Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the 15th Assembly, the Department of Health and Social Services committed to completing a comprehensive human resource plan for the Stanton Territorial Health Authority. The development of the human resource plan was intended to be inclusive and involve input from all staff. To do this, a comprehensive statistics-based recruitment and retention survey was conducted and completed by most of the staff within the Stanton Territorial Health Authority.

To build upon the findings of the first survey, a second, more detailed survey was conducted with a smaller number of staff selected at random. This second survey was conducted by way of individual interviews, usually 30 to 60 minutes long, where staff had an opportunity to identify all of their areas of concern as well as things that they, as an individual, believe are working.

It’s my understanding that both of these surveys were completed over the past summer. It’s also my understanding that these surveys, in addition to other statistical information such as national reports, statistical summaries on sick time, and other information provided by the Department of Human Resources, were to be used to help identify the real challenges to the recruitment and retention of health and social services professionals within the Stanton Territorial Health Authority.

The recently appointed Social Programs committee has discussed this matter and are advised that the comprehensive human resource plan for the authority was to be prepared and shared with the committee by the end of summer of 2007. That has not happened.

As a new member of the Social Programs committee and as a Member of this House who is concerned about the morale of hospital staff and the effectiveness of the public services in general, I wonder about the status of this human resource plan. Clearly, the challenges facing the recruitment and retention of health professionals and social service professionals are high, given the national and international shortages of these professionals.

I look forward to receiving this report in the near future and to discussing the resulting recommendations. I hope that it will be a tool that will help to stabilize the workforce at Stanton Territorial Health Authority and that it will demonstrate the respect and commitment that this government has for its employees. They are our most valuable resource. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause