Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see we’re up 20 positions for the department as a whole. So, are the additional 11… I’m assuming they’re non-devolution positions. Maybe I could just get a little descriptor of those. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I spoke about the procurement shared services. Those were transferred in from other departments for this procurement shared services that is under Public Works now.

Thanks to the Minister for that reminder. I always forget about those services. My last question is just on the maintenance side of things. So, the maintenance deficit, I see we’re continuing with our investments in that area. It seems appropriate to me. Have we been making any progress, or what is our O and M maintenance deficit these days? I know we’re doing additional work on the infrastructure side. Thank you.

Thank you. 2009-10 our deferred maintenance was booked at $470 million. As of today, deferred maintenance backlog is at $290 million.

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Mr. Bromley, you have a few more seconds on the clock. So, go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to the Minister. So, we are addressing this through

both O and M and infrastructure budgets. That’s my understanding. Maybe could I just get a brief description of where our $3 million from O and M is going on this program?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Beaulieu.

I’m going to have the deputy provide detail on the maintenance portion of deferred maintenance.

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Deputy Minister Guy.

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. Bromley, your time is up. If you need more, just let me know. General comments. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Just give us a second here. We’re just going to circulate that motion.

Committee, the motion is in order and the motion is not debatable. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Does committee agree that consideration of the Department of Public Works and Services is completed?

Thank you, committee. I’d like to thank Ms. Gault, Mr. Guy and Mr. Lewis for joining us this evening, and thanks to the Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please

escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Thank you.

Committee, we’re going to continue on here with the main estimates. With that, we have the Department of Executive. We’ll turn it over to the Premier if he has any opening comments. Premier McLeod.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2014-2015 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive.

The proposed budget for the Department of Executive in 2014-15 is $11.563 million. This represents a reduction of $8.901 million, or 43 percent, from the department’s 2013-14 budget. The department’s staff complement will also be reduced from 71 to 66.

As Members know, the department has had responsibility for devolution negotiations and implementation planning, coordinating the efforts of participating departments and providing overall leadership and project management for this complex endeavour.

With the successful conclusion of devolution negotiations and the signing of the final agreement earlier this year, and with full implementation of devolution on April 1, 2014, the devolution negotiation and devolution implementation planning functions that have been housed in Executive will no longer be required.

In 2014-2015 the department will contribute to this government’s commitment to decentralization, by expanding the number of single window service centres to three additional communities. As Members know, the department’s government service officers provide services directly to residents in their communities, including in their homes and in their Aboriginal language. These positions provide local employment and make it easier for community residents to access many government programs, including those provided by Canada.

We are proposing to add three new government service officers in the communities of Fort McPherson, Deline and Behchoko. This will increase the number of government service offices in small communities from 15 to 18. In addition, we are also proposing the establishment of a single window service centre coordinator position in Inuvik and a regional administration assistant in the North Slave.

It should be noted that these additional positions will be established through a re-profiling of existing resources within the department.

There are some additional changes that are being proposed to the department’s structure and functions in 2014-2015.

The main estimates reflect the decision made earlier this year to transfer the program review office and Bureau of Statistics to the Department of Finance, to better align with that department’s existing responsibilities for government-wide business planning.

The senior advisor for the Status of Women position will also transfer to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, as that position liaises with both the Northwest Territories and national Native Women’s Associations and with the Northwest Territories and federal and provincial Status of Women Councils and thus aligns well with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations’ mandate.

In summary, the department proposes to reorganize its remaining functions to create a smaller senior management team, with increased small community presence and a more integrated organizational structure.

I am now prepared to answer any questions from the committee about the Department of Executive’s 2014-2015 Main Estimates.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Premier McLeod, do you have witnesses you’d like to bring into the House?

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Premier McLeod, if you can introduce your witnesses for the Chamber this evening.