Thank you, Mr. Speaker My questions today are addressed to the Minister for the Department of Human Resources. I mentioned in my statement that I feel there is an inconsistent hiring process; that there is some favouritism shown in some instances, and that the department needs to look at the process. I’d like to ask the Minister right now if he could explain to this House how the current hiring process can be said to be fair and transparent. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, summer students that are interested in looking for a job with the Government of the Northwest Territories can register on the summer student database and have their names registered. Departments identify summer student jobs and the relevant experiences and skills required, and all departments have delegated staffing authority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I guess to the Minister that I didn’t really hear an answer that that process is fair and transparent. As each department is operating on their own, as I suggested, it doesn’t really lead to any sort of consistency.
The Minister has advised me in previous communications, and I’m glad to hear that the Affirmative Action Policy does apply to the hiring of summer students, but it’s also my understanding that no one oversees the results of that hiring. We need to have a more accountable selection process where a P1 or a P2 is going to be guaranteed their priority in the summer student hiring process.
I’d like to ask the Minister how he proposes to change the current process to make sure, to guarantee that a P1 or a P2 summer student is hired over a P3. Thank you.
In our government we believe in letting our managers manage and we do have affirmative action policies that our managers have to apply. These results are reviewed on a regular basis.
That really didn’t give me the answer that I was looking for, but I guess I would have to hope that the Minister would provide me with the results of the overseeing as it goes on.
As I mentioned in my statement, I suggest that we need to revise the wages that students are paid. They’re currently paid about $26 an hour, which is wonderful if they actually have one of our precious and coveted GNWT jobs, but it’s not so great for those that don’t. So I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider setting a specific wage for summer students, something closer to $20 an hour or $18 an hour, so that the GNWT could provide this great financial opportunity to more of our summer students. And if not, why not? Thank you.
I’d be pleased to share the results of our summer student hiring with all of the Members in this Assembly. We have, in the past, looked at reducing summer student wages so that we could hire more summer students and we have looked at maybe using the minimum wage for summer students. Certainly, we know that we are not the only employer in the Northwest Territories; there are other employers that we feel should do their share of hiring summer students. We also have programs that will allow...where we contribute to the private sector hiring summer students and also boards and agencies. Certainly, we can commit to looking at reviewing the wages paid to summer students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I’m glad to hear that the Minister is willing to look at the program. I’m also aghast that the department would consider using minimum wage as an appropriate wage for summer students; that’s not even the $10 an hour that we’re hoping we can get it ramped up to. So I hope that’s not going to happen.
This government has just eliminated a possible funding opportunity for students by cutting the Student Financial Assistance scholarship program. That was one opportunity that students had to add to their summer student dollar that they were accumulating for the next year. So other than what the Minister has mentioned, can he advise if there is anything specific that the department is considering to increase the number of summer student jobs? Thank you.
It’s still very early in the summer. Today is June 1st. Normally what we’d do is we’d send out a call to all departments, generally from the Premier and the Ministers to endeavour for the departments to hire summer students. Last year we hired 282 summer students, 84 Progressive Experience Program students and 26 relevant experience students. So we are looking at continuing to see more summer students being hired over the remainder of the summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
