Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can answer some of that question quite easily. Adult literacy and basic education programming in the Northwest Territories has a budget of $2.4 million. We've had programming offered in 30 of the 33 communities in the Northwest Territories. To list off the percentage though, I can't do that. I have my listing here by dollars by community, and I would be happy to share that with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The rates that are established by the WCB are entirely based on actuarial studies of the numbers of accidents, and the cost of those accidents, to each of the rate categories. So if those are the being established, it's to ensure that there is no cross-subsidization between one sector and another in the business. I know that the WCB has been quite vigilant at making sure that their accident fund is fully funded, so that there won't be any surprises for employers. I think that they are looking at ways that they can ensure the stability of the funding. But changes...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In advance of us having somebody there, I can’t make any other commitments. We will ensure that we are dealing with the situation if there is a significant problem. I would also mention that my reading of the letter from the chair of the DEC is that they want to make sure that this project doesn’t fall down the list of urgent projects again. It would be my goal to make sure that that doesn’t happen, too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can only assume that the reason for that would be that the Worker's Compensation Governance Council sees the stakeholders in that operation as labour and employers, and those are the groups that have been consulted. I know that I have talked to the chair, and have invited him to make a presentation to the standing committee here, so they can discuss the issue of the construction of a new facility. Thank you.

I am aware of the community’s interest. I have been in the community. I have seen the school. I have received a letter, as the Member pointed out, from the chair of the divisional education council, on the issue. We are prepared to have staff visit the community to discuss the issues with the community, and to move as quickly as we can to provide the additional space that we have in our capital plan. Having said that, I believe that there is not an issue around public safety with the facility if it’s being used as it was intended to be used. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have looked at this issue, in terms of student financial assistance officers. Given the nature of the program and how it works, in that all of the applications come in in a very short period of time, typically two times a year, there aren't enough dedicated staff to spread out across the Territories in a cost-effective way. I am certainly prepared to work with Members to see how we can strengthen the work of the regional offices, to make sure that they're working with students to help them navigate their way through the system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I apologize to the Member if a decision has been issued in this case in the last 24 hours, but my information is there is an appeal before the courts in Nunavut on this very issue that has been filed just in the last couple of weeks that has not yet been heard. So I am in a position where, under the rules of sub judice, I don’t believe I am able to answer his question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, there are no offices in the student financial assistance system that can make decisions that would have changed the situation the Member spoke of in his Member's statement today. The way our system is set, the officers have no power to overrule the regulations, and the regulations have to be followed explicitly. So a more important issue is, what can we do to make the regulations work for the students? The Member has brought an important issue to light here, where the regulations, in this situation, cost the government more money than if we had been able to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to discuss this with the college -- and I will commit to the Member that I will do that very quickly -- what the options might be, so that I can make sure that the directors can have to see the answers to those questions. Thank you.