Thank you. Item 5, Oral Questions. Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Patterson.

I will take the question as notice, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Minister has taken that question notice. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, when I was in Fort Providence for the band council meeting, some of the people were concerned with the quality of fish in the water. There is a Slave River Environmental Quality Monitoring Program. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not any monitoring has been done on the Mackenzie River? Are there any studies being carried out now with regard to whether or not the water is contaminated and is affecting the food chain in the Mackenzie River? Can I ask that to the Government Leader?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there is some water monitoring but I will take the question as notice and provide the Member with an update of what has been done within the last 12 months.

Thank you. The Minister is taking the question as notice. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Todd.

I am sorry to keep harping on this issue, but I want to get to the bottom of it. Can the Minister for W.C.B. provide this House with a visitation plan for what the W.C.B. has in place with respect to these work place audits, given that they have projected that there is going to be a six per cent increase in administrative costs? Where do they intend to go? Because they have never gone anywhere as long as I can remember, except Calgary and Toronto.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have that information at hand but I will be happy to approach the board and get the information to the honourable Member as quickly as I can. Thank you.

The Minister has taken that question as notice also. Item 5, Oral Questions. Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister Responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board. I cannot recall the date, but I will check in the Hansard, Mr. Speaker. I recall the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions putting forth a motion in their report to this House, requesting that safety be kept under the Department of Safety and Public Services and not the Workers' Compensation Board. I would like to ask the Minister why this is not being done? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member is referring to recommendation 26 of the A.B.C. Committee report which reads that at the present time responsibility for the enforcement of occupational health and safety standards should remain with the Department of Safety and Public Services. Mr. Speaker, that recommendation is in place. The responsibility for enforcement of standards is with the Department of Safety and Public Services and shall remain with the Department of Safety and Public Services.

I do not think that recommendation required any action other than confirming the jurisdiction of that department, which is the present situation. I have no intention nor, I believe, does my colleague the Minister of Safety, have any intention of making changes in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the enforcement is within the Department of Safety and Public Services, why is funding being spent under the Workplace Audit Program which W.C.B. has developed? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the Workers' Compensation Board has established a Safety Enhancement Program which is focused on safety, education and awareness. That is different from inspection and enforcement of the Safety Act. I acknowledge that the functions are parallel and similar but, Mr. Speaker, the difference is that one is safety awareness, programs, education and the audit of an employer's performance in that area, while the other is more of a monitoring function in the inspection of workplaces for the violation of the Safety and Occupational Health Acts and enforcement, through charges if necessary, of the provisions in that legislation. The former is being done by the W.C.B. and the latter is being done by the Department of Safety and Public Services and as I have said I have made significant efforts to ensure they work cooperatively in this area. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognizing that our question period is up, I will continue with our questions tomorrow. Thank you.

Question period time has expired. Item 6, Written Questions. Item 7, Returns to Written Questions. Mr. Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, Return to Written Question 3-12(3) asked by Mr. Lewis and replied to by the Minister of Personnel concerning the payment of costs and salary for Norman Meek. Return to Written Question 4-12(3) asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell and responded to by the Minister of Personnel concerning the status of the treatment coordinator position for the Trailcross facility in Fort Smith.