Mr. Speaker, I have not yet received the budget for the coming fiscal year from the Workers' Compensation Board. I am told that there is about a six per cent increase in the budget which will be tabled in the House. I think part of the increase costs are for increased activities that the board is planning in the safety education awareness field. The board is also, as I mentioned the other day, looking at improving its internal audit capabilities. That is what I know about the proposed budget, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We already spend $2.3 million in the safety division; $800,000 in the mine safety division and $750,000 on fire safety. How can the Minister justify this duplication of service that the Workers' Compensation Board intends to perform at an additional cost to the employers in these difficult times?

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the significant monies that are being spent, which I acknowledge, the reality is that the cost of accidents and the short fall between the costs of dealing with those accidents and the reassessment revenue has meant that the board is in a difficult financial situation and is forced to pass on those increased costs to the users. Mr. Speaker, I think the board's philosophy is that it is only by increasing and monitoring awareness -- and, yes, I would agree spending more money even than what we are spending now -- that accidents can be cut back in severity and in number so that in future, rates can be reduced and the trend of spiralling rates that we have seen in recent years can be reversed. That is the board's theory, Mr. Speaker. We have to do more in safety awareness and inspection if we are to stop the increased cost of accidents in coming years. That is the only way rates will come down. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, some Members of this House believe that the jurisdiction and responsibility lies with the Department of Safety and Public Services, and more importantly, the fiscal responsibility. The government's own Strength At Two Levels report recommended that duplication should be removed within the G.N.W.T. infrastructure. Will the Minister explain to me how we can on the one hand suggest that we not duplicate but on the other hand duplicate with the W.C.B. when it is already the responsibility of Safety and the fiscal responsibility lies with the government's safety division?

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I am not happy with the situation. I am not pleased that we have this problem as outlined by the Member. I would like to explain, Mr. Speaker, when I took over this responsibility I found that a safety education capacity had been established and was in place in the Workers' Compensation Board. People had been hired and expenses had been incurred to develop support for that safety education program. Since I was faced with a fait accompli, I decided that the best way to deal with that situation, rather than undoing what had been done and wasting money that had already been spent, would be to get the Department of Safety and Public Services and the Workers' Compensation Board and require them to work in a cooperative fashion.

At the time, I was Minister of both departments, and it was possible to insist that cooperation be the watch word. Mr. Speaker, I believe the two functions are being carried out now in a cooperative manner: one is inspection and monitoring of safety practices; the other is awareness and education. They are related. They are complementary. There is not competition and I am satisfied that, in that sense, Mr. Speaker, the public is getting value for its money.

I recognize the A.B.C. Committee has recommended the matter be looked at, that it be considered in the context of legislative review and I think it should be reviewed. For the time being, Mr. Speaker, I think we have a working relationship that is cooperative and satisfactory and not necessarily duplicating or wasting money by duplications. Thank you.

Oral Questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Government Leader. Mr. Speaker, all this month, I have been listening between programs to an announcement on the new gun law that is going to be applied across Canada. This month, until Monday anyway, there is an amnesty on the kind of guns that should be allowed to have permits. Not that we have a lot of Inuit or Dene people who have these point shot/clip automatics. I have not heard any announcement on this amnesty in any aboriginal language, Inuktitut or Dene. I would like to ask if most of the communities are quite informed about this new gun law, about the type of rifles, the kind of ammunition and the amount of ammunition that you can carry?

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I will make sure that the information that is surely getting out in English is stepped up in the aboriginal languages so that everyone has the same amount of information. Mr. Speaker, I know that even I am waiting for a few minutes so I can get a briefing on what I can be allowed to keep as well. I know that we are behind in getting that information out, but we will step it up as quickly as possible.

Thank you. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, the work place audit function proposed by the board with regard to its new and enhanced safety program, would be directed to safety education resources and safety awareness compliance in the work place. In other words, it would be toward the education function rather than toward compliance with the legislative mandate of the Department of Safety and Public Services. So, to that extent, Mr. Speaker, it would not duplicate the legislative mandate of the Department of Safety and Public Services. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Todd.

I wonder if the Minister can enlighten me on what a work place audit is?

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the work place audit would look at deficiencies in the Occupational Health and Safety Programs of the employer and it could lead to additional assessment under section 63 subsection 1.5 of the Workers' Compensation Act. It is the kind of audit that could lead to what is called "penalty assessment" or "super assessment". Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Todd.

Is it the intention of the department to travel and do safety inspections or safety audits within a certain jurisdiction that the Workers' Compensation Board covers? Do they intend to travel and go to the work place to determine the audit that you have so eloquently explained to us?

Mr. Patterson.