Robert Villeneuve

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to use my last Member’s statement here today to express my gratitude and appreciation to the many people I’ve worked with here during my tenure here in the 15th Assembly. Firstly, I’d like to thank my constituents of Tu Nedhe for electing me in 2003-2004 to undertake the very important and challenging task of representing their interests in this unique system of consensus government we have here in the NWT. Secondly, thank you to all of my colleagues here in this House for all of the wonderful experiences and advice on leadership and politics that they have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with the role of the human resource officers when it comes to filling these staffing positions, I just want to ask the Minister why the human resource officer holds all the authority in the hiring of new positions here in the GNWT and will only take recommendations from supervisors, any managers, et cetera? Why is all the authority for hiring only in the hands of our human resources officers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister responsible for Human Resources while we're on the topic of revisions of the human resources policy manual. I know the human resources process for staffing GNWT positions places a lot of authority in the hands of the human resources officers, Mr. Speaker, and on a lot of occasions I've gotten feedback from some supervisors that are included in an interview with possible candidates for a position in the GNWT, only to find out that they don't have any say in who gets hired at the end of the day. All this authority still sits in the hands of...

Just with the human resources officers' roles in the hiring, I know that in the interview process I've heard some constituents coming back to me after their interviews and a lot of them are saying that basically the whole emphasis on their applications to these positions are placed on the interview. Some people get nervous doing interviews; they don't do so well. Ninety percent of the recommendation to hire is based on the interview, Mr. Speaker. Résumes, cover letters, very little emphasis is placed on review of those. I just want to ask the Minister why isn't there a 50/50 split between...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll look forward to what the Minister comes back with when he revisits that issue. Just on the affirmative action issue, I just want to ask the Minister how is he going to ensure all people that are possible employees or future employees of the public service, that all the human resource officers in all the regions interpret and understand the human resources policies, especially when it relates to affirmative action, that they all understand and all interpret this policy all the same? I've been hearing conflicting stories about different human resources officers...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I also want to state my support for the motion that’s on the floor right now for referral to the standing committee for all the good reasons that all of my colleagues have stated here today. So I’ll just be brief with expressing my reasons for support.

One, most importantly being that the general public in the NWT is not really ready for this type, or prepared, I guess, for this type of legislation to be thrown on them along with the new Liquor Act and all other kinds of legislation that we’ve been passing here in this House. However, I have to really commend the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a pilot project on the go here. I would like to see caribou introduced under this program just for the fact that caribou are going to be traditionally harvested anyway. I think this would put more information in the hands of the Department of ITI on who is harvesting and how many are being harvested. I think that information will be critical when the wildlife boards come back with caribou harvesting quotas and changes to regulations that we have in the caribou issue. I know there are no dollars set on how much they are going to be buying the hides for...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to use my Member's statement today to recognize and congratulate seven students from Deninu Kue who have successfully completed high school and will be celebrating their graduation next month in Deninu Kue. The reason why they hold the graduation ceremonies in September, Mr. Speaker, is that the community and the school wants to ensure that all those who are marching down the aisle in the graduation ceremony have received notice that they have successfully passed all necessary courses required to graduate without any doubt. Mr. Speaker, I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I said, it is a great program. I think the government could really do a lot of expanding on this whole traditional economy support with caribou antlers and hides. But I just want to point out to the Minister that we have a lot of different types of caribou here in the NWT like the barren-ground and the woodland and the mountain caribou which are pretty much…There are a lot of mountain caribou and they are very big pieces of game. They are almost as big as moose in some areas here in the NWT. I just want to ask the Minister if his department would really...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment with the introduction of the Traditionally-Tanned Moosehide Program. I think it is a great initiative that the department has introduced here. It is great that the government shows support to our traditional economy. I would like to ask the Minister if the traditionally-tanned caribou hides have been considered under this initiative also, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.