Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke of the Department of Human Resources and the upcoming amalgamation with Finance. I have some questions on trying to maintain as much of the human resources aspects into this new department as possible. I would like to ask the current Minister of Human Resources if he is able to advise the House: how many departments have human resource development plans? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we expect all departments to have the HR plans. I will confirm for the Member how many of them actually have the plans, and I will report back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the breakdown of affirmative action candidates in the GNWT, we notice that most regions are well within or very close to representing our population, except for if you are looking at representation of the territories overall. As I indicated in my Member's statement, Yellowknife is just slightly low, but there are other communities as well in the same way, some communities lower, actually. I would like to know if there are any affirmative action plans that departments by department follow?
I have a response to the Member's earlier questions. We actually have seven departments with completed plans. However, as I said before, we do expect all departments to have them. We will follow up on that and ensure that our departments are putting together their completed HR plans.
To the Member's second question, the affirmative action, we expect that to be incorporated into the HR plan for each department.
I would like to thank the Minister for that response. I just wasn't anticipating that. I was going to ask the Minister what actions he will take to increase Priority 1 hires? I guess I will ask a different question, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the Minister would actually look at the affirmative action plans community by community as well as department by department?
As I recall, some time ago we did have a list that I think we shared in Committee of the Whole, not this particular government, the past government, that actually had it broken down to the regions and to the different departments, the number of P1 candidates or P1 employees they had in their system. I can tell the Member that, of the 5,187 employees we have, 1,601, I believe, are affirmative action employees. I will look at the breakdown of numbers by community, and I will share the findings with committee.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good memory; I have the numbers in front of me. Mr. Speaker, inside the human resource plans, I would like to know if the Minister would insist on having some development plans for affirmative action so they can move up the ladder to more senior positions if their education and skills warrant it. Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for those who are working within the government system, some who work in the system, you know fairly quickly that they have the ability to move through the system based on what they bring to the job. We continue to promote that. There are a number of initiatives that we use, the regional recruitment, direct appointments, the Aboriginal Management Development Program.
I can assure the Members that I want to see the folks from the Northwest Territories move through the system, but I want them to move through the system based on their ability and what they bring to the job. Our commitment to them is to give them an opportunity, because I think that is what a lot of them are looking for, is the actual opportunity to move through the system based on what they bring to the job. We will make that commitment that we will work with all Aboriginal employees to find places for them to move.
Masi. Member for Kam Lake.
