Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member pointed out before that the government has hired 349 summer students this year. That is the highest number we have had in the last five years. We have challenged our departments actually to try and find more, including in a lot of the small communities, because I would like to see a summer student hired in every community, but if you look at the number of summer students who are hired by maybe the local housing authorities or the municipal government organizations that are funded by the government, I think those numbers would go up. I have been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let's try that again.

WHEREAS Douglas Schauerte was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in 1995;

AND WHEREAS Mr. Schauerte has provided devoted and exemplary public service to the Legislative Assembly for more than 30 years;

AND WHEREAS during Mr. Schauerte's 10 years as Deputy Clerk, the system of democratic and responsible government in the Northwest Territories has undergone rapid and significant change;

AND WHEREAS Mr. Schauerte will retire as Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly on October 20, 2017;

AND WHEREAS it is customary for Legislative...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Jackson.

---Laughter

Well, he said we're on a first name basis today.

---Laughter

I'll take that.

Protocol usually has that the chair of Caucus would move a motion such as this, and I appreciate Julie allowing me to do this, being a long-serving Member. I don't want to say the oldest; a long-serving Member. I appreciate all the comments, and I think that speaks well to the work that not only Doug does, but a lot of us in here. We're the face of our department; we're the face of committees; we're the face of the government. However, there is a lot of work that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very happy to second the motion. There have been a number of motions over the past number of Assemblies on protection of the caribou and this is just another one, but I think now, more than ever, it is quite critical that we follow through on this one because as the Member pointed out, I had exactly the same stats on the amendment that was made that was defeated that would have taken the Arctic wildlife refuge, the last wildlife refuge, out of it.

As the Member pointed out, it failed, and so there are two more people who need to be convinced. I do know that there are...

Duty-to-accommodate training is provided to managers and supervisors who provide them with the guidance and tools to manage and support employees in the workplace who are dealing with any type of medical condition. Advice and guidance is also provided to managers by the duty-to-accommodate advisors, and managers also have access to training sessions on managing and supporting employees dealing with medical conditions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My understanding is sick leave is used specifically for these purposes. That's why they accumulate sick leave that way, if they have to go out for some type of treatment. If they're away for treatment for a medical condition, sick leave can be advanced if no credits are available, up to 15 days and, if needed, employees can also ask for a payout of annual leave, experiencing financial hardship with being on sick leave without pay.

The GNWT recommended further review and left the decision to the Nunavut Impact Review Board. We felt that the decision for a northern project would be best handled by the North. While there is potential for a federal panel that included GNWT reps, under the land claims agreement, the panel members are appointed by the Nunavut minister and federal minister and there would be no guarantee of NWT representation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I need to commend some of the Aboriginal groups that are taking it upon themselves to preserve the caribou. I think just in the news lately, recently, there was a historic wildlife management agreement signed by seven Indigenous groups in Quebec that wanted to protect the caribou in Ungava Peninsula, and I think that takes a great deal of leadership. So they decided that they would do that on their own. The Porcupine Caribou Management Board also has taken an active role in the protection of the caribou in their area. The Member is right; we will be debating that...

Mr. Speaker, I think we just heard from one of the Members before speaking during the Member's statement talking about plans and strategies and action plans. I don't think we need to put a plan together. We know what we have to do and we just have to do it. If that means working with and we have the opportunity going through the business planning process and the budget process to get feedback from committees. We are not going to plan to do. We are just going to do it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2017-2018, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriation for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.