Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all GNWT reports on the public service from 1996 to 2004, there is not one single, solitary sentence about the governments' efforts to hire disabled persons. Perhaps the Minister responsible for the public service can look through these reports and he'll note that there is no text on efforts to hire disabled persons.
As the Human Resources department likes to display in any literature that I have read, they like to flaunt the affirmative action policy. Mr. Speaker, disabled individuals are second only to indigenous aboriginal persons in that policy. Mr. Speaker, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that .4 percent representation of arguably the most disadvantaged community, and that is in terms of employment, income and education in the territory, that remember comprises 13 percent of our population, is completely unacceptable. The Government of the Northwest Territories has made hundreds of direct appointments in the past 10 years to many priority one individuals, yet research I have would indicate that only one -- that is one -- direct appointment to an individual that had a disability.
Mr. Speaker, I intend to hear from the Minister responsible for the public service today why disabled individuals continue to face barriers when trying to gain employment with this government. Thank you.
---Applause