Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions here. The first one is the first line item, the funding for increased costs related to Hay River Health and Social Services Authority Pension Plan. This is an item which I think has appeared every year since I’ve been here, or at least for the last several years.

Can I get an explanation as to whether this is something that is going to continue on into the future until we presumably bring those staff in under the GNWT public service, or is this an amount and is this amount that is going to be similar for the years following, or is this kind of...

Thanks. I guess my last question would be: What is the total cost of this bundle of projects? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 188-17(5) be reported and recommended for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Thanks to the Minister. What I’m trying to understand is this $28.5 million is presumably the 75 percent, because it’s going to be offset by funding from the federal government, so where is our 25 percent share? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Yes, $25,000 is not a heck of a lot of money. However, it probably barely covers the increases to salaries and so on for those organizations, but it’s a bit, so I appreciate that.

The organizations that are doing this work, particularly the Status of Women Council is a group of three people, there are only three employees and in order for us to make advances, particularly in our small communities, there needs to be a much greater infusion of cash. So for us to expand activities throughout the territory as opposed to keeping it in Yellowknife and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 206-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 206-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Thanks to the Minister for that response. I am very proud that we have a lot of senior managers who are women and I’m glad that the government recognizes that as an accomplishment.

The fact that the Minister says that we want to get better, I need to ask the next question, which is: How is the Minister, how is this government going to affect that vision, going to effect that change?

Thanks. Just to confirm, this is just simply transferring from the operations or O and M budget into capital. It’s not going into any particular… It’s just going as a lump sum of money into our capital budget. Thank you.

Nine boards were composed exclusively of men and 18 boards had only a single female representative. The land and resource management regimes created through the settlement of our comprehensive land claims have given Aboriginal governments equitable representation and co-management, but have not promoted gender equity and board membership.

A strong case can be made for regulators and government nudging corporations and boards towards greater diversity at the highest levels. There’s ample evidence that companies and boards with women in decision-making positions are more profitable, better...

Mr. Chair, if I’m hearing this rightly, so the Child and Family Resource Program, I am presuming the two pilots will continue as they did but there will not be any expansion. Can I get confirmation that the pilot programs will continue and that there will be no expansion of the Child and Family Resource Program in ‘15-16? Thank you.