Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there could be further financial implications as we go forward. It again all depends on the final outcomes of the processes in place. So there is that that we could be coming forward for further requests in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has come forward with that. We know that it is for putting a plan together. I am not aware of the actual detail of where in the community this site is being looked at. Maybe the Minister has that background information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an area whether it comes to the ferry service provided at river crossings, as well as winter roads. One of the things that the department is tasked to do is to operate as efficiently as possible. We find that setting the date is one of the better ways of doing that. There is always pressure to extend the season, if, for example, in the fall we have an unusually warm fall, there is a request from the trucking industry to keep those in operation for longer so that they can get the last loads up, as well with the winter road season. If we have a cooler spring...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as we are laying this out, the process is we would put out a request for individuals who have interest in taking up those positions. They would not be allowed to be government personnel. So a government employee would not qualify for one of these positions. They will be contracted positions. Once they are selected and will have the experience to fit the criteria, they would be in there for a three-year term. The only reason they could be removed would be for not following the rules, not going in accordance to the act.

So the Minister-of-the-day cannot go...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as anybody who would apply on a government position would be aware, through the form to apply, they would make the selection if they were an aboriginal person in the Northwest Territories and therefore considered P1. So if they felt they weren’t considered a P1 or a P2 in the existing categories in place, then any policy we have could be appealed if they felt that it wasn’t adhered to. It is pretty straightforward on that section of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this would apply to all government staff. So all public servants, whether they are on education boards or health boards, the only group that would not apply to is the Power Corporation. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Management Assignment Program that’s in place, or MAP as we call it, was developed to try to move from within the existing workforce of the Government of the Northwest Territories; people who would have the ability to move up and take on the higher level positions and hopefully, with a succession plan, a person can come all the way up and take over a deputy minister position. That’s sort of the long term of things. When it was put in place, it was again there for everybody in the Government of the Northwest Territories. It wasn’t specifically designed...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we should be clear again that the affirmative action policy is not dead. This government is still committed to it. It is still part of our hiring practices. The specific area of succession planning and so on, they are pieces of what we’re going to put together and improve on as the Government of the Northwest Territories through our corporate human resource service centres. With the ability, once we have the staff together, working together and having the support of their colleagues, and with the same interpretation of the rules that we operate by, we will...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the process, as laid out, is with our policies that are in place. Each applicant would be put through that. They would be followed. If the rules are followed, then there is no ground for appealing if that is the basis of the concern. So as we go forward from here, as we have stated, to clarify where we are going and to make this a more transparent process, going with the independent staffing appeals officers, it is our goal to limit the concern that people are not being given a fair opportunity for the jobs that are in place. As we have it, the rules are...