Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I outlined in my Member's statement today, I have concerns with the status of the negotiations that are going on at Aven Manor here in Yellowknife. I also mentioned the concern of the level of support the department is providing the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority in conducting those negotiations. Can the Minister inform the Assembly on the status of the negotiations with the union representing the workers at Aven Manor here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is highly unusual that we would get into a negotiation process in the Legislative Assembly. We have been working with the Department of Health and Social Services on this matter and we will continue to work with them cooperatively and hopefully have a successful conclusion to the whole negotiation area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister confirm that the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority has the ability and financial backing of the department to negotiate an agreement with the workers at Aven Manor? Wage parity is the one critical issue that needs to be solved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think, again, as we are in the midst of negotiation, that to raise it in this forum puts pressure on both parties, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. As I stated, we are working cooperatively with them and hopefully we would have a successful conclusion to this. The issue of wage parity has come up all across the government in a number of areas where we have contracts in place supported by NGOs. That issue has to be looked at by the government at some point. I guess, when first called upon to look at this area of wage parity, our NGOs at the time said we can do it better and cheaper. The government did it in the day. Now it has turned around to say give us the same. At that point, we would have to look at it, as government overall, to say if we are going to be the same, then maybe we should all be in the same hat. But at this point, we are working cooperatively with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and hoping for a successful conclusion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister willing to direct the department and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority to do everything within its power to make sure that all contract negotiations are concluded before the summer months? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking me as the Minister of my department to get directly involved in the negotiation process. Right now, the employees are the employees of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. We have a contract with the Aven Manor and are employees of that facility. They are continuing to have their negotiation process. We are watching what is happening. As well, we are working cooperatively with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could I get the Minister's position on adequate funding for NGOs in regards to wage parity? Is this an issue that the department feels that should be solved? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Member is asking for my opinion on a process

that is underway right now in negotiation. I am not prepared to give that at this point. I am prepared to work with my department, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, to hopefully come out with a successful conclusion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask questions today to the Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Dent. Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of jobs advertised in the local media. Mr. Speaker, one of my favourites was manager of total rewards. It got me to thinking that perhaps the employees of the government were accumulating points to redeem for some toasters, camcorders or iPods, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Human Resources, a department that has, as I mentioned the other day in the House, six managers managing six people. Of these new positions, how many of them are new? What does the job of manager of total rewards entail? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Human Resources, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member asked how many new positions were new. All the new positions are new. Of the positions advertised, two are new. The rest are existing positions. I think, Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the amalgamation of the Department of Human Resources was staffed with 188 people. Over the course of the year and a bit that has happened since then, the staffing component has dropped. So these are not additional positions. These are positions that have been outlined in the Hackett report and recommended for inclusion. We expect that, from 188, the department will, over the next little while, be down to the recommended 170 positions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Hackett report, it also says that the Government of the Northwest Territories is completely out of whack with an organization of comparable variety where you look at employees per transaction. In a normal government operation, you look at seven. We have 24 employees per transaction, Mr. Speaker. What exactly is an organizational design specialist? Is this just to organize the 170 employees at Human Resources, or is this position government-wide organizational design? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.