Statements in Debates
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d have to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs if he has that detail.
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. As the process would work, when a department comes forward for a supplementary request from FMB, if we feel there is enough information to approve, we would do that; if not, we would send them back or decline and request more information. In this particular case, the Minister did some work within the department and had a review done and the substantiation is what they brought forward. If the Minister is prepared to supply that information, then I guess we can go to Minister Miltenberger for that information.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as we approve the budgets and the budget lines and the departments request an increase for a specific forced growth issue such as fuel, and if the price, for whatever reason, comes in lower than was anticipated, then there would be a surplus in that budget and it would come back to general revenue. That would be the practice. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the three positions will not all be located in Yellowknife. One of them will be in the north and one will be in the south part of the territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have with me today the director of legislation, Mark Aitken; to my immediate right is Mr. Lew Voytilla, secretary to FMB; and, to my immediate left is Ms. Lynn Elkin, assistant deputy minister of corporate human resources. Thank you.
I am pleased to introduce Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act. The staffing appeals process provides for public accountability of staffing within the GNWT public service. The proposed legislative amendments to the Public Service Act will enhance this accountability by enabling revisions to the staffing review and appeals regulations to strengthen the staffing appeals process by making it more independent and transparent.
The proposed changes to the Public Service Act include an appointment mechanism for staffing review officers as well as a more extensive regulation-making...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d have to take exception with the Member stating that we have employees out there who are not committed to the policies that we have in place. If there are examples of that, if there’s proof of that besides accusations of employees not following the rules, then definitely bring them forward to me and I will work to address them. We have a policy in place. We need to follow those policies. We know there are some problems with the one management program that we have in place. In fact, we’re trying to, as we go forward, incorporate it into the work around...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the affirmative action policy will not be eliminated. What we are doing is looking at its structure and incorporating it into the new organization and how we would carry on business as the Government of the Northwest Territories. Just to be clear and on the record, affirmative action is still an issue that we’re dealing with and looking at how we can carry it forward. If it has the same title or a different title, that’s something to be decided.
On the committee the Member spoke about, that has not been in operation for quite some time, so the work we’re...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as we are laying this out, the process is we would put out a request for individuals who have interest in taking up those positions. They would not be allowed to be government personnel. So a government employee would not qualify for one of these positions. They will be contracted positions. Once they are selected and will have the experience to fit the criteria, they would be in there for a three-year term. The only reason they could be removed would be for not following the rules, not going in accordance to the act.
So the Minister-of-the-day cannot go...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as anybody who would apply on a government position would be aware, through the form to apply, they would make the selection if they were an aboriginal person in the Northwest Territories and therefore considered P1. So if they felt they weren’t considered a P1 or a P2 in the existing categories in place, then any policy we have could be appealed if they felt that it wasn’t adhered to. It is pretty straightforward on that section of it. Thank you.