Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I made a Member's statement on suggestions on the Affirmative Action Policy of the GNWT. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources questions. I would like to ask the Minister if Human Resources have the staff to ensure that the departments are serious about applying the Affirmative Action Policy? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Looking at the numbers of the affirmative action employees across the GNWT, and I believe we have about 1,608, that's a good indication that our government and the departments are serious about applying affirmative action into the positions that they open. However, having said that, I've also, in my initial briefing with the department when I first got Human Resources, I made it quite clear that I would be watching very closely the number of affirmative action employees that were hired. I want to make it quite clear, though, that a lot of these employees, I want them to be hired, put into positions, based on merit. We have a lot of good employees out there with a lot of good qualifications. Thank you.
I would like to ask the Minister, when having discussions with department heads or staff of HR, if there is any sort of plan to develop a strategy to move the affirmative action numbers, which have been kind of stuck around 30 per cent for many years? I would like to know if the Minister has talked about any specific strategies that might change that number?
I think one of the best strategies is to encourage our young Aboriginal people out there to get the training that's necessary so we can get them into the system and put processes in place where they can succeed based on the qualifications and the work ethic and everything else that they bring to the position. What other strategies are we working on? We have the Aboriginal Management Development Program. Right now we have, I believe, about 16 per cent of our Indigenous Aboriginal senior employees who are eligible to retire immediately. We have 52 per cent who are eligible to retire with a full pension within the next five years. So it's very important that we start developing a lot of good Aboriginal employees and get them into the system and try and move them through the system based on merit and the qualifications and work ethic they bring to the job.
Earlier this week I talked a bit about - or possibly last week I talked a bit about the Regional Recruitment Program. I'd like to ask the Minister if the Regional Recruitment Program is targeting priority one candidates?
As you can tell from the numbers that I quoted last week, it is targeted. We have a lot of P1 candidates, I think it was 24 of the 32, that have taken us up on it, so that's a good indication that they are targeted.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought the Regional Recruitment Program was actually inclusive of only priority one candidates, but that's my misunderstanding. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister have a discussion with the Premier about putting some sort of measurable evaluation in the department heads' evaluation that will indicate successes and failures within the Affirmative Action Policy on their job evaluations? Thank you.
I could have that conversation with the Premier. I'll also have a conversation with all my colleagues. You know, we hear the concerns in the House. We actually hear the concerns from the people out there about the fact that sometimes they feel like they have an unfair disadvantage trying to move through the system.
I want to make sure that all our employees, our Aboriginal employees, and those who are thinking of coming into the public service come in with the understanding is if they come in and they put in some good work and have some good training and add a lot of value then that will be recognized and they will get an opportunity to move through the system. I want to make it my goal to ensure that they have a fair opportunity to work through the system with the qualifications and the values they bring to the organization.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
