Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the no-layoff policy that is currently in effect that is a carry over from the 13th Assembly. It was put in place for a specific period and for a specific purpose. As we await the direction from the new Cabinet on how they want to deal with this particular issue, I wanted to take this opportunity to make some comments.
During my campaign, Mr. Speaker, I was clearly on record as saying no more job cuts. What I think we need is not a no-layoff policy, we need a redeployment policy. I know, under the old policy, there are dozens of positions sitting in government in what would otherwise be redundant positions.
The current policy, I believe, ties the hands of managers. As these positions would have been redundant in otherwise normal circumstances, the Northwest Territories, the government, is left with expensive resources tied up while there are desperate needs in other areas in the communities.
Under the policy of the 13th Assembly, these positions have been retained with no opportunity to have them do anything but sit there. Mr. Speaker, clearly this is not fair to the departments, it is not fair to the employees, and it is not fair to the people of the Northwest Territories. It leaves employees stuck in limbo without the benefit of layoff options or a clear career path left for them.
Mr. Speaker, I am not suggesting that layoffs will be an answer. They are a final option when all other opportunities have been explored. What we need is an effective redeployment service that can help employees move to areas of government where they are needed. We have to provide training and support for them to make the adjustment, and in some cases, the most appropriate move for employees in the department will be layoffs. The employees should have that option in exceptional circumstances.
Mr. Speaker, this is just one piece of the bigger issue of effective use of our very, very important human resources. Priorities change over time. Some programs need less time and attention than others did before. What we have to do is have a coordinated policy and a coordinated way to move employees from areas of lower priority to those of higher priority, and not necessarily in the same community. We have to be able to move our very valuable human resources to where they are most needed. As we have demonstrated in this House, the need is there. Thank you.