Debates of October 24, 2006 (day 14)

Please be seated. Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. I would like to draw your attention to the sea of green in the gallery today. I asked the Sergeant-at-Arms to beef up security in here and I think he might have overdone it a bit.

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I would like to draw your attention to the commander of Joint Task Force North Colonel Chris Whitecross.

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And Captain Tom Tulloch, director of joint command and task programs for Canadian Forces College in Toronto.

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And the future senior leadership of the Canadian Forces. They are here from across Canada and around the world. They are here on an Arctic field study exercise which is part of a 10-month Canadian Forces training course. Please join me in welcoming them to our Assembly.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide an update on the status of the $35 million community capacity building fund established by the Government of the Northwest Territories from funding made available by the Government of Canada under the Northern Strategy.

The community capacity building fund provides significant one-time funding to communities to allow them to advance their unique priorities. One of the key features of the fund is that all local governing bodies in a community must agree on priorities before a proposal can be submitted. Starting November 1, 2005, community governments have been able to draw down their allocation any time over three fiscal years. When originally announced by the Government of the Northwest Territories, the deadline for proposals was November 1, 2006, but I am pleased to advise my colleagues that this date has now been

extended to March 31, 2007. This will allow communities who are still working on their proposals to take the time that they need.

At present, communities in the Northwest Territories are at various stages of advancing their community plans and applications for funding. To date, 15 funding proposals have been submitted and 11 communities have received funding totalling close to $11 million.

In reviewing the applications received, it is evident that each community has spent considerable time and energy in the consultation and planning processes to come to consensus and to develop sound funding proposals. The range of projects proposed by communities is impressive. For example, three communities are using the funding to expand community complexes or hamlet offices to include additional services and infrastructure support for various community groups.

Several communities are working on the development of new or enhanced community facilities such as community workshops, commercial cooking facilities, sawmills and cultural and traditional centres. Some communities are making investments in housing projects for seniors, staff and the community, while others are focussing on improved transportation systems such as road construction and upgrades. Several communities are using the funding to develop and support local day care centres and youth centres.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is aware of numerous communities actively finalizing their proposals, but is also aware of a few communities having some difficulty in reaching consensus. In order to address individual community concerns, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has offered to assist communities in the planning and application development process.

I would like to congratulate the 15 communities who have reached consensus and have successfully developed proposals that reflect community priorities. It is evident that the one-time funding will achieve its goal of supporting communities to achieve their priorities, and will leave a lasting legacy that will benefit all residents of NWT communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to congratulate the recent Aurora College Graduates in the Sahtu.

Mr. Speaker, all these students should be proud of their achievements. They are most impressive, considering the Norman Wells Aurora College program is delivered out of a decrepit 20 by 50 foot ATCO trailer. A crying shame, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to recognize the graduates from the Kitchen Helper Program: from Norman Wells, Kyla Green, Yi Beng, Chen, Robin Lu, Dean Neyanda; from Fort Good Hope, Chelsey Gully; from Deline, Tanya Modeste, Conrad Modeste; from Tulita, Jonathan Yakeleya.

The graduates from the Heavy Equipment Operators Program are: from Norman Wells, Mr. Kochon, Daniel Jackson, Peter Kubrakovich; Deline, Tyrone Yukon, Harry Beyonnie, Aarron Lee Mackeinzo; in Fort Good Hope, Nicholas Tobac, Clarence Gardebois, Joseph Furlong, Amanda Kelly.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all the Members of the Legislative Assembly to join me in congratulating these graduates and wishing them success. I also hope my colleagues will join me in urging this government to put a proper Aurora College facility in Norman Wells. That would make the people of the Sahtu very proud and continue to support them in their education endeavours in terms of making a contribution to the Northwest Territories, to the economy, to build capacity and to show the people in the Sahtu region that when business is ready to go ahead with the pipeline or any other exploration, our young leaders are ready to go, they’re willing to help, but we need some proper facilities in that region instead of a 20 foot by 50 foot ATCO trailer that is also known as…I don’t know what kind of words I can put to the trailer that we have there, but it’s deplorable, Mr. Speaker, and I think this government should step up to the plate, as the students have done, just to finish off this graduation program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of WCB indicated in the House that the Board of Governors of the WCB is planning on changing the policy on chronic pain, more specifically that the board is looking at allowing those suffering from chronic pain due to workplace injury to be eligible for permanent partial disability. Mr. Speaker, even though I have to learn this by listening in on the third-party exchange, I feel like ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’. I was so desperate for good news I was jumping up and down for joy because I thought after all these years it was an opening of some sort. Until, of course, I started reading the transcript, Mr. Speaker, and realized that even to this day the Minister, the board and this government continues to dither on making a decision on something that is so clear.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you once again, it is the law that people with chronic pain cannot be discriminated against as compared to any other injured workers, and this WCB keeps on doing that. The Martin decision in Supreme Court said so and the Valic decision in the Supreme Court of the NWT said that. Instead of changing the policy, which is the job of the council and the Minister and the government, they have decided, the latest as of yesterday, until yesterday, they were going to go back to the same court and ask if the changes they’re making are constitutional. I’m glad they changed their mind on that because I think that was bad legal advice.

Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that the Minister and the board have finally seen the light of day and that they cannot dither any longer and treat those workers with chronic pain in a discriminatory fashion. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister whether or not any changes to this would apply to all the chronic pain cases and, Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated, well, there aren’t too many. Well, I tell you, he gave an answer in this House and there are at least 36 workers over the last year with that same condition and while the Minister and the board are waiting, whether or not they have time to meet to discuss something as important as this for the people who are suffering as we speak, this is just, Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell you how upset I got when I started reading this transcription. And there’s no time. There’s no need for the council to consult anymore on something that they are legally obligated to do, and if they do not go do that, I’m going to ask the Minister of Justice for money to go to court myself.

Ms. Lee, your time…

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know if this is the right time for it with all these guys being up here, but I want to speak about the federal government’s attitude towards the Northwest Territories.

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Mr. Speaker, we recently heard about all the cuts that were made. A billion dollars cut for youth groups and for volunteer groups, adult literacy groups and for women’s groups. Mr. Speaker, these people put a lot of work into the job that they do. Why should we have them sitting like little pups under the table waiting for some scraps to fall off. We have money constantly leaving the Northwest Territories and yet these folks have to fight for every nickel and dime they can get. It’s really not fair to these people who try to provide a service. The Canadian government gives money all over the place and maybe it’s time they started giving some money back to the Northwest Territories.

They like to talk about sovereignty all the time. We used to have an Armed Forces base up in Inuvik. That closed down a few years ago. Five hundred people left town. Maybe it’s time to look at re-opening that, putting another one up there so we can have those 500 people back.

We want highways, Mr. Speaker, and the thing that troubles me about the whole thing is the money that leaves the Northwest Territories. Every year we lose millions of dollars and we expect our NGOs and people who try to provide half decent services to constantly scratch and scrape for every nickel and dime they can get. It’s really not a fair process, Mr. Speaker.

I think it’s time this government, and I know Ottawa listens to us, and I think it’s time…

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Well, I’m hoping Ottawa listens to us. Ottawa, are you listening?

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I’d like to see our government send them a real strong message because it’s the people of the Northwest Territories that elected this government and we should be looking out for their best interest instead of having our strings pulled from Ottawa. I do not like the fact that they do make a lot of the decisions for the Northwest Territories. I am not a puppet and I don’t think this government should be. So I think it’s time we took a strong stand and maybe told Ottawa that enough’s enough. We want what’s rightfully ours. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to join my colleague in talking about the federal government and ask the people of the Northwest Territories to consider this as they reflect on the Conservatives' approach to social policy as it pertains to the North, to the needy, to women, to those that require literacy training. They have absolutely savaged those programs. They have cut smoking cessation, adult literacy, youth employment, women’s volunteerism programs, the Court Challenge Program. Mr. Speaker, it’s shocking, it’s appalling and it was done without consultation. This government seems intent on ruling and governing by edict and fiat. In fact, I know that most jurisdictions found out about this in the newspaper or on TV. In fact, some of the program departments in the federal government found out about the cuts on TV.

So this is a shameful display for those in Ottawa that ask to lead us. While my colleague is pleading to Ottawa to listen, my suggestion to the people of the Northwest Territories is much more fundamental and I am asking them to keep this in mind, because I understand the Conservatives are going to need every seat they can get come the election. When it’s time to vote in the Northwest Territories, remember what they have done to our social programs.

It’s as simple as ABC, Mr. Speaker; “Anybody But a Conservative.”

