Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Justice and it’s in regard to the human resource internal review that’s being held. Mr. Speaker, I accept the Minister’s statement in the House that this review is going on and that we should wait for the report to pursue further questions, and I am prepared to go with that except that I want to be sure that we will have the information from the review to make decisions or if things need to be done. The reason why I am not so sure if that’s going to happen for sure is that I have not had a commitment from the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about the urgency for whistle-blower protection legislation in our jurisdiction.

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I appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that this was a topic of discussion nationally, prior to the last federal election, but it somehow fell off the federal agenda with the call of the June election. I do not know when this will get back on their agenda, but I don't believe we need to wait around for some other governments to do the job. I believe we need to do this ourselves, and the sooner we deal with it, the better, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to just make a short statement in support of this motion. I would like to first of all reiterate the points that I made about the need for senior housing in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, which is very, very dire. Right now really the only independent units for seniors that are available in the city is the Aven independent courts, and that only has 24 units and it runs at full capacity all year round and it has been for the last 10 years that it’s been in existence. There are some seniors' units available in Mary Murphy and Northern United Place...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure to recognize a local accountant, housewife and keen observer of this House, Ms. Connie Henderson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if he could give support in principle that if the need is found in this study, that he would look positively at giving operational funding that he would have to spend as the Minister of Health anyway for seniors. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This has been in the books for a very long time and I guess if the study is going to be done at the end of November, we have to wait for this. But I’m concerned that the Minister has not indicated enough commitment to seeing the results of the study being implemented. Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister is well aware that YACCS is not looking for capital funding, it’s not looking for a handout, it’s only looking for the commitment from the government to pay for the operating costs that the government would otherwise have to do anyway. So would the Minister, if there...

Mr. Speaker, a 2002 feasibility and market research study commissioned by the YACCS has shown very clearly that there is huge need for senior housing in Yellowknife, because there are a lot more people now retiring in Yellowknife and that’s a good thing and the government should welcome that and accommodate essential needs of seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I could tell you that there are Avens independent courts in the middle of Yellowknife, there are 24 units and last year there was a zero turnover rate in that 24-unit complex. This year there was one, and there is a waiting list of 10. Clearly, at...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m talking about the importance of a government department like the Housing Corporation in its effort to provide affordable housing in an efficient way, an economical way and that’s…(inaudible)…but I’m saying, Mr. Speaker, and I am saying to the Minister and the entire government that they can’t be trying to achieve that by breaking their own policies willingly. I think I’ve made my point there, Mr. Speaker.

Another point I want to make, and that’s going back to the seniors’ housing, the goals and objectives that the YACCS has cannot be met with only the help of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my written question is to the Honourable David Krutko, Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Please provide information on what steps have been taken by the WCB to accommodate and to fall in line with the findings of the Supreme Court decision, cited as Nova Scotia WCB vs Martin [2003] 2S.C.R.504, in terms of the board’s policy on compensatory and rehabilitation program benefits for those NWT claimants who suffer from the disability of chronic pain.

Please provide answers to the following:

Are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must say I don’t really like the general approach of all the Ministers. For some reason doing something for Yellowknife takes away from doing things for other communities, and I don’t accept that. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, the government has already set a precedent. We’re building a bridge, the government is funding it, but there are other people who are benefiting from it and the government is bridging with a private partner. Why can we not do that for seniors?