Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Bromley to the Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission on June 4, 2012, regarding WSCC health and safety performance. The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission is responsible to administer the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Safety Act and, as such, regularly evaluate the health and safety performance of large employers, including the GNWT, under the Safe Advantage program.

Safe Advantage is a safety incentive program, developed in response to recommendations of the government-sponsored Act Now report, calling for greater fairness and employer accountability in the areas of compensation claim costs and safety. The program provides for refunds to employers with proven safety and return to work practices and low claims cost experience. Employers with poor safety and return to work practices and poor claims cost experience are required to pay penalties.

As part of the Safe Advantage program, management practices are evaluated. Employers must complete a Management Practices Questionnaire that includes two sections: prevention and return to work. The prevention section evaluates the employer’s health and safety program. The return to work section assesses how the employer reintroduces injured workers to safe and productive employment that eliminates or minimizes wage loss as soon as medically safe to do so.

An employer must achieve a verified score of 70 percent for each section of the questionnaire to pass. A failing grade on either section results in failing the questionnaire. For employers already receiving a penalty for high claims cost experience, their penalty is increased by 50 percent for failing to

implement adequate prevention and return to work programs.

Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, the GNWT, as represented by the Minister responsible for the Public Service Act, is an employer. As such, the WSCC evaluates the claims cost experience and the requirements for establishing health and safety programs and committees for the GNWT as a whole. Establishing and tracking at the departmental level is an internal responsibility to the GNWT. In support of the GNWT, the WSCC has provided a breakdown of claims cost experience by department and agency.

Over the last three years, claims cost experience for the GNWT has more than doubled. Last year the costs were 60 percent above a sustainable level, based on assessments paid by the GNWT into the Workers’ Protection Fund. This increase in claims cost experience has resulted in increasing Safe Advantage claims experience penalties.

In the year prior to the current Safe Advantage program year, the GNWT Management Practices Questionnaire was verified based on the Department of Human Resources office in Yellowknife. That verification resulted in the GNWT’s first passing score for health and safety programs, and for that year no additional penalty was applied beyond the claims experience penalty.

To ensure GNWT health and safety programs are being fully implemented to protect all GNWT employees across the GNWT, the WSCC verified the current year questionnaire based on an alternative location. This practice of selecting a random location for verification is used for any employer with numerous operating locations. The GNWT was given four weeks’ notice as to the location of the verification. The final result for the GNWT this program year was 33 percent on prevention and 90 percent on return to work. This score of less than 70 percent resulted in an additional penalty being applied.

GNWT Safe Advantage penalties have risen from zero dollars in the 2009-2010 program year to $243,583 in 2010-2011 and $508,625 in 2011-2012. Although the Department of Human Resources has taken significant steps in the development of health and safety programs in the last few years, current results demonstrate that there is work to be done across the GNWT to ensure the safety of all of our employees and to reduce claims cost experience.

Mr. Speaker, the WSCC’s vision is to eliminate workplace diseases and injuries. They have been working with and are committed to continuing to work with the GNWT to ensure workplace safety and care for workers. The health and safety of our workers needs to be a priority of this government and it is each of our responsibility to ensure we

make this happen. Later today I will table this document.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Bromley to the Minister of Transportation on June 6, 2012, regarding climate change adaptation costs.

a) Settlement of the Dempster Highway due to

permafrost thaws;

b) Increased road and gravel applications to South

Slave highways;

c) Costs associated with the delayed opening of

the Tlicho winter road;

d) Extra frost and ice removal at the Inuvik Airport.

It is difficult to differentiate between routine and climate change included O and M costs for individual activities such as those listed above. In a 2007 report, Climate Change and Transportation in the NWT, the impacts of climate change on all-season roads and airports as a whole were estimated at a minimum of $1.2 million annually in direct costs to the Department of Transportation.

In addition, seasonal disruptions and shortened winter road seasons can impact the cost of living and of doing business. These indirect costs are difficult to quantify.

e) Increased de-icing glycol use at the Yellowknife

Airport and construction of increased glycol storage facilities.

