Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to provide opening comments on Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act. The proposed amendments allow for the creation of a legislative presumption that firefighters with certain types of cancers are presumed to have developed the cancer from their work.

The presumption for firefighters, full-time, part-time and volunteer, will recognize that firefighters who have certain types of cancers after working as firefighters for specified periods developed those cancers from their work. Seven Canadian jurisdictions currently provide for a...

The NWT Act is a federal act that we don’t change. The bands are governed by the Indian Act, so we’re working with the band to try to get them to form an interim corporation so the money can go to them. But I will commit to working very closely with the Member and seeing if we can get the message to the leadership in Lutselk’e that this is a step that they should look at taking for the benefit of getting capital land gas tax dollars into their community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, I would.

We have consulted with interested stakeholders and that includes the tax-based community governments, the relevant GNWT departments, the NWT Seniors’ Society, and the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT. They have been consulted and have had some input into the process that’s gone on so far.

I’m not quite familiar enough with the work that’s being done, but I will follow up on it. These are actually issues we’ve been hearing about from folks across the NWT. I will commit to the Member that I will follow up on it. This is part of the work that’s being undertaken right now. As I get more information, I will share that with the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me today, to my right, Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. To my far left is Mr. Mark Aitken, director of legislation, and to my immediate left is Ms. Bev Chamberlin, director of lands administration with Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 5 has been brought forward as a result of a recommendation from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, in May of 2009, to strengthen security requirements for commercial or industrial leases of Commissioner’s land.

The goal is to require enough security to cover the costs of any remediation required to return the land to a condition that is satisfactory to the Minister or a person authorized in the regulations.

The bill contains clauses making performance security a condition of commercial and industrial leases, it sets out the...

I do know that in the coming months we’re going to finalize our analysis to see about bringing an LP forward. I will follow up and see if we have enough in there with enough meat on it to bring an LP forward as soon as the May session.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can inform the Member that there has been work going on behind the scenes. We have been reviewing the act with the intent of making revisions to it. I will commit to the Member that I will follow up with officials and see where we’re at with it and how soon we can bring an LP forward for consideration.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are many reasons that the core need would rise. It’s not just a matter of putting the product on the ground. The affordability is a contributing factor; suitability of housing and adequacy. We’ve taken steps to address the core need. With the money that’s been invested by the federal government and matched by this government, we’re quite confident that within a year or two we’ll have addressed or made a serious dent in the core needs in the communities.