Item 2, Minister's statements. Minister of Finance.

Madam Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to maintaining a professional and representative public service. Increasing Indigenous representation within our public service has long been a goal of the Legislative Assembly. The first and most visible tool used by the GNWT to support this goal is the Affirmative Action Policy. This policy and its implementation are often criticized as being ineffective because the percentage of Indigenous Aboriginal employees in the GNWT has remained at around 30 percent for the last several decades. Madam Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy alone cannot address the root causes that contribute to this lack of growth in Indigenous representation among public servants. We acknowledge that this is a complex issue that will not be solved by a one-size-fits-all approach. Challenges to improved Indigenous representation exist at every stage of a public servant's career path, including hiring, retention, promotion, and succession planning.

Over the years, the GNWT has implemented several programs with the intent of increasing Indigenous representation within the GNWT. The Indigenous career gateway program, the regional recruitment program, the internship program, and the Summer Student Employment Program each take a different approach to bringing Indigenous residents into the public service. Cultural awareness training supports an inclusive workplace culture, and the Indigenous management development and training program helps Indigenous employees access funds for professional development. Each program has its own benefits. However, there is always room for improvement to ensure these programs are used to their full capacity and are as effective as possible.

In response to call for action number 57 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Department of Finance, in collaboration with Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services, is redeveloping the cultural awareness and sensitivity training for public service employees. The goals of this training include: the creation of awareness and understanding of the impact of colonization; to have all GNWT employees recognize our collective roles in reconciliation; and to provide all employees with the necessary foundation and tools to be culturally competent.

With the knowledge acquired by participating in this new training, managers and employees will be supported to reflect on ways they can address the root causes of systemic discrimination within their workplaces, personal circumstances, and communities. This training will be mandatory for all GNWT employees and will be released in the winter of 2021. We recognize the benefit this training can have within our communities and believe it will help our government set an example for the rest of Canada. As such, this training will be available to not only GNWT public servants but to the public, as well.

Madam Speaker, we recognize that these programs are just the first steps on a long road towards addressing the imbalance in Indigenous representation in the GNWT. There is still much work to do. In addition, the Department of Finance is currently developing an Indigenous recruitment and retention framework that will include departmental Indigenous employment implementation plans with distinct targets. This framework will begin with a look at best practices from other jurisdictions, the development of an Indigenous labour force analysis of the Northwest Territories and a thorough review of current programs, tools, and resources. We will incorporate feedback received through engagement with Indigenous governments and internal partners, and will ultimately assist each department in reviewing their recruitment and retention to ensure that barriers to employment for Indigenous peoples are identified and addressed across the whole of the GNWT.

Madam Speaker, our people are our territory's greatest resource. Investing in the skills and qualifications of Northerners provides employment for our people and benefits all residents and our economy. Through this important work, we will begin to identify, address, and dismantle the systemic barriers that have prevented the actualization of a representative public service. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Land is the foundation of the Northwest Territories, both figuratively and literally. Our government is responsible for managing 1.15 million square kilometres of it. Setting and enforcing clear rules and regulations for how public land is used is a critical part of ensuring that the Northwest Territories' land and resources are well-managed. Clear, well-communicated rules help the Government of the Northwest Territories make sure that everybody understands what can and cannot be done on public land. They also give the government a fair and consistent basis for taking action against anybody who breaks them.

The Department of Lands uses a number of pieces of territorial and federal legislation to help clearly and fairly set and enforce rules on land use. These pieces are further underpinned by the Ministerial Policy on Compliance and Enforcement. The primary goal of compliance and enforcement under this policy is to deter, minimize, and remedy non-compliance. The Ministerial Policy on Compliance and Enforcement also establishes that enforcement action should be timely and proportionate to the severity of the non-compliance and consider the actual or potential impact on the land and natural resources. Actions to manage use of territorial public land and resources under this policy include informing and educating the public about the rules and requirements and providing support and advice on how to comply with the rules.

The policy provides a fair and consistent approach to monitoring compliance. It is focused on education and building awareness. In short, helping to prevent non-compliance wherever possible and resolving any non-compliance before it impacts the land or natural resources. Where non-compliance cannot be resolved, the policy sets out a consistent approach that seeks remedies to fix any harm caused by non-compliance or to imposes sanctions, including laying charges under relevant legislation. Consistent with this approach, the department regards unauthorized occupancy as one of the more severe instances of non-compliance. Members of the public can report potential incidents of unauthorized occupancy by calling their local lands regional office. Contact information is available on the department's website.

The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes that land and resources are of significant importance to Indigenous governments and organizations. Since 2018, the Department of Lands has supported interested regional Indigenous governments and organizations to identify and document cabins that support traditional uses of the land. As part of our ongoing enforcement efforts, the department will continue to post notices on untenured structures. This first notice is an opportunity for the occupant to come forward and identify or clarify any legal basis for their occupation. As the department moves this work forward, we are also working with Indigenous governments and organizations to ensure there is a clear process for when a cabin that is associated with an Aboriginal rights assertion is posted.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to the responsible management and use of NWT land, resources, and environment. To this end, the department will be bringing the Public Land Act into force that applies to all public land in the Northwest Territories and brings clarity to all land users. Madam Speaker, we are all stewards of the land. We all know our responsibilities. We want to ensure the people of the Northwest Territories know that the Department of Lands is continuing to take action by supporting a clear, consistent, and enforced land management regime. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, the 19^th Legislative Assembly is committed to making strategic infrastructure investments that connect our communities, expand our economy, and reduce the cost of living. From highways to airports to buildings, I would like to provide an update today on the significant progress our government has made to improve public infrastructure across the territory.

Our government has improved over 200 kilometres of highway this year. We have completed 105 kilometres of new chipseal surface on Highway No. 1, and reconstructed the Inuvik Airport Access Road. Residents can expect a smoother and safer driving experience. These improvements were made possible by funding from the Government of Canada's New Building Canada Plan. I thank our federal colleagues for their continued collaboration and support. In addition to improving the existing highway system, over 85 kilometres of embankment have been constructed for the new all-season road to Whati, which is scheduled to open next fall. This project is now more than 70 percent complete; a great accomplishment, particularly during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Madam Speaker, airports are an essential part of our transportation system. Communities across the North depend on air travel for the movement of goods and people, air ambulances, search and rescue, forest fire response, and much more. Airports also play a role in supporting economic opportunities. This fiscal year, over $16 million was invested to enhance operations and services at 13 of our airports, including drainage and runway improvements and the replacement of older equipment. Three major capital projects are in the works at the Inuvik Mike Zubko Airport. A new air terminal building is planned to open in 2023. At the same time, improvements will be made to the airfield drainage, which will increase the resiliency of the airport to the effects of climate change. The design of a 3,000-foot runway extension is moving ahead as planned on behalf of the Department of National Defence.

Madam Speaker, we will continue to invest in our public buildings. Several major projects are under way across the territory, including a multi-year project to replace the Ecole J.H. Sissons school in Yellowknife. Our department is working with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment on this project, which will result in a larger, more modern, and accessible facility for students. In Tuktoyaktuk, another school project is under way. Our government is in the process of renovating and expanding the Mangilaluk School. The project will increase the school's capacity, improve site access, upgrade aging buildings systems, and will include a community library space and a new gymnasium. A tender to complete the tenant improvements at the Stanton Legacy Building is scheduled to close on November 6, 2020, with an estimated completion schedule of spring 2022.

Madam Speaker, infrastructure projects will continue to play an important role in the economic recovery of the Northwest Territories post-COVID-19. These projects provide business and employment opportunities for our residents, boosting the economy while delivering the critical infrastructure that this territory needs to provide key programs and services to our residents. Quyanainni, Madam Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleagues, to speak about the Affirmative Action Policy in the Northwest Territories. My focus in this Member's statement is to talk about the many gaps that exist within the policy. The Government of the Northwest Territories created the Affirmative Action Policy to hire under-represented groups of people in the public service. To ensure that the government is representative of the population it serves, the designated groups are Indigenous Aboriginal Persons (P1); Indigenous Non-Aboriginal Persons (P2); Resident Disabled Persons (P3); and Resident Women (P4).

Madam Speaker, while the Affirmative Action Policy has existed in the NWT since March of 1989, it remains an imperfect policy. There are gaps in this policy which people have been falling through since it was created. The gaps I'm referring to, however, are generally harder to measure and can be susceptible to manipulation through statistics, which hides many of the problems.

The main problem with the Affirmative Action Policy is not the policy itself, but rather the people who are doing the hiring. Everyone in the North knows that there is a huge issue of nepotism; of people hiring their friends or their managers' friends or relatives; or people tailoring job descriptions to match a particular person's resume; or people who put the qualifications for certain jobs very high because they assume and Indigenous person could not meet those qualifications, and so on. The problem with affirmative action is that it is so easy for interviewers to find weaknesses in applicants, which is then used to rationalize to screen out certain applicants from job competitions. More often than not, Madam Speaker, it is the Indigenous candidates who get screened out the earliest and in a greater degree than non-Indigenous candidates. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

In closing, Madam Speaker, at the end of the day, I am happy that the Government of the Northwest Territories has the Affirmative Action Policy. However, as I just outlined, there are still some real gaps within this policy that must be filled. This policy was meant to provide Indigenous people an equal footing with non-Indigenous people in the public service. It has helped with that, but until Indigenous employment reaches 50 percent to match the overall Indigenous population of the NWT, we have not hit our mark. I will have questions for the Minister of Human Resources later today. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Prior to 1989, this government recognized an inequity with respect to the lack of Indigenous representation in the GNWT public sector. In an attempt to address that inequity, the Affirmative Action Policy was established. The policy was designed to offer priority hiring to candidates belonging to eligible designated groups that are underrepresented within the public service. These groups include not only Indigenous persons, but also recognize Indigenous non-Aboriginal persons, resident disabled persons, and resident women.

The intent of the Affirmative Action Policy goes further than just trying to meet quotas for an eligible target group. Included is the need for training, promotions, and counselling of potential candidates. Subsequently, in 2009, this government further established the Indigenous Employment Advisory Committee with the intent of actively increasing representation of Indigenous persons at all levels of public service.

To this day, even with the policy and committee in place, our government has failed to meet its intent and goals for Aboriginal people. Our inclusion of Indigenous Aboriginal employees in the public service has advanced slowly, and it appears to have stalled. I hear concerns from potential candidates who I know possess the experience and education for the position they applied on but who then say they are routinely turned away or screened out of the interview process. I then asked myself: what is the real stumbling block to recruitment of Indigenous people into the public service? I know it's not the lack of qualified Aboriginal peoples in the NWT.

This brings me to the matter of the interview process and format. I am of the belief that our failure starts at the first stage of recruitment and, as with the qualification requirement, interview format and interview process. Due to cultural differences, the current process and format does not acknowledge, give way to, and respect Aboriginal Indigenous knowledge and the way we learn, communicate, or present ourselves during the interview process.

