Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent of Yellowknife South, Ms. Kelly Arychuk. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t recognize a long-time hockey supporter, minor hockey, senior hockey, old-timer hockey, the only guy I know that has an arena named after him -- I’m sure he would have brought his cow bell in if security would have let him -- Mr. Ed Jeske.

For both nurses and teachers, this government guarantees an offer of employment to all northern graduates. I should also indicate that if a job offer has been made and it has not been accepted, then we consider the guarantee as being fulfilled. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Maximizing Northern Employment program still exists, I’m happy to say, and I expect it will continue for some time. We’ve had this program for quite a few years. It’s gone through a few iterations but it’s probably one of the most successful programs that we have. It provides students and graduates with work experiences within the government. We have three principal programs within the Maximizing Northern Employment program: the Graduate Internship Program; the Graduate Placement Program, which is focused primarily on teachers, nurses, and social workers; and of...

As I said, we have written to all of the Aboriginal governments inviting them to participate in the development of the cross-cultural awareness training. I would have to check to see if the Sahtu government has responded in the affirmative. But we are also developing a guide that would outline the training on the land or experienced-based training that’s available out there, and my expectation is that our Cross-Cultural Awareness Program that will be developed will involve people in the regions and elders and so on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately he never communicated that information to me. No, I’m just… We have been working diligently on developing a Cross-Cultural Awareness Training Program for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Our 20/20: Brilliant North Public Service Strategic Plan makes cross-cultural awareness and diversity awareness a priority for this government. We developed a framework agreement that promotes exactly that and we’ll be rolling it out in the new fiscal year, 2011-2012. Thank you.

Human Resources administers this program and some of the programs are funded by Education and Health and Social Services. We work very closely with those programs. In total we spend $1.85 million for the Maximizing Northern Employment program. Just to give you some of the details of what makes up the Maximizing Northern Employment: the Graduate Internship Program has $1.3 million; the Graduate Placement Program for teachers, $125,000; Graduate Placement Program for nurses, $640,000; Graduate Placement Program for social workers, $200,000; the Summer Student Program Progressive Experience...

The contract has been awarded and we’ll address those issues. Our expectation is that all new employees that are new to the North, new to the government, will undergo the cross-cultural awareness and diversity-awareness training. Thank you.

We’ve awarded a couple of contracts so that we can develop a Cross-Cultural Awareness Training Program that can be delivered. We are working with communities and we are also involving Aboriginal governments, those that are willing to participate. We’ve written to all of them and invited them to participate. We also will be tendering and awarding another contract to develop a training curriculum framework for our e-training component of this cultural awareness program. My expectation is it will be early, probably the summer of 2011. Thank you.

I think the Member is asking a very timely question following up on the questions asked by his colleague MLA Beaulieu. The way I see it is a good economy provides for the land and for the people. I think what we need is an economy that will create jobs. As a government we are spending a lot of money on education so that people in the Northwest Territories, young people will be able to get good jobs, good paying jobs. In order to do that, you have to have an economy that creates jobs.

As a government we have an Affirmative Action Policy. We’ve identified an Affirmative Action Advisory Group that...

We don’t pay employees based on race. The way we calculate the remuneration for jobs is we have a job evaluation system that’s consistent throughout the Government of the Northwest Territories.