Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it's in regards to the human resource management review that's been going on for the last number of months. Mr. Speaker, as indicated in this House last week, we've had a chance to have some briefing on the update of the report and some of the findings, but most of the issues pertaining to the review are still in the works, and it's not finalized, and it's a work in progress, and it's going to be worked on while most of the Members here are occupied otherwise for the month of September....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. I have to stay I don’t have enough of these best friends, but I don’t mind because I know that the diamonds have become best friends of Yellowknife and the NWT. I know that our friends in Tlicho will also tell you that diamonds are a Dogrib’s best friend. My colleagues in Hay River are working hard to make sure that diamonds become Hay River’s best friend.

Mr. Speaker, but I have to say that I am not sure if this government has been diamond’s best friend. The first thing is that the government has...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would like to speak on a specific item on the Minister’s opening statement. It speaks to a specific project, but I am going to make it into a general comment because it is included in his statement, Madam Chair. That has to do with an item in the budget for the dementia centre. Madam Chair, I just want to thank the Minister very much. I don’t mind being effusive and being totally shamelessly thanking the Minister for moving this project forward. Madam Chair, I just want to say that.

All the Yellowknife Members here know, especially the ones such as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In doing that and further to that, could the Minister advise as to whether or not there have been any extra resources put into place to close these files? Each file could take a long time. So unless you put some bodies in there to speed up the process, it may not happen. So I’d like to ask the Minister to have that information as well, specifics on additional resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague from Hay River South said that a strategy without money is a slogan and I say that a policy without resources to back it up. Would this be a statement on paper? I don’t know. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member’s statement, I think a policy change is a start, but nothing will be affected in terms of making a difference on these files and the workers that have been waiting for years and years to have their cases resolved, expending a lot of energy and money and time and their mental health, in many cases, and physical health, not to mention. None...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome everybody here also, but I’d like to recognize a Page from my riding. His name is Jake Olson. He agreed to step in and he’s having a lot of fun. So I’d just like to recognize him. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the Minister’s answers but, as I had stated in my Member’s statement, I know that none of the files that I have been associated with have seen any movement whatsoever since April. So I have to assume that that may be the case, or most likely the case, that is what’s going on with other files, but I am willing to be persuaded otherwise. So I’d like to ask the Minister, because I know the WCB has been collecting cases, would the Minister report to us and tell us before the end of this Assembly what progress has been made, what number of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for WCB and it’s in regards to the Member’s statement I made earlier. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister to just give us a status report on what he has been able to accomplish in terms of clearing up some of the long outstanding files in light of the new chronic pain policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about WCB. Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying that a lot of good progress has been made between the Members of this House, the Minister, the chair of the Governance Council and the new CEO over the last number of months. We have gotten some really good work done. I am particularly impressed, Mr. Speaker, with the changes in approach and willingness shown by the senior staff in working with us to make the new WCB Act under review as good and as responsive as it can be for the stakeholders.

Before I get too carried away with...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted hearings on Bill 13, Change of Name Act, between June 6 and June 15, 2007. Combined with the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight members, the committee split into northern and southern groups seeking input from as many communities as possible within this time frame. Meetings took place in Fort Smith, Hay River, Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Behchoko, Gameti, Tulita, Tsiigehtchic and Inuvik. The clause-by-clause review with the Minister took place on August 13, 2007. The committee...