No matter how many policies we have in place, no matter how many committees we have in place, we will not make a difference without the political will; political direction to bureaucracy; a policy that is clear, concise, and unambiguous; and a process that adopts and recognizes Indigenous people and our culture. If we expect success in increasing Indigenous Aboriginal participation in the public sector, then we must review the existing Affirmative Action Policy and recruitment process and be willing to commit that political will. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As you know, after more than 30 years of lobbying and planning the design, the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway opened up in 2017. Since the opening, the ITH has been a lifeline for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. It has reduced the basic needs such as food, clothing, and supplies. Importantly, we can get to Inuvik hospital quickly for medical services. It has also been to visit family, friends, and relatives and to use the facilities there.

I am proud to say the project was built on budget and on time by local contractors, Madam Speaker. It's the highest amount of Indigenous local employment participation in any major project undertaken by our Northwest Territories government. It was built due to care on our Arctic permafrost environment. However, at that time, with the tight budget, the GNWT had to reduce overall height of the road in several locations along the highway. During construction, engineers advised the government that this would require additional maintenance and upgrading in the future. It's time for upgrading, Madam Speaker.

Since it opened, the ITH only needed regular maintenance, such as grading, resurfacing, gravel, and snow plowing. After three years, there are some areas where the embankment is now sinking, and it needs to be lifted. A few sections of the road need levelling to adjacent to the permafrost, causing melting in many potholes and washboards during driving the surface. This situation is urgent, Madam Speaker. It will only become worse and increase the next few years, especially when the Inuvialuit project development of a gas project gets under way and starts utilizing that road 365 days a year with LNG trucks, tankers.

I don't see where the funds have been allocated in the capital plan to deal with this critical upgrading. Recently, the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation sent a joint letter to the Minister with these concerns. I am following up on their behalf, Madam Speaker. The work can be done with our local contractors and workforce. It's critical to bring forth projects that are shovel ready. We could help our residents and businesses survive during this pandemic. We need urgent action to protect our valuable asset, ensuring maintenance is done this coming year. Madam Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Madam Speaker, on Monday, I spoke of the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on women. When I asked the Premier what an Indigenous feminist approach to social and economic recovery would look like, she responded that there would not be a one-size-fits-all approach and that each community would be empowered to determine what that looks like. This is good news, but it does not explain what steps the GNWT is taking to make changes regarding the bills it sponsors, the regulations it develops, the programs and services it delivers directly to the residents of the Northwest Territories, and how it hires people into the public service.

This government made a commitment in this House to work on an action plan to support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report. The calls for justice identify the need for an approach to undo colonialism and re-establish Indigenous nationhood. It calls on government to work differently by challenging colonial influence and making space for marginalized Indigenous perspectives. Specifically, 4.4 calls on all governments to provide supports and resources for educational, training, and employment opportunities for all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

Madam Speaker, representation is important. This government decides on programs, services, laws, and regulations that are meant to support, empower, and protect its residents. For this work to be effective and reflective of northern realities, the demographic of this government's workforce needs to include small community, regional, and city voices, and it needs to include representative Indigenous and female voices.

Forty-four years ago, Commissioner Stuart Hodgson published a paper identifying the GNWT's need for an Affirmative Action Policy because the Indigenous representation within the GNWT was only 30 percent. Today, we have an Affirmative Action Policy, and today, only 30 percent of the GNWT workforce is Indigenous. The Department of Finance has designed programs to increase Indigenous representation within the public service. For example, Indigenous Career Gateway, regional recruitment, and Indigenous management training programs are available to all GNWT departments, but what direction is given to departments to use these programs, and what role does every department play in increasing Indigenous representation and, in turn, supporting the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls calls for justice?

Increasing Indigenous representation is the shared responsibility of all departments, just as the safety of Indigenous women and girls is shared by every single one of us, regardless of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, or gender identity. Today, I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Madame la Presidente.

[Translation] In August, the Minister of Education brought an end to years of confrontation and uncertainty for French language students and families by rescinding the Ministerial Directive on Admissions for French language schools. The Directive was too long the basis for a series of costly legal actions, and was replaced with new regulations governing admission to First French language schools.

The new regulations were warmly greeted by the Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, which manages École Allain St-Cyr in Yellowknife and École Boreale in Hay River. Finally CSFTNO has been delegated authority school admissions with appropriate reporting. The regulations broaden eligibility with a “reaquisition” stream—admission of students who can show their great-grandparents were Francophone, and for children of “Francophile” parents within agreed upon limits.

Three students have been enrolled this year under the new regulations and six students who are the subject of the ongoing court case have been tentatively admitted and will remain students pending the outcome of the appeals. It's not clear why GNWT continues with its appeals.

Overall though, the new Minister last year has brought renewed collaboration between the board and the department and I congratulate him and CSFTNO.

I will have questions later today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on some issues still facing CSFTNO and its schools. [Translation ends]

Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I understand the current Government of the Northwest Territories Affirmative Action Policy began around 1976 and was related to a report from the Commissioner of the day, the late Stuart Hodgson. The report was the Hodgson Report, and it set out to achieve training positions for Native Northerners in order to meet the objective of increased Aboriginal employment in the public service. This led to the creation of the Office of Native Employment. That office developed a discussion paper in which it was noted the difficulty in employing Aboriginal people in numbers reflective to the ratio to the general population.

In 1984, the then Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the late John Parker, commissioned a discussion paper, the Parker Report, which recommended the development of a Native employment policy. The report also noted concerns with the constitutionality of an affirmative action program directed specifically for Aboriginal people born and raised in the Northwest Territories. The report notes that the Canadian Human Rights Commission raised concerns that the Affirmative Action Policy could be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Madam Speaker, in 1985, the Native Employment Policy recommended increasing Aboriginal representation in the public service from 30 percent to 52 percent by 1990. It was noted by a review in 1989 was that the increase was only two percent from the years 1985 to 1989. Madam Speaker, the report of the day by another firm indicated most government jobs back in 1989 only required a grade 10 education and noted that the majority of Native people had less than grade nine education. The report also goes on to state 48 percent of today's GNWT jobs require a university degree, not only about six percent of the Aboriginal population had a university degree.

Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that in the many meetings with the senior management teams of the GNWT that I was involved with, I did not see any First Nations people amongst them. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Members' statement. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate my colleague, the Member for Deh Cho, bringing up the history of this because I think the Affirmative Action Policy is a white elephant. A white elephant is a possession that its maintenance is out of proportion to its usefulness. The Affirmative Action Policy, after decades, has failed to deliver on its promises. Indigenous employment remains at 30 percent. Even P2s, which are unconstitutional according to various reports, have not increased. They remain at 12 percent in the GNWT. I think what's happened is: consecutive GNWT governments have looked at this report, seeing that risk of a Charter challenge and gone, better just not touch that. Better leave it there. The reality is: we are open to that Charter challenge any time. Anyone at any time who is not hired by the GNWT and thinks that the Affirmative Action Policy discriminated them can bring a Charter challenge. It's likely a losing case according to the reports.

I believe this Assembly needs to finally address this problem, and it's not a popular solution. I think everyone in this room recognizes there's a value to people born in the North working in a public service. Indigenous people, I think, want to hire Indigenous people born in the North, not just Indigenous people, period, which is likely what the Charter would uphold. There are some unpopular decisions to be made here, but we have to make them. We have to make sure we have an Affirmative Action Policy that actually works because it's not working right now.

I recognize that the labour force and the needs of the GNWT do not align, and in many ways, our Affirmative Action Policy is trying to address a symptom. We must do more to educate our citizens. I believe the work of the polytechnic can make sure we are producing more university degrees. I also recognize we are not the only game in town. Many Indigenous people would prefer to work for their Indigenous government. It's largely more exciting work.

When I hear that, I struggle, because when I look across the GNWT, I see powers and mandates that shouldn't belong in the GNWT, that should be devolved to Indigenous governments. I think there are multiple solutions here. One is building our education capacity. One is setting clear targets. I want to walk away from this Assembly, and if it's 30 percent and we get to 33 percent, at least we made a little progress. We need to set clear targets, and we need to work with our Indigenous governments to once and for all get an Affirmative Action Policy that works and is legal. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members statements. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am going to deviate a little bit from the theme today. Instead, I would like to recognize a constituent of the District of Great Slave, 10-year-old Jack Penney.

This year, Jack submitted his film "Eat Your Carrots" to the NWT-based Dead North Film Festival. "Eat Your Carrots" is a fantasy horror short that was written and directed by Jack when he was only nine years old. Jack is currently in grade five at Ecole J.H. Sissons School and, in his spare time, is an avid reader and snowboarder. He's also the best big brother to his sister, Lucy Dandelion.

Jack faced many challenges during the filming of "Eat Your Carrots," which included his cat, Pixie, stealing his Lego pieces as well as the difficulty of filming in the North in March. Jack's film was such a hit at the festival that it won the Zombear Award for the best death scene. This involved blowing up a snowman, and our own Legislative Assembly Clerk, Michael Ball, contributed his explosives expertise for this scene.

Recently, "Eat Your Carrots" was picked up as an official selection of the national, Toronto-based "Blood in the Snow Film Festival," which is currently being hosted and aired on Super Channel until November 8^th. Jack is also planning on submitting his film to the Dawson City Film Festival.

Jack's cinematic success at such a young age is a good example of how the NWT strives to foster its creative community. This winter there will be many virtual events taking place which will allow everyone to attend, not just those lucky enough to get a ticket as often has been the case in the past. For example, the Yellowknife International Film Festival runs from today, November 4^th to November 8^th and anyone can attend from the comfort of their homes with no need to get out of their sweats. While the Dead North Film Festival will not take place this year, there is still funding available through the GNWT for artists. In fact, in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, there is $250,000 up for grabs for the creative industries. This funding is open to several artistic arenas, including performance, Indigenous cultural works, film, and visual arts. I strongly encourage all northern artists to apply.

In conclusion, I would again like to congratulate Jack Penney on his cinematic success on the national stage as he has a very bright future ahead of him, and I'm proud to call him my constituent and my neighbour. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Masi, Madam Speaker. [Translation] There are a lot of workers in the Northwest Territories. There are approximately 5,000 employees. Not only that, but we have a lot of workers all over the place, Indigenous and Inuit, Metis people. They are hired by who they are, and sometimes in the Northwest Territories, people are hired differently. [Translation ends] [Microphone turned off] ...single source of work in the Northwest Territories. It is the largest single employer of the Indigenous people. That makes our government absolutely essential for informing the policies of Indigenous people. No matter how you look at it, our Indigenous people look to our government for work and opportunity.

Madam Speaker, it's not only to keep food on tables of our Dene, Inuvialuit, and Metis people. It's also to ensure that our government reflects on the values and cultures of our people. This is why I'm so troubled by the current underrepresentation of the Indigenous people of our government. Indigenous people make up 50 percent of this population of the Northwest Territories, but they make up only 30 percent of the GNWT workforce. It's been stuck at the low rate for so long, Madam Speaker, decades and decades. It's time that our government got serious about fixing this disparity. It's time that we tackle the root cause.

This talk about education, because education is the key to employment and, as we all know, Indigenous Northerners trail behind non-Indigenous on the education front, both in high school and post-secondary. Until we deal with this education gap, the deck will remain stacked against the Indigenous seeking work in our government. Some people think the education gap will not be solved in our lifetime. They think it's big, too big, too complex, but Madam Speaker, they're totally wrong. Break a big problem down to component parts, it's not a big problem at all. The education gap is no different. It is underrepresented of our people in our government.

