Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance, follow-up to my Member's statement.
Mr. Speaker, for many, many, many fear they are never truly removed from the rehire ineligibility list once they are placed on it. Given that the department may have access to this information across the public service, how does the government ensure that someone who is no longer on the list is not effectively and indefinitely prejudiced in seeking public service employment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is one of the reasons why we have a centralized human resource services, to ensure that we are maintaining any such lists today in a confidential and in an appropriate way. I can assure the Member, Mr. Speaker, that the number of individuals on an ineligible hire list is actually very small. After the Member's statement, I was able to get some data from a five-year period. There was less than seven people on those lists. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how does the Minister reconcile in maintaining a list of Northerners banned from rehire to the public service with her stated efforts to increase Indigenous employment when at least half of those affected by these bans are Indigenous employees? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, Mr. Speaker, over a five-year period there was less than seven people who were impacted by this, and it is a very strict definition of the employees who might be affected in this manner. It's someone only who is, in fact, terminated from the public service and it is for misconduct only. Under those circumstances, Mr. Speaker, I am confident that that is being applied in a narrow fashion and that we continue to otherwise have the other some 6,000-strong folks within the public service to whom this would not apply. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two years after the ombudsman recommended that this practice be maybe halted until it's reviewed through an equity lens and lawfully authorized in legislation, Northerners are still being placed on the rehire ineligibility list. Why has this government failed to cease this practice as directed, and on what legal authority are these bans still being imposed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that I am familiar with the specific recommendations that are at issue here, and there have been some steps made by the department to address, as we would any recommendations from the ombud, in particular about the pathway by which decisions are made, particularly with respect to having a delegation done by a deputy head, so ensuring that there is a clear pathway, and also, Mr. Speaker, that our own human resource manual be updated to reflect the practice clearly and transparently. That is available. And other than that, Mr. Speaker, again, to ensure that we are always abiding by our collective agreement, which is the foundation for determining what is an appropriate sanction for someone who may find themselves in misconduct and therefore could potentially be eligible to be -- or subject to be on the list. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
