Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, we privileged few in this House face no small amount of public scrutiny for the decisions we make, which is a fundamental feature of our democratic traditions. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we all uphold the high standards Northerners expect from us in the decisions that we make.

Mr. Speaker, politicians as a whole never tend to poll well, except for a handful on election day. Earlier this year, a survey asked Canadians which jobs they trust and respect the most. While firefighters and nurses came out on top, politicians were found to be the least-respected jobs in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I appreciate the Minister saying that the department is going to look at it, review that, and I greatly appreciate she is going to get back to me with that information. The Minister spoke about, when I asked her questions earlier, she talked about income support and having to look at it. Can the Minister advise, if seniors apply for this seniors' subsidy, do the department staff actually encourage the seniors to apply for income support, as well?

The Minister has spoken about the urgency around this appointment. How much time did the previous workers' advisor give notice when they resigned from the position? How much time did the Minister have to fill this position?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission has clearly laid out his case that he has a statutory authority to appoint this candidate. The question is around the fairness of the appointment. I would like to know if the Minister can tell this House: how many candidates were considered for the workers' advisor position? Thank you.

Again, I am not questioning the merits of the person who was appointed, and I am sure they will do a good job, but the Minister knows quite well that this is a long-time political aide of the Minister. Can the Minister confirm whether or not he brought this issue up with his Cabinet colleagues or with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner to assess whether or not it was a conflict for him to make this decision?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation and Safety Commission's appointment of the Workers' Advisor, why was an expression of interest not issued to the public? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates 2019-2020, with the Departments of Justice and Infrastructure as the departments under consideration by committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is it was three months. The Minister had three months to fill this position. The Minister can't tell me if there is more than one person. I would like to know what process is in place to ensure that Cabinet and political appointments conform to the standards of transparency and fairness that Northerners have come to expect from their government? Thank you.

The position is for the public, not for our employees, and certainly not for the Minister. What criteria did the Minister use to select the candidate? Just being a long-time Northerner, a long-time personal staff member of the Minister? Or were there other selection criteria?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, constituents and other members of the public have brought to me their concerns around wait times of six to 12 weeks to access mental health services, far greater than the government's own estimate of two to three weeks. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services respond to these concerns today with an updated and current estimate of the approximate wait times to access mental health care services in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.