Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's critical that we continue to work with our colleagues in the East because we do share the same Workers' Compensation Board. I met with my counterpart on January 25th in Iqaluit, where we went over looking at the draft legislation for phase two. We have raised concerns in regard to transparency, but also to look at how we are trying to expand our authority. We have appointed an active position in Iqaluit to work with the workers' advisor. So the workers' advisor here in Yellowknife now has someone he can work with in Iqaluit. So we have developed that position. So those are the types of transitional processes we're working on. Again, I have been working with my counterpart in Nunavut to ensure that we are both online with these amendments to this legislation. So we will be bringing forward collectively and allow both legislatures to have an open debate on those changes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the workers in Nunavut will be very pleased to know that they have a counterpart to the workers' advisor here. Mr. Speaker, are there significant costs and staffing issues related to creating this more independent group, and is that seen as a difficulty or a barrier in establishing this independence? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the key components of how we work together is the membership we have on our different boards. Two members are appointed to the Workers' Compensation Board, but we also have members on the Appeals Tribunal who are now from Nunavut, which they are still requesting more representation on those bodies. I think by ensuring we have people on these boards from Nunavut, is basically to ensure they have input in regard to how these appeals happen. So we are working to ensure that we have more involvement from people from Nunavut by having a board that's basically made up of representatives from the East. So again, that's one of the things we're working on, is to have a balance between the representation of that board and also ensuring we have a voice from both territories.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, one of the significant challenges or problems that injured workers encountered in the last few years, at least, was the backlog of cases before the Appeals Tribunal. How are we doing in that neighbourhood today, Mr. Speaker? Perhaps more specifically, how many cases are before the Appeals

Tribunal today and what is the average turnover or turnaround in waiting times for those appeals? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from the information that I've seen, the appeals, in a number of cases, have gone down in the past number of years. Because it's such an open-ended question, I'll take it as notice and get that information to the Member so that we can get some clearer percentages and numbers that are accurate. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today my question is for the Minister of Justice. I believe the coroner falls under his domain. I'd just like to ask what our role is in the government for our coroners. What structure does the coroner have within the Department of Justice? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The coroner is a contractor who is hired by the Department of Justice and operates in an office out of a building in downtown Yellowknife. He is assisted in his work by volunteer coroners across the Northwest Territories and in all communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am just wondering if the Minister can tell me if we have coroners or helpers in the communities and what role they play in the coroner's office. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The coroners in the communities play an extremely important role. We have coroners in most of the communities in the Northwest Territories and I said they work as volunteers because their pay is about $150 a body. In effect, for the amount of work that they do, which on average is about 25 hours a case, that amounts to a volunteer position and it's something that we are looking to right now on whether or not it needs to be revised. But the coroners will investigate an accidental death. They will make recommendations if there's a need for regulation changes or safety issues that need to be dealt with. They often go above and beyond what their expected duties are, Mr. Speaker, by helping families deal with bodies. That really is outside the scope of their job, but many do the work of what would otherwise be seen as an undertaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

I'd like to thank the Minister for that answer and I'd like to say hello and thank you to all the unsung heroes out in the communities being volunteer coroners. They do fulfill a meaningful role in society as a whole, Mr. Speaker. It's something they are doing out there that's not learned; it's a particular skill set that makes a person a coroner. However, I understand what learning they do need, Mr. Speaker, is that our department may cut that out. They may cut out some coroner training. Can I get an answer on that from the Minister, please?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I met with the coroners at their recent training session about two weeks ago, the question was raised and I had to admit to the coroners that in the budget that's before the House right now, the money for their training session is not included. But I did commit to them that I was confident that before the end of the fiscal year, I would be able to find the funds to make sure that that training is offered. That is the commitment that I intend to stand by.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very happy to hear that commitment from the Minister because, indeed, like I said, it's an unsung hero's position in the communities. Would this commitment include, did the Minister say, a training position, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.