Wendy Bisaro

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just have one question here. Certainly, in my time here, I’ve realized that this section of this department is really busy. We seem to increase the number of negotiating tables that we’re at on a yearly basis. I’m wondering how things are going in terms of negotiating tables. I don’t imagine that we’ve lost any, so to speak, in this last year. I note on the next page that we have gone down one staff member from the current budget year to the next budget year. Are we still negotiating at the same number of tables as previously? If so, why has our staff complement gone down...

Thanks. I think I thank the Minister for that clarification, I don’t necessarily agree with him, but I have to then ask the Minister when we have two previous Ministers of Health who have stated that 65 years and over patients are allowed a medical escort, what weight does the Minister’s statement made in the House carry? Why did that not translate into a policy change? Thank you.

Thanks to the Premier for that. So, good to hear.

I wanted to just ask a question about the numbers that are on this page. Compensation and benefits are reduced from the current budget year to ‘13-14 and I note at the bottom of the page devolution implementation, I guess it’s about the same basically, but if you look at numbers of staff a couple of pages in, the staff members don’t change. So why have compensation and benefits gone down so much if our staff complement is the same? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Bromley. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you. So one of the things that, in my mind, gender-based analysis should do is to put a gender-based lens on any policy or any program or service that we may put into place. So we started from what I sort of think of as a zero position and are gradually working our way up and implementing a gender-based analysis lens on everything. Could I get some kind of an evaluation from the department as to where we are at this point? Are we 50 percent of the way there, are we 80 percent of the way there? How is it going in terms of using gender-based analysis in everything we do? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome to the House a new arts group, just a fledgling arts group. Arts Alliance NWT is here. They are a new group that is starting to get going. I don’t believe Brian Collins is here, but I’d like to recognize Brenda Crerar-Lowen, Gerda Hazenberg, Shawna Lampi-Legaree and Constantina Tsetso. Best of luck with your new organization.

Thanks, at least that’s clear. I want to also talk a bit about devolution, and I think the Minister referenced figures in here, or else I saw it in the budget somewhere, but the money for negotiations will be reduced, but we’re also working on implementation for once this agreement has been reached and things are signed off. So it’s a general question in terms of implementation. I know it’s been worked on within this current budget year. So how are things going? Basically, are we going to get everything done? I think the target date is April 1st of 2014. Is everything going to be done by then...

Thanks, committee. Page 9-33, Justice, information item, corrections, active positions. Any questions?

Thanks to the Minister. I do agree; there have definitely been some improvements in terms of the timing of when applications are received, and determined, and money gone out. It was pretty miserable there for a while but it’s been apparently really good in the last year or two. Again, this is just a comment, but I would exhort the department to try and find money to increase this fund. I think even to $500,000 would allow a number of the NGOs who don’t get money to maybe get some. For an NGO $50,000 is a lot of money. It’s peanuts to us but it’s a great deal of money to an NGO. So I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last few weeks, Members have spoken a lot and asked many questions about the GNWT Medical Travel Policy, and I have another unique and special situation that I want to comment on today.

Apparently not, according to the recent experience of a Yellowknife constituent in the elder category. Her health condition required a trip out for treatment. Funding to cover the cost of an escort to travel with her was denied by GNWT health. My question is, should it have been?

Through this experience I’ve learned a whole new term: policy by commitment. MLAs regularly hear...