Rylund Johnson

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Affirmative Action Policy reflect its objective and intent and mitigate the disadvantage and underrepresentation of Indigenous persons in the NWT public sector by implementing a P1only competition. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to just want to speak directly to the Minister of education on this one. We heard one of the teachers say that they spent $30,000 to create a textbook in an official language and then someone else actually owns the copyright to that and they can't, you know, share that with other language resources, they can't use the same kind of standard textbook formatting and get it translated. So the solution we heard to doing that was that there needs to be a creative commons for Indigenous language resource materials so that those are not copyrighted. This...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this report within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories reimburse use of an Indigenous official language as an eligible expense for all programs, grants, and contributions;

And further, these funding agreements should be multiyear to reduce administrative burden and improve sustainability. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment implement an exercisable right for Northerners to full K to 12 immersion in each local Indigenous official language;

And further, to achieve this vision, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should prioritize Indigenous language revitalization in the ongoing Education Act modernization. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has been reviewing the Official Languages Act over the last two years. The committee's report was read into the record on March 27th, 2023. Since the act had not been changed since 2003, it was the committee's goal to

Collect input from Northerners on the effectiveness of the Official Languages Act;

To recommend changes to better protect and revitalize official languages; and,

To ensure changes are implemented.

The committee heard the desire for change during its outreach with the public as well as from past reports on...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. In Nunavut, a beneficiary can apply at any time to a job that a nonbeneficiary has, and if they get it they remove that person. Committee didn't quite go that far. But we're thinking but we want the same level of planning with P1s, that if you have a nonP1 position in the government, the succession planning should be to put a P1 in that position and there should be a complete plan to make sure they have the education and they are trained and they are identified to get into that position. So thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We heard from Indigenous language speakers they just want to see their language around more. I think a signage policy is pretty low hanging fruit. I'll note here in the Assembly, as we have replaced signs, we have included an official language. It's just simply about making it more visible. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Technically there is no time limit on the reply to the Commissioner's address. My life is in your hands, but I will try to keep this brief.

Mr. Speaker, as March madness comes to an end, and we have passed our last budget, it is time to celebrate fiscal new year's, when all those lovely program budgets get replenished. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to use my reply to the Commissioner's address to state that that will be my last budget as I will not be running again in the upcoming general election. Band before I leave, Mr. Speaker, I will try to impart some...

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends to the Government of the Northwest Territories that all departments have in place support for Indigenous employees and look to the Indigenous patient advocates positions implemented by the Department of Health and Social Services as a model to how to provide support; work with the Indigenous employee advisory committee and the diversity inclusion unit to provide support; offer pathways to leave to access counselling and addiction services; and, apply traumainformed language and practices as a norm. Thank you, Mr. Chair.