Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Debates of Feb. 11th, 2021
This is page numbers 1945 - 1988 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 going.
Topics
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Again, I am speaking to the line item around Cabinet support, which would mean PR for Cabinet. That's what I am speaking to. I imagine that there are a lot of areas within the EIA budget where other community relations and PR type of work with Indigenous governments is collected. More of a comment than anything. I'm done, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that there has been a decrease in one position for Cabinet support. Can I just get clarification as to what position that was? Thank you.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
I'm looking at page 114. The previous year's was 13 positions, and this year's is 12. Thank you.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Caroline Cochrane Range Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. This was just a re-allocation. We are moving the board register position, and we are moving into a senior communications advisor. The board register position wasn't as needed, but the senior communication advisor was desperately needed. I have heard throughout this Assembly that communications was an issue, and we decided to actually put in a position for that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Madam Premier. Are there any further questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. If the board registrar position has been cut from the function within the Cabinet support area, who is doing that work now, or who will be doing the work starting April 1st? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Caroline Cochrane Range Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't know the name of the person, but the board registrar position is currently vacant. The responsibilities of the position have been covered and will continue to be covered through internal resources. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. Just so I understand, I do want to compliment the Minister because there is a pretty good web page in EIA where people can see the boards that we have responsible for appointing. You can actually see who sits on them, their term of office, whether there are vacancies. That's pretty good in terms of transparency, and I want to compliment the Minister. It was something that I think got started in the last Assembly, but is that the function that this individual is responsible for, is tracking and maintaining that? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Caroline Cochrane Range Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is the position. However, Madam Chair, as I said earlier, that position is still being covered by internal work. It hasn't been chopped off. We recognize the importance of having those boards; in fact, it's a conversation we have often at the Cabinet table. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I hear from the Premier that she is committed to maintain that that work is going to continue, so I don't have any difficulty with that. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Are there any further questions under the Cabinet support? Seeing none, please turn to page 113, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Cabinet support, operations expenditure summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $2,493,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Committee now turn to corporate communications, beginning on page 115, with information items on page 117. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have, a number of times, expressed confusion and that I don't actually think there is clarity between the role of corporate communications and Cabinet communications, and I want to underline why. My view of why this has happened is that, in a lot of governments, the Cabinet communications would be clear political appointments. We get these emails from a press secretary that doesn't exist, but in a lot of governments, you would choose your press team. You would make them clear political appointments. They would not be members of the public service; they would serve at the will of the Premier for that. You see that in the Prime Minister's office. You see that in other governments.
Over time, our Cabinet communications have become civil servants. We keep the same people over the governments, and as such, they are essentially not a political communications tool but a corporate communications tool, where they speak on behalf of the GNWT as opposed to this Cabinet as a whole. I think there needs to be a hard look at what is happening with corporate communications and Cabinet communications, and then all of the communications within departments, and there needs to be a clear line of when someone is giving political communication advice and when someone is speaking on behalf of the public service or the GNWT.
All that being said, I've expressed this concern before. Can we have an update on when we will see a review of the different communications functions? I hear we are adding another person to communications, but I don't know if that necessarily improves communications without the roles and responsibilities and restructuring occurring. Can I have an update on the communications strategic planning work that is being done in EIA? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 76-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1958