Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's response. He indicated that it might already be decided where they are going. If it has not been decided yet, where they are going, would he locate one in Hay River? Thank you.

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community alcohol and drug workers are not health board staff in most cases. They are with non-government organizations. The non-government organizations are given a certain amount of funding to provide the service of drug and alcohol workers and it is those organizations that would set their rate of pay for those individuals. I am aware of some correspondence with the health board in Inuvik regarding this concern. The information that was provided was to inform the community organization that was involved with the alcohol and drug program that they could, in fact, raise the rate of pay. That would be taking money out of the rest of the program. Each region and community has worked out a formula what they would they would get in funding for community alcohol and drug programs. Those communities would decide what level of pay they would be paying their workers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister do a review regarding the discretion between our drug and alcohol workers and our alcohol and drug specialists who may work for the government? We used to carry this program through the department of Health and Social Services out of Yellowknife. Now we transferred that authority to the regional centres. I believe we transferred the resources along with it. People should be paid accordingly to the jobs that they do. I would like to ask the Minister whether he will consider doing a review to compare the different wages, salaries and benefits that the alcohol and drug program delivery agencies are being paid right now?

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the area of doing a review, I think we need to have in mind what we are actually trying to accomplish with that review. We know there is concern between different organizations and regions and how they pay their workers, but as I stated earlier, when the programs were developed each region and community was given a formula as to how much funding would be

transferred. I know we have done quite a bit of review of my previous work as a Member of social programs. We dealt with the department regarding the alcohol and drug program and initially for the first couple of years, there were a lot of reductions and even the alcohol and drug program was impacted by decisions made at that time. I will look at getting information as to what the differences are in the different areas and to see why if there are outstanding issues, or if there is a great variance why that would be and once I have that information I will provide my response to the Member. Thank you.

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I wish to report to the Legislative Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Public Colleges Act, and wishes to report that Bill 1 is ready for consideration in committee of the whole.

And Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 70(5) and have Bill 1 moved into committee of the whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.