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, housing in Behchoko is a mess. The community of Behchoko has some serious arrears on rental units, the public units. There are currently 182 public units in Behchoko. Mr. Speaker, these 182 units are under the umbrella of the NWT Housing Corporation. That’s our Housing Corporation here in the Northwest Territories government. Some residents argue that they have been rated wrongly in the past, paying high rent when they were unemployed, for example. Mr. Speaker, assessments in the past were done incorrectly. Their complaints have fallen on deaf ears, Mr. Speaker. Unable to pay their rent arrears simply continues to accumulate, leaving them hopeless and potentially homeless, Mr. Speaker. Some owe as much as $76,000 on public government units, Mr. Speaker. Now these clients face eviction. No one has dealt with this problem and worked on any plans to help these people.

Mr. Speaker, this government has not done its part to find a solution to this problem. I refuse to believe that this current government will stand by and allow this to continue. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had a Member’s statement prepared today, but hearing the lead that’s been taken by some of my fellow Members with respect to the federal cuts, I think I’ll change my topic and talk about that very subject.

Mr. Speaker, this summer some of the Regular Members had the opportunity to go into some of the small northern communities here and see some of the living conditions. We went there with a theme to talk about the cost of living, but we really saw the conditions of living. Something that really stuck out in my mind is, when we went to the community of Fort Liard we had a small gathering of people there and somebody who had just moved from Newfoundland to the Northwest Territories stood up before our committee and said, I thought Newfoundland was poor until I came to the Northwest Territories. He was talking about the living conditions, when he talked about mouldy houses, when he talked about the lack of services, when he talked about having to send the little kindergarten children home from school on their first day of school because the teacher had to leave the community, more than one teacher had to leave the community because there was no place for them to live when they got to the community of Fort Liard. They had to turn away, and the little kids that were looking forward to starting school that day had to be turned away.

Then contrast that with our new Prime Minister Stephen Harper coming here and standing in our Great Hall talking about the mighty resources of the Northwest Territories, and talking on the world stage about the Northwest Territories and Canada, Northwest Territories being a part of the Canadian image of an energy superpower. Where are we talking about the energy coming from? Where are those natural resources coming from? They’re coming from here. Yet the extraction is going to take place and the people of the Northwest Territories are still going to be living with the worst social conditions in this country. The statistics are there. All you have to do is look at the rates of suicide, you look at the rates of addictions, you look at the rates of everything which is a negative social indicator and I’m sorry, but the Northwest Territories and northern Canada wins the prize. We’ve got the worst conditions. We’ve got the most resources. I hope the federal government doesn’t just look at us as a bastion of revenue and royalties and money flowing into their coffers, because we need to keep a portion of that money here in order to serve the needs of our people so that we do not have them living in the conditions that they’re living in today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on my tour of Paulatuk on September 13th, 2006, I had an opportunity to speak with the mayor, who is also the resource person for the Paulatuk Hunters' and Trappers' Committee. Mr. Speaker, I was informed that many of the residents had stored their traditional food at the local community freezer after a successful spring and fall hunt. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, the Paulatuk Hunters' and Trappers' Committee had a refrigerator repairman travel to Paulatuk to conduct what was thought to be a minor repair to the local community freezer. Mr. Speaker, it turns out the compressor was dysfunctional to even be repaired. The estimate to repair the compressor was about 35 to 40 thousand dollars.

Mr. Speaker, because of the breakdown of the community freezer, many residents lost most of their traditional food which was to last over a few months. We know the cost of living at the local Northern Stores. Bought food is very expensive in isolated communities. Mr. Speaker, in 2005-2006 the then Department of RWED purchased 25 freezers for Paulatuk and 25 freezers for Ulukhaktok. There was an understanding, if required, the Department of ITI now would provide further freezers.

Mr. Speaker, a freezer is a vital component of household items to store traditional and store-bought food. Given the understanding, Mr. Speaker, why weren’t these freezers purchased and sent to Paulatuk this summer? Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I’d just like to talk about this government’s Barren Ground Caribou Management Strategy for the Northwest Territories rolled out earlier this year. The five key components of this strategy focus on, one, engaging partners; two, ensuring appropriate information is available for management decisions; three, managing impacts of human activities; four, informing the public about their role in this management scheme; and five, addressing hardships. Of course the success of this strategy rests on everyone’s participation and input.

Mr. Speaker, the one strategy component that I would like to get more information on is the fifth component related to addressing hardships. Winter’s coming and I feel that this is where our declining numbers of caribou really become important, and the hardships because of that will become very evident in many of our small remote communities in the NWT where cash is scarce, rent is high, and the cost of living is rising every day.

