Yellowknife (Feb 16/05) - The musings of Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay on the size of the government's workforce has drawn a bitter reaction from the union that represents them.

Union of Northern Workers (UNW) members stormed out of the legislative assembly last Thursday after Ramsay suggested the GNWT's 4,500-plus workforce is too big.

Dave Ramsay

Union president Todd Parsons said Ramsay was "just plain dumb" for suggesting government programs can be delivered by cutting back on the public service.

Parsons said the government is still critically short on job positions like nurse educators, lab technologists and heavy equipment operators for highway construction.

"I'm very concerned with his reasoning," said Parsons.

"He's really thinking in regressive terms. We're looking at a booming economy, so why is he looking at cutting government programs and services?"

Parsons said Ramsay's comments can only hurt the government's attempts to recruit and retain workers.

He also questioned Ramsay's assertion that the GNWT workforce has grown by 1,750 employees since division with Nunavut in 1999.

In response to questions from Ramsay in the legislative assembly on Thursday, Finance Minister Floyd Roland said the increase over that period was more like 700 jobs.

"Somewhere there's a mistake in the data," said Parsons, adding that he hasn't done the research himself.

"I don't know whose mistake it is, but I'm inclined to go with the minister of finance at this point."

Parsons and two other UNW members attended Ramsay's constituency meeting on Saturday.

"We had it out. We had a good discussion on what I said, and why I said it," said Ramsay.

"We maybe agreed to disagree on what my intentions were. That's okay."

Ramsay said he brought the issue up because he doesn't believe - economic boom or not - that the government could afford the present workforce size for long.

"My intention was just to put a little light on the fact that we spend 40 per cent of our budget on salaries and benefits," said Ramsay.

"Over the long run, I don't know if that's sustainable. That's one out of 4.5 residents."

civil service:

Active GNWT positions by department board and agency:

2005-2006/2004-2005

Legislative Assembly 36 /42
Executive 231 / 239
Finance 36 / 37
MACA 126 / 132
Public Works 184 / 186
Health/Social Services 154 / 158
Justice 421 / 445
ECE 195 / 192
Transportation 340 / 361
Industry, Tourism, Investment 203 / 189
Environment/Natural Resources 300 / 300
Health authorities 1,239 / 1,239
Education authorities 1,040 / 1,052
Liquor Revolving Fund 12 / 12
Information/Communication Technology 29 / 47
Petroleum Products 12 / 11

Total active positions 4,686 / 4,750

Source: GNWT Main estimates