Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to continue their consideration of the mains with the Department of Human Resources today.

I recognize that the Minister of Human Resources is not solely responsible for the Affirmative Action Policy. I would like to know if the Minister is prepared to have a regular role, maybe during committee or anything, on a regular basis conferring with other Ministers of other departments to ensure that each department has a human resources plan that also has the contents of what is needed in order to increase Priority 1 hires in the GNWT. Thank you.

No, that's what I'm looking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member's statement I talked about the Priority 1 candidates in the GNWT, or employees in the GNWT. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources, would the Minister reexamine all the programs, policies, and initiatives that are designed to increase the number of Priority 1 employees in the GNWT to ensure their efficiency? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask the Minister who's responsible, which Minister or is it the Premier, that's responsible to give direction to the Ministers to ensure that their departments do have human resource plans?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister at the Department of Human Resources is made aware by other departments if other departments are considering reducing the amount of PYs in any particular community, especially the small communities. I would like to know if the Ministers have an obligation to advise this Minister or the Premier when they are reducing PYs, not necessarily people, but the position in various communities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, just a question on the case that the deputy minister's referring to. Something about earlier, the Minister indicated that not sure if the federal government would reimburse the GNWT for any benefits that would be now be afforded to the Metis people. Has there been some discussion on that as far as the health benefits that we provide as a government to the Metis? Thank you.

Those are good responses. I believe that it seems to be an issue of the skills of the workforce. What are the mines and the department doing to develop a workforce, an NWT Aboriginal workforce, as per the workforce development agreement inside the socio-economic agreement?

I represent a constituency that is over 90 per cent Aboriginal, and I would like to know if there's anything specific in the socio-economic agreements between the government and the diamond mines that hold the diamond mines accountable for the employment of Aboriginal people at the diamond mine. I recognize that the socio-economic agreement does cover the northern/Aboriginal employment, but I'm particularly interested in how the government will hold the diamond mines accountable for the employment targets for Aboriginal people.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, creating jobs for northern residents and Aboriginal employees is a major part of the Government of the Northwest Territories socio-economic agreements with the three diamond mines. People who live in the areas most impacted by the mines are a part of the approval process and were a part of the approval process for their construction. These mines are on their traditional territory. Mr. Speaker, under these agreements, the diamond mines committed to build a workforce that was made up with about half northern Aboriginal people. These agreements also include...