Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regard to fairness and equity in other jobs within the government where people are doing similar work in other areas, has the Government of the Northwest Territories looked at these jobs and rated them fairly in regard to the pay, according to their responsibilities, to bring them in line with the Hay Job Evaluation System?
Debates of Nov. 15th, 2000
This is page numbers 891 - 942 of the Hansard for the 14th 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 chairman.
Topics
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.
Further Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are continually looking at all jobs within the government to ensure that all employees have positions that are rated fairly and equitably in terms of what they do and what everyone else is doing. We can look at these jobs but there are a number of jobs, you know, the principal secretary, EAs, chief of staff, a lot of them are unique and depend on the portfolio and the assignments that are given, so they are very difficult to evaluate. It is something that we can look at, particularly as we do any reviews to the Public Service Act and how these jobs are to be classified. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that the executive assistant position is not classified in the Hay Job Evaluation System because that is one of the positions that is recognized in the handbook. So I am going to ask the Minister again, why is it that the point system in the Hay Job Evaluation System is not in place for the position of executive assistant? These positions have been there for several years.
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.
Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, we can only do standard job evaluations where there is a job description that can be compared to other ones. Executive assistants to Ministers' jobs vary greatly depending on the portfolios, depending on the assignments that the Ministers give these individuals, so there is no standard way of being able to evaluate the executive assistants to Ministers. As I said, as we review the Public Service Act, we are certainly open to looking at this. Thank you.
Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find it awfully hard that the handbook clearly states job evaluation, performance valuation, job evaluation. Those are the criteria that you use to evaluate these people. Again, I would like to ask, has the position of the chief of staff or the executive assistant position been submitted to the Hay Job Evaluation System for evaluation on the job responsibilities, in order that they can be rated on a point system like every other job in this government?
Supplementary To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.
Further Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, no, the executive assistant to Ministers' positions, the chief of staff position, as I said do not have a standard job description. They are not evaluated through the Hay Job evaluation method. There is nothing to compare their job to. As I mentioned it is unique, depending on which Minister they work for and what their assignments are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Question 282-14(3): Hay Job Evaluation Rating
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
November 14th, 2000
Page 901
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Education, the Honourable Jake Ootes. In April I wrote the Minister a letter about IBA recipients being penalized in their income support payments. I was told that it is the department's position that the IBA payments made to the people in the Dogrib region are the result of a private contractual arrangement between the Dogrib Treaty 11 and BHP. As such, they are considered as land claim dollars but considered also as an income, so it is deducted from the income payments and the people that were employed benefited from these payments. The people that were unemployed, on income support, were the ones that were losing out on what was rightfully theirs.
To that, I would like to ask the Minister, was the department's position as a result of legal opinion or was it simply the department's interpretation of impact benefit agreements?
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.
Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 901
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government exempts the value of benefits received under the 1927 federal treaty for the purposes of the social assistance program. However, the department's position is that the impact benefit agreements and payments referred to are the result of private contractual arrangements between the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council and BHP Diamonds and, as such, they are not considered payments under the 1927 federal treaty, not exempt under our legislation, Mr. Speaker, so I am informed. Thank you.
Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Supplementary To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not recall any treaty being signed in 1927, so I think the Minister needs to get that straight. In an impact benefit agreement, companies provide monies to aboriginal groups in recognition of the company's impact on a group's traditional homeland. I have no doubt that a group would not receive such money unless they were federally recognized as being the original inhabitants of the land. I would like to ask the Minister, what is the relationship between land claims and why is the relationship between land claims and IBA's recognized by the department's policies?
Supplementary To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.
Further Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated I have to go with the fact that I am informed under legislation. This is considered income outside of treaty payments and therefore it has to be deducted accordingly. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Supplementary To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When reviewing the Social Assistance Act, I noted that it was initially written in 1990. At this time, exploration for diamonds was in its initial stages and few land claims were settled. Impact benefit agreements were certainly not a subject of common concern. It is time for the legislation to be updated. As I stated earlier, the Dogrib Treaty 11 and the leaders would like to have more input in how the policies are put in place.
Supplementary To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister for Education, Mr. Ootes.
Further Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have self-government negotiations and issues being discussed between the Dogrib people and the federal government and our government. This could certainly be one of the areas and I understand it may be the subject of some discussions with regard to self-government negotiations.
Further Return To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Supplementary To Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Question 283-14(3): GNWT Income Support Policies
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 902
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if the department is looking at changing the Social Assistance Act, since even the name of it has been changed and it has been ten years since the act has been put in place. Can I ask the Minister when or how soon will they be looking at making amendments to it? Thank you.