MLAs are calling on the GNWT to examine its policies on racial and cultural bias in government hiring practices.

Thebacha MLA Frieda Martselos on Monday gave notice in the legislative assembly that she will move on Wednesday a motion urging the government to SA国际影视传媒渞eview its policies and practices for racial and cultural bias, especially as they relate to education, health and social services, justice, housing and government hiring.SA国际影视传媒�

Her motion was seconded by Deh Cho MLA Ron Bonnetrouge.

MartselosSA国际影视传媒� motion followed her criticism of the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渦neven applicationSA国际影视传媒� of its affirmative action policy across 10 departments. Bureaucratic gaps and loopholes allow the government to work around the affirmative action policy, she said.

The MLA cited the experience of one of her constituents whose application for a job in the Department of Lands was unsuccessful after she was told she lacked experience. After looking further into the matter, Martselos said she discovered the position was filled through a direct appointment.

SA国际影视传媒淚'm not OK with this,SA国际影视传媒� she told the assembly. SA国际影视传媒淭here is something wrong with this picture. Some people argue that the direct appointments are a good thing for Indigenous people as it provides an alternative means of hiring Indigenous candidates into government positions. However, direct appointments could also create the opposite effect and can act as a loophole around the affirmative action policy.SA国际影视传媒�

Direct appointments follow process, minister says

In a subsequent exchange, Caroline Wawzonek, minister responsible for human resources, said direct appointments are undertaken carefully and under specific rationales that departments must request and which are then reviewed.

The appointments are most often used when there is a job competition and a position canSA国际影视传媒檛 be filled, or through the Indigenous Gateway and internship programs, according to the minister.

Appointments also tend to favour affirmative action candidates, Wawzonek said.

According to data provided by the Department of Finance in November of 2020, there have been 335 direct appointments of Indigenous Aboriginal people in the last five years.

There were 52 direct appointments in 2016, 45 in 2017, 58 in 2018, 48 in 2019 and 109 in 2020. Twenty-three were appointed in 2020 for 2021 until March 31.

Wawzonek pledged, in response to a request from Martselos, to bring concerns to cabinet to improve direct appointments and enhance transparency, and to make her own efforts to make its usage more transparent.

SA国际影视传媒淓arly on in the process of becoming a minister, this is a policy that I wanted to have reviewed to understand better. It is SA国际影视传媒� a tool that can be utilized. It should be utilized towards the goal of being a representative work force, and if it's going to be a tool, then it should be better understood,SA国际影视传媒� said Wawzonek.

Affirmative action regularly questioned

The effectiveness of the affirmative action policy has come under scrutiny by MLAs in the last five months.

In November, Wawzonek explained that even though Indigenous people make up about half of the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 population, they have represented only 30 per cent of the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 workforce for the last few decades.  

That figure comprises 21 per cent Indigenous women and nine per cent Indigenous men.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is a complex issue that will not be solved by a one-size-fits-all approach,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淐hallenges to improved Indigenous representation exist at every stage of a public servantSA国际影视传媒檚 career path, including hiring, retention, promotion and succession planning.SA国际影视传媒�

Also during that November session, Monfwi MLA Jackson Lafferty said the education gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Northerners SA国际影视传媒渟tacks the deckSA国际影视传媒� against Indigenous people seeking to work in the GNWT.

And Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson said the interview process for GNWT jobs can be an impediment for Indigenous applicants because itSA国际影视传媒檚 not informed by Indigenous culture.

Indigenous men left out?

Then in February, Great Slave MLA Katrina Nokleby pointed to data from the January Labour Force Report that showed a rising employment rate in the NWT, but questioned how much Indigenous people and particularly Indigenous men are part of the upswing.

She also referred to the same 30-percent figure Wawzonek mentioned in January.

Wawzonek then provided data for the period of January 2020 to January 2021 showing there were 239 affirmative action hires of Indigenous Aboriginal people, or 24.6 per cent of hires.

Women represented 67.9 per cent of affirmative action hires in that period.

The minister acknowledged that men arenSA国际影视传媒檛 a designated priority group in the affirmative action policy.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 get an enhanced or additional focus in that regard,SA国际影视传媒� she said.