Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased to hear the Minister of Human Resources indicate in his statement that his department is currently determining areas of its mandate that “need additional work.” I look forward to those survey results in June.

As I mentioned in my statement, I feel that there’s a group of residents in the Territory that are currently disadvantaged in terms of employment. Where other jurisdictions can have far more persons with disabilities employed than can the G.N.W.T., can the Minister advise why we have so few people employed and why we have such a poor record of employing...

I would like to bring to the attention of this House an inequality that exists in the N.W.T. public service. For quite a few years now, we’ve had an Affirmative Action Policy in place to enable the hiring of certain target groups of Northerners as G.N.W.T. employees. This policy is not working for a specific, disadvantaged group of N.W.T. residents who need to be recognized.

Persons with disabilities in the G.N.W.T. public service make up a paltry 0.4 per cent of the total number of employees. The percentage of persons with disabilities in the general population of the N.W.T., however, is 13...

Just a follow-up comment. I understand it’s going to cost us some money to bring these guys into our public service. But I think, in the long run, it is going to save money. I would encourage the Minister of Finance to encourage his colleagues to get this underway and spend the money to save the money.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Yes, I am looking for a formal program with monetary recognition. I think it’s important. The Minister mentioned that there was a program earlier with nominal recognition. To my mind, something like 10 per cent of the amount of savings which are garnered would be an incentive. If somebody saves $200,000 for this government, that certainly is going to give them incentive to do it. So I would ask the Minister if he would consider reinstating such a program.

So I take it from the Minister’s answer that there are no formal mechanisms and processes in regard to input for the budget.

I would ask the Minister whether or not there are any mechanisms in place, apart from the informal system that he’s already outlined, for an individual or for staff to provide input into…. Sorry. Should they see that there are efficiencies to be gained in an operation or savings to be gained, is there a mechanism for them to have input into the department’s operation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My hearing is going; I didn’t hear you the first time.

Mr. Speaker, since the Finance Minister’s fiscal strategy announcement, which outlined the need for massive budget reductions for 2008-2009, Members have all been working very hard considering how to reduce expenditures, the implications of reductions and how to minimize the impacts of those reductions.

One of the unforeseen impacts that has resulted from the announcement of the fiscal strategy is the effect it has had on G.N.W.T. employees and the non-governmental employees who deliver programs and services for the G...

Mr. Speaker, having heard the Minister’s answer, I’m sensing that there is not a strong formal program at the moment for input from staff.

Two questions, I guess. Maybe I’ll ask them one at a time. The first one is whether or not the Minister can advise if there’s any real input from staff, any real savings, any real efficiencies that come from the various recognition programs that he outlined.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to follow up on my statement in which I talked about using our employees as a resource. I’d like to ask the Minister of Human Resources what mechanisms currently exist for staff to provide input into our annual budget process?

In my statement I talked about the Remote Community Wind Energy Conference, which was held in December of this past year. Actually, I believe it was November; I’ll correct myself. The conference report was expected in January of ’08, and it’s now February.

So my question is to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I wondered when we could expect to receive a report on the conference proceedings.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I’m glad to have this opportunity to address the Premier’s sessional address. Like Mr. Bromley, there was much in here I appreciated and agreed with, but I do have a few comments. One can’t speak without having some comments, of course.

One of the statements with which I particularly appreciated was the Premier’s statement that:

“We want to build a unified, strong and independent territory. A territory that is the master of its own destiny. A territory recognized across Canada as a unique and contributing member of Canada’s federation.”

I totally agree with that. I would hope...