Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm concerned about a trend in government operations. There appears to be a high number of vacant positions and positions that have gone unfilled for an inordinate amount of time. Mr. Speaker, I understand there's staff turnover and for a variety of reasons, it can be hard to fill positions. Maybe the position is specialized which makes filling the position difficult, especially in the more northern and remote communities.
Mr. Speaker, how is the GNWT monitoring this trend across the government? Is the number of vacant positions being monitored over time? Is the government tracking the vacancy rates of positions overall by department or by region?
Mr. Speaker, unfilled positions can also provide surplus funding on unallocated spending dollars for regions or divisions. Unfilled positions can provide slush funds for upper management, and this is a concern.
Mr. Speaker, we are in a time of fiscal restraint. As Members, we all agree this Assembly needs to exemplify good governance. We need to tighten up how government does business and address vacant positions. Why are these positions going unfilled, Mr. Speaker? Can the GNWT address the root cause of these vacancies?
The GNWT needs to identify where these positions are located by position, by department, and start to uncover why they're going unfilled. The GNWT needs to dig into this to determine what positions could be filled and which ones are more challenging to improve operation of government and to improve efficiency in government service. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT also needs to ensure the senior positions in the regions are adequately filled, such as the regional director position in the Beaufort Delta, Mr. Speaker, and other senior positions throughout all of the Northwest Territories. These positions are integral to ensure all regions have a voice and that decisionmakers are located in the regions that these decisions affect the most. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
