Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At headquarters are 120 indeterminate full-time positions. I’d like to ask the Minister if the core business of the Department of Human Resources could be managed with less than 120 people in headquarters. What process was undertaken by his department to determine whether more positions at headquarters could be reduced, or were they just responding to targets that were given to them externally?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is the wish of the committee today to begin with the Department of Human Resources for the Main Estimates for 2008–2009.

Just so I understand: if an employee was coming up for retirement and wanted to take the two-day pre-retirement course and there was a fee of $400, the territorial government might or might not pay for that, depending on the approval of the manager of that employee. Is that correct?

Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I talked about the fact that I get calls from constituents on a fairly consistent basis talking about their frustration with getting information on retirement options and support for planning their retirement and then acquiring the pension benefits that are due to them. There are certainly examples of private- and public-sector industry standards in this area. I want to make sure that our public service is entitled to, and is receiving, that same level of service that anyone else would expect.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of Human Resources...

We would like to deal with Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2008, and Bill 7, Securities Act.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and that Committee Report 4-16(2) be moved into Committee of the Whole for today.

Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Speaker, the petition I would like to table contains 1,282 signatures of residents from across the Northwest Territories. The petition asks that Members of the Legislative Assembly vote “no” to any budget proposal that contains such reductions.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I cannot support the principle of the bill for this budget for many reasons. I’m going to attempt, in the time allotted today, to explain some of those reasons.

There is so much wrong with this budget that, in fact, there is more wrong with it than there is right with it. During the budget process which would follow this if this were given second reading, we only have the ability to delete. Anything that we’d like to add is only a recommendation. What would make the Cabinet listen to those recommendations now? Maybe some people are hopeful, but I’m not.

Mr. Speaker...

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to read for the record today the report of the review of the 2008–2009 Draft Main Estimates from the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning.

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning is pleased to present its Report on the Review of the 2008–2009 Draft Main Estimates, which took place between March 31 and April 11, 2008.

The committee’s mandate includes the overview of the budget and fiscal framework. This report therefore focuses on government-wide implications of the proposed Main Estimates. Specific comments on individual departments are...