Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is about ministerial responsibility. Ministerial responsibility is a convention within certain democratic systems that defines ultimate accountability within government. According to the tenets of ministerial responsibility, Ministers are responsible for the actions of their department. This means if a department has been found responsible for a major misjudgement, responsibility falls on the Minister, regardless of whether he/she was involved or even aware of the situation. The assumption is that that is the Minister's job, to be aware and responsive to what is going on within his/her own department.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Justice to take responsibility for the human resource problems out at North Slave Correctional Centre. I asked him to offer an apology to the employees who endured the appalling treatment from management. All the while at the ministerial level, there was a complete denial of any wrongdoing or problems whatsoever. Even now that an internal review has made it clear that significant problems existed, the Minister still refuses to apologize. Not only is that an insult to correctional workers, it's an insult to all Northwest Territories residents who have to foot the bill for this debacle. It is a substantial bill, Mr. Speaker.

Together with some colleagues on this side of the House, I have previously asked the Minister to provide actual figures to account for the cost of mismanagement. In many cases, the government won't provide these actual figures, citing protection of privacy and confidentiality. We do know that the Department of Justice spent $216,395 on overtime for the period of one year leading up to May 31, 2004, and between June 1, 2004, and September 30, 2004, they spent another $243,913 on overtime.

From this we can see the department spent more on overtime for that three-month period than the normal costs for an entire year. My simple calculations estimate approximately $400,000, for the three of the nine wrongful dismissal suits that required compensation.

We will never know the entire cost of the abuse of sick leave, stress leave and extended medical leave, but my estimation puts this figure at about $500,000.

Mr. Ramsay, your time for Member's statement has expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of the review of the corporate human resources was probably $200,000, the cost of Corrections Canada help in implementing the recommendations that came from the report and their ongoing support would be, at the very least, $150,000. If you add these costs up, it totals over $1.5 million, Mr. Speaker.

In addition to his official response in the House that there were no problems out at North Slave Correctional Centre, he repeatedly told me that there were many happy employees at North Slave Correctional Centre and that the review would prove that nothing was wrong.

My point, Mr. Speaker, is that the Minister refuses to take responsibility for what went on at North Slave Correctional Centre under his watch. The Minister should pay attention to the fact that, as a government, we have spent at least $1.5 million as a direct result of the management decisions at North Slave Correctional Centre. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister questions at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about the sensitive issue of outstanding property taxes that many communities are working to address and find a resolution or a plan that is mutually acceptable by all parties affected.

This issue has always been met with very little action or no headway being made by this government to do justice. Now it has been outstanding for at least 10 years, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the new deal for the Northwest Territories community governments is being rolled out and the implementation of the program will commence in one month and continue over the next four years. This government's new deal does not make any reference to this important outstanding issue or how it fits into the new deal initiative, even though many communities still have grave concerns with how this should be addressed or resolved.

One main concern, Mr. Speaker, is that as we sit and talk about the reasons for the delays and lack of progress in developing a plan to address these concerns, because of the sensitive nature of the topic, this interest is still accumulating every day on these outstanding property tax accounts. Mr. Speaker, besides all the stress and anxiety this issue creates, especially with the elders and the new homeowners, this also has detrimental effects to people's credit ratings and their ability to borrow money from any financial institutions.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support the new deal initiative and look forward to achieving more independent, strong, autonomous communities through this project. But I also support healthy communities and building individual self-esteem and self-respect amongst my constituents. If the issue of outstanding property taxes is left with the communities to deal with on behalf of the Department of Finance, with the new deal rolled out, the people are going to approach it with the same level of apathy and disdain as they do with many government plans put before them. I will be asking the Minister responsible for this department, some questions during question period today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was inspired by very compelling correspondence I received from a constituent of mine. I would like to speak today in support of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living respite service...

...currently funded by the GNWT Department of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of the respite services is to provide safe individual lives and flexible respite support to

families, as well as offer children and adults with disabilities more opportunities for inclusion in community activities.

