Dettah Chief Ernest Betsina and multiple MLAs are calling out the GNWT for its new employment policy, arguing it disregards local Indigenous people as potential hires.

Starting April 1, the territory will be scrapping its long-standing Affirmative Action Policy, which had been in place since 1989, for its new Indigenous Employment Policy. Affirmative action was designed to prioritize hiring for local Indigenous people, as well as other groups such as people with disabilities. The new policy still incentivizes hiring for Indigenous people, but it now includes Indigenous people from the south for priority hiring and no longer includes more marginalized groups.

Betsina told SA国际影视传媒 that the territorial government never consulted with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation about the change.

"We are concerned, we feel that it's a negative impact on Indigenous residents here in the Northwest Territories," he said.

Betinsa also feels that the GNWT is now neglecting Northern Indigenous people because of this new policy change. 

"We're only 50 minutes from the legislative assembly," he said. "It doesn't take much for the right minister to come up and say 'Chiefs, can we have a meeting on this?'"

Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek announced the new policy on Dec. 16, 2024. A spokesperson stated the goal of this new policy is to focus priority hiring on a demographic underrepresented in both the public service and in the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 employment rate.

"The old Affirmative Action Policy simply didnSA国际影视传媒檛 do this," the statement read.

According to , it noted that Indigenous Aboriginal employees make up almost a third of the territory's workforce, compared to almost half of the NWT population.

Regular MLAs don't seem so happy about the change. A letter from Premier R.J. Simpson to Denny Rodgers, MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake and chair of the legislative assembly's Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, indicated that the GNWT would be moving ahead with the policy and that there would be no delay.

"We are not supportive of a delay in its implementation," Simpson's letter reads. "This approved policy was developed based on widespread public engagement and is directed towards our goal of achieving a representative public service."

The goal, the letter added, was to begin implementation in time for the start of the new fiscal year, which is April 1. Rodgers had apparently requested a pause in implementing the new program in a letter sent to Simpson on Jan. 14.

Rodgers' letter was also backed by a number of other regular MLAs, according to Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins.

Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart had nothing positive to say about the change, either.

"We have been very clear with the Finance Minister and the Premier that the majority of regular members are not in favour of these changes," he said. "Quite frankly, I think this is a bone-headed move."

Testart said he's never seen such an unpopular decision in the government, adding it will exclude people with disabilities and women in non-traditional workplaces. 

"I'm baffled by how dug in the minister is, and I think she needs to really think carefully if she wants to continue," he added. "This could have serious consequences for our assembly."

He added he's spoken to some ministers who are not on board with the new policy either.

"I've had conversations with cabinet ministers (and) not every member on either side of the house is okay with this," he said.

With the old program now apparently gone, Testart noted there's concern that people with a higher education, who went to schools in southern provinces for their degrees or diplomas, will take priority, something he called credentialism.

When it comes to education, the NWT doesn't seem to be in good enough shape to compete with other provinces, according to Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely.

He said that education, in general, is far behind in the North.

"It's very disturbing," he said, pointing to the planned closing of Aurora College's community learning centres and a lack of education forums in any NWT region. "To maximize or show numbers that increasing in favour of Indigenous hires within the workforce has been talked about for the last several decades. So you ask yourself: why are the targets so low for something that has been talked about and actioned out for a number of decades? Where is the gap of negligence?"

As for the new policy, McNeely said he doesn't quite understand it.

"There wasn't enough consultation on the details of this new policy," he said.