This is page numbers 5695 - 5762 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 know.

Topics

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I'm not sure how much detail I can get into but I think it would be fair to say that there was significant concerns expressed about what was in the establishment policy and, probably more importantly, what wasn't there. What kind of changes are going to be made and are we going to see it before it's finalized by Cabinet? Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So we seen -- we've got their recommendations. There's some recommendations that we agreed to and some that we did not. But we will be getting back to committee on what we're -- how we're proceeding. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Yeah, okay, thanks. Well, glad to hear that some of the concerns, and they were pretty serious, were actually acted on. But I guess are the Regular MLAs going to get to see that before it's approved by Cabinet, I guess is my question. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thanks. For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister.

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. We look closely at the input that was provided from committee. Some of the input was at a level that generally is not in an establishment policy although we recognize the intent and importance of the input that was provided. Where it was consistent with the input into an establishment policy, we did that. And we are -- we will be providing, as the Minister mentioned, comments back during the process with where those edits have been made. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I think I can feel a Member's statement coming on. But I don't think we're going to get another chance at it, and I think that's probably not good because there was very serious concerns raised with it. And we'll just have to wait and see, but the Minister knows that if I'm not happy, I'm going to get up and talk about it in the House. So not much more I can do right now. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Sorry, thanks, Madam Chair. I wasn't clear; my apologies. I don't have anything further on this first activity. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. When two departments come together, you expect some reorganization and no duplicates. I just wonder what the criteria was for this amalgamation of these two departments, and I wonder if there's not -- and they've added one position already. So there's no -- there's more duplicates, okay. Usually when you amalgamate something, it's for lesser costs. And we're not seeing that in this whole transaction. I could see it if it was giving more positions to the regional centres and small communities, but I can't justify to build an empire here again in headquarters. I just want to know the rationale behind this whole transaction, and I'd like to hear what the Minister has to say on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. So when we first started doing this process, we said it's not a cost saving measure. We will amalgamate it, it's A plus B, as the deputy minister said. But then we're going through the process of optimization. So it's going to take us a bit of time to do the optimization. We don't want to, in the past, just cut. We're not just cutting to cut. We're trying to make sure that we do it right moving forward. So that there is where we have our staff in place, having our conversations, where we need to see things and where we need to be able to put our programs and our staff. And that's what we're doing. So that was part of the optimization process. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Madam Chair, for clarity, I never mentioned cuts. If they're going to use the same budget and they're amalgamating, maybe some of those positions should have gone to the regional centres and even to some of the smaller communities. That's what I said. You know, I just -- I have a real problem especially with the -- because we don't have an actual chart in here but I'm just wondering -- so you have a deputy minister and then senior management. How many assistant deputy ministers are scheduled for this department? Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. So the work chart's on page 70, and my understanding is we will have five deputy ministers. But for clarity, I'll turn to the -- or sorry, not deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, sorry. Five assistant deputy ministers. But for clarity, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister.

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. So there are four assistant deputy ministers between ENR and Lands at this time. There is one new assistant deputy minister position for operations that will be a regional position that is -- it is envisioned as an Indigenous pathing position to support Indigenous people to getting into senior management in the new department. So that's the new assistant deputy minister position that we're looking at.

With respect to the positions -- the change in positions that folks are seeing, there was a sunset of eight positions related to section 11 agreement and the nature fund agreement. And there was forced growth for ten new positions, all of them regional related to forest fire.

So as folks are aware, our fire season went until October this year, which is far longer than normal, and we're seeing more fires in some of the areas of the Northwest Territories than we've ever seen before. So we were able to access forced growth funding as a department to support firefighting personnel in several communities, a wildfire training position in Fort Smith, and a fire technician position in Lutselk'e. And all of those positions are regional positions. That's why you're seeing the difference in positions.

With respect to those duplicate positions, those will be addressed through the optimization process that we're dealing with, and we will make -- as I mentioned, we're expecting that there will be less than ten folks that are affected that are unionized employees. So that will be dealt with through the optimization phase that we're currently working towards. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Madam Chair, I'm just concerned I guess about the regional office in Fort Smith, especially the ENR office. I want to ensure that affirmative action is followed and, you know, we have someone that is born and raised in Fort Smith, educated there, and I just want to ensure that all those things come into play when the time comes. And I'd like to know how -- I'm sure that everybody feels that way, even with the Inuvik region, with the other regional offices in the territory. And I just want to see how the Minister feels about that. Thank you, Madam Chair.