Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for my statement today I want to revisit a topic that I have spoken about many times during the 19th Assembly, and that subject is the Affirmative Action Policy.
Mr. Speaker, I know That the Minister of finance just tabled a What We Heard report last week regarding the government's review of the Affirmative Action Policy. I understand that the report concluded that the Government of the Northwest Territories should repeal affirmative action and replace it with a new policy that prioritizes the hiring of Indigenous people connected to the NWT first; and, then priorities all Indigenous Canadians at large.
Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to state plainly and clearly that I welcome all Indigenous people that were not born in the NWT but are living and working across the territory today. These individuals are most welcome. The point I am getting at here, Mr. Speaker, is that with any repeal and replacement of the Affirmative Action Policy, the government must keep in mind several key aspects of the policy as well as the original intent on whom the policy was meant to serve. Those were Priority 1s, 2s and 3s.
Mr. Speaker, I have always cared deeply about the health and wellbeing and advancement of Indigenous people, but I also care about nonIndigenous people. And within the existing Affirmative Action Policy, nonIndigenous people who were either born within the NWT and who live in the NWT more than half of their life will qualify under the policy. That is an aspect of the policy I have always been in favour of and will continue to be in favour of. However, in the future when a policy is initiated and made official, I hope it will consider any person who has lived at least ten years or more within the Northwest Territories and that secondary priority hiring will be provided to them.
Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, priority hiring in the NWT comes down to human resources doing their job right. Managers and hiring teams cannot continue to hire their friends or their family members. The appeal board also needs to be a neutral, fair, ethical, and transparent body that is approachable by the average person.
I could go on, Mr. Speaker, but I will leave it at that for now and hopefully the next Assembly, if I do return to this House, I will continue to address this topic down the road. I will have questions for the Minister of finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
