Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, human resources have representatives who act as facilitators on hiring committees with whatever department they might be working with. The point of doing that, the point of having human resources present, is, in fact, to ensure, again, that the hiring process remains fair, follows all of the regulations, rules, The Collective Agreement, policy, et cetera. Selection committee members then, of course, if they are in a conflict, are to remove themselves. If there's any relationship to a candidate or any potential for bias, they are not to take part in that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents: Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022; and Supplementary Estimates (Operation Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, speaking about a culture of hiring, Mr. Speaker, I don't accept that that characterization is fair, that the idea of saying that it is troubled and has double standards or is unfair. I don't accept that characterization, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of people within the entire GNWT, 5,000 strong, who care deeply about the territory, who care deeply about the people that they serve, and care deeply about having a representative workforce. That is not to say that every process is perfect. That is not to say that every public servant is perfect any more than...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, I don't agree that the entire hiring system of the GNWT is not transparent. It is certainly a complex system at times. There are quite a number of pieces of legislation policy that need to be adhered to and followed. The Collective Agreement has to be adhered to and followed. And in doing so, that, again, that does require a fairly rigorous process and a fairly sometimes one might think of it being a complex process. If it's not always very well understood, just as the Affirmative Action Policy is not always very well understood. And all of those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, but that it was so easy. So the summer student program, it doesn't have a separate line item or budgeting item to it, as I think was mentioned earlier in Members' statement. The way that it works, though, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance, of course, can coordinate the support hiring of summer students and can coordinate and support training programs for the summer students.

Every department has a responsibility to determine what their needs are, to find special projects that they often do, and often do rely, indeed, on summer students who are coming in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of May 31st, 2021, we have a total of 192 summer students currently hired. There's an additional 53 who have pending offers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have only myself been a public servant for not even about a year and a half now. I will say that it has been my experience that I am deeply impressed by the work, by the skill, and by the care that I've seen, in general, by public servants across the Northwest Territories and across different departments and divisions.

When concerns are brought forward through the Department of Finance, Human Resources headquarters does look at each and every one and does do their best to investigate them, to work to resolve personnel issues. And, indeed, there are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is not a practice within human resources of branding or blacklisting applicants on mass. That is not how the Human Resources process works. GNWT hiring must comply with various pieces of legislation, including the Public Service Act, The Human Resources Manual, Staffing Appeal Regulations, and The Collective Agreement. And it is certainly the responsibility of everyone who is tasked from the Department of Human Resources to do those things.

Department of Finance does have to work, of course, with all GNWT departments with all of the hiring managers...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Office of the Regulator for Oil and Gas Operations 20202021 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, June 1st, 2021, I will move the Bill 32, an act to amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.