Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the past there have been training courses available through the NWT for customer service. I don’t believe those or any courses are currently being offered. As such, I am not sure if we have a true definition of customer service, but I am certainly willing to look into it and get a comprehensive answer whenever I can, at my earliest convenience. Thank you.

Just for some clarity, not all GNWT employees are eligible for the mandatory with-pay days during the actual Christmas holidays. Every department is asked to do a bit of an analysis of their department to determine which services are continuous or required over the holiday season. Things like health care workers and correctional workers and certain positions in Transportation as well as some positions in Public Works that are responsible for maintaining buildings and actual public safety and some positions in the Department of Human Resources like medical travel; these positions don’t shut...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I don’t really have too much to add. These positions were created in 2008. They both haven’t been re-described; one of them is exactly the same as it was in 2008, the other is switched from an associate to an assistant deputy minister. It doesn’t change the bottom line of the department. We’re still funding it from within the department, but we thought it was important to not have the positions invisible. We thought it was important for people to see the, so we brought them forward that way.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Buying a Condominium: A User’s Guide” and “Owning a Condominium: A User’s Guide.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d just like to build upon Minister Miltenberger’s comments. The department does incredibly important work. There are always challenges with any department, but I have confidence that the staff are working hard and doing important things and we will continue to work with the department to make sure that they meet the needs of the Northwest Territories and the public service. I think it’s important to note that we have fantastic staff and they need to be recognized and they’re doing good work. I support the staff of Human Resources. I’ll keep on top of them and make...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We put forward the status quo budget. These positions did exist previously. Both positions were actually established in 2008. The ADM position was previously the associate deputy but we’ve had some changes in the department, so we just re-described it as an ADM to make sure that we’re capturing the proper roles that the people will be playing in the organization. The senior policy advisor has been established since 2008 but they weren’t captured in previous reporting of positions. We just wanted to make sure that they were there so that people could see them.

The two-month commitment was on the costing. I’d like to see that costing information as much as the Member and I’m committed to getting that information out. It is taking longer than I’d like, but it does take a little bit of time to do the level of analysis required.

As I’ve indicated, that doesn’t stop us from doing the work. We have pulled together a committee to begin the work on alternatives and diversions, and it’s not just in the courts. We’d like to divert people before they even enter the justice system. That includes working with the RCMP. I’ve had a number of discussions with the...

Thank you. The department in no way shape or form is waiting for these costs to start doing some work. We recognize that some work needs to be done. The government is focused on trying to find ways to keep people out of the justice system completely. We want to focus on alternatives and diversions. One of the things that we’re doing is we’re talking to other jurisdictions about the types of courts they have put in place, such as mental health courts, such as alcohol treatment courts or addictions courts. Those are things that we need to explore as a way to divert people out of the justice...

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to establishing a public service that is inclusive of all people and that accurately represents the population it serves. Today I would like to provide Members with an update on initiatives launched under 20/20: A Brilliant North, the Public Service Strategic Plan, that focus on diversity in the public service.

There are several government initiatives currently underway aimed at increasing the number of persons with disabilities in the public service. This is a segment of the population that we understand has historically...

The positions were both established in 2008 but they were unfunded positions. They were being funded internally. Nothing is really changed other than the fact that we’re identifying them within the position count so that people can see that they’re there. The associate ADM position has been around since 2008 and the senior policy advisor has been around since 2008 as well.