask my questions to the Premier with regard to job cuts and the wave of terror, as we read in the headlines this morning. My honourable colleague from Great Slave was quoted on that. But that’s exactly what’s going on, not only in the capital but throughout the regions as well. The people are fearing for their jobs.

What I’d like to know is…. Yes, the bottom line is important to the Finance Minister, and yes, cuts are necessary. But there’s got to be due diligence and due process when they’re assessing job cuts. I’d like to know what kind of processes are in place or what kinds of mechanisms are being used to assess these? Mahsi.

Mr.

Speaker, the biggest

things we’re working at is taking the appropriate amount of time to ensure that what is being advanced as initiatives or cost-saving areas is, in fact, going to be cost-saving areas. It is going to minimize the impact on the delivery of programs and services.

But the cold, hard reality is that if we don’t take the necessary steps today, then we are mortgaging our children’s future — and I would say mortgaging at a sub-prime level, which we don’t want to see happen.

We are taking initiatives, looking at how we do this, taking the necessary time. We will be presenting Members with our draft plans as we pull those together. The work is happening. It’s taking more time than we initially anticipated, but we will be having draft plans to Members in the near future.

With respect to the assessments that are going on out there, I know that government is doing the work. The Premier said all the departments and all their analysts are doing as much work as they can.

But I’m an MLA, and people are contacting me. They're saying this is happening, and that's happening. We are the front line to our constituents.

There appears to be a disconnect. Things are happening in the regions, and they're moving forward in terms of reductions. But the government is not letting the MLAs and our committee systems know. There seems to be a gap there.

I'd like to ask the Premier: has direction been given to departments to start initiating cuts beginning April 1st ? Mahsi.

No, we have not given

direction to begin the reductions in the front line on April 1st . In fact, our interim appropriation is one that

will keep us going at the existing levels.

In terms of all government-wide essential services such as health care, nurses, and emergency services, how will those be affected? Have assessments been done on those?

The work is ongoing, looking at what options are being developed by departments. Every department is going to be affected by this process. The decisions we make on what is acceptable to bring forward as well as incorporating what Members would bring to the table through their work is under careful review.

At this point we are unable to put out the detail, as we're putting that together so we can go to committee, have that review, and get some feedback as to what's being presented. We're not at the stage yet where we can lay out: here is where it’s going to happen, and this is how people will be affected.

The fact is, though, because so many of our dollars go through authorities such as Education, Health and Social Services, when departments are given targets, they have to work with their partners in delivery. That's probably where they're seeing information, as options are being reviewed but have not been accepted at this point.

Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Earlier in the week, in my inbox, I saw an invitation from the Union of Northern Workers to the Premier, inviting him to speak at a round-table discussion. I'd like to know what his response was to that invitation. Mahsi.

I did receive that letter. I am reviewing what we may be able to do. Our work is in this forum. I have had contact with the president of the UNW and will continue to have contact with him as we develop our plan.

At this point I haven't responded to that letter. Once we come up with a better plan and details of that

and Members have looked at that, I can sit down and provide a briefing to their executive.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation.

Recently the government of Nunavut signed a deal with the Government of Canada — the Building Canada Fund. I believe we are negotiating a similar agreement for the Northwest Territories. And it’s an opportunity to get some of these capital projects done that we've had in mind.

We've had one in mind a long time — the Dettah Road resurfacing. I’d like to ask the Minister: will the Minister commit to meeting with the leaders in Dettah to make resurfacing of the Dettah Road a high priority?

Mr. Speaker, I will instruct my department to look into our transportation plans across the Northwest Territories, and I assure the Member here that the Dettah access road is in these plans in terms of improving the access roads right across the North. I’m working very closely with my colleague the lead Minister for the funding that the Member alluded to in terms of all of the priorities that we’re being asked for. I certainly would again reassure him that I will instruct my officials in the North Slave regional operations to set up a meeting with the leadership of Dettah, and I also invite the Member to participate with me at that meeting.

I would like to ask that the Minister use his influence here to make this a priority for these people who have waited so patiently for so long. Will the Minister make it a priority? I will have one follow-up at least after that.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Member for the question and also for the encouragement to use influence in terms of all of the priorities across the North here and specifically on transportation needs, as we heard from other Members in terms of their needs in terms of transportation. I will be sitting with the lead Minister on specific funding arrangements that we’re discussing today with the federal government and looking at all the needs.

Certainly, again I would, you know, take into consideration the Dettah access road as any other roads, airports or regional facilities that are being looked at in the North here to see what our best possible investments are in terms of our limited dollars. So I thank the Member, and I certainly look forward to sitting down with the leadership and the people of Dettah, either in a short time frame or

whenever you’d be able to meet, in terms of improving the safety of their roads.

Mr.

Speaker, I appreciate the

Minister’s commitment to sit down with the people of Dettah, the leaders in Dettah, to discuss this priority.

Will the Minister work to ensure that it will be a long-lasting resurfacing this time, a little bit thicker than a poker chip and something that will actually last a number of years? I know we have the technology for that.

Laughter.

Mr. Speaker, as Minister of the department I’m sure that any type of work that this department does will be quality work. It will be a long-lasting investment. It will be a good investment. The people in Dettah will be very happy with the department in terms of working on their roads.

Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.