Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The legislative counsel will speak to that question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wish to speak on the motion.

Mr. Chair, with me today is Shirley Desjardins, deputy minister, to my immediate right; Nicole MacNeil, director, labour relations, to my far right; and to my left I have Ken Chutskoff, legislative counsel.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is no appeal process for this situation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have some opening comments. Mr. Chairman, I’m pleased to be here today to discuss Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act. This bill proposes three amendments to the Public Service Act to simplify human resource management for the benefit of our employees.

A range of legislation, policy, Collective Agreement terms and conditions of employment, human rights and labour law governs human resource management in the public service. This provides a transparent, balanced approach to ensure employees and managers understand their responsibilities and rights.

Through...

Again, although we’re not contemplating any change in this area or asking for a change or bringing an LP forward asking for a change in this area, I will have Ms. MacNeil explain the process to try to provide some comfort to the Members. There is a lengthy process that we go through in order to make these appointments.

I should indicate that to navigable waters is not the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories; however, we want to see success, as well, when we are shipping items and fuel down the Mackenzie River, so we will participate as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Works and Services, we will participate in any discussions, but I can’t direct NTCL to have discussions with the communities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We may not have all the stats here, but I will just draw on the deputy minister’s knowledge in that area. Ms. Desjardins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have met with NTCL as a Department of Public Works. A lot of the discussion did spill over into my responsibilities as Minister of Transportation. They had offered some solutions to the problem that occurred this year and we’ve agreed to include them in our multi-modal Transportation Strategy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As to a bit of a response, I’ll have Nicole provide the majority of the response. What we’re asking for here is just a change in the term. The legislative proposal presented here today is the legislative proposal that is trying to put the least impact possible on an individual that is affected by layoff. Currently, this legislation reads that the individual has to be laid off and everything else is the same. If we’re going to make change in this legislation, that’s not something that we’re proposing, that’s outside of our legislative proposal here today, then we would...