Bob Bromley

Thanks for the Minister’s remarks again. I know the Minister is aware of the situation and has been supporting getting it resolved, but the standard does obviously need to be prepared, and to ensure accountability and sensitivity to client needs there has to be some transparency in its development.

I’m wondering if the Minister knows, or perhaps could assure me that the standard as it’s being developed examines other jurisdictions’ policies, seeks independent medical advice, and how the policy development will include the input of clients who will be affected by the standard ultimately...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wonder if I can just get an explanation of the Johnny Berens’ generators. What’s that all about? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. Over the past three years, I’ve described the problem of injured workers not receiving compensation for the impacts of physical as well as psychological pain. Although the legal ability to compensate for pain evidently exists, no pain compensation is awarded, simply because the WSCC has not written a standard to rate the physical pain. The issue was referred to the NWT Human Rights Commission, and a complaint was upheld for referral to adjudication and that adjudication has been...

Thanks again for those comments. I guess just for my own education here, how many gravel strips, community airport strips do we have? Is that information easily available?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if I can get, I don’t see any project substantiation sheets for this. It could be the new technology I’m trying to use here. The runway stabilization for Aklavik, Deline, Tuk and Liard, I wonder if I can get an explanation of what that’s about.

That’s also good information to have. Obviously, it’s in my riding and I’d be interested in maybe a briefing from the Minister on where we’re at with that school and what the vision is of the department for that facility and the role they see for the DEA and other partners. Thank you.

Thank you. I’m wondering if this is a new policy that leaves the provision of public facilities to communities to work with private enterprise and seek funding arrangements for public facilities. Is that a new policy that Education is embarking on, and should our community schools be out there seeking funding partners other than the government for this responsibility?

I mentioned earlier that I’m a big supporter of early childhood development and the social aspects of child care. I think this government should provide universal child care. The Minister is making steps in that direction. Can I assume that the department supports universal child care in the Northwest Territories?

Thanks to the Minister for those remarks. I’m sure he, as well as myself and the public, will be very interested in seeing that work completed.

I have to comment on the Inuvik children’s facility, the Children First Centre. As I believe the House knows, I’m a huge supporter of early childhood development programs and so on. Child care programs are not necessarily child development programs, and that distinction needs to be well understood by our decision-makers.

I have a major disappointment that this decision was made without a policy in place. As the Minister alluded to, that was pointed out...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for that commitment from the Minister. Another issue here, and this has dragged out this case over four or five years now, has been the backlog of cases waiting assessment by the only physician contracted by the WSCC to do the assessments. Frequently, there hasn’t been one. I’ve been assured in the past that more staff are being contracted to eliminate that backlog and keep it from accumulating.

Can the Minister tell me if the backlog in physician assessment of new claims has been cleared, and if not, what steps are being taken to deal promptly with our injured...