Mr. Speaker, these hardships are already being felt by local hunters and providers with increases in fuel prices and the need to travel further out on the land to find the main meat source. Later on today I will be asking the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources if the department has any information available to northerners, especially those who rely heavily on caribou, about how this government is planning to help them and at what cost. I will be asking these and other questions, Mr. Speaker, because this information is listed in the strategy document as TBD -- To Be Determined. I want to know what we have determined to date. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take a second and welcome the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces to our proceedings here today.

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I’d like to once again address the concerns I’m having or hearing from the public and the employees in our public service in regards to the management of the Human Resources department. Cabinet Members and other Members of this House have heard me stand up on numerous occasions over the past three years challenging and taking the government to task over how it consistently mishandles human resources. The fact of the matter is that the Minister has stood up in this House and admitted that there are numerous challenges and concerns and everything is not as it should be with the new department.

Last year the Minister entered into a sole-sourced $475,000 contract with an American firm, the Hackett Group, to try to develop recommendations to improve client service and business processes. Mr. Speaker, I have questioned at length the former Justice Minister about HR concerns at North Slave Correctional Centre and, Mr. Speaker, there was an operational review done there with 63 recommendations about how they could improve client services there, and I wonder how many of those recommendations have in fact been acted upon. The excuse has always been that HR was still sorting their issues out. I’ve had issues with constituents waiting to retire from the government, persons with disabilities having barriers to employment with the GNWT, and then there’s the very large issue of recruitment and retention of health care professionals and staffing issues at Stanton and other health centres across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, HR is such an important and critical piece of our operation and it is imperative that the public and our workforce have every confidence that our HR department is functioning effectively. Mr. Speaker, judging by the comments I hear, the e-mails I receive, I lack the confidence that this department is doing its work and delivering the service and response to the clients it represents. Given all the issues that have been brought up in this House in regards to human resources, I believe the communication between the Minister and the Regular Members on this side of the House is not what it should be. HR seems able to do as they wish because of confidentiality becoming a barrier for Members to take on individual cases because of fear of reprisal from the department. Mr. Speaker, I certainly will have some questions for the Minister responsible for Human Resources at the appropriate time. Thank you. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to acknowledge our brave men and women in green here in the gallery today. It’s quite overwhelming to see them all. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Speaker, every day the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment contribute to individual artists and groups of artists through grants issued by the NWT Arts Council. In 2005-2006 there were 124 applications for grants totalling almost $1.2 million, of which the NWT Arts Council was able to fund 84 projects totalling $355,000. In the last update on the NWT Arts Strategy from last March, the Government of the Northwest Territories stated that it believes a collaborative, holistic approach is needed to support and develop a vibrant arts sector.

There are many examples of this type of approach and the government’s support of venues like Folk on the Rocks, Festival of the Midnight Sun, End of the Road Music Festival, and the South Slave Music Festival is certainly to be commended, Mr. Speaker. They are fine examples of government doing something.

However, Mr. Speaker, even though artists from all other parts of the Territories appear there or have their work shown at these venues and festivals, there is a way to help benchmark and show what we could do and could do better and help support it. I believe this government could do better. I believe this government could do more. I believe it’s time this government realizes that we need a government-sponsored festival or venue on an annual or semi-annual basis that we could help showcase these artists from across our territory, Mr. Speaker.

Artists from the performing arts, visual and traditional arts need the opportunity to network with their peers and receive feedback from a large audience at an arts festival or awards night. I see this festival as a collaboration and a celebration of arts, Mr. Speaker, with the recognition given to artists who excel or show promise in their particular area.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it’s time to discuss ideas that the Department of Education take the lead in establishing an NWT annual arts achievement award night to celebrate and enhance the arts sector of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will have questions for the Minister of Education on seeing what he can do to take the next step to help celebrate our arts community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to welcome and reflect on the presence of so many people of the Armed Forces of various countries in the world who are touring the North on an extended training mission. Mr. Speaker, the military has had a long and very valued tradition of involvement and contribution and participation in this community, not only for the duty they have in Canada’s Arctic protecting the nation but with the very life and fabric of Yellowknife. I remember the establishment of what some might fondly recall as the “Yellow Submarine;" the first base here for the Armed Forces in Canada. Now we have a very modern, new building and facilities at the airport. This is a presence that I understand, Mr. Speaker, that is over time going to grow and I welcome that very much. Mr. Speaker, the people who are here with us today are, of course, representative of the role of the Armed Forces in Canada and in our North.

