Robert C. McLeod

Actually, I don't think that we have offloaded that onto the communities. I think that the communities have taken the responsibility for that on, because who knows the communities more than the community, Mr. Speaker? It is not another pot of money that we have. The small community employment fund had, I believe, about $4.2 million, of which $3 million went to a lot of the smaller communities. Through the process that we are going through right now, we have added more money onto that because it has been such an important tool for a lot of the small communities. They have that opportunity to...

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I recognized a couple of Pages who we had from Inuvik Twin Lakes. Today, I would like to recognize their chaperone. Blair Conley brought them down here. I would also like to take a minute to recognize Rita Furlong Arey from Aklavik, who I affectionately call Rita B. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The work of the board is to provide a state of aquatic environment report every five years, and they get the funding to do that work. My understanding is that the next version of the report is coming out in 2020. I would have to follow up to see if there are yearly reports that are put out. I was on the board's website to see if there was an opportunity to find a yearly update, but I can look at that. The report is due in 2020.

Here in the Northwest Territories, we fully understand and respect the effects that residential schools have had on a number of our people in the Northwest Territories, and we try to work with them. I can commit to the Member that we will reach out, we will work with people, and if the Member or Members have any specific cases where folks are having trouble navigating through the system, I would encourage them to bring that to my attention so we can deal with it in a fair and timely manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do take the Member's point and acknowledge that having to apply for medical leave assistance when the costs associated are covered by the federal government in order to access up to three days of leave of absence with pay may be an unnecessary burden to some employees. However, we do have to apply the terms of the collective agreement in providing access to this leave. I have asked my officials to reach out to the unions to discuss whether we could agree to a different process for employees attending counselling sessions through this federally funded program.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of Pages from Inuvik Twin Lakes. We've got Angelina Jerome, who has been here with us all week, as well as Joyce-Rowena Conley. I'd like to thank them and all the Pages in the Assembly for all the work they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 42, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I believe that there is adequate funding for the Mackenzie River Basin Board, and I think Members would expect me to say nothing less. They have $280,000 in annual contributions from all parties, $40,000 from the jurisdictions, and $8,000 from Canada. If they feel that there is a need for more resources, I am sure they will approach the appropriate ministers in the jurisdictions to make a case for more funding. Again, that is another one that I would have to follow up on, and I have not seen any requests from board representatives for our department to increase the funding.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Negotiations towards the establishment of a bilateral water agreement currently are under way with Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is conducting a legal review of the intention document, and that review is ongoing. Negotiations will continue once that review is complete. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Our officials will ensure that the process is clearly and consistently communicated across all the GNWT departments and all regions of the NWT.