The Department of Transportation has tracked glycol use for the last six years. In that time, total volumes have fluctuated from year to year. Anecdotally, usage has increased since prior to tracking and is evident from the need for larger storage facilities. Total annual glycol usage reported by air carriers is as follows:

• 109,403 litres in 2011-2012;

• 96,684 litres in 2010-11;

• 122,825 litres in 2009-10;

• 88,787 litres in 2008-09;

• 74,014 litres in 2007-08; and

• 112,919 litres in 2006-07.

The construction of the Glycol Retention and Treatment Facility cost $210,000. The construction of the Glycol Interim Snow Storage Area Facility cost $650,000. Much of the work, including engineering, was carried out by own forces.

f) Development and purchase of ice spray

technology for use in ferries.

The replacement cost of ice spray equipment is $300,000 per unit. Incremental investments, made

through the strategic initiative Reducing the Cost of Living funding by the Department of Transportation since 2009 to accelerate ice crossing construction are as follows:

• Dempster

Highway,

• Fort Simpson region, $150,000;

• Tulita/Deline,

I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Dolynny to the Minister of Public Works and Services on June 6, 2012, regarding Yellowknife office space.

1. As of February 2012, the total inventory of Class

A and B general purpose office space in the Yellowknife market was reported to be 71,349 m

2

, or 768,000 square feet. Of this reported

inventory, 465 m

2

, or 5,000 square feet, was

vacant, for a .65 percent vacancy rate.

2. As of June 2012, the reported inventory of Class

A and B general purpose office space was 76,459 m

2

, or 823,000 square feet. Of this

reported inventory, 5,574 m

2

, or 60,000 square

feet, was reported vacant, for a vacancy rate of 7.29 percent.

Once the new Government of the Northwest Territories office building is operational, the total inventory of Class A and B general purpose office space in the Yellowknife market is estimated to be 82,459 m

2

, or 887,583 square

feet.

3. Based on the current estimated rate of

absorption of new general purpose office space in the Yellowknife market, the vacancy rate is projected to approach 325 m

2

, or 3,500 square

feet, close to zero percent, prior to the completion of the new GNWT office building in 2015.

The vacant inventory for Class A and B general purpose office space upon completion of the new GNWT office building is estimated to be 6,325 m

2

, or 68,083 square feet, for a vacancy

rate of 7.67 percent, which is considered healthy under normal competitive market conditions.

I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Hawkins to the Minister of Human Resources on June 8, 2012, regarding senior management performance bonuses.

The Department of Human Resources has prepared a document entitled Performance Bonuses Paid Out in 2011-2012, which provided the number of performance bonuses paid to GNWT executive and senior managers in the 2011-2012 fiscal year by range for performance in 2010-11. The department has also reflected this information, by department, agency and corporation, in a document entitled Performance Bonuses Paid Out in 2011-12 By Department, Agency and Corporation. Due to the lengthy and detailed nature of this information, I will be tabling these documents later today at the appropriate time.

I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya to the Premier on June 8, 2012, regarding the transfer of federal positions with devolution implementation.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is currently negotiating with the Government of Canada for the transfer of authority and control over Crown lands, resources and rights in respect of water in the Northwest Territories. The negotiations focus on transfer of authority and control of resources and, therefore, there is no predetermined number of positions involved. The Government of the Northwest Territories will determine the appropriate organization structure, utilizing the $65,300 million in annual funding negotiated with Canada. This funding will be administered through an adjustment to the gross expenditure determined through the formula financing arrangement with Canada.

The Government of Canada will be laying off Northwest Territories staff in the programs affected by devolution. The Government of the Northwest Territories has committed to provide a reasonable job offer to all affected employees six months prior to effective date. The reasonable job offer includes a commitment to match as closely as possible the location of affected employees. The final decision on which employees are laid off will be made by Canada, likely close to the six-month deadline for the reasonable job offers.

A high-level organizational design is anticipated to be completed by the end of October 2012, and a detailed organization design will be finalized for May 2013. The detailed organization design will

include recommendations on the number of positions to be established and their location. I have committed to keep the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning informed of the progress of the organization design work underway.

Finally, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Hawkins to the Minister of Finance on June 11, 2012, regarding small capital projects.

Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the analysis of Small Capital Projects for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscal years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a response to a petition provided by the Honourable Robert C. McLeod, Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, in response to a petition tabled by Mr. Norman Yakeleya on June 13, 2012. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.