Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just with court services, I know that I think it’s almost been over a year, maybe more, that court services to the communities increased the cycle, I think from four weeks to six weeks. It is impacting people in the courts. I know that a couple of court cases have been thrown out because justice was just taking too long. Based on those cases and based on the length of people going to trial, it really impacts them because a lot of people are on probation, et cetera, even for a year before they get to trial. So I’d just like to know if the department is reviewing...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m not prepared to do a statement today. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Regretfully, I can’t support this motion on the addition to our budget. We all heard on this side of the House how we’ll be faced with up to a $30 million reduction in our budget and we have to work hard after we pass this budget to do it.

I’m concerned because these reductions are coming and we want to add more money to the budget. I would like to say that sometimes the MLAs’ jobs are not about what we’re getting or what we’re adding, it’s what we hang on to. That exercise is coming, Mr. Chair.

For example, the reduction of half a position, point five of a...

Thank you very much. I think the deputy minister clarified that when there’s a net change. I can appreciate that answer.

Just referencing my Member’s statement about how difficult it is for somebody new trying to get into a system, I know that a lot of these are largely professional, but we’ve still got accounting clerks, front desk personnel, et cetera. I’m also presuming that there are just as many vacancies in this department on average as anybody else, so can the Minister designate a task team and look at those entry-level positions, because I’m concerned, once again, about over-qualifying...

Thank you very much. Just with still a bit of position growth here and with the Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, I’m presuming all these are Yellowknife jobs. There’s an increase of 24 positions. Can the Minister explain what those are.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I guess another issue that’s directly related to this is that we have 570 job vacancies in our government, 21 of them in Fort Simpson alone, but it appears that there are three or four of them advertised. Those impacted employees who are going through the shared services reorganization certainly have first priority at those. The Aboriginals and Northerners in my communities want to apply on jobs but they’re limited. There are 21 positions in Simpson.

What are the Minister and this government doing about getting those jobs out in the public system and getting...

The Minister touched on it briefly. It’s still not clear. Is it three years of experience is equivalent to some type of education level or programming or degree? Perhaps the Minister can answer that.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about Northerners and Aboriginals getting jobs with the Government of the Northwest Territories. But firstly, it was good to hear that the shared services and long-term Aboriginal employees were addressed in the House yesterday. This government should be investing in Aboriginals and Northerners. We should be proud to have them in our public service. I think it would be a proud day when we can finally say the GNWT has a truly representative workforce.

Sadly, well-qualified Northerners and Aboriginals, P1 candidates, are still be screened...

I’m glad the Minister was able to answer the questions on vacancies and specifically to the Dehcho, as it were, partly in my regional breakup. Social Services calls it Dehcho, but half of it, of course, is the Nahendeh. But certainly it addresses my issue of having job opportunities available for all residents as we move along.

Just with the vacancies alone, I think I spoke last budget in this House about Fort Liard and their need for consistent social work and mental health services. I just want to know if things have been addressed in Fort Liard. There was a high turnover of social workers...

Thank you very much. I didn’t think it added up to 24, but between Stanton and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, I guess, Madam Chair. I’m just trying to understand why there are increases, 20 more positions for Yellowknife. As we go along, I think I pointed it out in the previous department too, although it was there that things continue to grow and grow in Yellowknife. It looks like these authorities, of course, are specific to Yellowknife. So just two more questions, I guess. I think we were short a couple of positions. I didn’t that came to 24, what she was saying. The...