Online Government Services (March 9)
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the provincial budget Service Alberta will have 410 full-time employees cut from its staff, most of them in information technology support roles.
My questions are to the Minister of Service Alberta. How can the minister plan to offer more services to Albertans online and cut the IT people needed to manage those services at the same time?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve indicated before, part of Service Alberta’s budget, which I defended in my estimates, is about transforming the way that we do government. That’s what Service Alberta is leading. If you look at the areas of technology and the areas of efficiencies we found, yes, there will be some reducing of employees there; there’s no question. But when we can find duplication and have efficiencies in government, that’s a good thing for Albertans.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What assurances can the minister provide that cuts made to IT support staff won’t impair Alberta’s SuperNet access, that many rural and remote communities depend on?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to the whole SuperNet and rural connectivity that is something that I’ve been working very hard on. The ongoing team within Service Alberta is working hard, working with all the ministries that are involved with the SuperNet and making sure that Albertans have access to SuperNet, whether it’s through their ISP providers or whether it’s through the other services that are available.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the minister again. Last July the health records of 11,000 Albertans were at risk of capture by a computer hacker. How can Albertans be sure that these massive departmental layoffs won’t leave the information that they provide to the government less secure?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the security of Albertans’ information that is something that we work on very hard, and the Auditor General brought that to this department’s attention a couple of years ago. These last two years we’ve worked very hard in that area to ensure that the information is protected. That’s access to information and as well all the good work that the registry agents do when they are working and having access to the information. It’s that partnership that we work very hard on as well.
Alberta Hansard, March 9, 2010