Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I agree that there should be formal meetings, potentially monthly or quarterly. There are all these different activities happening in the Sahtu region. More specifically, through training, we do have a steering committee of the regional representatives involving different parties as part of their discussion and planning stages. What are the communities’ needs? By all means my department will be sharing that with the Sahtu regional representatives, and they should be having more council meetings preparing for the huge activity that will be happening in the region.

I don’t recall encountering this kind of incident in the past. There might have been a couple before. The time frame, I need to seriously look at this. As I’ve stated, this is the first event, but I will be working with the Department of Human Resources, and also the NWTTA and within GNWT policy itself, and working with the DEA. We need to involve them, the superintendent. We’ll try and expedite this process as best as we can. Again, there are parties involved, so we need to engage with the parties. If the changes are going to be made, they need to be involved as well.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I do agree with Mrs. Groenewegen that these teachers that do volunteer work are invaluable to the team and they make a difference to the students’ lives, even the athletes’ lives, so we must support them as best as we can. This is the first I’ve heard of the incident but, definitely, this is an area that we need to follow through with the DEA, and I need to work closely with my colleague, as well, in HR. We all need to work together on this on what’s best for the students and how we can have those individuals, the resource team available for these athletes. It’s based on...

When we first discussed this particular area where we should have a format where on an annual basis the increment to the minimum wages, how it’s going to be reflected and when is that going to be happening. The committee will be established to look at those areas and how we can make those changes, and working with various provincial counterparts as well as territorial. Those are some of the anticipated discussions that will be taking place. It will be established in the spring of 2013.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment continues to improve its income security programs to ensure that residents of the Northwest Territories receive the support they need to tackle barriers they face to enter the workforce and meet their financial needs.

In April 2009, the office of the Auditor General began its financial and performance audits of income security programs in the Northwest Territories, completed in September 2012. In anticipation of recommendations coming from the audit, the department has already begun work to improve accountability and streamline...

Mahsi. Obviously, that will be taken into consideration, as well, and I want to hear from the employers, the employees and the representatives, not only my staff telling me this is good. I want to hear from the general public. So that’s why we’re establishing this committee. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The recommendations will be brought to my attention to factors in setting up a minimum wage for the NWT. As you know, we increased our minimum wage in April 2010, another one in April 2011 and we’re still working on 2012. So those are just some of the areas we’re currently exploring. The people that will be part of the standing committee, I don’t have the actual list in front of me, but I can provide that to the Member once they’re established. Mahsi.

This Assembly wanted us to set up a mechanism to reflect on the wage incremental on an annual basis, a wage increase. We’re trying to establish that through our networks, through our research, through various discussions with employers and employees, and also the representatives of the Northwest Territories. That’s what we’re embarking on, and we’re going to be establishing a committee to deal with that.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first introduced the minimum wage increase, there has been a very positive vibe in the Northwest Territories. Although it’s just a small increment, at the same time, we’re trying to be compatible to other jurisdictions. We have been working on this incremental comparable to other jurisdictions, as well, what kind of mechanism do they have in place, so we’ve done our research in that area. The standing committee also provided some suggestions to the department on the recommended method. We are working on that and also working with employers and employees, just...

Mahsi. Once the committee is established, they do their work and get their recommendations to me, I’m hoping that either the spring session or early this year I want to reintroduce that to this House. Mahsi.