With that, we’ll take a short break and begin with the Department of Human Resources.

The Committee of the Whole took a short

recess.

I’ll call the Committee of the Whole back to order.

Yes, I’d like to bring in some witnesses, please.

Does the committee agree that the Minister bring in his witnesses?

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

For the record, Minister, can you introduce your witnesses, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left I have Sharilyn Alexander, acting deputy minister of Human Resources, and on my right I have Shaleen Woodward, the director of human resources strategy and policy.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome witnesses. We are on page 2-59, Human Resource Strategy and Policy, and also we have received additional information from the Minister, which I believe has been circulated. Any general comments in regard to page 2-59? Mr. Abernethy.

Yesterday in some of your comments you mentioned the Hackett Report. My timing might be a little wrong on this — it might have been the previous fiscal year, not last fiscal year — but I believe that report cost about $400,000-plus, and I believe that you funded that from within. I’m curious. If you were in fact able to find that money from within, it may suggest that there might be some room or some additional saving possibilities within the department itself. I was wondering if you could talk a bit about where those dollars came from and whether or not that provides room for some additional savings within the Department of Human Resources.

Minister McLeod.

The Hackett Report was funded at the time when Human Resources was still under the Department of Financial Management Board Secretariat. There was more flexibility with resources, and one of the issues with Human Resources is that we don’t have that flexibility, so if we wanted to do something similar now, we wouldn’t be able to.

Strategy and Policy, page 2-59. Operations Expenditure Summary: $4.855 million.

Department of Human Resources, Human

Resource Strategy and Policy, Operations Expenditure Summary: $4.855 million, approved.

Human Resource

Strategy and Policy, Active Positions, information item. Page 2-61.

Department of Human Resources, Human

Resource Strategy and Policy, Active Positions, information item, approved.

Management and

Recruitment Services, Operations Expenditure Summary: $7.341 million.

Department of Human Resources,

Management and Recruitment Services, Operations Expenditure Summary: $7.341 million, approved.

Mr. McLeod.

I’m not sure if this is the area it falls under, but I just wanted to ask the Minister and his officials a couple of questions. I wanted to ask the Minister how many job competitions are being run now through the GNWT, through HR.

Minister McLeod.

Mr. Chair, I think it’s in the neighbourhood of 500 staffing actions.

Mr. Chair, with 500 job competitions being run right now, we’re proposing to lay off some people. I just want to know: has a hiring freeze been considered by the departments rather than laying off employees?

Certainly, when there was early talk about possible budget reductions, there were a few departments that initiated their own freeze. We felt that was premature and would adversely affect government operations, so we gave direction that they were to continue with normal activities until such time as they received direction and approval of budgets by this body.

I still find the figure of 500 new competitions, in light of what we’re doing now…. We’re looking to bring on 500 people on the one hand. On the other hand we’re looking to lay off 135 employees. I’m sure those 135 employees could have fit within that 500.

I’d like to ask the Minister: when the announcements were coming out that there were going to be some staffing reductions, were any competitions cancelled as a result of this announcement?

My understanding is that there were some competitions that were cancelled as a result of that.

Mr. Chair, again I will say that you’re looking at the fact that we’re proposing to lay off 135 employees with these competitions. Of 500, I’m not sure how many of them are essential to the operations of the government, other than maybe nurses, teachers and a few other essential services. I still find it mind-boggling that we’re looking to bring on 500 new people. There are 500 competitions out there, and I’m not sure what they are. I suppose I could find out; I’ve just got to go on the web site.

I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s an opportunity here, maybe, to revisit this whole scenario rather than lay off 135 employees. Why not cancel a couple of hundred job competitions and maybe look at keeping these 135 employees, or as many as we can keep? I wonder if there’s an opportunity here to revisit that and come back to this committee with some options.