This is page numbers 61 - 78 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 units.

Honouring Haylee Carlson
Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Honourable Premier.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Miss Nadine Yousif, who is with Maclean's magazine and is up here doing an interview on women in politics. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome two Pages from the community of Kakisa to the Assembly, Raine Simba and Kaedyn Simba. They are accompanied by their mother, Jennifer Simba. I am not sure if she is in the House. I can't see them, but I would like to welcome them to the Legislative Assembly. Mahsi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Boot Lake.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome our two pages from Inuvik, Pearl Gillis and Tyra Bain. Welcome.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Monfwi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We have interpreters here for the Tli Cho language. Mary Rose Sundberg is here. I would like to thank her. When we have meetings, we have interpreters, and we also had Harriet Paul as a Tli Cho interpreter, but her mother has passed, so that is why she is not here today. We send prayers to the family. Masi. [Translation ends]

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, what efforts are being made to ensure those listed in the priority hiring are receiving appropriate access to interviews and employment in the Government of the Northwest Territories?

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy is one tool that the Government of the Northwest Territories uses to ensure that we have a representative workforce, and in so doing, in addition to having that policy and having that in place for all hiring across the Northwest Territories, there are efforts made in the course of the careers recruitment process to provide assistance. There is a help section within the website and within the department that could assist individuals in terms of resume writing and can assist them with interview preparation. In addition to that, there are officers within the department of human resources that can assist with maintaining and following the Affirmative Action Policy to see that it is, in fact, working as hard as it can.

It is but one policy, Mr. Speaker, and we do recognize that recruitment to the service of the Northwest Territories is going to be one that requires us to look across all of our departments to make sure that we are providing supports and assistance to the people of the Northwest Territories so that they are ready and able to apply to the positions as they become available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Who is involved in the appeal process when priority candidates are unsuccessful at obtaining employment?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Candidates who apply and who are eligible for an appeal, which is individuals who identify themselves as being candidates, would be potentially able to appeal. Those processes are reviewed by independent staffing officers. Independent staffing officers, there is a regulation that applies in terms of identifying who those individuals are. They have to meet a certain set of criteria including the fact that they are outside of the service of the GNWT, and those are the individuals who would review those appeals.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

The Affirmative Action Policy states that all departments and agencies within the public service will plan and implement affirmative action measures. Senior management made a statement to Regular MLAs that there have never been an evaluation of the Affirmative Action Policy. What action is the government going to take to evaluate the Affirmative Action Policy?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Many, many years ago, there were some reviews of the Affirmative Action Policy but it has certainly not been any time within recent memory. I can confirm, Mr. Speaker, I have already requested and received a briefing on specifically the issue of the Affirmative Action Policy from the department. It, certainly, is on the radar, if I might say so in that way, that it is something the department is alive to, and that there may be a need to modernize that policy. For the moment, the next step would simply be to do that work within the department, and to bring it to Cabinet to see that it does see action within the next Assembly, if considered appropriate.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories, policy 14.03 pertaining to the Affirmative Action Policy states, "The Government of the Northwest Territories will give preference in employing, training, and promoting qualified suitable and eligible target group persons." What has the government done to train and promote these target group persons?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of programs existing already within the Department of Finance and specifically within the human resources department that are meant to address exactly the challenge that I am hearing. For example, the Indigenous Career Gateway Program is an opportunity for Indigenous candidates to be given training in order to assume positions within the GNWT. Regional Recruitment Program is another opportunity that is meant to link opportunities that come available within regions and to identify when there is an opportunity that requires some training in order to help a person become eligible for that position. Indigenous Management Development and Training Program, that is an opportunity for individuals already within the GNWT's public service to see that they have appropriate skills and training so that they can continue to advance their careers within the GNWT.

There, certainly, are a few programs within the Government of the Northwest Territories, and as I mentioned earlier today in my own Minister's statement that there is a recognition that, perhaps, more efforts can and should be made to ensure that those programs are well communicated to the public, to our staff, and to all Members of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Question 33-19(2): Campaign School for Women
Oral Questions

February 10th, 2020

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. As I mentioned in my statement, women found the campaign schools helpful in preparing them to run and win in the last territorial election. My question for the Minister is whether she is a supporter of the campaign schools for women? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I am in support of offering the training for the women across the Northwest Territories. Empowering and encouraging women to participate fully in public office is essential to ensuring that government reflects the societies they represent. The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes that women face many challenges when considering to run for office. Our government remains committed to ensuring that women's voices are heard at all levels. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that response. My next question for the Minister is: when will the campaign schools resume, and who will be offering them?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

A facilities workshop is scheduled to be held here in Yellowknife March 10th and 11th. The purpose of this workshop is to teach women from across the Northwest Territories how to teach the Campaign School for Women. By increasing the number of trained facilitators who can provide this training, more workshops can be delivered and the content can focus on more specific regional community concerns. A call for expression was advertised, inviting potential facilitators to submit their names to take part in the facilitators' workshop. Up to 15 regional community participants will be selected. Once this workshop is complete, the Women's Advisory Office will work with the trained facilitators to schedule workshops to be held in all the regions in this calendar year.