AUPE President: new budgeting approach warrants caution
EDMONTON – The new “results-based budgeting” model to be implemented by the Government of Alberta with Bill 1 presents both dangers and opportunities, says Alberta Union of Provincial Employees President Guy Smith.
“If the government wants to see results, we welcome it. Our members are the experts in service delivery and efficiency. While the province has grown by 24 per cent in the last decade, front-line resources have stayed the same at about 21,000 employees. Their workloads have grown steadily,” Smith said.
The AUPE President was responding to statements made Wednesday morning at the Legislature by Minister Doug Horner.
“AUPE is fully committed to an efficient, professional and effective public service. We represent front-line government employees, so we’ll be looking to them for advice, and working with the government to make sure those employees have a key voice in the process,” said Smith.
AUPE will also insist that the new budgeting approach examine the cost of privatized services.
“If every program provided by the Government is going under the microscope, then this should give us an opportunity to see the true cost of privatized and contracted-out services in every government department,” said Smith.
“Many of our members work shoulder-to-shoulder with contracted service providers, they can provide the frank insights the government needs to hear. My concern is that past reviews have been used as a premise for privatization, so we will be watching this process closely.”
President Smith is available for telephone interviews.
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For more information:
Guy Smith, President – 780-265-2294 (cel)
Mark Wells, Senior Communications Advisor – 780-930-3311 or 780-904-0688 (cel)