This is page numbers 179 - 198 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was standing.

Topics

Further Return To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Supplementary To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister assure this House that the affirmative action policy will continue to be enforced and that nepotism and other inappropriate practices will be prohibited with the new staffing arrangements in the GNWT?

Supplementary To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I can affirm with this House is those responsible for hiring will not only be responsible but they will be held accountable. They will follow government policies that exist today and they will implement those policies when they hire people to do any jobs in this government. Finally, we do have a process where we can not only hold managers responsible, but we will hold Ministers responsible as well. Ministers are responsible for their departments, the same as the managers are. We assess how they carry out the responsibility and policies of this government and we will hold them accountable. We have to give them the flexibility to manage and they have to do it properly within the policies of this government. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier that my understanding is the level of morale amongst public servants is low in this government and there is a need for us to address this. It is an important resource that we have and one that if morale continues to be low, our policies and programs are going to suffer as a result. They are a big and important element of implementing the programs and directions that this government sets. I wonder if the Premier, as Minister of Personnel, could tell us what his understanding is of the level of employee morale within the GNWT.

Further Return To Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Question 143-13(3): Enforcement Of GNWT Staffing Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 185

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ootes, that is a hypothetical question. The Minister wouldn't know the level of morale. Would you like to rephrase your question?

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

I will rephrase my point in question. Does the government have a program to look at what level the

employee morale is at? Will they address the mechanism employees have to address employee morale?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Minister of Personnel, Mr. Morin. That was two questions.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Whenever you have a change, no matter how slight or how large the change is, it does affect how your employees react. We are going through some major changes as a government today and we will continue to go through them. Hopefully, some of the knowledge that wasn't in the hands of the employees in the past is in their hands today, after we tabled the budget yesterday. This should ensure that employees know what direction this government is going. Our morale among our employees is no different than clear across this country right now. All governments are going through change. All governments are downsizing. That does create a morale problem.

Myself, as the Premier, have set up meetings with the deputy ministers already to speak to them about the direction this government is going and also to encourage them. I am fully aware that we, as politicians, make the directions and then we need our employees to carry that out. 1, for one, have great faith in our employees. 1, for one, completely depend on our employees to carry out the direction that we set as a government and as Members of this Assembly. I fully understand that we will not get the job done without our employees' assistance. I appreciate the hard work they put in and I appreciate the 16-hour days that our senior managers put in seven days a week to try to carry out our direction. I let them know that. What more I can do as Premier, I do not know. For those who are left in this government, we appreciate their services and we will work closely with all the people in the Northwest Territories to carry on, even in this time of restraint and cutbacks.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

The fact that we don't have a central Personnel department is of concern because there is no central source in which employees can feed back or managers can feed down. I wonder if the Premier would consider initiating a direction whereby the Minister and deputy ministers can address the concern I have raised.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Could I please have the Member repeat the question? He didn't have my full attention on that.

Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Mr. Ootes.

Supplementary To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since we don't have a central Personnel department, it raises a concern to me that employees don't have one agency in which to feed their concerns to the upper levels and similarly the management

levels do not have an easy mechanism by which to feed information and concerns down to the employees. Concerning that, could the Premier consider initiating a direction to have the Ministers and deputy ministers address the concern that I have raised?

Supplementary To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I acknowledge the concern the Member raised and we will try our best to address that concern. We meet from time to time with our deputy ministers. I will make sure that the deputy ministers understand that concern. We do have what we call an employee assistance program, where employees can tap into counselling or whatever they need to adapt to the changing ways the government is doing business today. I understand also that they have in all levels of government, except for management, union representatives who work with employees and bring their concerns up to management. So those communication lines could be opened a bit more, so we do address that concern. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Supplementary To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

I still see a concern where there is no central body to handle the feedback. I am wondering if the Premier would consider initiating a direction. I guess I am repeating my question. I wonder if he would consider initiating a direction and perhaps creating a report to address what I consider the existence of employee morale problems amongst the public service. If a report is produced, could that be given back to this House?

Supplementary To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have taken the move, as a government, and given to the departments the ability to hire, fire and deal with their employees. No, I am not going to look at recreating a central organization for employees to solve their morale problems, if that is what the Member is asking for. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Question 144-13(3): Program To Measure GNWT Employee Morale
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 186

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Honourable Kelvin Ng with regard to the cutbacks that are presently under way at Stanton Regional Hospital. As you know, the Stanton Hospital doesn't only serve Yellowknife, it is a territorial hospital that serves a lot of the outlying communities. My concern is in relation to the areas where there are individuals who are suffering from mental illness or in the long-term care unit who can't speak for

themselves because of the state they may be in. The areas hardest hit in cutbacks at the hospital seem to be in the area of care. We have to seriously look at that area because it does affect the outlying communities where we do have problems with suicides, at cetera, and the day-to-day stress that comes with living in these communities. We have to find a mechanism that allows the individual communities or regional hospital authorities to have input into that decision. It can't be done at the senior level only.

Also, as Members of this House, we have an obligation to those people who can't speak for themselves. Will the Minister allow the House and people in the outlying regions to be involved in any cutbacks that happen at that hospital, especially in the areas of mental health, the physio department and also the long-term care ward?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.