Bill Braden

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...

Mr. Speaker, the impacts and the consequence of our housing prices hurts the people of the Northwest Territories in so many ways; in health, in education, and their chances for having stable and steady employment. Is there a willingness, an appreciation, an understanding at the Cabinet level, that housing is an across-the-board responsibility and not just something that lands in the lap of the Housing Minister or the Finance Minister? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess, for the record, I would like to back up maybe a page or two into the overall income security area and state again, for the record, one area of difficulty that our overall income security problem has caused and this is for people with disabilities who are recognized as having long-term disabilities and warrant this kind of support. It’s the right thing to do, of course. However, Mr. Chairman, our policies have not progressed to those points where they really seemed to recognize that people with disabilities very often cannot work or are quite restricted in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister be able to move these kinds of things forward through Cabinet? Because I know on this side of the House there’s a lot of readiness and willingness to listen to some new ideas and some thinking outside the box. But right now I don’t have much confidence at all in the proposals that are before us. Will there be some new and innovative ways of financing long term brought to the committee and this Assembly, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This whole program is working reasonably well and delivering its objectives. I do look forward to the overall review of all of our income security programs, along with other departments, including this one. My question right now in terms of delivering what we are mandated to do is kind of a localized question, Mr. Chairman. My concern is reflected in some calls that I have had from constituents who seem to have problems with the amount of time it’s taking for their case to be heard or reviewed or the ability of the local income support office to respond to problems...

Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for the Minister of Finance and it relates to our ability to cash flow the growing and inexorable deficit that we have in our capacity to afford our housing program. Mr. Speaker, we heard nothing at all in the federal budget yesterday on a national program, let alone a northern basis, for housing. The CMHC program, of course, is drying up. The Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation has suggested that maybe there’s something out of an aboriginal program, but I’m not convinced and I want to go to the Minister of Finance to ask what our...

Finally, Madam Chair, in that particular area I’m wondering if the department could produce, not necessarily right now, but will there be an evaluation done or has there been an evaluation done of the impact that’s had on the diamond cutting and polishing industry? Was it money well spent? What kind of results have we got to show for that? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This particular area, and it’s posted here for $4.666 million if I have it right, Madam Chair, is a fund that’s available for employers to tap to help bring their workers into trades and other skills. There is a reduction here of about $200,000. Not a significant reduction, Madam Chair, but I was wondering if the Minister could advise are there any areas here where employers are potentially seeing any reduction in this service. This program, which I would like to add is something that I’m proud of; I think Members are. I think it’s doing us very well to have this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The development of the Assembly’s position on housing is one that is very high up on the radar screen, very close to all of our constituents, no matter what riding we are from. We are addressing these needs, Mr. Speaker, through our voices here in the Assembly, through our research, through our participation in forums, in housing seminars, in meetings and workshops with our constituents and with the non-government organizations, Mr. Speaker, which are so incredibly valuable to the delivery of housing programs for those in need, for the homeless, for the disadvantaged...