Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to follow up on my statement. In my statement I referenced a review of the Junior Kindergarten Program that was to have been completed in July of this year. There’s been no indication that that report is anywhere near completion.

I would first of all like to ask the Minister if he could provide an update to me and to the House with an update on the review of the Junior Kindergarten Program and when we might expect to see it. Thank you.

So, I guess that would then mean that any place where anyone is working, no matter what the size. I will take that, then, as a definition.

So the other part, I am looking at Section 4 again, and it says, “an Occupational Health and Safety Program or a work site as required by the regulations,” so can I get a confirmation? I heard you say these programs, these officers are required for businesses of more than 20 employees, so is that what is referenced here in number 7, that the regulations will make that statement so any work site that has less than 20 employees is not required to have an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a couple of questions. I haven’t been party to the consideration of this bill, but in listening to the comments in the last few minutes, I heard Mr. Grundy say that there is a comprehensive review of the Safety Act being undertaken.

So, my first question is: Why do we have these amendments before us when the Safety Act is being reviewed, apparently now and in the near future? What is so urgent about these amendments that it couldn’t wait until the comprehensive review of the act? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that subclause 26(3) of Bill 64 be amended by deleting “bank” in proposed subsection 33(4) and substituting “bank or credit union”.

Thank you. I’m not suggesting it’s not beneficial, but the question is are you not anticipating more offenders will be working off their surcharges through the Fine Option Program and they are going to be monitored and they’re going to be supervised by corrections services staff? So do you not see that there’s going to be an increase in the work involved by your corrections staff? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple of comments here. The powers of the coroner are increased quite a bit through these amendments. I and a couple of other members on the committee had some fairly serious concerns about whether or not the powers were going a little bit too far. In discussion during the public hearing and in discussion with the Minister and his officials, I certainly was reassured that these powers are necessary for the coroner to do her job, that they are not going over and above and beyond some of the concerns which I initially had when I first read the amendments to the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 324-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-16, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 324-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I can’t go there. When this report comes out, I’d like to ask the Minister, if it’s going to go to the 18th Assembly, will it be made public? Will it be available to the teachers’ union, the NWTTA? Will it be available to Members of this House, or is it simply going to be a report that is going to sit in the department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

In October of ’14, we were advised that the report would be completed in July of 2015, which gave the current 17th Assembly Members, particularly the Standing Committee on Social Programs, an opportunity to review that report.

I’d like to ask the Minister, when was it decided that this would be punted to the 18th Assembly? This is news to me. I had fully expected to see this report before the end of this Assembly. Thank you.