Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the Department of Finance has just recently begun a new government renewal initiative, would the Minister consider expanding the scope of that initiative to incorporate a renewal within the structure and processes of human resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance is one of the first two departments that will be going through the government renewal process. That process is already underway. It's begun. And as such, a human resources branch, being part of the Department of Finance, of course is going to be going through that as well.
But, Mr. Speaker, that's not the end of that, the work that's happening with human resources. We also are well underway in having the Indigenous recruitment retention framework actioned and developed, and that will also be providing a further human resources tool to all of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as mentioned earlier, the department of human resources continues to put up roadblocks for people applying to government jobs. Does the Minister acknowledge that there are some existing questionable hiring practices within her department which adversely affects applicants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance, human resources has quite a wide range of programs that are meant to actually avoid roadblocks and overcome roadblocks.
I'd point, for example, to the Indigenous recruitment well, sorry. Not to the framework but to the Gateway Program, to the Internship Program, to the Regional Recruitment Program. There's quite a number of opportunities for people from across the Northwest Territories to become involved.
The department of human resources offers counselling in terms of preparing one's resume, of how to prepare for interviews. So quite the opposite, Mr. Speaker. I would say the Department of Finance is trying to take roadblocks down. You know, and of course there's always more that can be done department by department to ensure that when the hiring managers are out there that they are using those tools, that they're aware of those tools. And there is work that happens regularly already with them, and we're going to continue to do that so that they're aware of those tools and using them to their best availability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister recognize that more widespread issues other than that of the affirmative action exists within the department of human resources in relation to hiring practices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, Affirmative Action Policy is obviously one aspect of what goes on during the course of a hiring practice. It's a very important one. But with respect to more widespread issues, again, Mr. Speaker, the department of human resources supports all of the departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories. All of the departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories have a role to play here.
And, indeed, earlier in the Member's statement, I heard describing of a hiring culture and of a hiring structure. Well, again, we've already put out the Living Well Together training module to help improve the hiring culture. It's mandatory for all staff across the GNWT. And as far as a hiring structure, again, as I've mentioned, there's quite a number of programs, and the Recruitment and Retention Framework Program is underway in its development right now.
So as far as making ourselves even better, that is certainly our goal, and I believe we are going to be attaining it on both the culture front and as well as on the structure front. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, would the Minister commit to creating departmental changes to ensure that deputy Ministers, assistant eeputy Ministers are provided ministerial direction to follow policies that are neutral, professional, and that all competitions are open to equivalencies, and the job competitions are not arbitrarily closed for no reason, and ensure that the best candidate for the job is hired. No friends of friends or family friends or acquaintances hiring each other anymore. Does the Minister agree with that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am also on the special committee. I also heard the recommendations that were put to us just last week with respect to the fact that governments have to ensure that direction comes from the very top.
So I appreciate the fact that the Member routinely gives the opportunity for us, all of us in this room as elected leadership, but particularly for me as the Minister have the opportunity to speak here in the House and speak to the public service to say that this is the vision of what we have for an inclusive public service, to have a diverse public service, and that none of us should be reaching in and hiring friends and acting in a way anything other than transparent and open and in a process that is fair.
So that, Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate that routine opportunity. Specifically, education and experience equivalencies, I would note come before a competition actually goes out, before candidates are screened. And so, in fact, that is a process that while I can look at it, it is already a process that's not meant to happen at the back end; it happens at the front end. And, Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to refine those processes through all the tools that I've mentioned already today.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Deh Cho.
