This is page numbers 721 - 753 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Minister of Finance, Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the job evaluation is conducted by a committee within each department, led by a facilitator. Members of the committees are trained in the Hay job evaluation method. The departments are working towards establishing committed membership in order to ensure gender parity and that members are knowledgeable about a large number of jobs and functions within the department at headquarters and regional levels. These committees have been working since December, 1997, to evaluate all UNW and excluded jobs.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Erasmus.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I had indicated in my statement today, I think that this process is tying us down too much. What would have to happen to get the nurses out of this Hay Plan business and the unions and all the rest of that, get them out of this process so that we can respond quickly, if we have to, in order to attract nurses back into the Northwest Territories? We cannot continue to afford to bring nurses in temporarily from down south and fly them back and forth and then have them medevacing people left and right, increasing our travel costs?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Minister of Finance.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One way would be that if there was a clear indication that nurses felt that they wanted to see this change and health boards agreed with it, we could move to make nurses employees of the health boards, in which case they would fall under the Canada Labour Code.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Director of corporate services, $1.248 million. Mr. Erasmus, your time is up, but I will allow you more questions.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a couple of more questions. I did not quite hear what the Minister had indicated. Do the nurses themselves have to apply or whatever to become employees of the health boards?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This could be done on the initiation of the government as an amendment to the Public Service Act, but my comments indicated that I do not believe that the government would be prepared to act without there being a significant amount of consultation, direction and interest being expressed in seeing that change made.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Erasmus.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

The first step, there would have to be an expression of interest from the nurses? Is that correct?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, but there would also have to be the policy consideration by the boards themselves. We have nine health boards that would have to agree to take on the responsibility of being the employer, which currently they are not. It is the Government of the Northwest Territories that is the employer.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Erasmus.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Would this have be all of the health boards? Would they all have to agree to this or could one specific board and their nurses do this? For instance, could the Stanton Hospital here do that alone if the nurses and the board desire to do something?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I cannot answer the question. There would have to be some considerable policy considerations by this government in terms of whether or not we could look at a piecemeal approach or whether we would have to see it done on a blanket across-the-board basis. Without there being some consideration of that, I cannot really say how we might look at it.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Erasmus.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

July 29th, 1999

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. There would have to be policy considerations and there would have to be representation from the nurses, as well as the boards. Would one option be that the nurses have their own union separate and work for the boards?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Madam Chairperson, that change would require a legislative change. It does not mean that it could not happen, but again it would be a situation where we would have to take a look at the policy considerations and make a decision as to whether or not we were prepared to proceed in that way.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 738

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Erasmus.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would just like to thank the Minister for his forthright replies. Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. Health and Social Services, total department, not previously authorized, $1.248 million. Agreed?