Debates of June 2, 2004 (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize that there are many folks out there awaiting our presence in the Great Hall to deal with the Premier’s Awards for Excellence, and that is actually the program I want to speak to before we go out there. First of all I want to confess I did not submit any nominations for this awards program, but, Mr. Speaker, I am concerned with the Minister’s statement the Premier made today when he outlined who the recipients for this were. I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade here, but, Mr. Speaker, if we are going to have awards and programs like this I think then it behooves us to show a little bit of sensitivity to who we represent as a government. I don’t know who does the screening for these applications, whether it is like the program that Mr. Villeneuve just mentioned, where the Premier has the same concerns as the Member, well then I have to ask who’s in charge and whose program is it then, and who is responsible for the Department of the Executive? I don’t know how these nominations are screened but, Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the four recipients, the four main recipients of the Premier’s awards today all are men, none are aboriginal, three out of four live in Yellowknife, and one has only lived in the Territories for 18 months. I am sorry, but I find that an insult to the people who have served many, many years in this government. So I would like to ask the Premier, what guidelines are used in handing out these awards? If they are prestigious and if they have meaning, then surely we should be a little more sensitive. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 203-15(3): Premier’s Awards For Excellence Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The nomination process, or the application process for people interested in nominating people for the awards is fairly open. It is well advertised to all the communities, it is advertised in all the regions, it is advertised at headquarters. People cannot make application, they have to have someone nominate them if they wish to be there, Mr. Speaker, so it is open to everyone. We receive the applications then, second, there is a committee of deputy ministers because this is a peer assessment process. A group of deputies then assess the applications and will make their recommendations based on that. There is no limit on how long an individual may have worked for the government. Some may have worked for a fairly short period of time, but have done a stellar job in their responsibilities. So, Mr. Speaker, there is no effort at this time to try and have a gender balance. It is based on applications. Basically the intention here, Mr. Speaker, is to have individuals who can be nominated by their peers, and leave it open to whoever may want to nominate, whether it is a small community, large community, male, female, and we don’t put a lot of criteria on that. That would be narrowing opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 203-15(3): Premier’s Awards For Excellence Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier then that these are called Premier’s awards, but it sounds like he doesn’t have any input into who gets chosen, he doesn’t finely screen the recipients in the end. Wouldn’t the Premier agree that these awards would have more meaning and would be regarded more highly if he personally would become involved in it, and if there was some sensitivity to some balance of who works in the public service in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Hear! Hear!

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Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 203-15(3): Premier’s Awards For Excellence Program

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Member that anything I put my hands on is probably going to improve substantially.

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I will certainly take her advice on that and, yes, I would like to review this one because we did not get as many applications as I would like to have seen. So, Mr. Speaker, I think this is again another one that we will want to look at and ask if the process we are using is an appropriate one. The deputies, the team who are putting it together, tried to be as open as possible, advertise as broadly as possible, and open it up. But with advice from the Members, I’d certainly, for the next time around, look and see if there is a better way of doing this. I am always open to improving any of the programs we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 203-15(3): Premier’s Awards For Excellence Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to hear that the Premier will take this under his authority, and see that this program is intended for what it is meant to be. I will take that commitment, and that is satisfactory to me. Thank you.