Commission Publication
| Commission Budget Cut by 9.2 Percent | ||
| At the end of March 1996, the provincial government cut the budget of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission by 9.2 percent. The end result was the elimination of 2.5 staff positions.
The investigations unit lost one investigator and the hours of all other units - administration, secretarial, and public and special programs - were reduced. The commission now operates with a total of 17.5 positions and a budget of $925,000. This significant reduction to the commission's budget has had an impact on the service the commission is able to provide. Fewer staff hours are going into investigations, the development and promotion of employment equity and education equity programs, and the provision of educational services. To assist the investigations unit, the Justice department has made available to it the services of its Mediation Services branch. Staff at Mediation Services are assisting commission staff with early resolution settlements during this fiscal year. The workload for commission staff has continued to grow from year to year, but funding has not kept pace. In fact, the commission's budget and staff have never returned to their levels before 1987, the year the commission suffered a major budget cut. |
A backlog of complaints has been building in the investigations unit for a number of years. There are now 63 human rights complaints waiting to be assigned to an investigator. Some have been backlogged for as long as 15 months.
Resources are stretched equally thin in the Public and Special Programs Unit. In 1986 there were six equity programs and two staff people to promote, develop and monitor equity programs. In 1996 there are 57 equity programs and still only two staff people to do the work.
Donna Scott, Chief Commissioner/Director, said the commission is concerned about the level of service it is able to provide to the people of Saskatchewan. "Our concern is that investigation files will be in backlog for even longer periods of time, that less educational work will be done, and that less support will be available for employers who want to set up employment equity programs. There is only so much we can do with very limited resources."
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...continued New Chief Commissioner/Director Appointed | ||
| New management structure | ||
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Scott is the first person to serve as both chief commissioner and director of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. A three-year review of the Commission and The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code conducted by former chief commissioner Donna Greschner recommended that these positions be combined as part of an option for restructuring the commission. Scott has been appointed until November, 1997 to fill the remainder of Greschner's term. |
Greschner's decision to return full time to her position
with the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan facilitated
the implementation of this review recommendation, as did the decision
of Donalda Ford to step down from the position of director and
return to the position of assistant director. The former assistant
director, Vera-Marie Wolfe, returned to the position of communications
co-ordinator. When making the appointment, Nilson said: "I
am pleased that Ms. Scott has agreed to take on the challenge
of administering the commission over the next year as government
examines the recommendations contained in the code review and
determines how to best ensure the protection and promotion of
human rights in the years ahead." | |
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