Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The benefits policy was last reviewed by the last government and has come into effect for the life of this government. We as the Cabinet can do a further review of our own and make changes. As has been highlighted with the last round of changes that occurred, it gave the Cabinet authority to make those changes.

I would have to get further information on the areas the Member spoke to on dental and health benefits. I would have to get a little further detail on that and get back to the Member.

Yes.

Mr. Speaker, I’m hopeful that we will be able to come up with a game plan for the Territories. Again, we’re working off the work of previous Assemblies with an agreement that was put on the table. We know what the federal government has sent back on revenue sharing and the cap. We stated that that’s not a level we are ready to sign off on. We continue to work with the regional leadership on how we can move this forward. In fact, we will be discussing the last correspondence I had with the Prime Minister, as well, and then, hopefully, see if we can move that along any further.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process we have established for the 16th Assembly is the regional leaders meeting held with regional leaders and me and the appropriate Cabinet Ministers, depending on the items that would come on the agenda. That process allows for the regional leadership to put items on the agenda as well as the government. We have a number of working groups already established through our first number of meetings. The one area of devolution, resource revenue sharing…. We continue to have that on the table and will be discussing a number of issues around that.

On top of that, Mr...

Mr. Speaker, a number of the initiatives we were looking at within the government of the 16th Assembly is how we do business as a government, the level of services provided, if we can make it more efficient, more effective. Those are our goals.

So, yes, we are prepared to look at options out there. In fact, the Minister responsible for the refocusing government initiative is looking at boards and agencies and how they deliver services on our behalf as the government of the Northwest Territories. That is one of those initiatives out there that could have a direct role in how we deliver services...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the records show that previous governments and this government will continue, with the areas that it can, trying to deal with the capacity issues in communities in the Northwest Territories and deal with those challenges.

In fact, we began working with Members of the Assembly looking at one of the initiatives that we have yet to kick off, which is the regionalization of government operations, looking at how we deliver services and programs across the north. As well, there was a commitment made to work with Regular Members on the small communities group, and we...

Mr. Speaker, the practice in this Assembly as well as other Assemblies…. This isn’t made by another government and remain with that government. I’m unable to go into material and request that information. But I can ask our staff to prepare some summary notes and sit down with the committee on that.

The benefits policy established that it is the Cabinet of the day that can review many of those policies that are in place to see if they continue to make sense. I don’t have the information as to why it was at that level or how long it has been at that level. In fact, Mrs. Groenewegen just provided me with information that my family would be well taken care of, I guess. Hopefully they never have to use that section of our policy. But I will look at this information. As I say, now that this review is within the control of the Cabinet, we can make some changes, whether it is administrative...

That section of the benefits policy has in fact been around for many governments. We follow the same process that has been recommended to us through the last change, and we follow what we would do with government employees. Being a Cabinet Minister is considered full time work throughout the year. If a Minister has to take time off, they have to actually put in their application forms and follow through with that. It would be paid out at the end of the term if it’s not used up.