It is an essential support service that provides planned relief for parents, families and the people with disabilities that they care for. Such relief is necessary in order to decrease burnout, stress and family breakdown. It also helps families provide the best possible support and care to their loved ones with disabilities, and it ensures that people with disabilities experience a high quality of life.

Mr. Speaker, I have long been a supporter of this program and I was very happy to see it get started over a year ago. It has been in service since December 2003, and I understand that currently there are 15 families in Yellowknife who are able to access this, but there are about 11 families who are on a waiting list.

Mr. Speaker, I need to quote a letter from a constituent of mine, who said, "The respite services have greatly enriched the lives of my family members. It is difficult to imagine returning to life without this invaluable service. Our respite worker was matched with my family, based on our specific needs, goals and preferences. I feel confident leaving my loved one with our highly-trained and caring respite worker."

As a single parent of a special needs child, Mr. Speaker, he says that he couldn't really have a normal life without this kind of service. I would just like to join my constituent in thanking the Department of Health and Social Services and the Yellowknife Association for Community Living for providing this service. I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Minister to not only maintain the service, but to expand it so those on the waiting list could access it and that this program is made available in other communities as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a group of some 32 people will be travelling to Fort McPherson by snowmobile tomorrow morning to take part in the 7th Annual Johnny D. Charlie Memorial Snowmobile Trip. This trip is made each year in memory of the late Chief Johnny D. Charlie of Fort McPherson.

Johnny D. Charlie made this trip frequently, first by dog team and later each year by snowmobile. After this death in 1998, his family decided to continue making the trip in memory of their father and to keep his dream alive, by way of teaching our younger people the traditional trails as well as keeping close communication ties with the family in Old Crow.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish all the people taking the trip all the best and be safe and enjoy God's country. At this time, I would like to thank the students and staff of the Natural Resources Program in Inuvik who are also taking part in this trip. To them, too, I wish them all the best.

Mr. Speaker, this trip takes the traveller over the traditional trails by way of Fort McPherson over the Yukon border, over the Richardson Mountains, down the Bell River and down the Porcupine River to Old Crow. This trip will take approximately five days and will be definitely one of the longest skidoo trips we've been on, from the experience I have had taking this trip a few times. Again, Mr. Speaker, I wish them all the best and enjoy their trip. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to welcome any visitors who are in the gallery today to observe our proceedings. It is always nice to have somebody watching our proceedings in the House. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for Mr. Krutko, the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board and in his capacity as the Minister who ultimately makes appointments to boards. In my Member's statement, I outlined my understanding of the recent appointment to the Appeals Tribunal, which was a vacancy that should have been designated to a representative of workers and that the individual that was ultimately appointed was not an individual who was recognized by that sector. I would like the Minister to explain why he chose to ignore the advice of workers, as stipulated in the act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been vacancies on the Appeals Tribunal, but we have been filling those vacancies by way of appointments. The Member sort of touches on one area, but there are also vacancies in the areas of employee representatives. There is a public interest representative. There is also the worker's representative, and also to ensure we have balance. We also realize that this board represents Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. In order to get that balance, you have to make decisions to ensure you have geographical makeup on this board. So, again, that is basically the appointments that have been out there. With those vacancies that are being filled, it is through an application-based program. In most cases, they are appointed in those categories; not only the worker's representative, like the Member has mentioned.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister points out some valid areas there. The sharing of our board with Nunavut puts that extra stipulation on us, but I would come back to the act. Those are the rules that this House set and that workers and employers have agreed to. It says that the Minister shall appoint members on the recommendation of representatives of workers. The vacancy was for that spot. Why didn't the Minister follow the advice of workers and appoint a member that they felt they should see on their board? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the act is clear with regard to those appointments. Again, the final decision is with the Minister, based on the applications received. If someone does not accept the idea that someone is appointed, all positions have been filled on those vacancies that I mentioned including the worker's representative, which has been appointed. Again, to ensure the Member we have fairness and consistency, this board has to be made up of a reflection of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It can't be simply all the people appointed out of Yellowknife. That is one of the reasons that we are hearing these complaints. Again, we have to have representation geographically throughout Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

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