Madam Speaker, here is a real example drawn from this government's stats. The problem of underrepresentation is really a huge challenge of male representation. Female representation in the GNWT is within acceptable limits. In fact, Indigenous male employment, that's the culprit. They have half the employment rate of women. Indigenous men make up nine percent of total GNWT workforce. Nine percent, Madam Speaker. I will have questions to the Minister of Finance pertaining to this. Masi.

Members' statements. Member for Range Lake.

Madam Speaker, Max Ward was born on November 22, 1921, in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1940, Max joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and received his pilot's wings in 1941. Max worked as an instructor at various training bases during the Second World War until its end in 1945. After being discharged from the air force, Max received his commercial pilots licence and began his flying career as a bush pilot in Yellowknife.

In 1946, Max started Polaris Charter Company Ltd., carrying passengers throughout the Arctic, including prospectors and supplies into mining exploration camps. In 1948, Max and George Pigeon formed Yellowknife Airways, combining their two aircraft into one company. Max moved to Alberta after liquidating his share in 1949. It wasn't the last the North saw of Max, Madam Speaker. In 1953, he acquired a 14-passenger single-engine Otter and launched Wardair Ltd. into commercial service.

Madam Speaker, Max Ward revolutionized the aviation industry in Canada's North. Wardair expanded every year, and in 1957, he purchased the company's first heavy aircraft, a Bristol Freighter, and eventually made the first landing of an aircraft on wheels at the Geographic North Pole. In 1966, Wardair became the third major Canadian carrier to offer a pure jet aircraft when they purchased the Boeing 727, the first ever in Canada. By 1973, they had become Canada's largest international air charter carrier, but times change and Max sold the company in 1989 to Pacific Western Airlines, bringing an end to one of the greatest chapters in the history of Canadian aviation.

The impact Max had on the Canadian aviation industry has been immeasurable, Madam Speaker. He was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974, was awarded the Order of Canada in 1975, and was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 1989, amongst a host of other awards. Max helped blaze the trail for generations of pilots to explore the world around them and to find a home in the North, where they could fly one of the most unique aviation experiences in the world today. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Max passed away peacefully on November 2, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta at 98 years of age. His contribution to the Northwest Territories will forever be remembered. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors of the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure in regard to the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. Would the Minister commit to meeting with the mayor and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation chair to come up with a plan to address the concerns in the letter that was sent to the Minister's office? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am travelling with the Infrastructure team to the Beaufort-Delta the week of November 17^th. I will get in touch with the Member to see if we can make some time to be able to discuss the letter that was sent to me on Friday. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

We'll invite you to Tuktoyaktuk on November 18^th. The GNWT is currently sitting on $450 million capital plan that seems to have trouble getting out the door. Why can't the GNWT look at projects that are to be done by the local contractors around the territory, to prioritize them, help them stimulate our regional economies during this pandemic? The ITH would be a great place to start. What is the GNWT planning to find the necessary funding?

We are currently doing some assessment on the condition of the road. Once we get that back, we will be able to determine and perhaps even build a case for the project and then determine what is the next step. I understand that the letter from the community identifies a bunch of specific areas along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway that do need some work. That is something that we can build a case for once we get the report.

With our new regional energy project going to get underway, M18, IRC, we will have many heavy loads on the ITH. Wear and tear from tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers coming with LNG into Inuvik to service community. Having no budget and funding in place to get that road ready prior to that happening, that needs to be done. We could to studies, it's studied. We had the former Minister there in the community herself come and do the road, so we've seen some potholes and lost -- you see it's low and the grade is level with the highway. I think there are certain places, and it's probably between $5 million to $10 million worth of work coming up. February, coming up in the budget sessions, I'm asking for $10 million for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway to get that service done. Is the Minister willing to work with the community and myself to get that project started?

The process would be to define the scope and the need, then come up with a plan and then cost it out and then come forward with a supplementary. That's the process of looking at some funding for this work. I don't know how much it's going to cost, but it's something that we can work with the Member on.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. In 2015, when we got that road approved in this House, I could tell you, when we had the Prime Minister attend, in the day it was Stephen Harper who came and told us that we were getting the funds. The GNWT said it was the ITH, the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik Highway, but he corrected everybody that it's the Dempster Highway. It's an extension of the Dempster Highway. The funding that we get for the Dempster, it would be easier to keep it as just the Dempster Highway, not unless the community wants to rename the road. I think the investment of the federal government in regard to all the oil and gas they have up there, we could get out of debt. Just help me help you. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any comments? Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. The geography of the Northwest Territories is made up of the different representative land areas of First Nation, Metis, and Inuvialuit groups. This demographic representation should dictate how the Northwest Territories is governed, and for that matter, the workforce should be representative of the people the public service serves. My question to the Minister of Finance is: what commitment can the GNWT make to increase representation of the majority demographic of the Northwest Territories into the public service and, most notably, into senior management? Mahsi.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are quite a number of programs already in existence that are meant to support and encourage applicants to the public service and growth within the public service. One of the newer things that is being rolled out imminently is a framework that will address exactly the question of the Member, which is to create some targets department by department, including into the management ranks. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mahsi to the Minister for her answer. I just want to say this with no prejudice or disrespect to my Yellowknife colleagues: what is noted is that the majority of the public service jobs are in Yellowknife, and the many new positions that are being created are being located in Yellowknife. Can the Minister explain why this arrangement continues with no regard for the outlying communities?

