This is page numbers 609 - 640 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th 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 corporation.

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Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 614

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I find the response quite unacceptable; it's exactly the same response I got seven months ago and nothing has happened in the interim. My supplementary question to the Minister is, could the Minister tell me exactly what is the shortfall in police officers in Yellowknife presently? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 614

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, sorry about that distraction. What the Member is drumming at is, is there going to be money so that we could do something additional for Yellowknife. That was a very nice roundabout way of telling him at this time that there isn't. But for the last couple of years, we have been trying to give additional resources to the RCMP. The Member knows that we're facing deficit situations with additional federal cutbacks looming in the next year. Certainly the message is fairly clear from the Minister of Finance, Paul Martin. I guess the question is have I quit trying; and, the answer is no. If there is some possible way to, for instance, bring the funding up to where it should be and should have been for the last few years, I will try to do that so at least the actual funding for the RCMP to carry out their contract to us is done at a level where they don't have to have vacancy holding patterns in order to meet the contract that they hold with us. All I can tell the Member is we keep trying to find the money. But, for instance, whatever additional money we can find, if we cannot get the federal government to agree to arbitration to settle the outstanding bill on the Giant Mine strike, that's a $2 million potential loss if we don't get them to agree to arbitration. If we agree to arbitration I think we can expect most, if not all, of that back. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you. I asked the Minister a simple question and it was a very interesting biblical answer I received from the Minister. My understanding is that there's been a study on policing needs in Yellowknife. Could the Minister please inform this House exactly what is the shortfall of police officers in the city of Yellowknife as of today? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, the opinion, I think, of most elected people across the Northwest Territories is that we are short of RCMP in every community across the Northwest Territories. I'm sure Yellowknife feels no different, and the elected people of Yellowknife feel no differently, and in the minds of RCMP members themselves, I'm sure they would like to have additional police officers stationed everywhere in the Northwest Territories. As I say, the best people to talk to it directly would be the RCMP. I think it's worth considering to invite them to speak directly to Members of this Legislature since it is a concern, not only to Yellowknife, but to every Member of this Legislature. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

My final supplementary, Madam Speaker. My understanding is that the shortfall in the city of Yellowknife is between six and 10 police officers. I have gotten the same response back from the Minister on a number of occasions: there's the big picture, there's the global picture. The reality is that obviously policing needs have to be dependent on statistics, population, crime rates. There are some very verifiable statistics on which one bases decisions; it's not all based on politics. So my question to the Minister is, the situation in Yellowknife is critical, the situation in Yellowknife stands on its own, will the Minister look at the situation in the city of Yellowknife with a view to addressing this particular situation? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 615

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, about a year and a half ago, shortly after I had taken over the portfolio of Justice, I communicated with the commanding officer of the RCMP. At that time, I discussed the same issue as I did with the new commanding officer, Mr. Watt, who came into the job shortly after that: that it's my job, primarily, to pass on the needs of communities, as I see them, through the eyes and the voices of the Legislature and the Members in it. It's his job to meet the policing needs with the existing resources he has under the existing contract. Between the two of us, we should try to work together the best we can under the environment.

It's not this government that has been holding the RCMP to less than what they should have been funded for in the first place. But it's been this government's commitment to try to find the money to bring them back up to speed, so to speak, and that's what I've been trying to do. The RCMP have been assured that that's what I'm still trying to do. As recently as Saturday night, when I met with the Commissioner of the RCMP from Ottawa, the same message was given to him: that we would try to do that.

But all the policing needs of the communities across the north stand on their own, I agree with that. I agree that the policing needs of Yellowknife can stand on their own as well. But it is true, for instance, that the Giant Mine strike didn't happen in Iqaluit, and it didn't happen in Inuvik, and it didn't happen in Resolution; it happened right here in the capital of the Northwest Territories. There is a billing dispute of $2 million. Now, that's a policing need of Yellowknife that's very specific. The jurisdiction falls under the federal government. The federal government had the power to move into a strike that was starting to escalate and get very ugly. There were calls from everyone to do that; it wasn't done. The problem now, even at this date, is if we don't do anything to get the federal government to recognize it, the same thing can happen again. We would still be stuck with another bill that's unpaid. And the RCMP are the ones who are suffering from this dispute at this time. I raise it because it's a huge billing dispute that's unique to Yellowknife.

We need to recognize that the funding shortfall here is starting to cost us. We've agreed with the Commissioner of the RCMP, Mr. Murray, that we should both try to get the federal government to recognize that, one way or the other, they have to do something. In this case, a specific policing need arising in the city of Yellowknife is going to have a big impact on the level of policing across the territories unless we come to some resolution fairly quickly on it. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Question 287-12(6): Status Of Police Shortage In Yellowknife
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We heard a very interesting statement from the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism today, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Government Leader, since many of the announcements that we have heard today came from Mr. Todd about how economic development should proceed, what latitude do Ministers have in making public announcements about organization and policy of government while the House is sitting, where normally such statements are made?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I don't have the announcement right here so, Madam Speaker, I will take the question as notice. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

October 30th, 1994

Page 616

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Madam Speaker, the Minister has confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for funding speech therapy services for school-aged children. It is my understanding that the two speech therapists serving the western Arctic and the Kitikmeot have had to limit their services to preschool-aged children because of workload.

Since Health and Social Services has now confirmed it is responsible, I would like the Minister to outline for us just how new school-aged children who are referred to speech therapists are going to be assessed and treated?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Return To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the Member is quite correct in saying that the speech therapists we presently have are tremendously over-burdened with their workload and not all students requiring speech therapy are able to be seen. I am attempting to address how we're going to solve that problem. But, I want the Member to know that we're quite aware that, among many other things, this area has been determined as a problematic impediment to children with learning disabilities.

Madam Speaker, I would like to confirm to the Member that we are doing everything we can to resolve that particular situation, with the acknowledgement that we know we are understaffed in that area. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. Madam Speaker, to serve about the same population as the western Arctic and the Kitikmeot, the Yukon has six speech therapists working for their Department of Health, plus one in private practice who is often called upon by the department. I'm glad to hear the Minister is looking at increasing the number of staff in our department. Would she give us an outline of when she expects to have the staff increased in the speech therapy department?

Supplementary To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I wish I could be more positive on exactly when we could do that, but the Member is very aware that it is not only the speech therapy area that we're trying to address. Madam Speaker, I will try to do it as quickly as possible, given the fact that the need is not only in Yellowknife and this region; it is spread out across the Northwest Territories. Just trying to reach those communities has been very difficult, even with the travel schedule. Madam Speaker, I will try my best to look at the resources we have during the next couple of months to see where resources can be deployed and where we can set priorities on areas of major concern.

Madam Speaker, I was just reading a report on new findings of the problems that students have in learning if they have a speech impediment. I believe that, with the new statistics that were out, whether they are in the Northwest Territories or across Canada, the numbers are much greater than previously thought. Madam Speaker, this is an area we will try to address as soon as possible. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Question 289-12(6): Speech Therapy Services For School Age Children
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 616

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to Madam Premier. The Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Todd, has advised us that he is restructuring two of the departments he is responsible for in preparing for the future division of the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask Madam Premier, are there any plans in any other departments similar to what the Minister of Economic Development is planning? Thank you.