Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am sure the stats that we have are: 50 per cent of those came from Yellowknife; 33 per cent came from the regional centres, Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, and Inuvik; and 10 per cent came from the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair. As far as the actual number, I have percentages, not the numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So 57 per cent of those who access training were from Yellowknife, where there are 51 per cent of the positions; 33 per cent came from the regional centres, where there are 32 per cent of the positions; and 10 per cent came from the small communities, where there are 17 per cent of the positions. So people from small communities are quite disadvantaged, especially.

Does the Minister know what type of training is accessed by people from the small communities, as to the regional centres? What I am getting at is that there's training that can sort of help you in your job, but then there's training that can help you get ahead, like project management training and that kind of stuff. That's what I am concerned about is that the people from outside Yellowknife do not have access to it. Am I sort of correct with those assumptions? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Mr. Stewart.

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Another reason I am concerned -- and I am not hating on Yellowknife, but it's a very transient population, and a lot of the people come to the South to work in the government and then head back down south. So my concern is that they're coming up here, working for the government for a few years receiving this training, and then leaving, and the people from the regional centres and the small communities who are more likely to be from the North and stay in the North aren't receiving that training, and so that is why I have raised this. There is a move for more online courses. Are those substantial online courses like the project management and things like that? I just want to confirm that, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minster McLeod.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I take the Member's point that, for a lot of folks coming for training, they come in to Yellowknife. I have tasked the department with trying to offer as many courses as they can in the regional centres so, some of the smaller folks, their costs to come down will not be as high as it is coming to Yellowknife, so we are working on that. Then the courses that are offered online, as the Member pointed out, project management, my understanding is one of those courses, so they are fairly substantive courses. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a separate issue with human resources that has to do with direct appointments: I understand the reason behind direct appointments; I understand that cabinet will agree to direct appointments. My question is, if there is a direct appointment, is there any sort of a recourse or appeal process that maybe a GNWT employee or anyone can take regarding that?

So, if there were two people, say, who wanted a position, and one was directly appointed over the other, I know that that is supposed to be looked at if there were any other people who wanted that position, but is there recourse for that person who maybe wanted it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minster McLeod.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, first of all, I will just start with some statistics, and we have had so far in the 18th Legislative Assembly, we have had 220 direct appointments; 91 per cent of these have been priority from under the Affirmative Action Policy; 55 per cent of these have been Aboriginal persons. To answer the Member's question, though, there is no official appeal process once that person is directly appointed because that usually comes through Cabinet. Thank you.

Thank you, Minster McLeod. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I recommend that maybe that is something they may want to look into because the direct appointment process can be a little controversial, and this is something else that sort of undermines its credibility, when there is no recourse for anyone else, so that is just something I would like to bring to the Minister's attention. Nothing further. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Reply to that, Minster McLeod?

No, I will take it as a note and that the Member has brought it to our attention, thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Anything further on human resources? Seeing none, I will call the activity. Human resources, operations expenditure summary, $20,311,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Continuing on, liquor revolving fund. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of questions: I am wondering if at this point the Minister can advise us. Last year in the House he made a commitment to undertake a review of not the act but the policies in which the Liquor Board operates from, and I am just wondering if at this time the Minister can update the House on what the status of that review is? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Stewart.