One of the other commitments of the 19^th Legislative Assembly, of course, is to increase employment in regional centres. That is a commitment of the 19^th Assembly and of this government and is certainly one that the Department of Finance also plays a role in. There are ongoing efforts to ensure that, when new positions are being created, efforts are made to consider whether they have to, in fact, be centralized in the capital, which sometimes is the case, depending on the nature of the work, depending on the nature of the role to be played. If it is not the case, then it need not be centred here. For instance, recently, ISSS had some positions created within the last year, and they were all located in Fort Smith because it was recognized that they did not have to be located in the capital. Those efforts are ongoing.

Mahsi to the Minister for that. I didn't hear of any positions going to the small communities. I recall a program in the GNWT that is to promote residents, or I believe only current employees, with an option to move up in the ranks. The program is the associate director program, where an employee can job shadow an existing director for two years to eventually take over as director. I believe it's in the event the director is planning on leaving the GNWT workforce. The program had real ambition as a succession planning success story. Can the Minister review the number of directors' positions in the GNWT and how many are actually First Nations?

I certainly do have those numbers and can provide those numbers to the House and to the Member. I don't have them at my fingertips, as I wasn't expecting to be called on to give those numbers here, but I would be more than happy to provide that. I just would note that, certainly, succession planning has been and remains a challenge for many organizations, and the government is no different. I certainly appreciate bringing some attention to the need to continue our succession planning here in the GNWT.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I know first-hand, working for the GNWT for over 11 years, that this program was in place. As an employee of the GNWT, I had a problem even gaining access to this program. Nobody wanted to recognize it. There may be many succession planning documents out there. The last one, I think, was the 2020 A Brighter Future, which probably expired this year, and no actions have ever been taken for any planning documents. Where I was getting just lip service -- and I'm telling you first-hand that I had problems even trying to move up within the GNWT. I wonder if the Minister can commit to reviewing the associate director program and ensure that these will be filled by First Nations residents of the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.

I will certainly commit to reviewing the succession planning that is under way within the GNWT. As I have indicated at the beginning of the Member's questions, the direction right now is to develop the Indigenous framework, have that go department by department, and create some targets that will then be applicable to each department. Within that, of course, it includes the need for succession planning, the need for those targets to include management, so I will make the commitment that we are going to look at those targets. I want to provide some flexibility that we aren't necessarily doing that with a succession planning program that may no longer, as the Member has pointed out, be the one that is at the forefront. Yes, again, the commitment is to make sure that we're putting the right targets in and that the targets include senior management. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, the Minister must be very firm with all of the senior management within the government to ensure that the Affirmative Action Policy is followed. Mechanisms must be put in place to address the gaps, and if not followed, there has to be a process of meaningful appeals with a neutral panel and very concise direction. Does the Minister agree? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I certainly would agree that there should be a meaningful appeal process. There are, indeed, staffing appeals. They are conducted by staffing review officers who are, in fact, outside of the government and appointed by me as the Minister responsible for the public service. That flows from the fact that, yes, simply put, I agree that there has to be a proper, fair, and neutral appeals process. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister must also be able to discipline those senior managers who are not following the policy. This should be done through job evaluations or disciplinary letters on their work files. Strong, decisive action must be taken to address this issue. Does the Minister agree?

I certainly would agree that every department, through its deputy minister, will need to take responsibility to help ensure that the GNWT continues to do better in terms of what we're doing to follow the Affirmative Action Policy. The goal here is to have a representative workforce. The Affirmative Action Policy is one of the tools that we use to achieve that. However, Madam Speaker, the way that we will do that through deputy ministers is by ensuring that there are some clear targets and a clear plan for each of them within their department that they can implement and that that can then be followed through on to ensure that they are then in turn each doing that.

The Minister has an ability to make a difference on this whole file. Leadership must be shown at the top in order to advance the Government of the Northwest Territories' affirmative action to its fullness. Does the Minister agree?

I could not agree more. It has to start from the top, and that includes, obviously, this House; it includes each Minister in their responsibility for their departments; and it includes each deputy minister within their departments. That is one of the hopes of the framework is that it will now create meaningful targets that are department-specific and something that can actually be followed and looked at so that we know that it's not just the Minister responsible for a public service who has to be responsible for this but that every department, every Minister, and every deputy minister is going to be responsible and know exactly what they are responsible for.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, there can be no more gaps, no excuses, no nepotism, no conflicts of interest, no hiring our friends, no tailoring job descriptions to match certain people's resumes, only strictly professional, neutral decisions based on qualifications. Will the Minister commit to changing the way senior management and human resource superintendents apply the Affirmative Action Policy to accomplish its original intent? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

What I want to commit to doing is ensuring that every department, in the chain of hiring that goes through that department in cooperation and in conjunction with staff from human resources, is indeed taking responsibility to ensure a representative public service and indeed is taking responsibility to follow the Affirmative Action Policy but also to be conscious of their own biases and act in such a way that we are not relying on them. The point of human resources is to try to create a system and a process that is fair, that is open, and that acknowledges that human beings will naturally at times have to look outside of themselves and have to have structures and processes to help them act without bias, to help them act in a neutral way to accomplish exactly what it is that the Member is asking me. I am certainly going to commit to ensuring that, again, we have those processes, that clear target, and something that works and is applicable to each and every department throughout that chain. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier. I am wondering if the Premier can tell me what specific direction she has given to the deputy ministers of each GNWT department to support building a representative workforce. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Madam Premier.

I am very excited to hear about the Indigenous framework that the GNWT is currently working on, but does this mean that there is currently no direction given to deputy ministers currently sitting at the heads of departments, waiting for this framework to be established?

