Message from the Minister and
Accountability Statement

The 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan for the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services continues the government’s commitment to enhance the delivery of citizen-centred services to the people of British Columbia.

The ministry will continue to promote and encourage effective labour relations in both the private and public sectors, providing the foundation for job opportunities throughout the province, while helping businesses compete and prosper.

In addition, workplace health and safety continues to be a vital focus, particularly in the forest industry. WorkSafeBC will continue to serve the needs of nearly two million workers and 179,000 employers, encouraging safe and healthy workplaces for all citizens, and providing assistance for injured workers. Through education, consultation and enforcement, it will build on its core mandates of prevention, rehabilitation and compensation.

The ministry is committed to making government services more accessible and responsive to all citizens. The goal is to provide one-stop service so citizens and businesses can access the full range of government services whether online, over the telephone or in person at one of our government offices. The ministry works with its public and private sector partners to create leading-edge service solutions that result in government services that are designed and delivered in a way that takes the needs of all British Columbians into account. This is citizen-centred service delivery, and this is what people are expecting from their government.

We understand that citizens want to have the confidence that their personal information is secure and that information received from government is accurate and timely. A priority for the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services will be to build an efficient and co-ordinated system and infrastructure to support the integration of government services and information.

The ministry will continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of internal shared services provided to the public sector thus allowing government to focus on their priority program areas identified in the government’s Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade.

To ensure all citizens can benefit from opportunities in the new knowledge economy, the government will continue to facilitate broadband access to communities throughout the province. This builds on an earlier commitment to bridge the digital divide in B.C. by making sure that all British Columbia communities have affordable high-speed Internet access.

The coming year will present both challenges and opportunities. The work of the ministry — in labour relations, e-government and service delivery — will help ensure there truly is a golden decade of promise ahead.

The Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan was prepared under my direction in accordance with the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act. I am accountable for the basis on which the plan has been prepared. All material fiscal assumptions and policy decisions as of February 8, 2006 have been considered in preparing the plan and I am accountable for achieving the specific objectives in the plan.

Honourable Michael de Jong
Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services

February 8, 2006