July 12, 1996
(Executive Council)

Government appoints Chris Decker to Chair Cabinet Committee on Program Review

Premier Brian Tobin today announced, in Corner Brook, that Chris Decker, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, will serve as Chair of the Cabinet Committee which will oversee the program review process within government. The program review is scheduled to be completed by late fall, in advance of the 1997 budget consultation process. It will be a comprehensive look at every program of government, to determine if it meets the test of public interest, efficiency and affordability. The other members of the committee will be Joan Marie Aylward, Julie Bettney, Paul Dicks and John Efford.

The premier said: "The program review is partly a response to the pressures to reduce expenditures. But it is more than that. It is also an attempt to bring us to a point where we can live within our means as a province, each and every year. It is the beginning of a process of "right sizing" the government to bring the services we deliver in line with the fiscal resources available. It will allow us to set our priorities in an orderly fashion. And it will provide a framework for the options to be put before the public in advance of the Budget next year. Over the long term, it will contribute to the growth of the economy by making Newfoundland and Labrador a place in which business and industry will invest."

Premier Tobin said each government department will carry out its own individual program review. This process is expected to begin later this month with reports completed during the fall. Results of the process will be presented to Cabinet and will ultimately play a role in decision making leading up to Budget 1997. He added that the departments will consult, both internally and externally, to the extent they determine is necessary.

Contact: Cathy Coady, (709) 682-9370.