Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Nadli?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the Minister for giving us an overview in terms of the leadership of the GNWT in terms of the national agenda on Aboriginal issues. My final question, and this section is just in regards to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the action plans. There's been great effort in terms of acknowledging the whole residential school experience. There was an expectation that federal initiatives would flow to communities, especially in terms of dealing with a lot of the intergenerational impacts of just the experiences that our parents or our grandparents had gone through. Is there a continued role that this government will play to ensure the roll out of initiatives does happen and reaches the community level, especially at the ground level where communities really need assistance in terms of taking on wellness and healing initiatives? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is certainly one of the important areas I will be discussing next week as well at the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, how we will advance the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Certainly, the Northwest Territories play a very large role and a leadership role in that regard. I think it's very important to continue that important work, so we will have the discussion with all of the colleagues, and especially the Government of Canada who will also have a very strong leadership role in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Nadli? Thank you. Committee, any further questions on page 28, active position summary, information item? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. As part of the mandate that we collectively approved for the 18th assembly, I understood that negotiations with Aboriginal governments to settle land rights was going to be a priority. When I look at the table here, there is actually going to be a number of positions cut in negotiations, actually three. I am just wondering: how is that consistent with the mandate that we approved? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We, as I said, if it was just adding positions to settle land claims, we would have added a lot more positions, but we are taking a more focused, a new approach, and that's where my opening remarks that we identified and additional resources of $200,000 to help with this new collaborative approach to dealing with land claims. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Looks like there's going to be four fulltime positions that are lost. Can the Minister tell me whether those are staffed currently? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The four positions are all vacant, some of them since 2013. There is one vacant since 2010, another one vacant since 2014. All the positions will be vacant when this comes into effect. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell me whether any of those positions were actually signed to any specific negotiations tables? I'm just trying to understand whether the lack of having people, warm bodies in those seats is actually contributed to ongoing delays and negotiations. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There's no ongoing delays. That happened because of these vacant positions, but I'll ask through you, Mr. Chair, for the deputy minister to go into more detail. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of the four positions identified for reduction, three have been vacant for some time. As the Premier noted, one since 2010, and that was in our implementation shop, and we have certainly found ways to manage that workload without that position being filled. Another position that was vacant since 2013 just proved to be a difficult one to fill, and we have found ways to operationalize without the use of that position, so when faced with some tough questions about the level of resources, we had to be honest and say we really don't need that resource because we've been working without it for so long. Similarly, there is a research assistant negotiator position that's more recently vacant for the last two years. It's the same scenario. We do identify one chief negotiator position for reduction that hasn't been vacant but will be as of June 10th, and we are anticipating filling that work with existing negotiators on staff in the department, so it's really about reassigning some workloads. We are not anticipating at all that shortage causing any delays.
Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly?
I don't think anybody's actually answered the specific question I have, which is, are any of these positions that are currently vacant, one sounds like there's an individual who is retiring, what specific tables are they actually supporting? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Goldney.
The chief negotiator position that we've identified was currently, or was previously, supporting the Norman Wells self-government file and the Tulita self-government negotiations. As I mentioned, that work has been reassigned and is supported with other negotiators now.
Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly? Committee, any further questions on page 28? Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, active position summary, information item. Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. That brings us to page 30. Corporate management, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $3,873,000. Any questions? Are we agreed? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. The activity description talks and it's in in the table here that we're discussing on page 30, the Women's Advisory Unit. I'm trying to understand how, in our mandate, we've approved a couple of items to promote women in politics and try to ensure that more women get appointed to boards where we make appointments. How is women's affairs divided between the Executive and Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations? I know we also have a Minister responsible for the Status of Women. How does all of this get coordinated, or is it not coordinated? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. At one time the money to assist, to help administer, was housed in the Executive. It was felt, with all the work that was happening at a national level, that it was better housed in Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations because of the additional support that could be provided inter-governmentally. It was a bit much to have one woman's advisor that was previously in the Executive do all the preparatory work for FPT, woman's issues, and so on. By having it housed in there, it was able to get more support for those meetings. Most of the work is administrative support and the Minister responsible for Women, there is a women's advisor to provide advice to the Minister responsible for Women. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. When I go back to the org chart on page 24, I see that there is a special advisor, status of women position there reporting to a Minister responsible. Is that Minister responsible, then, the Minister for the Status of Women in this case or is it the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Minister responsible for Women, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. It might be helpful then, if that diagram was clarified, because that's why I'm asking these sorts of questions. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McLeod.
Of course, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly? Next we have Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering if the Minister could just give a quick rationale for deciding not to continue funding to the Indspire Awards.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are the only jurisdiction, I believe, that sponsored the Indspire Awards. The other provinces would only sponsor it when it was held in their province. Generally it's unusual for us to fund organizations that are outside of the Northwest Territories. Also it was felt that we could support it in other ways. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Anything further, Ms. Green?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister just said they could support it in other ways. I'm wondering what those look like.
Okay. Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. McLeod?
Through supporting the Aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories. Those people that are invited and attend the Indspire, they would pay their own way though whatever departments they were with. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Green?
This is more a comment. It's my understanding from the president of Indspire that $125,000 worth of scholarships were given out in the NWT in the last year to students. It seems like a pretty good investment to provide that kind of support for the $125,000 in return, although I understand the Minister's rationale for not going with the ongoing support of the event itself. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Green. Premier McLeod?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that comes through corporate sponsorships. Certainly Indspire is a very good organization and we are very impressed by the work that they do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ms. Green, I apologize for calling you Mrs. Green. Ms. Green?
---Laughter
That's my mother. I have no further comments, thanks.
