Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about possibly our Territory breaking out, embarking onto a new vision of opportunity. I talked about perhaps the opportunity of our WSCC working more closely together with the Yukon WCB. We’ve heard many times over, from our constituents, about the cost of rates and the services provided, and one of the troubling factors that keeps rising always is the fact that we have a small base of population to do these types of calculations.
The WCB in the Yukon, I can’t tell you if they’re in favour of this idea or not, but one thing I can tell you is that when I was in Whitehorse recently I know the discussion of joining perhaps the multi-jurisdiction idea has never been discussed. My questions will be directed to the Minister of WCB specific to this embarkment of uncharted territory, I’d like to define it as.
Would the Minister for WCB let this House know if this concept has ever been discussed about working together in a more close-knit environment of a pan-territorial WCB?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not aware of any discussions that have ever happened before about combining WSCC with the Yukon. We have a good arrangement with Nunavut and, obviously, this is going to have to be a venture that works well for us and Nunavut before we even think about entering into any kind of discussion.
I think the opportunity really lies before us as breaking out of our normal way of doing business. I mean, the demands on public government to find new ways to be more efficient, to be smarter with the money we’re given, and certainly to be more responsive to our constituent needs. Here lies an opportunity before us that we could do this. I’d ask the Minister of WSCC if he would consider engaging this type of dialogue with not just his Nunavut counterpart but also extending out to the Yukon Legislature to their WCB Minister and perhaps maybe opening up a dialogue for this type of venture.
We can always open up a dialogue, but if it’s not a deal that makes sense for the ratepayers of the Northwest Territories and employers of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, then this is something we won’t even consider. It has to make sense for us. There would be a whole lot more to it than just asking them to partner up. There would be a reorganization of staff and everything. It would be quite a complicated process. Bottom line is that is has to make good business sense for us to even consider partnering up with the Yukon.
I think the Minister misunderstands my point. I’m not talking about subsidizing the WCB of the Yukon Territory. I’m talking about finding a joint partnership where perhaps we can create a pan-territorial WCB that could work for the three of us. If it means that we could streamline our legislation that works cooperatively, if it means that we could streamline our administration, perhaps that’s the route, or perhaps it means our investment of our money that we collect through the WCB rates. That’s the type of thinking that I’m suggesting that we take that approach as opposed to subsidizing in a way that doesn’t make sense to the bottom line of our present system. I know that it’s uncharted territory and it certainly couldn’t be done at the will of one MLA or even the will of one Minister, but I’m asking the Minister if he would be willing to engage in this type of discussion and certainly keep all Members informed and apprised to any potential developments of if this idea could become a real initiative.
I’ll commit to the Member that I’ll have a discussion with my counterpart in the Yukon and see if there’s any interest on their part. Maybe they think it’s not a very good idea, otherwise I’m sure the discussions would have happened a long time ago. I will commit to the Member that I will at least raise it with the Minister and see if there’s any appetite for it.
