Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, mining and diamond mining, in particular, is a cornerstone of the economy in the Northwest Territories. Today I would like to highlight a significant achievement of this government, the updating of the Diamond Policy Framework. This updated framework will continue to support and encourage the growth of the diamond manufacturing industry in the Northwest Territories by providing a more streamlined and flexible approach, including reducing the red tape associated with the approval process for gaining approved northern manufacturer status.

Diamond, mineral exploration and production...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Diavik’s Community Legacy Projects: Highlighting Our First Decade of Investing in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize three members of the National Energy Board: the chairman and CEO, Gaetan Caron; board member, Georgette Habib; and to show there’s life after being a clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. David Hamilton, board member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled 2010 Annual Report of the Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories.

This is a process that will not happen overnight. As to what I’ve outlined, it will allow employees with disabilities to self-identify. We also have to work with all departments so that we can match people with jobs. We see this as a role of the diversity office and all of HR working in conjunction with the departments. As we go along we will identify jobs and people and do the matching so that we can increase our representation.

We are working with all departments to establish the disability framework so that all departments will be able to follow this framework to increase our representation. Right now our focus is on employability, increasing the education and awareness of all departments with regard to dealing with persons with disabilities in the workplace with the sensitivity training. We expect that we will go a long ways to increasing the numbers of persons with disabilities in the workforce. Thank you.

Thank you. We have established a GNWT Advisory Committee on Employability that’s making its recommendations to the government so that we can increase the representation of persons with disabilities. What we’re trying to do is strengthen our relationship with not only our government, but with non-government organizations, and the Union of Northern Workers and other unions so that we can increase our percentage of persons with disabilities in the workforce. Right now we’re working on developing a communications strategy that will go out to all people in the Northwest Territories and advance to a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member that all departments are committed to increasing the representation of persons with disabilities in the territorial public service. 20/20: A Brilliant North public service strategic plan, which government developed with all departments, makes it a priority to increase the representation of persons with disabilities in the territorial public service.

Now our GNWT employability working group, as the Member indicated, in 2009 we invited the Yukon workplace diversity office to come and talk to us about best practices and we learned a lot from that and...