Absolutely not. The Affirmative Action Policy, deputy ministers are aware that this is a priority of this government, and they are aware that they will be evaluated when it comes up. They are aware that this is coming.

I am wondering if the current Cabinet will commit to reviewing the Affirmative Action Policy over the course of this term.

Absolutely. We will make a commitment to reviewing the Affirmative Action Policy within the term of this government.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. This past spring, the GNWT committed to a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls calls for justice action plan. I am wondering if the GNWT's plan will include an internal focus to shift the internal culture of the GNWT. Thank you.

I would like to defer that to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women or the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That does involve both of those two hats coming together. The action plan that is going to be developed in response to the national inquiry is one that needs to, by the nature of what it is, involve a lot of engagement with Indigenous governments, with outside stakeholders, with members of the public, as well as members of the GNWT internally. As far as what will necessary be in that plan, that remains to be seen, subject to all that process.

That said, Madam Speaker, with respect to the corporate culture, the culture of the GNWT, absolutely. One of the goals of doing so is that it should and will change the culture of the GNWT as we go through that process. As well, similarly, the Indigenous framework that I have been speaking about today I hope will also be something that provides a shift and a change in mindset and a change in the way people look creatively at. For example, if somebody does not quite meet a cut-off target on an interview question, are there ways that they can look at that and question why somebody may not have done that?

In addition to that, one last comment, is that one of the other things that is coming out from the Department of Finance quite imminently is a new Indigenous cultural awareness and sensitivity training. This is an update, the first update in quite a few, many, years around the kind of training that all GNWT employees are going to be required to attend. Again, the goal of that is to culture-change and to change all of our mindsets and to increase everyone's awareness. I think there are quite a number of ways in which we do indeed want to change, change in culture, and evolve our culture and bring it forward to really be a leader in Canada. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister and I both received an email recently in which the sender indicated that, in 2010, the pay gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous GNWT employees was reported as $20,000 annually. Can the Minister tell me if the public service annual report still contains information regarding the distribution of salaries between P1s, P2s, and P3s, and if not, why not? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The report that will be tabled later today does not include that same documentation or data that was back in 2010. As for the evolution in the last 10 years of the report, I will have to find out what that evolution is. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

It's my understanding that the GNWT considers "Indigenous non-Aboriginal" as a distinct category in its HR policies. Can the Minister please explain to us what this means and how this designation is incorporated into GNWT statistics around meeting affirmative action goals?

With respect to management positions or non-traditional positions, there are different designations depending on a person's status. Priority 1A is for Indigenous Aboriginal persons, so persons who are both born in the Northwest Territories and who have an Indigenous background, and female. Then priority 1B is the same categorizing of being Indigenous and Aboriginal but male. Number two is resident women. Number three is Indigenous non-Aboriginal persons or resident disabled persons. Last, there is no priority. With respect to all other competitions, again, that's the non-management competitions and things that are in the non-traditional category, this is where you get your P1 or priority one, which is Indigenous Aboriginal persons; P2 which is Indigenous non-Aboriginal, in other words, someone born in the Northwest Territories but not of Indigenous descent; and then there is no priority. All of those different categories are considered in the data that gets gathered up by human resources to evaluate the nature of our public service.

I've had numerous friends and constituents discuss with me their stories of qualified, educated, Indigenous Aboriginal candidates, or P1s, who are unable to advance within their departments, including in the Minister's own. Can the Minister please commit to performing a review of her own department's hiring and looking for the circles of friends in senior management that are often a barrier to the advancement of Indigenous candidates or for advancing complaints under her HR policies?

Since taking on the portfolio of the Department of Finance, one of the most frequent things that comes to my office from MLAs and from members of the public comes in around staffing and concerns around staffing processes and a desire to ensure fairness in staffing process, and ensuring that the Affirmative Action Policy is properly being followed. Madam Speaker, in the vast majority of the cases that come forward when they are investigated, in fact, the policies have been applied and have been followed, and yet, the stories and the concerns keep coming. There is some sort of disconnect where people are applying and going through these processes and feeling that they're not being heard, and yet, the application of the process itself is being followed.

That is exactly the conversation that I have had directly with human resources. Human resources works hard and cares deeply about being a representative public service. To have these kinds of stories continue to come forward is not what anybody wants. It's not what the staff that work there want; it's not what they are working towards. Yes, I absolutely am committing to the fact there is, again, the framework approach that we're trying to utilize is meant to be one that's going to give each department looking at what are the barriers, what are the problems in the department. Is it a front end of recruitment? Is it at the advancement? Is it in succession planning? Is it in the structure of the interview? Is it in the job description? The answers might be different department by department. I want to ensure that the Member won't have to hear all those stories all over again. That is exactly the point of what we are doing with framework.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad to hear the Minister acknowledge the disconnect. I'm always hesitant when I hear about investigations or analysis done by a department on its own department. Maybe more of a comment, but it would be nice to having the Minister commit to having independent third parties look at the GNWT's policies. I don't believe that they are being followed and would like to see these change. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I'm not really sure what else to say. When those matters come to my desk, we take them back, we follow it carefully, and I don't just accept the responses that come back from the department. We make enquiries, and those responses are that, when they are being told that something is being followed, I do believe that people are not lying to me from the public service and that they are, in fact, saying the truth when they say that they followed a policy. That doesn't mean that we don't have things to fix. Madam Speaker, again, there are a lot of things being done right now. Staffing appeals, as I said earlier, are themselves done independently. The framework process that's being developed is department by department, and there are going to be targets for those in positions of authority and power within and throughout the department, so they are meeting those targets along the way.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Prior to creation of the Affirmative Action Policy, the deficit of Indigenous Aboriginal hires within the public sector has been and continues to be a problem for this government. Madam Speaker, will the Minister of Finance confirm the percentage of Indigenous Aboriginal men and women currently employed within the GNWT public sector and are we moving in a forward direction? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have the numbers for 2020 as of March 31, 2020, in front of me, Affirmative Action statistics. That is, Indigenous Aboriginal females make up just under 21 percent of the workforce. Indigenous Aboriginal males, just shy of nine percent of the workforce. As far as change over time, Madam Speaker, I will look at those numbers and provide them. I do have them here, just not right in front of me right now. I don't think there has been significant change over time from my recollection of the numbers, Madam Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that answer. Will the Minister of Finance confirm the model used by this government to recruit and interview potential Indigenous Aboriginal candidates for positions within the GNWT?

