The government will have a continued involvement in the implementation of any action items that come out of the foundation. I won’t commit to a secretariat, but I will commit that the government will maintain being actively engaged. We will work with our partners as we move forward and we’ll continue to monitor the results. Without seeing the final plan, it’s a little hard to say exactly how that’s done. We expect some recommendations on how to monitor it and move forward with it to actually come from the steering committee as part of the action plan.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the circumstances of the time for the NWT kind of moving toward devolution, at the same time, economically speaking, we’re trying to develop a strategy. Part of that is to develop a mining strategy. My question is to the Minister of ITI.

Given the concerns raised about free entry mining system in the Yukon and elsewhere, has this government started any research into what we will need to do to make sure the NWT mining legislation reflects the duty to consult with First Nations?

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. David Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is monitoring the situation in the Yukon. We have to continue to analyze the implications of this decision over the next little while, and we certainly have to be cognizant of the implications that it could have here in the Northwest Territories. We are following this and we are paying close attention to what’s happening in the Yukon.

Has this government started any research on what alternative approaches to the

mining regulations are out there other than the free entry system?

As I mentioned to MLA Nadli earlier, we continue to analyze this decision. We have to make sure that we know what the full implications are of that decision, and of course, the Government of the Yukon has appealed. We are following this along as it happens, and we need to pay very close attention to decisions that are made in the Yukon and how they may impact us here in the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to go back to something that I’ve been talking about for quite some time. Since the 16th Assembly, I’ve been

after the Minister and the government to increase minimum wage and to bring us on a par, or at least close to par, with the rest of Canada. We did have an increase in our minimum wage on the 1st of April

of 2010, and then again on the 1st of April of 2011.

They were, thankfully, not an April fool’s joke.

Since 2011, I’ve been anticipating the development and the publication of a department policy to guarantee regular increases to minimum wage so we don’t have to lobby for it every three years. In 2010, the Minister specifically said in a Minister’s statement, the department is considering ways to implement future increases that will see regular and reasonable increases linked to other economic factors such as inflation and cost of living. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not the department has acted on that promise.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first introduced the minimum wage increase, there has been a very positive vibe in the Northwest Territories. Although it’s just a small increment, at the same time, we’re trying to be compatible to other jurisdictions. We have been working on this incremental comparable to other jurisdictions, as well, what kind of mechanism do they have in place, so we’ve done our research in that area. The standing committee also provided some suggestions to the department on the recommended method. We are working on that and also working with employers and employees, just various representatives on this particular topic. It is anticipated that a committee will be established to

begin work in the spring of this year. That’s the target date.

Thanks to the Minister for the update. The Minister said that a committee will be established and start work in the spring. I need to ask the Minister what this committee is intending to do and what work they will be undertaking.

When we first discussed this particular area where we should have a format where on an annual basis the increment to the minimum wages, how it’s going to be reflected and when is that going to be happening. The committee will be established to look at those areas and how we can make those changes, and working with various provincial counterparts as well as territorial. Those are some of the anticipated discussions that will be taking place. It will be established in the spring of 2013.

I’m struggling to understand the Minister’s response. I think I heard him say this committee will be established and it will be looking into how to set up something to have regular increases to minimum wage. Could I get him to clarify for me? Is that the intent of this committee?

This Assembly wanted us to set up a mechanism to reflect on the wage incremental on an annual basis, a wage increase. We’re trying to establish that through our networks, through our research, through various discussions with employers and employees, and also the representatives of the Northwest Territories. That’s what we’re embarking on, and we’re going to be establishing a committee to deal with that.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I’m hearing that this committee will be established and I gather that it’s a permanent committee. It will look at increasing minimum wages on a regular basis, I gather.

I’d like to know from the Minister how many people are part of this committee. I would think it would be rather cumbersome, and I’d like to know what kind of an expense this committee is going to cost us.

When we talk about committee, we want to be cost efficient and effective, as well, so just a small group that we can move forward and we can make decisions right away, part of the recommendations that will be brought to my attention. I want this to be, of course, a small cost to our department. We have to use it internally. Those are just some of the factors that will come into play. We want a small group that will provide recommendations to us that represents the Northwest Territories as well.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member knows that we haven’t gotten the approvals back from the federal government, and the Member also is well aware of the fact that the Department of Transportation appeared before the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning two weeks ago, and provided a thorough update on what the risks were and where the project numbers were at.

I do appreciate the Minister’s reply, but this is why we’re still asking the same questions. The public has yet to have seen these.

It appears that the Department of Transportation almost forgot about the $12 million that has been advanced to this project in preparation for such a cost estimate for the federal government. Can the Minister of Transportation indicate if this $12 million is included in the $299 million cost estimate? If not, why?

The briefing to the standing committee was a confidential briefing because we haven’t got the formal approvals from the federal government. There is a reason the briefing was confidential. We’re hoping to get the

approvals in quick order so that we can make some decisions so that Members can ask some questions. Right now, the questions the Member is asking are hypothetical.