They also represent the service and the sacrifice of Canadians and many other of our allies in various places of the world that aren’t as peaceful and as free as the land that we live in, Mr. Speaker. I want to say that I am one Canadian who is very grateful for these people, for the sacrifice that they make when they put themselves in harm’s way because what they are doing, Mr. Speaker, is defending the very things that we are here doing. They are defending our freedom, speech, representation, democracy, sovereignty and those are things worth fighting for, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

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Mr. Speaker, last week I attended a function with yourself and I wanted to recognize the members of the Canadian Forces in the gallery. I had a tour and I certainly appreciate the work that they do…(inaudible). As Mr. Braden said, they defend our precious freedom here and thank you very much. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned 18 graduates from the two Aurora College programs that graduated this month. The programs were partly administered and delivered out of a trailer, a 20 foot by 50 foot building. Now, Mr. Speaker, how is it that we can live in such a dilemma? We are encouraging our students to get all the things they can, only to make it an old ATCO trailer that they are getting the programs out of. Can the Minister inform me what his department is doing to improve this trailer park college? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like the Member, I would like to express my congratulations to the grads from the recent programs offered in Norman Wells. That campus has been extremely active and very proficient in seeing graduates get through the facility and the facility is somewhat challenging, as the Member has pointed out. ECE continues to work with our partners at Public Works to explore what options there may be for replacing that building in the future. We are prepared to look at different options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The campus that he’s referring to is very challenging. It’s like a honeybee's nest with all the flies and bumble bees flying around because it’s so active. We have an increase of activity. We have self-government negotiations. We have business in our communities that are expanding. I would like to ask, Mr. Speaker, what type of short-term options may be planned for the Aurora College facility in Norman Wells? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the long run, what I would hope to see is a new building that would be government owned that would accommodate the classroom space that we need to provide that community and that region with the adequate training space. In the short term, I think we are prepared to consider leasing a premises or whatever. I do agree with the Member that that facility is in dire need of being replaced. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the Minister talk about the short-term option of leasing premises or leasing some form of facility to encourage the students to continue their education. Mr. Speaker, I also hope that the Minister would give some thought in terms of a new facility that they would consider the community or the region of the Sahtu or any other region before they get their facility. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the short term and leasing of a premises, when would the people in the Sahtu know that they could possibly look at a new facility in the short term under the answer by the Minster? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, I have been talking with my colleague, the Minister of Public Works, about this issue. We don’t have a solution at this point, but we are aware of the pressing need in the community and we will continue to work to get a facility into the long-term capital plan and look for a short-term solution to the inadequate space. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister again for supporting people in the Sahtu in terms of a short-term solution. When can I ask the Minister to make a commitment to coming to our region and talk about a leasing of a premises so that people could have an idea as to when they will see a facility in the Sahtu that would make them all smile when they go to the Aurora College classroom?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 168-15(5): Aurora College Infrastructure Requirements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always enjoy visiting the Member’s communities with him when given an opportunity to travel in the Sahtu. I would welcome the opportunity to join him in a visit to Norman Wells to address that issue in the not-too-distant future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of WCB and it’s with regard to what he said yesterday on the WCB’s opening of the door of sorts, that they are looking at changing, finally, the policy on chronic pain which would allow benefits of permanent/partial disability. He’s saying, on page 884, that they have to look specifically…The thing I am having trouble with is WCB is again having to consult. I think it’s a good thing to consult, but at a certain point when a Minister and the corporation and the Board of Governors who haven’t been given the powers under the law to make the decisions…Now the government did not go and consult on what the government should do about the Ed Horne case. You don’t go and consult on a legal position. I submit to you that there is a very clear legal decision. The Supreme Court decision says the council must change the policy. Will the Minister send a directive forthwith to the council and say that they must change the policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for WCB, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 169-15(5): Workers’ Compensation Board Policy On Chronic Pain

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current policy of the board for chronic pain does specifically mention chronic pain as a pain disorder and it does specifically say that compensation benefits can be provided for the lifetime of the recipient if necessary. So that is, in many ways, probably dealing with the constitutional requirement.

It’s important to point out that the court decision of Justice Schuler states that it was the policy in effect in 2001 that was not in compliance with section 15 of the Charter. I want to point out, too, that the Auditor General, who did a study of the work of the Workers’ Compensation Board at the direction of this House, clearly says in her report that the WCB should regularly consult with stakeholders and management, particularly in controversial areas such as pain disorders. So the WCB has direction from the Auditor General on this issue at the direction of this House to consult with stakeholders. That is, I believe, what they are intending to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.