Alfred Moses

Thank you. I’d just like to ask the Minister, under this Regional Recruitment Strategy, he mentions that managers look at filling positions.

Have any of these positions resulted in direct appointments from the managers or from the department position that didn’t go out for public contest? Have any of these positions been direct appointments?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the short sitting time we have here – we only have two weeks and we can only do so many Members’ statements and questions – one area that I wanted to focus on was human resources and some of the issues that have come up with human resources. I know I asked questions back in our winter session about the Regional Recruitment Strategy and how we were taking some of our employees and giving them 80 percent of their salary and 20 percent goes to training.

Can I ask the Minister of Human Resources what the progress is on that? Last I heard, there was one person that went...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge, appreciate and give a sincere thank you to the Inuvik fire department. The Inuvik fire department currently has 40 members, including the fire chief, the deputy fire chief and the dispatch. Only the fire chief and the deputy fire chief are career firefighters. All other members are volunteers, and in fact, this might be the biggest volunteer fire department in the Northwest Territories. Our longest serving volunteer firefighter has been doing their job for over 30 years, as well, so his commitment, his experience that he...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the new program, I was hoping that we’d see more of these jobs being filled by people that aren’t employed in the GNWT or ones that are already at GNWT and can advance to management positions. I understand that we’re also reviewing our Public Service Act that reflects these direct appointments. The reason I’m getting into direct appointments is because I have had concerns of our P1 residents of the Northwest Territories not getting jobs and losing most of the jobs to people that have been living in the North not very long.

I just want to ask the Minister, what is...

That’s definitely something that’s good to hear about. It’s a lot better update than the one we received during the winter session where there was just one individual in the program. Should an employee of the GNWT or somebody looking for a job would want to get into this type of program, how is the person able to access the department rather than the department recognizing these positions and just looking at filling them.

How can an individual approach the department, their manager or even the Department of Human Resources? What steps would an employee of the GNWT need to take to get...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Byrne Richards and all the work that he has done in the mental health and addictions field and his consideration for people with addictions. Welcome to the House.

Madam Chair, I move that the Department of Health and Social Services complete revisions to the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual by December 2014.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, June 5th, 2014, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on June 5, 2014, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 16, 2014; and further, that any time prior to October 16, 2014, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and...

Thank you. I know the Minister mentioned the Canada Job Grant. I think that’s a great opportunity, a great program and as long as we can start getting by and promoting that program, but we do have some youth that are down there in Grade 9, Grade 10 and this is a great opportunity for government to step up now and say, in two or three years you’re going to be either going to post-secondary or even getting some type of career, as a government we’re willing to help you, support you, because sometimes some of these individuals might not have high math skills, high chemistry skills, but the trade...

Thank you. Yes, just briefly, I think the motion states specifically what we need here and I also think that there does need to be inventory assessment of caseloads across the Northwest Territories in the regions and maybe identify which regions have the highest caseloads and start putting some of our resources, financial, human, towards those regional authorities that we can assist and provide quality care for our children and our families. Thank you.