Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to try to discuss a sometimes misunderstood program that we call Affirmative Action. This policy is our government’s attempt to achieve a representative workforce. The GNWT is a huge employer in the Northwest Territories and officials may tell me that the GNWT is not the employer of choice in the North, but I can assure you that GNWT jobs are highly sought after and valued by most people that I know.

The population of the NWT is split approximately 50/50 between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Since the GNWT is a large employer providing services to all residents of the NWT, the goal of achieving a representative workforce is a worthwhile and needed endeavour. How it plays out in reality in the offices and institutions of our government across the North is a little more complex than it sounds.

How do we get people to move to the regional centres in our capital where there is such a high concentration of public service jobs if they live in their own communities and don’t want to move there? We don’t very often talk about decentralization around here, I notice.

There are also some activities in the government that have traditionally attracted more people from a distinct group that comprise our population. For example, there are undeniably more Aboriginal people drawn to and employed in areas such as renewable resources, wildlife officers and corrections than there are Aboriginal people, for example, working in the towers here in Yellowknife in policy and finance analyst jobs.

Will there ever be a greater balance of people in these areas of administration and finance if we don’t make a concerted effort as a government to create capacity in these areas? Are there certain positions that one group would have more affinity with given a stronger connection to the land, such as the areas that I’ve mentioned: wildlife management, human sciences, counselling, social work?

Some people are not cut out for nine to five jobs and I often hear that from people. They’re not interested in sitting in an office from nine to five. How do we set targets, and when those targets are reached in an individual department or activity, do we say mission accomplished and stop applying priority status to those positions?

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted