Page 9-31, Justice, activity summary, corrections, operations expenditure summary, $38.169 million. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My questions have to do with the increased claims growth of WSCC claims for injured workers which, I believe, corrections is causing some quite alarming statistics, especially in the last two years. Can the Minister indicate what provisions we’re using or doing as a department to reduce the amount of claims growth in this area?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Department of Justice was one of the three highest on claims history over the last couple of years. I will say, for the record, that the department is committed to workplace health and safety. In fact, over the last year we had dedicated a senior management position to do some analysis and put some plans in place within the department so that we can see a real reduction in claims in the Department of Justice. In particular, in our facilities where we’re seeing the incidents occur. Since 2010 we have seen a 36 percent reduction in the number of Justice WSCC claims as a percentage of all GNWT claims has been achieved. Reductions in WSCC late filing penalty numbers and claims in the number of claims as a percentage of all GNWT claims were realized for 2011.

In short, we are seeing some significant reductions in the Department of Justice in this area. We would like to get those even lower and we are going to continue to do the work. We’re going to continue to work with corrections officers and corrections staff to help identify areas where people are getting injured and eliminating those opportunities for injury, if you will. Significant improvement in this area.

I’m looking forward to seeing the results and statistics to validate the significant improvement that we’re hearing from the Minister. We’ll find out at year-end whether or not that is entirely accurate. What I heard from the Minister today is that we’ve got plans in place. It sounds like they’ve hired a personnel officer to oversee some of the changes that are imminent in that department. Yet I didn’t hear about any new safety program initiatives to make the workplace safer. Can the Minister elaborate what safety programs the department is involved with to make the workplace a safer place?

As I indicated, we have pulled off a director position to actually do some analysis and start working with corrections to identify means by which we can help the people be

more aware of workplace injury, how people can be more aware of ways to avoid workplace injury. The WSCC has a number of courses and staff within the facilities, and the government as a whole have been taking advantage of these courses. We’ve done some worksite assessments on the sites themselves to see if there’s anything about the sites themselves that are causing or leading more people to be more prone to injury, and eliminating some of those where possible. I can go to the deputy minister for a few more specifics.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Haener.

Thank you, Ms. Haener. Mr. Dolynny.

I appreciate the deputy minister’s detail on that. One of my last questions here is, these trends that we’re seeing in injury, is this across the board in our corrections facilities or are we seeing certain corrections facilities with higher trends in injuries?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Abernethy.

The numbers might suggest that North Slave Correctional Facility is higher, but it’s also the largest number of staff. We don’t have the detail broken out whether, trending-wise, one facility’s got higher incidents than others, but we will look and see what we can pull out to see if we can actually pull out that data. I will say that most of the injuries in our facilities are under the categories of sprain, strain and tears.

No further questions but I would like to report progress.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Mr. Abernethy, thank you. Witnesses, thank you very much for your attendance. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you would please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Good evening, colleagues. Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. A motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The seconder is Mr. Beaulieu.

---Carried

Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 7th , at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 6:03 p.m.