Robert Hawkins

Wow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I was referring to the fact that territorial laws often create statutory officers. They become decision-makers. These are individuals who are responsible for the administration of very important pieces of legislation, and they have far-reaching decision-making authorities such as employment standards, I pointed out, and in particular, we have other things such as the Legal Services Act creates the legal services board, and it goes on and on and on.

My question, though, is around ECE and, of course, the employment standards officer, so...

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

---Carried

I want to thank the Minister for that very good answer on the particular last question. As I pointed out earlier about wanting some more information as to what type of training we’ve provided, and as I’ve highlighted, do we provide basic administrative law training, guidance on decision-making? Would the Minister be able to provide some type of reference package, sort of a broader overview, not everything, of course, but a broad overview as to what type of reference material, strengthening and ongoing training do we provide to these folks who have to make these statutory decisions that are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Quite often I only hear from people who are unhappy with a particular decision or, certainly, the guidance provided by this specific office, and I’ve heard about many offices, I just had to pick one because we don’t have all day. When decisions are appealed, taken to court, it’s quite expensive and it’s a very painful process. What type of monitoring does the Department of ECE do on both the decisions made, reaffirmed by the court, and the subjects why people have taken them to the process of appeal? Does the Department of ECE ever examine and consider some of the...

I appreciate the Minister providing a bit of an outline where they do their business, but it’s a matter of them being able to do their business is really what I’m after. Back to the training question, do we provide any training or mentoring for them as they make these very important decisions? Do we get behind them with special reference material to help them guide and make clear and honourable decisions in their process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The nature of our modern government is that a large number of very important decisions are delegated to statutory officers. The example I use today is the employment standards officer. This is, of course, sometimes the only efficient way to do government, in today’s day and age. What concerns me is that too often the government’s oversight seems to end with an appointment or, certainly in the case of employment matters, when they hire these folks. It cannot be overstated, but the decisions made by the employment service officers have very far reaching impacts. Sometimes...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m having trouble following his last answer. Is the Minister saying services are available and he can establish them in this particular facility and in a manner that could encourage people to take this path? Thank you.

A number of weeks ago I was there on a Sunday dropping off some food and people were openly drinking. Does the GNWT support that type of behaviour, and if they do, if you could put that officially clearly on the record? And if they don’t, my question is: What do they plan to do about that particular problem? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise again today to remind the Minister of Health and Social Services that the downtown day shelter still needs a lot of support. I spoke in the House the other day about how we need focused hope and purpose for people. We have an opportunity to give people purpose. As I said in Committee of the Whole the other day, we could be providing good focus and opportunity to treat addictions; we could be working on employment and even health clinics in this particular facility.

The government has committed financial resources as well as good brain power on the excitement and...

Will the Minister of Health and Social Services be willing to provide some access services for people to get into the addictions stream for treatment? In other words, would he be able to put some type of counselling process down there to be able to offer people addiction treatment opportunities? Thank you.