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Madam Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to maintaining a professional and representative public service. Increasing Indigenous representation within our public service has long been a goal of the Legislative Assembly.

The first and most visible tool used by the GNWT to support this goal is the Affirmative Action Policy. This policy and its implementation are often criticized as being ineffective because the percentage of Indigenous Aboriginal employees in the GNWT has remained at around 30% for the last several decades.

Madam Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy alone cannot address the root causes that contribute to this lack of growth in Indigenous representation among public servants. We acknowledge that this is a complex issue that will not be solved by a one-size-fits-all approach. Challenges to improved Indigenous representation exist at every stage of a public servant’s career path, including hiring, retention, promotion and succession planning.

Over the years, the GNWT has implemented several programs with the intent of increasing Indigenous representation within the GNWT. The Indigenous Career Gateway Program, the Regional Recruitment Program, the Internship Program, and the Summer Student Employment Program each take a different approach to bringing Indigenous residents into the public service. Cultural awareness training supports an inclusive workplace culture and the Indigenous Management Development and Training Program helps Indigenous employees access funds for professional development. Each program has its own benefits, however; there is always room for improvement to ensure these programs are used to their full capacity and are as effective as possible.

In response to call for action No. 57 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Department of Finance, in collaboration with Education, Culture and Employment, and Health and Social Services is redeveloping the Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training for public service employees. The goals of this training include: the creation of awareness and understanding of the impact of colonization; to have all GNWT employees recognize our collective roles in reconciliation; and to provide all employees with the necessary foundation and tools to be culturally competent.

With the knowledge acquired by participating in this new training, managers and employees will be supported to reflect on ways they can address the root causes of systemic discrimination within their workplaces, personal circumstances and communities. This training will be mandatory for all GNWT employees and will be released in the winter of 2021. We recognize the benefit this training can have within our communities and believe it will help our government set an example for the rest of Canada. As such, this training will be available to not only GNWT public servants but to the public as well.

Madam Speaker, we recognize that these programs are just the first steps on a long road towards addressing the imbalance in Indigenous representation in the GNWT. There is still much work to do. In addition, the Department of Finance is currently developing an Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework that will include departmental Indigenous employment implementation plans with distinct targets. This Framework will begin with a look at best practices from other jurisdictions, the development of an Indigenous Labour Force Analysis of the Northwest Territories and a thorough review of current programs, tools, and resources. We will incorporate feedback received through engagement with Indigenous Governments and internal partners, and will ultimately assist each department in reviewing their recruitment and retention to ensure barriers to employment for Indigenous peoples are identified and addressed across the whole of the GNWT.

Madam Speaker, our people are our territory’s greatest resource. Investing in the skills and qualifications of Northerners provides employment for our people and benefits all residents and our economy. Through this important work we will begin to identify, address and dismantle the systemic barriers that have prevented the actualization of a representative public service. 

Thank you, Madam Speaker.