Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we know, Wednesday, February 29th, is Pink Shirt Day across Canada. Since the House will not be in session on the 29th, Members are acknowledging the importance of that initiative today. And we’re not alone, Mr. Speaker. In the gallery today is Ms. Carrie Heldman and her Grade 5 class. They walked here from N.J. Macpherson School wearing their pink shirts to join us today and to highlight bullying along with us in the House.

I’ll use the words of one of my constituents, Michael Elms -- Michael is in the gallery today – to explain the importance of maintaining or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, would like to thank Mr. Dolynny and Mr. Yakeleya for bringing this motion to the floor. I think we’ve had an excellent expression of varying views on bullying today. I think it’s created a very good awareness both in the House and outside of the House. I think the event of having the students here and our statements will be very educational to many people. I think we’ve also created maybe one or two budding radio and TV stars with the media activity that was happening upstairs before the House.

Society as a whole is impacted by bullying, even bullies...

I thank the Minister for his response. I thought he had referenced a policy that would be an NWT-wide policy. I understand now he is referencing policies that each school board or education authority has. I think there is a need within the territory for a policy that is territory-wide. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not his department will lead a coordinated action to bring the education authorities together so that we have a coordinated and a common approach to bullying across all of our schools. Thank you.

I guess I need to ask the Minister my usual question as to timing. I did ask that question a year ago and I was advised that the Minister would check his findings and get back to me. I haven’t heard anything in the ensuing 12 months, so I would like to again ask the Minister when I might expect to get some information from the Minister and the department as to how we will have steady, and planned, and regular increases to minimum wages in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to ask the Minister to give us a bit of an update on minimum wage. It was a year ago on April 1st, and it wasn’t a joke, but we had our second planned increase to minimum wage. It took effect on that day. A year prior to that, at the time of the first increase in February of 2010, the Minister told us that he was considering ways to implement future minimum wage increases. At the time of the second increase, the Minister advised that there was work that needed to be done. He...

To the Minister, I guess if the Minister is needing costing, I have umpteen documents in my files which I can provide to him. That work was done when the Joint Working Group met over a year and a half, two years ago. One of the recommendations in the report was to look at a pharmaceuticals plan for the NWT and/or to work with Western Canada provinces and territories to try and develop a plan to reduce the costs of our drugs. It’s well known that drugs are our most expensive cost. Can the Minister tell me whether or not any work is being done to develop a pharmaceuticals plan either within the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Services and I’d like to follow up on my statement. The issue of changes to the Extended Health Benefits Program was extremely contentious and it was a couple of years ago that we went through great upheaval and discussion about the changes. The policy was rescinded, but there were some recommended changes and some of those actions were put in place. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can advise the House and the Members and the public where things are at on the rest of the recommendations that were...

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I guess I would like to know from the Minister, the work that’s been done, the information that he’s about to provide to us, has that been looking at a method to provide for ongoing, considered and regular increases to minimum wage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My usual question to the Minister: If we’re developing a strategy, when are we going to see it?

Thanks to the Minister. I’m pleased to hear the department is doing some work. I guess I’d like to know from the Minister what kind of timeline we’re on to do this work and to get the coverage that’s required for the people who are not currently covered in terms of our health program. Can he tell me when Members will be advised of the work that the department is doing and what kind of a time frame we can expect to see this coverage in place?