Inuvik Boot Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

In response to the previous questions from another Member, we do pay about 88 cents per $100. As I mentioned, as an employer for the GNWT, one employer for all the departments, we are classified under a single industry code, that code being class 81. In the previous question that the Member asked, we will take a look into it, but as I mentioned, it would fluctuate if we decided to look at doing different departments. As the questions that were asked earlier, such departments as Infrastructure, Health and Social Services, Justice, when you compare it to our administrators and people who work in...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

The Minister has an arm's-length role working with the WSCC. As I mentioned, and as he said in his recent comments, with each department, and he mentioned a couple in terms of Justice, Corrections, Health and Social Services, compared to, you know, administration, the costs would be up and down. My role, like I said, is at arm's length, but we also have a governance council that does oversee the conduct of business and management of the WSCC. That is my current role, at an arm's length, but also working with the governance council to make sure that workplace health and safety for our employees...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

As the government, the GNWT has one employer for all of our workers and people who do work on our behalf. It is classified under a single industry code, that code being class 81. Being an employer, GNWT as one employer, we are just focusing on that class 81.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, municipal elections were held in nine hamlet communities in the Northwest Territories on December 10, 2018. There were 71 candidates in total vying for 46 available seats. I am pleased with the large number of candidates as this indicates there is keen interest in local government and that individuals want to serve as leaders and decision-makers for their communities.

I am also pleased to report that through the elections held on December 10th, our territory continues to benefit from near gender parity at the local government level with 21 female candidates...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

When we look at these applications for housing programs, whether it is for seniors or any of our residents, it is on a case-by-case basis. We do have a lot of programs that we can work with our seniors to apply for, and like I mentioned, if this is a big concern, we can take a look into it after the Northern Housing Summit. We want to hear from everybody. We want to hear from the communities. We want to hear from the seniors, disabilities, and make the decisions from them moving on. As I mentioned, we work with all of our residents on a case-by-case basis to address the need. At this time, I...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we just did a presentation to standing committee on the senior planning study. We did mention that seniors aging in place was probably one of our highest programs that has been applied to. On top of that, we are looking at doing a northern housing summit, where we are going to be able to get this kind of information out to all of our leaders, to all of our community members, so that that information can be presented to community members and/or seniors if they want to apply to the program.

In response to that public hearing that we had last week, I had mentioned that...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

As I mentioned in answering a previous question, why the rates did go up in 2019, as a government and as one employer, we do and focus on taking care of our employees. We want to promote workplace health and safety right across the Northwest Territories, and people who we do work with. That means that we're taking care of the increased costs of treatment and care for any of our injured workers, and will continue to do that. As a result, we will have to make sure that industry and people who we work with do comply with WSCC codes and standards, as well, so that we know, when they're working for...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to apologize. I didn't hear the end of the question there, but I will get the information in terms of the classes and subclasses for all Members in terms of work that WSCC does. As Members are aware, the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission does provide and promote workplace health and safety. I think that is foremost what we should be focussing on. I can get that information about what the Member just asked, and I will get that information for him, and the previous Member who asked the questions, and provide that information to all Members of the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

The employer base across the territory funds the system for anyone who needs treatment or care under our class 81. Changing the allocation of how that system works would obviously, for one thing, probably have a lot of administrative work that would need to go into that. If the Member is asking specifically on each department, some probably would go up. Some would probably go down.

As you know, we have employees who do different types of work, and it would really be based on each department. Some would probably go up; some would go down. That is why, with the GNWT being the sole employer, we...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mandate and the work that the WSCC does is to continue to promote workplace health and safety, as all Members know, and I think all Members can attest to and support the work that we do within WSCC. The increase in 2019 provisional rates, which is the rate used in deriving detailed employer rates, is attributed to the increased cost, as all Members would be aware, of the treatment and care of our injured workers, and we will continue to provide those services and work with our employees, as I mentioned, focusing on promoting workplace health and safety. The increase...