Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to improve the quality, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of our NWT housing and building stocks through an NWT buildings act.

Right now, mandatory standards in all provinces and Yukon require new buildings to meet the EGH 80 energy efficiency standard and 25 percent better than the National Model Energy Building Code.

While the standards of the National Modern Energy Building Code are required, there are no assurances these standards are being met due to the lack of small community inspections and enforcement systems.

Project management capacity...

Maybe could I just get what the amount was in fines for ‘11-12? We had been fined under two categories. So if it’s possible to break that out, that would be great.

Would the Minister maybe commit to keeping us updated when we know what’s happening this fiscal year in terms of that and maybe even an update on how things are going at some point with trying to seal this issue once and for all and get all of the departments responding appropriately? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again I seek guidance. I’d like to speak to the failure of this department in the past to establish a Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission policy that resulted in fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars amounting and totaling to millions. Is that appropriate under the corporate human resources or would that be the next section on employee services?

So there is a government team or committee, in this case. Are there departmental committees, departmental teams as well? My understanding was that that was the intent and that was not happening. But maybe the Minister could, again, clarify that for me.

Thanks for those comments. I know there is a lot of experience with the department, so that would be useful if we do go that way.

I was also asking, I know that communities have projects and often turn to Public Works and Services personnel on an informal basis. Is there a way of capturing that sort of thing and reporting on it as to the degree of activity that happens in that format given the absence of an NWT building standards act? Mahsi.

Yes, thank you. Just the word “allied” caught my attention there. It’s normally used in the title of companies and so on. Perhaps it has another meaning here.

Thanks for that commitment. That’s what I was asking for. Obviously, as I mentioned, almost all other jurisdictions have already gone to the 25 percent and they’re more southerly than us. Our savings are bigger, obviously.

My second one is on the contracting and procurement services. Again, sort of an asset revolving issue, you might call it. I brought this up before. We do have a Green Procurement Policy in place but it’s worth beans. The department knows that and had committed in the past to coming up with a real Green Procurement Policy with best practices and standards and so on, getting...

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. Now, Madam Chair, thanks for your forbearance there returning to this section. Could the Minister tell me just for my own edification here, the allied health recruitment unit mentioned here, how does that fit into the picture and how does it relate to what we’ve been discussing?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let’s see, my first one on this page is, I believe this is where the energy standards are set for our buildings and some of our energy management work. My understanding is that currently we subscribe to the 25 percent better than the National Model Energy Code for buildings. As I was saying, though, really the times are moving on and we need to continue to ratchet that up and increase our efficiency. I’m wondering if the Minister would commit to investigating the possibility for moving to a 40 percent better than the National Model Energy Building Code for buildings.

--...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again a little bit of uncertainty on whose mandate. I know that during the middle part of the 16th Assembly there was a website and other resources established specifically to enhance recruitment and retention of health professionals. I’m wondering, if this is a Human Resources responsibility, what is the success of those programs that were put in place specifically for this purpose and what’s the result of the evaluation. If it’s not this Minister’s responsibility, I’ll direct that later.