Mr. Chair, in listening to the Minister's statement, I see that he's indicated that there's been a decrease in four positions, which is technically true, but there were actually five positions eliminated as part of the reduction exercise, all in Yellowknife, and then there was one position created in Fort Smith. So, technically, five positions have been eliminated as part of this reduction exercise.
I'm not as upset or as disturbed by the elimination of these five positions, as they were all vacant. I'm more concerned on a territorial level about eliminating positions where there are actually people in them. So as far as getting rid of vacant positions goes, I'm not as concerned.
Areas that I do have some questions about — and I'll be asking some questions later. You've identified five positions you're eliminating, but you've also reduced service levels in a certain number of areas — specifically around Maximizing
Northern
Employment, in areas of program workshops for grads, the Graduate Transition Program, as well as social work and teacher placement. I'm curious, given our strategic plan in supporting Northerners and maximizing northern employment, getting Northerners into northern jobs, whether or not those areas are necessarily the areas we would want to be cutting.
One position you're eliminating does concern me more than the rest, and that's specifically the nurse educator mentor position. In the Premier's budget address he talks about expanding the nurse practitioner training, reducing wait time through a one-time $1.8 million investment, and increasing on-the-job training for the Community Health Nurse Development Program. I'm curious how you can be expanding things like the Community Health Nurse Development Program when another department, Health and Social Services, has indicated they're cutting the pot for the Community Health Nurse Development Program significantly, and the Department of Human Resources, which is responsible for administering the program, is getting rid of the nurse educator mentor. So I just want some clarity on that and to know whether or not the elimination of that nurse educator mentor is going to adversely affect the delivery of the Community Health Nurse Development Program.
As we dig through, there are some other areas that I'd like to ask some questions on, but I'm good for now.