Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too do have a problem with the GNWT affirmative action policy. It was created back when we were part of Nunavut and at the time it was done in a way that it catered to everybody that's working here in the Northwest Territories - P1, P2, P3. But my concern, Mr. Speaker, is that when this announcement came out when Cabinet made a decision, I was surprised to hear it as well that decision came from Cabinet. I got calls from my leaders, my community members, and members from different ridings of the Northwest Territories expressing their concerns about how could this be. When this announcement came out, they were going to say that aboriginal hires are going to be from people from southern Canada. So in other words, if the aboriginal person that has a degree in education come into Fort Resolution to fill a job in recreation, they get first priority. And our guy in the community who's been born and raised here would be left out for applying on that job. So I am concerned with that. But then when they went back and they made changes saying oh jeez, now we're going to change it. It's going to be that aboriginal people are going to be first hire and then southern people after that. I don't support this motion. I mean, I -- I don't support the idea of bringing forward an aboriginal policy. There are a lot of good people that I spoke to that created the GNWT affirmative action policy. And it's been in place for over 30 years. It wasn't perfect. There were problems, and I agree with that. There should have been an oversight on that. I know a lot of good people applied on jobs, and they were missed out on jobs because there was just -- just the way it was at the time where there were problems identified. And I've raised this on an issue.

In the 19th Assembly, I was on a committee that went up and down the Valley. My colleague from Monfwi was part of that committee. Cabinet Minister across the road there was on that committee. And we heard from our people in the Northwest Territories that to increase the aboriginal numbers in the GNWT, we have to take a look at these policies. So now this motion is here today. I keep thinking about it because I got calls from members -- I can paint an old car, even though it's broken down, everything, paint it, I'm going to try to sell it. It's still an old car. This policy, I'm deeply concerned. If we can't implement the affirmative action policy after 30 years and fix the problems, then what do you think we're going to do with this policy? Is it going to be any better? I don't think so. It's going to be another 30 years before we finally catch up, figure what the problems are.

I wish we had more time to talk about this, but Cabinet made a decision. There was no consultation or accommodation with Indigenous governments throughout the Northwest Territories or groups throughout the Northwest Territories. They have a right to be heard. So this policy that the Minister of Finance announced, I can't support that policy. My chiefs were never consulted. The leaders of the Northwest Territories were never consulted. Cabinet brought this forward in the 19th Assembly as well. It didn't go anywhere. So here today I support this motion. We could fix it but let's do it right.

Right now, I come here to work for my people and my region, the communities throughout the Northwest Territories, and it seems like we have no voice because Cabinet continues to make decisions on the best interests of the people in the Northwest Territories with no consultation or accommodation. And do you think this policy now it's going to forward, aboriginal policy? There's going to be problems with it. Why were we sitting at a committee, go up and down the Valley to listen to people, and then we -- this policy comes out. Then what happens to all the hard work we did? It's out the door.

I'm not going to tell how my colleagues to vote on this one here, but I'm going to ask them to vote with your heart because at the end of the day I'm worried about my grandchildren and their other grandchildrens. So if we can't increase the aboriginal hire in government and then we change the policy and call it a different name, the issues are still going to be there. We should have an oversight committee independent on all the hire, on all the appeals. That's what I said in the 19th Assembly when we did the committee on the -- I can't remember what the bill number is, but we did the work. We did a lot of good work that time. So I'm deeply concerned that here we are today talking about this. And if -- if this thing goes ahead, then what does that say to all the work we do in committee? It's all for nothing.

So, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to support this motion on behalf of my constituents who have issues still trying to find jobs in government. And it's time that we start listening to the people here in the Northwest Territories and take their voices and their issues and their concerns when we make decisions in this House. But this decision came without the consent of our own colleagues here; it just happened. We were caught off guard on that. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to support this motion for my people in my riding. Thank you.