This is page numbers 405 - 450 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 6th 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 going.

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Further Return To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all I have been critical of with the government is I just want to see the proof. Show me the proof and I can support the project. The government hasn't been able, for whatever reason, to show me the proof that the cost of living in Yellowknife and in the North Slave region will not go up if this bridge is built.

I would like to ask the Premier if these numbers, that is $150 million, that is $7 a tonne or $6.75 a tonne, has been shopped around to stakeholders here in the North Slave region. I am talking about industry, transportation companies, municipalities, chambers of commerce, the Tlicho Government and the Akaitcho Government. Has the government spoken to those organizations, Mr. Speaker? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just find it really odd that of all of the public infrastructure we build, the MLA would choose this one to say we need to have all of the facts. Are we going to have to do this every time we replace a culvert or pave or chipseal a piece of road? This is a piece of infrastructure. We don't do that often. We do our assessment. We run good government and we make sure that what we are doing is in the benefit of all of the people of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I just don't understand the reluctance here. Mr. Speaker, do we talk to everybody? Yes, we have talked to everybody going back to 2002. We have talked to everyone about this. Now, as I say, we are not negotiating everything in public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a big difference between building a culvert and building a $150 million bridge, that is a kilometre across the Mackenzie River. There is a huge difference there. I think the government and the Premier has all but admitted it. They haven't gone back out with the new numbers. Sure, we talked to people in 2002. That is when the project was 60 to 70 million dollars. It is $150 million now. Is the government going to go out and consult with the stakeholders? The cost of living is going to go up here in the North Slave region and the government should go back out and should consult with the public. That, to me, is good government, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some of us believe it is our job in this Legislative Assembly, it seems, to just keep consulting and consulting and studying and so on. Some of us believe it is our job to do things. Mr. Speaker, we are going to do this. We are not going to every step of the way go out and get people's opinions again. We got people's opinions since 2002. We know we have a good deal. We know it is workable at the $6 a tonne in 2002 dollars or $6.75 today and something else in 2010 when it is completed. We know it is good for Yellowknife, the North Slave region and the mines. It is another important piece of infrastructure. We are going to go forward with this unless something really goes sideways on a final contract. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Question 151-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 412

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, thank you. My questions this afternoon are for the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Krutko. It regards the plight of longstanding unresolved cases of injured workers and specifically the widely publicized case of Mr. Ivan Valic, a worker who was injured while he was helping to build the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool here in Yellowknife some 19 years ago now.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Valic's case was a subject of a Supreme Court ruling that found the WCB's policies and procedures wanting and an instruction developed to make sure that his case was reheard at appeal. But my understanding is that even 18 months after that court ruling, Mr. Valic's case still remains unresolved. I would like the Minister to advise the Assembly what is the status of Mr. Valic's longstanding case with the WCB?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Return To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to this case, the individual was compensated for the outstanding case, but also at this time there is presently a dispute in regards to some outstanding receipts that the member has had. The Workers' Compensation Board has, along with the client, taken that case to arbitration. It is before arbitration right now and being heard in regards to the outstanding receipts that are being disputed. The individual was compensated and settled. We thought that was taken care of. But he, at this present time, is disputing some outstanding receipts in regards to his medical receipts and those have been forwarded to independent arbitration. Again, because it is before arbitration, I will not be answering any more questions on this matter. Thank you.

Return To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Supplementary To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, what steps will the WCB be taking to address the relatively large caseload of longstanding chronically unresolved issues for injured workers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we have revised the payment policy that we have in place in regards to chronic pain which is now part and parcel of that policy. That will hopefully improve and clarify exactly the situation around chronic pain. Again, we are coming forward with legislation to this House which will improve the system that we presently have, which again is an improvement of what we already have. Again, Mr. Speaker, those are some of the efforts that we are working at. Again, we are doing our best to satisfy workers. Again, there have been commitments I made myself in this House to get information back to the House in regards to the number of outstanding cases and cases that have been resolved to date. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Question 152-15(6): Longstanding Workers' Compensation Claims
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

August 19th, 2007

Page 413

Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I talked about the beluga whales that are presently in Husky Lakes. It happened as well last year. We were fortunate, Mr. Speaker, that last year ENR provided assistance for the Tuk hunters and trappers to harvest the whales even though it was late in the season, some time in late November or early December. Right now, Tuk HTC made it very clear, Mr. Speaker, that they will not do anything at the present time. They will let nature take its course in terms of the beluga whales trying to get out of Husky Lakes. I would like to ask the Minister of ENR if he can work with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Fishing Joint Management Committee and try to find a solution to this problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We certainly will commit to working with the hunters' and trappers' committee and the Fisheries and Oceans who is the lead on this issue. I think there are about 85 whales trapped in the Husky Lakes area again this year. We are hoping that they will find their way out this fall through the channel that leads to the Arctic Ocean. We have to wait until some time later this fall to see if that happens. Failing that, we will certainly work with the community, the hunters' and trappers' committee and the federal government. Thank you.

Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A quick follow-up here. The Minister indicated they will wait until probably early September. I don't know at what point in time, but if it's decided that they require assistance for monitoring and trying to lead them out of the Husky Lakes, I'm just wondering if the Minister can sit down with the HTC at a certain point in time before it gets too late, unlike last year, and provide the funds required to either harvest or chase them out of Husky Lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are monitoring the situation. We are certainly aware of the issue and the concern from people in the community. We will have some early discussions with Fisheries and Oceans on this issue and also talk to the community as early as possible. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 413

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.