GN looks to streamline its operations: Peterson

By next October, the Government of Nunavut should have a better idea of how it can work more efficiently — and save some money.

That’s when a interim report with recommendations on how to restructure operations at the GN should be ready for consideration, said finance minister Keith Peterson June 3 in the legislative assembly,

In this year’s budget address, Peterson had promised that the GN would undertake a review of its departments and agencies with the goal of improving efficiency.

“The intention is not to destabilize government. We don’t want to make a lot of wide-sweeping changes that will do that,” Peterson said. “The intention is to receive the report, make some thoughtful, common sense decisions, and we will likely be discussing them with our colleagues.”

The GN hired consultant Ken Lovely, a former deputy minister of the Government of the Northwest Territories who’s previously worked as consultant for the GN, to prepare this report.

Peterson acknowledged that the territory’s deficit means the GN must look at ways to be “more efficient and effective,” adding that the $4 billion that the federal government plans to slash from a review of its own government programs may also have ripple effects across Nunavut.

Although Ottawa maintains those cuts will not touch transfers to Nunavut, Peterson said that “we don’t know what those impacts will be on us.”

The GN’s review may not necessarily lead to cut-backs within the territorial government, he said.

The intention is not to downsize, but to “streamline the process,” Peterson said — such as breaking health and social services into two separate departments.

“We want to look at some of the programs that have been put in place since 1999 and see if they’re being effective in their delivery,” Peterson said. “I don’t think there have been any programs that have been chopped since then, so we’ll just find out if they’re working.If not, maybe we can use the money for some other programs and services.”

If the October report recommends any changes, these would likely be implemented in 2012-13, Peterson said.