Thank you, Mr. Chair. I agree with my friend the honourable Member for Yellowknife North on this one. I think there is a distinction between the roles that we play in this Assembly and the benefits and allowances that are afforded to us by virtue of those offices. It's very different than, say, a lengthy career in the public service or with a private employer. Those kinds of transitions are expected and, if you have a good employer, a good job, a good career at that job, you're more likely going to continue on, and receiving that support is a tangible benefit. I don't think that this will have the end result of adding much to, you know, attracting Members to run for office, or anything like that. I think this benefit is properly dealt with, or this issue is properly dealt with, through the individual interested Members. Not everyone who leaves politics is going to be retiring, and I think the nature of our roles, with four-year terms, this doesn't fit as well as some of the other recommendations about leaving politics. I don't think it's necessary, and I won't be supporting it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that Members of the Legislative Assembly continue to have access to the GNWT Employee and Family Assistance Program, known as EFAP, for one year after their term as a Member of the Legislative Assembly ends.
Thank you, Ms. Green. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, Members of the Legislative Assembly, like members of the public service, have access to the GNWT Employee and Family Assistance Program. Access to this program continues for one year after our employees retire. This recommendation reaffirms the ability of MLAs to access the program for one year after leaving office. The EFAP provides valuable resource material and counselling services for a wide range of personal and family challenges that may continue into retirement. Mr. Chair, I support this recommendation.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I, too, support this motion. The information that we've received is also that this would cost about $100 per year per Member who doesn't return and would like to be able to access the service, so it really is a minimal cost and I think it provides the kind of support that some people may need as they leave political life. I am in support of this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Next, we have Minister Cochrane.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's well-known that my degree is in social work, and the basic concept of social work is wellness; mental wellness, as well. Never in my career have I ever been in a position that I have had so many people appreciate my work and so many people hate me for my work. I am a degreed social worker. I have had 20-some years' experience in that. I know self-care, I know where to go for clinical support for myself. I'm not 100 percent sure that other people do have that.
The other issue is that, when you leave here, depending on how you do in this House, you might not be offered a job. Jobs might not be as plentiful as they come, so I think that, in order to ensure that we are treating our Members properly and that we are caring for their mental well-being, this should be something that is provided. I am fully in support of this motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Cochrane. For the record, I do appreciate the work you do. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that more detailed information about Members' expenses be published on the government website as a separate document by June 30th of the following fiscal year.
Thank you, Ms. Green. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, the Legislative Assembly currently publishes details of Members' constituency budget expenditures as an appendix to its annual report. I note that the Speaker tabled the annual report for the 2017-2018 fiscal year earlier today. This recommendation calls for more detailed, timely, and accessible information than what is currently provided, particularly for such categories as travel and office expenditures. Other Canadian jurisdictions, as well as our own Executive Council, have taken steps to provide this information online and in significant detail. If adopted, the board of management will develop a revised policy with respect to the posting of detailed expenditures online. Mr. Chair, I support this recommendation.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Public Service Health Care Plan dues, at the level available to senior managers in the public service, be paid by the Government of the Northwest Territories for all Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion. Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, there is currently a disparity between the health benefits provided to Regular Members and Members of the Executive Council, as well as premiums paid by each. This motion recommends that all Members of the Legislative Assembly be treated equally with respect to health, dental, and disability benefits, and that they be consistent with the benefits provided to senior managers in the GNWT. Mr. Chair, I support this recommendation.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'd like to thank the commission for bringing this to our attention. I didn't know about it as a Regular MLA that there were two tiers of healthcare insurance between Regular MLAs and our Cabinet and the Speaker. I thank them for bringing this to our attention. As I understand, the information that we've been provided, the cost of doing this for the 11 Regular MLAs, the additional premiums would be about $9,500 a year. I think that it's only fair that all MLAs should be treated equally. I do support this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommend that, if it is decided to not pay for the same level of medical travel, health, dental and life insurance benefits for all Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the additional paid benefits for the Speaker and Ministers be removed from their benefit package and the Speaker and Ministers become responsible for paying for that benefit; and further, that all Members of the Legislative Assembly would then receive the extended healthcare benefit and level 1 of the hospital benefit at no cost.
I'm going to explain it.
Thank you, Ms. Green. The motion is in order. To the motion? Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Given that the House adopted the previous recommendation, this recommendation is redundant. The previous motion directed the board of management to make health, dental, and disability benefits and premiums for Regular Members consistent with those for Cabinet Ministers. As a result, this recommendation is not necessary, and I will be voting against it. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is defeated.
---Defeated
Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the indemnity for extra duty for the chair of the Rules and Procedures Committee be increased from $3,194 to $6,296 per year.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion? Ms. Green.
Thank you. Mr. Chair, the previous Legislative Assembly reduced the indemnity paid to the chair of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures to make it equivalent to that paid to the caucus chair and deputy chairs of Committee of the Whole. This change was made on the understanding that the workload of this committee is less than that for other standing committees of the House. As my colleague from Frame Lake will attest, this has not been the case for the current Assembly. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures was given some very heavy lifting in the first two years of our Assembly and still has some left. I agree that the chair of this committee should be compensated on an equal basis to other chairs. I support this motion, Mr. Chair, but would like to move an amendment to remove the reference to the specific dollar amounts which are adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index.
May I have permission to amend the motion?
Maybe we'll just take a five minute recess. There's a typo in the motion. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Thank you, committee. I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. There is a motion to amend. Ms. Green, do you have an amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the motion be amended by striking out the words "increased from $3,194 to $6,296 per year" and substituting the words "consistent with that pay to other standing committee terrace." Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Green. A motion to amend he motion is in order on the floor. To the motion to amend.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion to amend the motion is carried.
Question.
