This is page numbers 4847 – 4890 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources does not know the cost, and that is a bit of a surprise. I can’t ask the same question because he is going to give me the same answer.

Where did those five people go and what type of positions did we employ people that we had to go to the South and only find five people out of 700 resumes?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, this was a job fair that occurred in Ottawa that was a bit controversial the last time we were in the Assembly.

I got the information and looked at it, and the one thing I don’t have but could present to the Member no problem, or to the House, would be the cost of that. That’s not an issue. We can determine the cost of that fairly simply.

What I am saying is that we were able to get the five positions. Exactly where those five individuals came to work, I don’t know. My guess is, a 50 percent guess would be that they probably ended up in Yellowknife because the vacancy rate in the GNWT is split 52 percent Yellowknife and 48 percent outside of Yellowknife. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, while the Department of Human Resources was sorting through those 700 resumes, while they found time in some form or fashion to hire five people, were any of those five people that they hired direct appointments? I want to know the credentials of these types of appointments and how he got them. Were they direct appointments or were they true competitions where Northerners could have applied for and at the end of the day the government wasted probably a lot of money on this? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I do not believe that these were direct appointments. Usually we fill direct appointments for a few reasons, one being that it’s a development opportunity for a person that has a priority 1 status in the government. We also offer those types of development opportunities to individuals that have priority 2 status in the Northwest Territories.

When we direct appoint somebody that has a priority 3 status, which I would assume all of these five people have, then it would be a position that we were unable to fill. Perhaps a scenario could be that the job was advertised two or three times without success. So if we’re able to find someone that fits the credentials from the South, it is possible that the individual could go through a direct appointment. That’s possible, but I believe that these individuals went through our job bank and the talent pool, applied on jobs that they saw were available at the time and got those through a competitive process.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, we know from the Minister’s own numbers that we have well over 500 vacancies. That’s under my estimate, but it’s fine, we’ll use that one. We know that the government had received 700 resumes, as the Minister has clearly articulated, and the Minister clearly said here today before this House, they found five people out of 700 resumes, which begs the question why weren’t we making a bigger concerted effort from his department when we know over 500 vacancies exist on the ground.

Why aren’t we turning these into some type of training positions? We know immediately that would

deliver solid results in the communities where the employment rate is over 30 percent. We know it would have a huge impact on people who are already here. It means our government wouldn’t be wasting time flying across the country and doing whatever they’re doing and only getting five people.

At the end of the day, why weren’t we finding better ways to hire Northerners who have invested their lives, their families and their future here?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

That’s exactly what we intend to do. We have various categories, like I indicated, positions that require university degrees as an example, and positions that require trades, a position that requires college, as an example. We are developing plans in Human Resources to start looking at the various job categories, so we’d look at the job categories and determine how we can best fill those job categories.

I’m having a lot of discussions with the deputy of HR and we in turn are trying to put a plan together, are putting a plan together, not trying, and then I intend to discuss each of these plans with the Ministers. That is going to be a part of my mandate moving forward with the intent of filling the jobs that have been vacant for a long time and turning the casuals into jobs that people can hold in the Northwest Territories. Also, we’re hoping that once we’re able to achieve filling these positions that we are able to increase the population in the Northwest Territories and prevent the population from decreasing all the time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Northwest Territories Mineral Development Strategy GNWT Implementation Plan, 2014-15.”

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the following three documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Species at Risk Committee Annual Report, 2013-2014;” “Conference of Management Authorities Species at Risk Annual Report, 2013-2014;” and “Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program 2013-2014 Annual Report.”

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 23, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that this Legislative Assembly, by virtue of Section 5 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Ms. Nicole Latour of Yellowknife as Chief Electoral Officer for the Northwest Territories for a term of four years commencing November 1, 2014.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, October 23, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following individuals be appointed by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to the Human Rights Commission of the Northwest Territories effective November 3, 2014:

Mr. Yacob Adams of Yellowknife, for a term of four years; and

Ms. Gerri Sharpe of Yellowknife, for a term of four years.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 23, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for appointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel effective November 3, 2014, for a term of four years:

Ms. Kerry Penney of Yellowknife, and

Mr. Colin Baile of Yellowknife.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 23, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, October 23, 2014, it shall be adjourned until Monday, October 27, 2014.

And further, that any time prior to October 27, 2014, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at a time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016, NWT Housing Corporation, Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Health and Social Services, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.

Before we do that, colleagues, by the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 10-17(5), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to consider Tabled Document 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Okay. Committee, we’ll commence after a short break.

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