This is page numbers 5453 - 5490 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 assembly. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Cochrane. For the record, I do appreciate the work you do. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that more detailed information about Members' expenses be published on the government website as a separate document by June 30th of the following fiscal year.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Chair, the Legislative Assembly currently publishes details of Members' constituency budget expenditures as an appendix to its annual report. I note that the Speaker tabled the annual report for the 2017-2018 fiscal year earlier today. This recommendation calls for more detailed, timely, and accessible information than what is currently provided, particularly for such categories as travel and office expenditures. Other Canadian jurisdictions, as well as our own Executive Council, have taken steps to provide this information online and in significant detail. If adopted, the board of management will develop a revised policy with respect to the posting of detailed expenditures online. Mr. Chair, I support this recommendation.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Public Service Health Care Plan dues, at the level available to senior managers in the public service, be paid by the Government of the Northwest Territories for all Members of the Legislative Assembly.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion. Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Chair, there is currently a disparity between the health benefits provided to Regular Members and Members of the Executive Council, as well as premiums paid by each. This motion recommends that all Members of the Legislative Assembly be treated equally with respect to health, dental, and disability benefits, and that they be consistent with the benefits provided to senior managers in the GNWT. Mr. Chair, I support this recommendation.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'd like to thank the commission for bringing this to our attention. I didn't know about it as a Regular MLA that there were two tiers of healthcare insurance between Regular MLAs and our Cabinet and the Speaker. I thank them for bringing this to our attention. As I understand, the information that we've been provided, the cost of doing this for the 11 Regular MLAs, the additional premiums would be about $9,500 a year. I think that it's only fair that all MLAs should be treated equally. I do support this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommend that, if it is decided to not pay for the same level of medical travel, health, dental and life insurance benefits for all Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the additional paid benefits for the Speaker and Ministers be removed from their benefit package and the Speaker and Ministers become responsible for paying for that benefit; and further, that all Members of the Legislative Assembly would then receive the extended healthcare benefit and level 1 of the hospital benefit at no cost.

I'm going to explain it.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. The motion is in order. To the motion? Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Given that the House adopted the previous recommendation, this recommendation is redundant. The previous motion directed the board of management to make health, dental, and disability benefits and premiums for Regular Members consistent with those for Cabinet Ministers. As a result, this recommendation is not necessary, and I will be voting against it. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is defeated.

---Defeated

Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the indemnity for extra duty for the chair of the Rules and Procedures Committee be increased from $3,194 to $6,296 per year.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion? Ms. Green.