Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to the annual report of the rental officer and questions raised in the House, the department undertook a review of the act through a contractor here in Yellowknife, and information about the review and the issues that were brought up were shared with the Standing Committee on Social Programs in December 2012. The review is based on a series of interviews as well as examinations and other discussions with individuals who had concerns about the Residential Tenancies Act.

Initial consultation work is underway and is going to be completed soon. We expect that we...

We do. The point of order is that the Member for Range Lake has suggested that we are impeding his ability to get detailed information to do his job. The fact is, we have encouraged the Member to submit an ATIPP request. The Member has not submitted an ATIPP request. We only have one ATIPP request on this information and it’s from a third party, from an individual who hasn’t identified himself to be working in any capacity with the MLA, and it has been from a home address, not a government address.

I’m concerned, Mr. Speaker, that the Member is suggesting that we are intentionally trying to...

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce a new initiative that aims to promote the Government of the Northwest Territories as an inclusive workplace, a key commitment of 20/20: A Brilliant North, the NWT Public Service Strategic Plan.

The Northwest Territories is proud to be the only jurisdiction in Canada that recognizes National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday, and we celebrate on June 21st of each year. To coincide with Aboriginal Day 2013, I am pleased to confirm that the Government of the Northwest Territories will be launching Aboriginal cultural awareness training for employees of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects Annual Report, 2012-2013.” Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting point. We certainly are willing to have discussion with committee as we bring the LP forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Mr. Parker Kennedy. Parker is a valued member of the Department of Justice team including the community of justice and policing division and currently a special advisor to the assistant deputy minister/solicitor general. He is retiring at the end of the month. He is a commissioned officer at the RCMP with more than 30 years of service including inspector of the northern region. He has devoted his life to the service for his country and was recently recognized with a Diamond Jubilee medal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise on a point of order based on rules of debate 23, subsections (h) and (i) with respect to the statement made by Mr. Dolynny.

Mr. Dolynny made reference to the fact that the department has encouraged him to submit an ATIPP request and has then filed or suggested that he’d have to pay some fees to get the information that he has.

Mr. Speaker, as MLAs and as Ministers we have to balance the rights to privacy versus the release of information. In this particular case, the Member has been seeking, through the House and during debate in Committee of the Whole...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say yes. It is something that I have made clear to the deputy minister that I would like in the regional centres and Yellowknife, everywhere there is staff in action, for our staff to take that additional step in helping individuals understand why they are screened out. It doesn’t happen in every case, I can’t say that, but I will continue to encourage the deputy and his staff within the department to provide that extra step to help individuals understand why they may have been screened out and what they can do better.

I would encourage all the Members to encourage...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT is committed to developing a competent public service representative of the population it serves. There are a number of things that we are doing. We do have the Affirmative Action Policy that we apply to all staffing actions. But we’ve also put in things like the Associate Director/Superintendent Program and a few other programs. We also have the Aboriginal Employees Advisory Committee, which has been put together to provide some guidance and direction to myself and Cabinet on how to improve representation of Aboriginal peoples within our public service.

In the...

Mr. Speaker, I think the Member and I should sit down and just follow up, because I’m not sure I fully get that question.

There are appeal rights. All Aboriginal candidates have appeal rights for GNWT jobs, with the exception of casual jobs. There are no appeal rights on casual jobs. Any time that an individual applies on a term or an indeterminate position and they are Aboriginal or P2, they have the right to appeal that competition. If they are an existing employee and they have applied on a job and they are screened out, regardless of their affirmative action, they have a right to appeal...