Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a mystery, I guess, as to why this change in billing procedure is happening. Constituents of mine brought it to my attention, I think it was either very late in July or early in August just as this came into effect. So it came as a surprise. I made enquiries at that time and still haven't got any answers. So I guess the question that I'd like to see if the Minister can help me with is why this change in billing procedure. Why are our employees and their families being inconvenienced this way?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This morning I would like to speak about health care plans, Mr. Speaker. It’s something that every employer, including this government, counts on very heavily to be a major benefit and a part of recruiting and keeping people and helping them through their lives.

Mr. Speaker, up until this summer, when employees of this government needed doctor-prescribed medical supplies, there are things like materials that help them manage diabetes or perhaps walkers or mobility assists or specialized dressings, they were able to get good service through our life insurance or our medical...

So in other cases, Mr. Chairman, with the Workers’ Compensation Board where forgiveness is the logical thing to do, is the Workers’ Compensation Board actually involved in going through that process and making that decision, or do they punt their bad debts over to us for management? Who looks after bad accounts on the part of the WCB, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, have an inquiry about item 72, North American Tungsten Corporation, a debt to the Workers’ Compensation Board for almost $102,000. The question I guess I have, Mr. Chairman is jurisdiction. Why is this item before this committee? We don’t typically, in fact at all, does this Assembly approve anything to do with the Workers’ Compensation Board, not a penny. They are an independent organization with their own administration and I guess I can’t recall when something like this has come before us. Why is it that we are asked to sign off on something that the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight conducted its public review of Bill 8, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, on September 5th, 2006, and October 16th, 2006. Following the committee's review, Mr. Chairman, a motion was carried to report Bill 8, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole. This concludes the committee's opening comments on Bill 8. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate, too, it has something to do with supplies and medically described items that have this DIN, or drug insurance number. So there's obviously some administration or bureaucracy that is falling through the cracks here. I would like to ask the Minister what kind of direct appeal has been made to the health care insurance provider to sit down and fix this, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for Mr. Roland as the Minister responsible for Human Resources. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member's statement, due to a change in billing procedure from our health care insurance provider, employees and their families are inconvenienced, in some cases considerably, because they have to pay up front for doctor-prescribed supplies; whereas before, this was all handled through the pharmacist and direct billing. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what kind of notice and what kind of reasons were provided by the health care...

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I have that call letter in my hand right now and it’s certainly something I am going to give a lot of attention to. We went through this process earlier this year. We came up, I believe, with a good name, one that had my confidence. I wanted to ask the Premier if he got any reason from the Minister of Northern Affairs for the rejection. What are the criteria that the federal Minister wants to put on our nominee, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Premier and this is in relation to the appointment of GNWT representatives to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board…I’m sorry, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, a position that has been vacant now for some 10 months.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier was, I recall, quoted in a recent media interview as saying that while the initial nominee of our government has been rejected by Minister Prentice of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, that our government should really undertake to give him a few more...

  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.  Political life is something that we all enter into because we seek to do something for ourselves, for our communities, for our families, and it can be tremendously rewarding and satisfying when things go right. Good things in life and the satisfaction and the respect that can come from engaging in this does not come cheap. There is always a price to pay. We all walk a fine line every day, depending on the issues or the subjects or the problems that are before us, and we do what we think is right. Of course, that does not always work with everybody, so there are...