This is page numbers 5827 - 5874 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

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, certainly I would note for -- at this moment, there is a junior officer, I think a human resources officer and an assistant in the Tlicho -- based in the Tlicho region. I certainly can appreciate, you know, feedback from the Member. It is difficult to necessarily draw a conclusion about the state of hiring or vacancy rates in a context right now given the labour market shortages across sectors and across Canada and whether or not that is related to a shift in how human resources was structured many years ago as compared to the circumstances we're facing today. There is no immediate plan to reorganize fundamentally how human resources is operating. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Monfwi.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Well, that is a disadvantage for us because our vacancy rate is growing in small communities, and we are at risk of losing staff, particularly in the health care field. So I just wanted to ask the Minister can the Minister tell the House how the health care recruitment plan will support our small communities in attracting and retaining health care professionals?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that's a large and complex answer. I'll try to be brief. I'm mindful of the ten-minute time, but I'm happy to take more questions either in the House or in writing.

There's two parts to it. And firstly there is -- the work that's happening under the health recruitment unit, and in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Services, to really look at everything from the labour market supplement, for example, to other initiatives that were announced earlier last year, you know, such as travel with -- with travel incentives to bring family up. But on the other side of it, Madam Chair, I'm live to the fact that the population demographic outside of Yellowknife and outside regional centres tends to be a very dominant Indigenous population, and there are a number of recruitment efforts in that space to try to support a more representative public service. Everything from the Indigenous -- the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework speaks to them. And, again, mindful of time, I don't list them. But I would say that that is probably somewhere to start looking as well in terms of recruiting specifically from within communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Monfwi.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Yes, thank you. Okay, I know that work is being done to support the recruitment. But I need to know how or if our community -- how our community are being thought of in this whole process. Can the Minister explain how the headquarters empowers our region to attract and retain health care professionals?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the health recruitment unit does work both with -- or in three parts. There's health and social services, NTHSSA, as well as the Tlicho services -- or social -- TCSA, Madam Chair, to form working groups that are meant to have the human resources expertise on the one side but also then the TCSA expertise on the other side so that they can then develop together and identify together what the gaps are and how to respond to them. So I would certainly commit, Madam Chair, to perhaps getting some notes or some background as to where that working group is at from the -- with the TCSA. I do get regular reports in a general sense as to what's coming back from HRU. But I -- and I would certainly suggest that some specifics from the working group might be the best answer and more helpful. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Monfwi.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Well, this is just in general too as well. You know, like, so I just wanted to know how GNWT is working with agency and other GNWT departments and Indigenous governments to support recruitment efforts of health care professionals in many of the small communities? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Well, Madam Chair, perhaps more broadly then, I'll take a look at the regular reports that I do receive from the health recruitment unit and see if we can provide that so that Members have a better sense of what the work is that they are accomplishing.

I would say, Madam Chair, that they actually have seen some successes in terms of their hiring and some reduction in overall vacancies. However, of course, the market remains challenging so that's not to say that the situation is solved but it would be worth an update from them, and we'll provide that. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. The health care recruitment team, I'm just wondering where are they actually physically located? Are they in with everybody else from HR or do they actually -- are they over with health and social services staff; how does that work? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. So it is an initiative that comes out from the department of human resources, so Finance, and obviously is a headquarters functions but then beyond that, this is, again, the eight positions that we were just describing here in the main estimates have locations beyond Yellowknife. There's human resource officer positions now being added to -- well, I'm going to get it wrong now. To Inuvik and Smith, with a view to being much more closely to where those positions would be required. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Okay, thanks. Well, let's just focus then on the positions in Yellowknife. And, you know, I presume that there's not warm bodies there right now but where are they actually going to be located? I guess where I'm going with this is it might be better if they're actually located closer to the health and social services staff and the workers there as opposed to just being kind of lumped in with all of the rest of the HR people. And, look, I don't even know where they are in Yellowknife, what building they're in. But I guess if I could get some clarification from the Minister. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Yellowknife-based staff, I understand, are based in Yellowknife -- or in the YK Centre. Madam Chair, it's part of recruitment services. So, I mean, they can be embedded with other professionals who do recruitment as a day to day, or, I mean, embedded with health care professionals. To be honest, Madam Chair, I would expect that professionals in this sphere, and given the nature of their work, are expected to engage directly and regularly with their counterparts, whether it's the professionals on the recruitment side or whether it's those who are within health and social services, so yes. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Yeah, okay, well I tried. So I'm just wondering whether the folks on the HR side ever talk to UNW, not about wages, anything like that, but about recruitment and retention. What work, if any, could be done or should be done with UNW to try to make sure that we can keep those positions staffed? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 9th

Page 5844

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there is a health working group jointly populated by the UNW and human resources, or Department of Finance. And there are regular meetings -- a variety of regular meetings between the Department of Finance and UNW and I am told that it's at an officials' level but that that is a standing item specific to the idea of recruitment services, health recruitment. It's a standing item at those meetings. Thank you.