The GNWT recently announced the launch of the new Indigenous Employment Policy, and some within the government have shared their displeasure with the direction being taken.
The stated goal of the Indigenous Employment Policy is to focus on Indigenous recruitment and career development to build more long-term careers within the GNWT, building a workforce that better reflects the population.
Robert Hawkins, the MLA for Yellowknife Centre, is one of the several members of the government who have taken issue with the proposed Policy. Hawkins explained that while he believes the current system does indeed have issues that should be addressed, it is far better than the new Policy.
“The Affirmative Action Program was rolled out around 1989, and it was a way of promoting and supporting Indigenous employment and creating opportunities. It also had a Priority System in it which recognized long term northerners commitment to the North, so in other words, it gave them a second, preferential treatment.
“So if two people are equal, and one happens to be of Indigenous descent in the Northwest Territories, they would qualify. Most people know what this is. It’s been around for thirty-five years. It’s not perfect, but it’s a system that works and that I think we all buy into.”
As for the new policy, lead by Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek, Hawkins finds himself in complete disagreement, and believes that it will be of no benefit to Indigenous people.
“In essence, someone living in Behchoko or Norman Wells, or Tsiigehtchic will all have the same problem. They compete for a job, and I’m going to focus in just on Indigenous people because this is the people that are going to be hit harder on this problem. They apply for the job, they lose the job by one human resource point, so no longer do they have the priority of two people being similar, they now complete against people from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, B.C., Newfoundland, and all the way to P.E.I. They could lose the job to someone who has no connection to the community, no connection to the North. The Priority System has been an important component of creating local Indigenous employment, it has been an important policy for thirty-five years recognizing Northerners commitments to the North.”
Hawkins adds that he has received many comments from his constituents saying that the announcement of the new Policy has made them feel upset, angry, and that they “cannot believe the betrayal this government is doing to Northerners, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. They are feeling very frustrated by this brazen attack.”
