WHEREAS the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act recognizes 11 official languages;
AND WHEREAS, under the Official Languages Act, residents of the Northwest Territories have the right to communicate and receive services from any regional, area or community GNWT office in any official language spoken in the area, other than English or French, where there is a significant demand for service in that language or where, due to the nature of the office, it is reasonable to provide service in that language;
AND WHEREAS GNWT Policy 71.10, Official Languages, states that a government’s ability to communicate in the official languages of the public it serves is an important part of the operation of good government;
AND WHEREAS GNWT Policy 71.10 further states that a government’s provision of services in its official languages recognizes and supports the efforts of communities in maintaining and developing these languages;
AND WHEREAS the GNWT supports a competent and well-trained public service and provision of training and development opportunities that support employees’ ability to effectively and efficiently deliver department and agency mandates to serve the residents of the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the GNWT programs and policies support government employees in pursuing relevant training and skill enhancement;
AND WHEREAS our fellow northern jurisdictions, Nunavut and Yukon, offer official language and cultural training to their employees, thereby improving public service delivery and supporting the continued health of minority languages;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable member for Range Lake, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the GNWT consider development and coordination of government-wide programs to teach official languages of the Northwest Territories to senior managers of GNWT departments, as appropriate to the regions for which they are responsible;
AND FURTHER, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion to the 18th Legislative Assembly by June 2016.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Bromley.
