Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess one of the characteristics of federal budgets is large ideas and large blocks are introduced. The devil is in the detail. Given where we are now, just a few days out of the announcement, would the Minister undertake to lobby the federal government to make sure that a substantial portion of this is available to northern NGOs and communities, perhaps even our own government, to help us respond efficiently and effectively to applications? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the public report called Act Now, which spurred these initial changes, was presented to the Ministers almost three years ago now, but has yet to be tabled in this House. Will this Minister table this report for the record in this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the primary recommendation of the Act Now report was that an operational review be undertaken of the WCB. This was reflecting the concerns and comments of many injured workers who have difficulty with the claims implementation area and, I believe, not a few employers who also had issues there. Is this government, this WCB, going to undertake any action at all under that very significant recommendation to have an operational review of the WCB? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the year 2000, a legislative review panel was appointed to recommend changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Safety Act of the Northwest Territories. In 2002, the panel’s report, called “Act Now,” was received by the Ministers for the WCB both here and in Nunavut. Mr. Speaker, it’s interesting to note that after all that time and that profile and expense, that this report was never tabled in this House. The terms of reference provided for a legislative review, and that panel was to also present the views heard by the stakeholders during a very wide-ranging...

Thank you. I think that’s all for now and thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chairman, will our accountabilities out of this Assembly be altered in any way? Perhaps I can phrase the question this way; that if I was a Tlicho citizen and I had a difficulty with the way in which a GNWT service was being provided, where would I go? Would I go to this new community services board and expect to get satisfaction there? Would I go to my MLA? Would I go to the Minister responsible for whatever program and so on? I’m just trying to seek that difference or that clarification and to make sure that I understand what my job is here as a part of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As almost always is the case with this kind of thing, time is of the essence. The regulatory process has a number of triggers and deadlines built into it. What kind of priority is the Minister going to be putting on securing this funding and working with our partners and other NGOs in communities to help get this money in place just as soon as possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for Mr. Bell, the Minister of what we now call RWED and is soon to be a couple of other departments. It is in the area of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline project and funding and support for organizations, regional governments, to help prepare for this pipeline.

In Wednesday’s federal budget, Mr. Speaker, the federal government put $150 million on the table over the next four years to increase federal and regional capacity to respond efficiently and effectively to environmental and regulatory applications associated with the pipeline.

Mr. Speaker...

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure the Minister understands the difference between a legislative review, which is partly what we’ve undertaken, and an operational review, which is to say that once we’ve created the rules and the platform for how a job is to be done, how is the job actually implemented and undertaken. This is where many injured workers have come to me and other MLAs, to say that the way the WCB performs in this area for some workers, not all, but for some, puts them on an endless treadmill of appeals and frustration. When are we going to undertake an operational review? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this morning are for the Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board and they have to do with the program of legislative changes undertaken in the last Assembly. Mr. Speaker, there was a second phase of legislative review that was committed to. In fact, the most recent report of the WCB says that the second phase of the legislative review will focus on outstanding aspects not addressed in phase one. The research developments and consultations on these issues will be undertaken throughout 2004. Mr. Speaker, that has passed. I’m not aware of...