Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has presented its report on the review of the 2014 Report or the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. The committee’s report, which was read into the record, includes 30 recommendations. For the benefit of the public, members would like to explain how and why the committee conducted the review as well as what’s in the report.
The Auditor General of Canada is an important source of independent, professional advice for this Legislative Assembly. The Auditor General usually conducts one performance audit each year on
specific programs and services of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Assembly can make suggestions, but the choice of which programs to audit is up to the Auditor General of Canada. Each year’s audit report is provided to the Legislative Assembly and tabled in the House. Under the rules of the Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Government Operations has the mandate to review the Auditor General’s reports. The committee holds preparatory meetings with the Auditor General’s staff. The committee then holds a public review and questions witnesses from the department or agency responsible. The committee issues its own report based on what was learned during the public review. In this case, the committee added 19 recommendations to the 11 made by the Auditor General.
It is the Legislative Assembly’s job to scrutinize government spending and performance, to ask questions and to hold the government publicly accountable for its actions. That’s why the Standing Committee on Government Operations conducts a public review, reads its report into the public record and moves the report’s recommendations for adoption for the Assembly in Committee of the Whole. The government is obliged to account to the House by responding to the recommendations on the record within a specific time frame. The committee, the Assembly and the public expects answers.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations thanks the Auditor General of Canada and his staff for the work on the 2014 audit of child and family services delivered by the Department of Health and Social Services and the regional health authorities.
Each year child and family services costs the government approximately $21 million. More than 1,000 children receive services annually.
Looking to the Child and Family Services Act, and the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual, the Auditor General tested the department against its own rules. Four main questions were asked: • First, is there an adequate accountability
framework in place?
• Second, are there adequate mechanisms in
place to support service delivery?
• Third, are the department and regional
authorities compliant with key requirements under the act?
• Fourth, are appropriate prevention and youth
programs in place?
The Standing Committee on Government Operations was deeply troubled to learn from the Auditor General’s report that there are serious systemic problems with the delivery of child and
family services. The department and regional authorities are not adequately meeting their key responsibilities. Deficiencies were identified in almost every area examined. The committee was also dismayed to learn about the department’s lacklustre responses to previous reviews of child and family services.
In its report, the Standing Committee considered general issues as well as specific findings of the audit. The committee concurs with the Auditor General’s recommendation with respect to improving accountability, support for delivery of services and front-line service delivery. The committee makes additional recommendations on such issues as strengthening prevention efforts and incorporating a performance component in contribution agreements with regional authorities to ensure that funding is contingent on compliance with the act.
The committee is encouraged that the Minister has accepted the Auditor General’s recommendations and that the department plans to implement them. Members are nevertheless convinced that child and family services will improve only if the department’s senior management devotes swift and sustained attention to carrying out the promised reforms. This Assembly, too, must devote sustained attention to ensure the reforms take place.