R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recall yesterday in the House the Member stood up and said we have to make some hard choices. We're facing a budget crunch, and we can't have everything we want.

If the GNWT were to do this, it would be a very expensive program. And if we put it on to private employers, it could be a very expensive program for them. That being said, maybe it is something we want so we do have to look into this.

The Employment Standards Act provides a bare minimum of protection for employees. So there could be employers right now under this act who are providing paid sick days. It is an...

Mr. Speaker, the new Corrections Act came into force on October 29, 2021. The new act modernizes the Northwest Territories' corrections legislation to incorporate modern practices and approaches, shifting the focus of the legislation to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of people in the corrections system through a supportive environment.

The new Corrections Act strengthens our commitment to improving outcomes for the individuals we work with. To give people the best chance at success, the Department of Justice has been shifting our practices and the ways we work with people who come...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to take a moment and say that for every word we speak in this House, there is a group of interpreters who are saying those same words. And so they have been with us this whole time and they have been busy, they have been working very hard, and I want to take a moment on our last day to make sure that we recognize their work and I would like the House to join me in giving them a round of applause. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I agree with the Member about the types of evaluations we need do. Just because you deliver something doesn't mean it's working. So I will commit to share whatever we can share. I'm not familiar with the particulars of the type of information that will be used in these evaluations, and I don't want to overcommit and share sensitive information that really shouldn't be shared. But I want to make sure that there is oversight of the funds the GNWT are spending. And so there will be some information that will be sufficient for that purpose that I will share with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The funding is still $290,000 a year. The funding has been fully allocated for this year and for next year because of the multiyear agreements.

So far, we have threeyear agreements with the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the Friendship Centre in Behchoko, and Liidlii Kue First Nation, LKFN, and those are each $70,000 a year for three years. And then the Sambaa K'e First Nation we have a $70,000 a year agreement for two years with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Any changes to the Employment Standards Act, especially potential changes that could cost small businesses money, will be the subject of extensive consultation and discussion with small businesses. I do not want to do anything that is going to put a heavier burden on small businesses than they're already carrying. So I can guarantee the Member that we will have extensive consultations on these points. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, when we look at this review it's something we can look at. There's other ways that unpaid sick leaves are implemented in other jurisdictions. So some provide some Employment Standards Act provide for extended medical leave. In some cases, in line with the EI sickness benefits. So there are some options more than just beyond just adding days. But I want to say that I think that this pandemic has shown us that when you're sick, you should stay home, even if it's a flu. Those kind of things really do they hinder the economy, they hinder the public health...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems like just yesterday people were counting the days until we were done with 2020, and they thought that 2021 was going to bring nothing but sunny days. While we've seen some great things happen this year, it's been a tough year. People here or their communities have really experienced the effects of COVID and my community as well. It hasn't been all good for all people but a lot of people have stepped up. I have heard my colleagues thank the leadership of their community, and I have to do the same.

We saw people stepping up, businesses stepping up to...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2020 Annual Report Including 10 year Review 20112020. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And evaluations are something that we really learned to value with this funding because some of the issues that the department ran into early on with the new day program was the inability to really evaluate outcomes and how well it was working. And so all of these contribution agreements here require that there be reporting. There will be some shortterm measures, so just things like the participation rates in the program and the feedback from clients. But we also require some more longterm reporting. And I will follow up with the department to ensure that we do have...