Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess with the MAP program, the lack of aboriginal participation in that program, I know that people are nominated and they can nominate themselves, but a lot of people are putting forward their names, but they’re just not getting fair consideration, as far as they’re concerned, Mr. Speaker. On a few occasions people have applied twice. I notice they’re on the second round of the program implementation, and still they’re being turned down. These people are long-term government employees with lots of experience. They know in their own mind they can do the management...

…and the MAP, one of the criteria is that you…

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I was just wondering, why not just include it if it’s going to be there anyway? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for the FMBS, the Honourable Floyd Roland, with regard to the affirmative action policy that the new human resource amalgamation is planning on eliminating, I guess, out of the new human resource plan. I just wanted to ask the Minister a question about the establishment of the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee when the affirmative action policy was put into place in the early ‘90s. I just want to ask the Minister, if this committee still exists, what input into this new human resource organization is this Affirmative Action...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I’m not sure if we went through page 2-30 on the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Are we not providing any funding to that organization anymore? Is it sunset? Is there a different department that’s going to be providing them with any NWT government funding? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question on the $50,000 increase in contract services for the executive offices. Maybe just give me some clarification on what that entails.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess my concern is if a P1 appeals to a review officer and the review officer doesn’t…It is clearly stated that they are not in a position to authorize the appointment of any individuals to any positions, but I am just curious. If you have a P1 that is qualified in his eyes, and he applies to the staffing review officer to review his lack of an appointment to the position because of…If they followed all the rules and did the process according to what is stipulated in the competition and whatnot, how much consideration would…because the final decision rests in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The employment equity I know is based on the philosophy that employers will hire a representative workforce because it makes good business sense and operational sense to do so, and that’s a quote from the past Premier of this government in 2002. Another quote is from the executive director of our corporate human resource division saying that I expect it will be here for another two years and then we’ll eventually phase out the affirmative action and replace it with this employment equity. So I just want to ask the Minister what measures, with the amalgamation of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, if a P1 employee is not able to apply for a management position because a MAP person gets first dibs at it, and if none of the MAP employees are affirmative action, how will we ever change the face of the GNWT so that it is representative of the population that it serves in the NWT? Mr. Speaker, this practice is unacceptable and, in my mind, cannot and should not be defended by the Minister responsible for the program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is about the status of affirmative action with the GNWT. Mr. Speaker, you will recall last week, I raised concerns about the future of the affirmative action policy in this government, especially with the centralization of human resources.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is a reason for all of us to be concerned about the future of our affirmative action policy. Last week when I questioned Minister Roland about the affirmative action, he assured me that his department is doing all they can at all levels to ensure affirmative action is applied as it should be....