I'll start even before the interview process takes place. What people may not realize is that there is actually quite a lot of information available on the GNWT's HR website about how to participate in an interview, how to prepare, how to submit a resume. There is also the opportunity for people to contact someone at human resources to assist them with the preparation of their materials before they apply and also to help them prepare for an interview. I think that's probably an underutilized and perhaps not even well-known opportunity that is available.

As far as once someone is in the actual interview itself, the Department of Finance human resources does use what is called behavioural-based interviews. The idea being that people are encouraged to tell stories and to speak about personal experiences rather than being asked more of the sort of answering questions in a more formulaic way or a more formalized way. Part of the idea there is that it is supposed to be an opportunity to create a better type of communication and dialogue for people in an interview.

Will the Minister of Finance confirm that Indigenous Aboriginal culture is incorporated into the recruitment and interview process?

I think I probably just answered that in my last description, but I may have misheard, I didn't have my earpiece in there. That's exactly the idea is to try to create opportunities for anyone that's applying and anyone that's within the application process and the interview process to be able to speak and communicate in a way other than just the traditional asking of a question and having to provide a correct or specific answer but instead be able to tell stories. Part of the reason there has been a change in the Indigenous cultural awareness training and sensitivity program is so that all members of the public service are themselves aware that there are different ways of communicating, aware that there are different backgrounds, aware that there are language differences, and that when they are engaging with someone and trying to recruit someone that they bring that awareness with them, that they become culturally aware, and that they are better placed to actually have engagements that are more meaningful and more respectful.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the Minister of Finance confirm that all interviews conducted by the GNWT have Indigenous Aboriginal team members or at the minimum, are the team members provided training with respect to Indigenous Aboriginal culture to remove any bias and provide fairness? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I was just hoping to pull up the numbers for human resources in terms of number of Indigenous Aboriginal persons that are in human resources. I think their numbers actually are relatively good. Notwithstanding, I cannot say that every single hiring team has an Indigenous person on that team, but I am happy to say that, with the introduction of the cultural awareness and sensitivity training program that's coming out in the next few months, that that is going to be mandatory for all GNWT employees and that, once that is in place and once staff continue to go through it, it is certainly our hope that that is going to have a culture change and that it's going to change the way that people are interacting one with another in terms of our knowledge and our awareness and our sensitivity. I am happy to be able to at least confirm that that is on the horizon, and we are hopeful that it will be a program that will be really a leader in Canada. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate my colleagues' comments today and the Minister. I am confident that we will create targets in our departments and review the Affirmative Action Policy and make some progress on this. I think you have to recognize that this is a systemic problem that has multiple solutions and there are multiple tools. One of those which I believe we can use is the tool of secondments. In 2015, the Minister for human resources announced secondments to Indigenous governments and really brought this up as a win-win situation, and it allowed us to send GNWT employees into our communities to get them out of Yellowknife, to build capacity in those Indigenous governments, and hopefully, ultimately, devolve some of those powers. My question for the Minister of Finance is: how many GNWT employees are presently seconded to Indigenous governments?

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

[Micropnone turned off] ...right now with Indigenous governments. Thank you.

Minister of Finance, can you repeat that? You didn't have the microphone.

I'm sorry. Eight, Madam Speaker.

I do view this as a tool that ultimately allows many of our public servants, the majority of which are in Yellowknife, to get into our communities to work with Indigenous governments. I believe partnerships could work the other way, where we bring Indigenous governments, employees into the public service. I think we in this House agree that self-government is the future, but we also need to build that agreement and understanding within both bureaucracies. My question for the Minister of Finance is: is she willing to put together something and reach out to our Indigenous governments and make sure they are aware and are willing to partnership on this tool we have?

Yes. I'm glad to hear that. I think part of my reason for talking about this is just so that everyone in the public service listening, knows that they can go to their management and asked to be placed in an Indigenous government for a period of time, that they can go into the communities and get first-hand experience because, as much as I think cultural awareness training is a step in the right direction, there's really nothing that replaces going to work for an Indigenous government and seeing their struggles. Is the Minister willing, as part of our whole public service renewal and a number of initiatives that we are doing, to set targets for secondments?

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.

No further questions, Madam Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Masi, Madam Speaker. The Minister of Finance talked about HR cultural awareness training program. I certainly hope it's not a video training program. The Minister in her department has to engage an elder in the community. I just want to make that clear.

[Translation] Madam Speaker, I'd like to talk about how, in terms of hiring, our people are held back within the government. When the GNWT hires, especially the men, they are at the bottom, the bottom of the list. The Minister of Finance, I have a question for you. It's under the Minister of Finance. People are being hired under the Minister of Finance. [Translation ends]

The Minister of Finance, who is also responsible for HR, what special initiatives is the Minister of Finance targeting this group of young male employment within GNWT, the number is so low; young Indigenous males, specifically, to increase their success in a work environment? Masi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.