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INUVIK - You often hear the tenet "it's not what you know but who you know," when it comes to seeking employment.

Wendy Bisaro, Frame Lake MLA, believes that should not be the case when it comes to summer student hiring with the government.

On Monday, Bisaro called for the minister of Human Resources, Bob McLeod, to conduct a formal review of the summer student hiring process after hearing concerns about government nepotism from constituents.

"I am aware of at least three instances this year alone where the child of a deputy minister or a director has been hired for that department as a summer student. And the hiring occurred after other non-relative students had been told there were no jobs available in that department," she said.

"Such cherry-picking cannot be tolerated."

In an interview, she said nepotism - or the perception of nepotism - has been a problem for a long time.

However, Bisaro said she could not provide the names of the deputy ministers or departments she accuses of nepotism.

She said restrictions should be put in place so family members can't be hired as summer students into a department where a parent holds a senior management position.

"Success for the student - that would be landing a GNWT job - often depends on who knows who or who their parents know," she said.

"This government contends that we want to be transparent and fair," she said.

"At this point, we are not."

Bisaro said the department should take a more active role in ensuring no favouritism is taking place, as departments are given free reign to hire whomever they please.

"The Department of Human Resources must develop a better process to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in the hiring of summer students," she said.

McLeod said all students interested in a summer position with the government can register their name on a database."Departments identify summer student jobs and the relevant experiences and skills required and all departments have delegated staffing authority," he said.

Bisaro said the results of that process are "haphazard and inconsistent."

She also had concerns affirmative action policies weren't always being adhered to, and wondered what the Department of Human Resources did to ensure they were.

"In our government, we believe in letting our managers manage," said McLeod. Managers must apply affirmative action policies and the department reviews the hires regularly, he added.

"I must say I'm very concerned about some of the allegations that are being made about practices not being followed in the hiring of summer students," he said, Tuesday, when questioned further about policies.

Bisaro also suggested the government consider lowering wages paid to summer students - often in the $26 per hour range - so it can hire more students.

McLeod committed to taking a look at wages paid to students.