Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with regard to an individual who I have been talking to with respect to the whole affirmative action policy that we have in place in this government. This individual has worked for this government for many years yet, Mr. Speaker, she has not seen any movement in regard to enhancing her abilities to move up the ladder and be able to succeed in her career path to be able to take on the challenges of the different areas of responsibility in this government.

Mr. Speaker, the affirmative action policy that we have in place is to ensure that we have a make-up of the government that reflects the population of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I think that this government the has to take on a more important role of enhancing the people we do have working for the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure that they do succeed in enhancing themselves to move on in the government and move up the ladder, instead of seeing them sitting at the bottom of the wage scale, being the administrative staff and not taking on the responsibility of senior management, middle management, and ensuring that we do not continue the cycle of dependency on southern Canada. We have to develop our human resources within the government and the people that decided to make a career in this government.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, a lot of employees in this government are frustrated to the point of applying for jobs time and time again and being turned down, saying you are either not qualified or the structure of the advertisement of those positions in such a way that you need practically a university degree, or a bachelor of science or what not in different areas.

I think as a government, we have to do more to develop the human resources that we have within our government, but also ensure that we make a career for those people who have made a decision to come work for this government. I think for First Nations people, the whole idea of the affirmative action policy was to do such by way of making sure that this government allows those opportunities to be offered to First Nations people in the Northwest Territories, to really have a role to play in this government, especially where you look at management, senior management, where the big dollars are being made. Yet they continue to be filled from people from southern Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister questions on this matter later.