Michael Nadli

This person could work with Indigenous people seeking GNWT jobs, to help them prepare for their hiring process, to help them get their applications in, and to help connect departments with the right candidate.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides for the creation of policies designed to provide an even playing field for disadvantaged groups. I understand that the concerns about the legitimacy of the GNWT's Affirmative Action Policy for certain groups may be at the root of why this policy has remained untouched for 30-plus years. If this is the case, I would like the...

Mr. Chair, I wish to declare that I have a financial interest in Bill 54, Standard Interest Rates Statutes Amendment Act, and I will excuse myself from the Chamber during its consideration of Committee of the Whole today. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

To commence its reviews of Bill 40 and Bill 41, committee sent letters inviting input from various stakeholders and non-governmental organizations.

The committee held a public hearing on Bill 40 and Bill 41 in Yellowknife on May 28, 2019.

In addition to these meetings, committee received four written submissions from three separate parties. Copies of the written submissions are attached in Appendix C.

Is there a model in other jurisdictions that has been successful in hiring more Aboriginal people into the government that the GNWT could perhaps use as a model?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to follow up on my statement on the Affirmative Action Policy. About 30 years ago, as a result of the Oka Crisis, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples did a report and released their findings on November 1, 1996. That was 30 years ago. In 2019, it is a long shot, but marijuana was legalized. Much has changed. My question is to the Minister of Finance. I asked the Minister this question before and did not get a direct answer, so I will ask again: why has the Affirmative Action Policy not been updated in the last 30 years? Does concern about the legitimacy of...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During the spring sitting, I asked the Finance Minister, who is responsible for human resources, to make a commitment to update the GNWT's Affirmative Action Policy. As you may recall, the policy is so outdated that it still contains a commitment to do a policy review in 1994.

As I said in the House back in May, according to the GNWT's 2018 Public Service Annual Report, only 30.5 percent of the territorial government's workforce is made up of Indigenous Aboriginal people. The Minister pointed out that this number is higher in the regions, where 46 percent of the GNWT...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Subsection 7(1) of Bill 48 authorizes the Minister to, in accordance with regulations, establish a "post-secondary education advisory committee." The duties of an advisory committee include reviewing matters referred to it by the Minister, including the review of and the making of recommendations on applications for recognition as a post-secondary institution, and advising the Minister at his or her request on any matter respecting the administration of post-secondary education in the NWT. Subsection 7(2) requires the Minister to appoint a chairperson, a vice-chairperson...

There are some instances where patients or constituents of mine had to have family members drive them out of the community and visit other hospitals or health centres just to get a proper diagnosis. My question to the Minister is: what support is available to residents of the NWT if they must seek a second opinion outside of their community?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] The government has done many things to improve the healthcare system for the residents of the Northwest Territories. [Translation ends]

In recent years, the management regime for our healthcare system was restructured in the NWT Health and Social Services Authority. This structure includes regional wellness councils that provide advice and support for the delivery of programs and services by listening to community residents and bringing forward ideas, suggestions, and concerns to a leadership council for the territory. Only time will tell if this new structure...

My other question is: what progress has been made towards the living healthcare services in Indigenous languages?