Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Mr.

Chair, we have been working on the

development of a comprehensive human resource plan. I think we have a number of drafts. We have a deputy minister–level human resource committee that works with our department, and it’s something we’ll be putting a lot more effort into completing.

We have been spending a lot of time on modelling with regard to trying to determine what the impacts of self-government and land claims will be in the event that — when and if — aboriginal governments start to draw down on the delivery of programs and services. We’ve been in discussions with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations and others — the Department of Executive — to talk about how self-government would affect us.

Part of our delays in dealing with the impact of self-government on the Government of the Northwest Territories was the fact that we needed some clear indication from the federal government with regard to the Labour Code of Canada, as to whether successor rights would have to be extended to GNWT employees who go to work for aboriginal governments when programs are drawn down and delivered by aboriginal self-governments.

Those are areas that are starting to take form and will certainly be a large part in the human resource strategy we will be developing.