That is not what I am hearing, but in any event, if there is work being done, what type of work is being done? What direction has come from this Minister to other Ministers under the departments that are amalgamating to ensure that affirmative action policy is being followed when they are reducing positions?

We all hear different things from out there, but I can assure the Member and all Members that work is being done. It is called an Affirmative Action Policy, and we have to apply the Affirmative Action Policy when we are looking at filling positions within the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not necessarily talking about filling positions. What I am referring to is, during the amalgamation, sometimes when you amalgamate you get two positions at the same level. When those positions move forward and there are two positions of the same level moving forward, does this government apply the Affirmative Action Policy when they figure out which one of the two candidates is going to be receiving that position? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said before, affirmative action does apply, so if there are two candidates of equal qualification and one is affirmative action and they have the qualifications to do the work, then affirmative action does apply in this particular case.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for his question, but that is not really a part of the land use planning process, and the question might be directed to another Minister. Thank you.

Thank you to the Minister for that clarification. Let's get back to land use planning. As it is not directly related to a settled agreement, what can the Minister do outside the Deh Cho process to move this file along, apart from assuring me that an ADM is on top of it? Is there any concrete policy change and political leadership he can apply to the file to settle this 10-year, this decade-long, lapse of approving the plan?

As all Members know, it is a commitment of this government to move all of these land use plans and negotiations generally with Aboriginal governments and other stakeholders ahead. We believe we do have the people in place, and we are looking forward to progress.

Can the Minister advise if he can update the appropriate standing committee or perhaps members of the public, Members of this House, on the progress of land use planning on regular intervals, on this and all the other unsettled claim areas?

I can certainly update the relevant committees on how things are proceeding with respect to the land use portion. Again, it may be other Ministers could assist on the larger overall progress on these types of files. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Mr. Speaker, thank you, and a thank you to the Minister for that commitment. I just note that there has been a lot of discussion about this from the new federal government. Even His Holiness Pope Francis has made a very clear commitment to the rights of Indigenous peoples, so I wonder if the Minister then can give us some assurance that these plans will be in place by mid-term. Thank you.

Well, all of the progress on all of these types of files, it takes two to tango and sometimes three or four to tango, so progress is not solely determined by us. We clearly want to make progress on all of these files. However, progress sometimes can be slow and painstaking, so I can't make any guarantees as to date.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have heard my honourable colleague from Hay River North ask the Minister of ITI about the position in Hay River and being moved there. Then he talks about it being pan-territorial. It is a position here in Yellowknife. Can the Minister explain why, magically, Yellowknife is the best place for a pan-territorial position? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I said earlier in the House today to the Member from Hay River North that this position is based in Yellowknife because it clearly recognizes the importance of being here looking after the broader Northwest Territories, with all the initiatives that are in place in all the different regions in the NWT, and it just totally makes sense to have that job located here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. However, with decentralization today and the modernization of computers we can do things, and right now we've seen positions out there that actually are pan-territorial. So will the Minister re-evaluate this decision and actually put a position, which makes sense in the South Slave, into Hay River?

I've also answered this question today already and I said I'm not committed to moving that position out of Yellowknife. It belongs here and it needs to be here to look after the broader people of the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

I thank the Minister for the non-commitment. I mean, that's great to hear. However, we talk about decentralization and it seems that we have to be living in Yellowknife to look after the broader territory. So I understand the Minister. I will ask him again: will he re-evaluate this and see the importance of moving the position that would have a better service to the NWT in Hay River?