Mr. Chairman, the goal of the government is to live within its means. Departments were given their targets to find avenues to still deliver the programs that are required in a manner that is acceptable and meets the requirements and standards we’ve put in place. This exercise was done within that process. It wasn’t done by whether you were aboriginal or non-aboriginal, born in the North or arrived six months ago, although some people figure that’s the avenue it should have taken. It just went program by program in each department.
Now, the simple fact, Mr.
Chairman, is that
affirmative action has been a concern of the Government of the Northwest Territories right from when the program was initially put in place. Members who have returned from previous Assemblies know there was work done to try to find a program to get the movement and momentum back into that area so we can hire more and more aboriginal people from the Northwest Territories.
If you look at our social services program through Aurora College, our nursing program through Aurora College, we’re trying to get local people trained so they can take those jobs. It’s starting to have results, so we need to find a way to expand that. We’re hoping we’ll find an avenue through Members who’d agree this would be the avenue to go down as the employment equity piece. That would find new initiatives to try to encourage further occupations within the Government of the Northwest Territories that we could have the people trained for and ready to take on.
In no way do I endorse the fact that the status quo is good. In fact, in taking this position, I’ve talked about our need to look at doing things differently. Obviously, the existing program in place hasn’t been working. It’s stalled out and been levelled off for quite a number of years. In some of those areas it’s because we need to get the proper training
programs in place to have the people in the North take on the new positions.
I would also say we’ve had some success in areas. The people who would probably be working for us are now working for aboriginal organizations and governments. They have gained the experience necessary to take on the important roles at those levels. Those organizations are themselves, as well, dealing with capacity issues. I think there is a combination of things at work here.