I’m fully committed to working towards the planning stages. We are at that point where we’re working towards the capital planning projects. I did indicate in this House that I’m committed to working towards that and identifying dollars. The planning stages are in play and the capital planning process will be before us this summer. We’ll move forward in this regard as a discussion and then see what comes out of that. If we need to allocate funding, then definitely we’ll talk about that at that time.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Justice. I’ll give him a little bit of a break from the education venue. Workplace harassment and workplace bullying are something which I think we are becoming more and more aware of. I think it’s existed for a very long time and is all too common. I think we are becoming more aware that employers do not necessarily treat their employees fairly.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice what legislation or regulations currently exist in the NWT to deal with workplace harassment or workplace bullying.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

The Minister referenced a policy within the Department of Justice. My concern, I guess, is for employees outside of the GNWT. If someone in a private firm feels they are being harassed or bullied, what recourse do they have to try and make their workplace situation more tolerable?

Those are the areas that we continue to get complaints from various parties and we deal with them either through the employers or through our Justice department. The avenue they may have with respect to certain types of complaints that may be brought forward, it all depends on the case-by-case

basis. We need to work with those individuals as the need arises. Again it can be an interdepartmental initiative as well. Our Justice department is available to the general public if there are any issues pertaining to that and also with Human Resources.

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that information that the general public does have the opportunity to go to the Department of Justice for assistance. Several other provinces in Canada and the Canadian government itself have implemented, over the last five to six years, legislation which deals with workplace harassment and bullying. I’d like to ask the Minister whether that is something that this government might consider to either change an existing act or to bring in a new act that would deal with harassment and bullying in the workplace.

This particular area is not just our jurisdiction; it’s a national issue. Workplace and bullying harassment that’s happening within our work environment or outside our work environment. So there is a strategy in place at the national stages and we’re part of the discussion through the Justice department, whether it be the public safety, Education department as well. I will keep the Members posted on if there are going to be any changes or acts that are coming into play. We are looking at various options from other jurisdictions as well.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I guess I’m just not quite clear. I’d like to ask again, he mentions a national initiative. Is the Minister saying that nationally across the board all provinces and territories are working on something and that we are part of that? Because there are Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec who currently have their own legislation.

Each jurisdiction provides their own issues or challenges before two federal Ministers along with provincial and territorial Ministers. Saskatchewan and other jurisdictions have their own. We want to take advantage of that so we don't reinvent the wheel and see if they can fit into our judicial system as well, our justice system. Those are areas we are exploring. That’s what I was referring to, was that we bring our acts and legislation into play at the national stage and bring that information back so we can establish that type of system here in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Members will have heard of the fantastic progress that Nunavut is making this week towards meeting the need for new locally trained doctors. The federal government Memorial University program will see eight new interns trained in Nunavut; $5 million injected into Iqaluit’s Qikiqitani Hospital upgrading to accommodate the training, and return practice provisions of two years for each doctor. That’s 16 years of committed physician service. Fantastic. Can the Minister tell me what our Health department is doing to bring such bounty here?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have received the information in that and I am in communication with the federal Minister to see how we could take advantage of such a program.

Thanks for that comment from the Minister. I’ve been in touch with the Minister recently on the case of a trained physician in our community, a doctor who only needs this government’s help to give us a physician for the future. Briefly, she is asking only for this government to arrange an internship here for her. She says she’ll intern in any specialty so that she can qualify and live here with her family, all of whom are committed to the NWT. Today I learned that she has contacted Memorial University with regard to this program and they were very enthusiastic to move her to the front-line of the next round of the inductions to the Nunavut program, which closes April 7th . We have a hard deadline. I

know the Minister’s staff is working hard on this. Will the Minister commit to urgent action so this opportunity isn’t stolen out from under our very noses?

I am not able to speak about personal individual situations here, but as the Member knows, we have met on this and I have instructed my staff to follow up. They have been meeting and getting information to evaluate the situation. I am aware of the urgency.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to stress that this is an opportunity that requires an enthusiastic response. Somehow I’m not getting those vibes. I’m looking for those vibes. My constituent has said that the department is concerned with the costs. My constituent is willing to chip in from her own pocket. When I look at the cost of recruiting staffing and moving a new physician, this prospect seems to save us a bundle right off the start. Will the Minister commit to taking

these costs into account and applying our savings to this golden opportunity?

We are reviewing all aspects of this file. We are giving it due consideration. I expect to have an answer for him shortly.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been urging the Minister to get going on this, because I know that it’s an ephemeral opportunity that’s going to walk out the door on us. I appreciate the Minister going after this. I have to ask why this is so hard. Why are we dilly-dallying about when the long-term cost benefits are so clear here? Why aren’t we working these opportunities aggressively when they show up on our doorstep?

The situation is not as simple and clear cut as the Member suggests. It’s complex to evaluate a medical professional and we are consulting with individuals and bodies to help us evaluate the situation. As the Member knows, my staff have made it a priority to meet with the person in question and we are putting in all energy to evaluate the situation. I am going to get back to the Member shortly.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.