Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today relates to human resource functions in the Government of the Northwest Territories and is addressed to Premier Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned about the number of people in various departments, boards and agencies now responsible for human resources, and how they can possibly bring a cohesive approach to the job. I understand that in 1991-92 there were 114 positions that had a human resource function. These positions included those working for departments, boards and agencies, and covered the whole Territory, pre-division.

We are now told that as of March this year, there were 138 people involved in the delivery of human resource functions. While this growth has taken place, our Territory has shrunk in physical size and so has the civil service. In fact, the civil service has shrunk by 43 percent.

Mr. Speaker, this growth has had no coordination so there is no government-wide accountability for human resource functions. With each department or agency now responsible for human resources, who in government has the overall responsibility for monitoring personnel and hiring practices?

Mr. Speaker, my first question, is the Premier aware of the inefficiency that has been created since the breakup of the Department of Personnel with more people now involved in providing human resource functions than we had for a bigger government nine years ago?