Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member's statement I talked about the Priority 1 candidates in the GNWT, or employees in the GNWT. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources, would the Minister reexamine all the programs, policies, and initiatives that are designed to increase the number of Priority 1 employees in the GNWT to ensure their efficiency? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I get to the question, I would like to just correct an answer that I made yesterday. I said yesterday there was about 32 per cent Aboriginal representation in the public service. Today currently we're actually at 30.8, so it's actually less than I had indicated previously. I've been with the Department of Human Resources now for about six months, and I have actually already directed the department to begin looking at a number of the programs that are available. For example, the Aboriginal Management Development Program is targeted at senior management in the public service, but we know there are a lot of individuals, Aboriginal individuals, at lower levels who want to transition up but going from an officer level to a manager level may not be appropriate. I've already asked, or rather directed, them to begin work on seeing how we can broaden those programs out to meet our needs. I've also directed the department to do some research for me on the effects of affirmative action since it came into place. Have we actually got any results by having an affirmative action program that is more passive and based on hiring as opposed to something that is more active? I've already asked the department to begin that research, and once I get that information, I'd love an opportunity to sit down with committee and go through some of the details. We have a number of programs out there that are available where affirmative action applies, such as regional recruitment, the corrections training. Some departments are doing some very specific things. We are looking at these programs and, once we got more data, as I said, I'd love to sit down with committee and have a heart-to-heart on how we can move forward to improve the results around affirmative action in our government.
I'd like to thank the Minister for that response. I would like to know if the Minister is prepared to reexamine the role of the advisory committee on aboriginal employment in the GNWT, I don't know if that is the exact right term, and then try to give that committee a greater role in ensuring that the Priority 1 candidates continue to increase in the GNWT. I think that's a very good committee, so I'd like to ask the Minister if he's prepared to give a greater role to that committee.
The Aboriginal Employees Advisory Committee is made up of Aboriginal employees of the GNWT, and their role is to provide some guidance and advice to the Minister and the department on how to have a more responsive system, a system that is hiring more Aboriginal people, where appropriate. I do believe they have a pretty solid role; I think they're doing some good work. As we move forward and get some of the statistical information and have a better sense of where we are and how we have actually responded over time, I will have a conversation with committee and we can talk about the advisory committee and whether or not its role is appropriate or not, but I think we need to do a little bit more work first and have a discussion with committee before we make any of those types of decisions.
I recognize that the Minister of Human Resources is not solely responsible for the Affirmative Action Policy. I would like to know if the Minister is prepared to have a regular role, maybe during committee or anything, on a regular basis conferring with other Ministers of other departments to ensure that each department has a human resources plan that also has the contents of what is needed in order to increase Priority 1 hires in the GNWT. Thank you.
This is a conversation we do have at the Cabinet table. I regularly share the information on where we are with respect to affirmative action. That information is available to the Ministers by department. I also continually push the different programs and opportunities available to the individual departments, like the Regional Recruitment Program and things like the geographical hiring for non-statutory jobs. I am happy to continue to push this as a priority. I'm happy to help move this government towards a public service that represents the population that it serves. We do have challenges, Mr. Speaker. There are some departments that are doing better than others. There are some departments that are doing worse than others. Some departments have a significant number of statutory requirement positions where they need individuals with specific skills, which is why we must work closely with Education, Culture and Employment. The initiative that Education, Culture and Employment is currently pursuing, Skills 4 Success, will help us focus in on the types of jobs that we need to train and work towards. I think it needs to be a partnership between education as well as all the departments. I know the departments and the Ministers are eager to have a representative workforce as well, so we are working on those things.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask if the Minister would consider developing a new strategy for increasing Priority 1 employees across the GNWT public service, including the development of a human resources plan by each department. Thank you.
We do have the strategic plan, the 20/20, for the Government of the Northwest Territories, which is focused on building a public service that is responsive, respectful, but also representative of the population we serve. I will commit to working with each of the departments to try to find priorities and activities we can do within the individual departments. As far as individual human resources plans, I believe much of that work is already begun, or has existed in the past. We will look to see if we can revitalize any of that, but also need to focus in on: what is it really going to take to develop a workforce that is representative of the population? Our workforce isn't currently representative of the population. I think the number of individuals who identify themselves in the workforce is not 50 or 51 per cent Aboriginal. I think, once again, we really need to work closely with Education, Culture and Employment, target those jobs that are out there, and move forward with Skills 4 Success, and the government has to be a partner. We are a partner on Skills 4 Success, which will help us develop the workforce and improve our rates here in the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
