Rylund Johnson

Mr. Speaker, what do we have to do around here to get some more housing money? Mr. Speaker, I have never seen real consensus on any issue amongst this group except for housing. It is clear in this Assembly that housing is a priority. We are committed to improving housing for our residents. Yet despite that, the actual core budget for the Housing Corporation just won't increase in any meaningful way, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, for this budget, what I would propose is that we add $20 million to the Housing Corp. budget, and not onetime money. Longterm, real, permanent funding so we can stop...

I'm glad the sun is finally poking its head out because it's been a long winter, and we are looking forward to spring, that magical season where the public health emergency ends, Mr. Speaker. This is the longest period of time between statutory holidays in the north, and with cold months, it just makes it feel even longer. Let's give our workers a much needed break, Mr. Speaker. I've asked the minister previously if there was ever any intention in bringing a holiday to the people of the north in February, and Mr. Speaker, I will be asking him once again on this lovely Family Day. And to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have one question today for the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment who is in charge of their Employment Standards Act, and if he says yes, everyone can feel free to go home. Will the Minister make today a statutory holiday, Family Day, for the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the people of New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, BC, I would like to wish a happy Family Day. And to the people of Manitoba, a happy Louis Riel Day. And to the people of PEI, a happy Islander Day. And to Nova Scotia, a happy Heritage Day. And for everyone in the NWT, I'm hoping you're having an all right Monday, Mr. Speaker.

Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In writing this statement, apparently I missed the memo that it was Christmas day. But what I would like to see for Christmas, Mr. Speaker, is some paid sick days for the working poor, Mr. Speaker. People shouldn't have to pick between staying home while they are sick or being able to afford rent and groceries. In fact, we know presenteeism is one of the reasons COVID is spread in workplaces throughout this pandemic. The feds have recently introduced changes to the Canada Labor Code that guarantees 10 days of paid sick leave to all workers in federally regulated areas...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know in the past, both by myself and by the media, there have been questions about, you know, when we do settle cases what happened, what lessons, and there's kind of been this tension and resistance to not answer them. Sometimes I have caught them in the specific department's public accounts or a supplemental appropriation if it's significant enough and they can't find it internally. I know that happened with the Norman Wells Health Centre as an example. But can I just get some clarification of when we can't answer questions about public money that has been settled...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I already got my early Christmas present from the Minister of Finance when she tabled the 2021 public accounts yesterday. And in those public accounts, Mr. Speaker, a trend that has continued for a number of years continues on with the GNWT exponentially getting sued for more and more money, well over a $100 million right now. I was just hoping the Minister of Finance could shed some light on what is going on here. Who is suing us? And why does this number just exponentially grow? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've tried to find some information on this, and I think key to having this conversation is knowing how many people currently have no paid sick days. I expect the overwhelming majority do. We know that all GNWT workers do and those with collective bargaining units certainly have paid sick leave. It's really a small percentage of what I would deem working poor typically who do not get access to paid sick days. I'm wondering if we have that information of who presently in the NWT labour force has zero sick paid sick days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I went through the fact that a number of jurisdictions are finally, I think, taking the long overdue step of introducing some paid sick days for workers under their employment standards legislation. My question for the Minister is will he do the same? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I suspect there's a much larger conversation here about the appropriateness of NDAs in society generally and with the government, you know, sometimes ask for NDAs when perhaps the victim does not even want them. But I guess I'll go to settlement agreements that are contract disputes, I know in the past they have had confidentiality requirements, which I think if we're paying out millions of dollars of public money in some sort of construction dispute, we should have a principle that there isn't one so that when I see that money in a corresponding budget or a public...