This is page numbers 115 - 148 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th 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 chairman.

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Supplementary To Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 128

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was pretty specific, I guess, as to what I was asking, but I would certainly like to ask the Minister if he'll assure this House that he will have his officials take a good, close, long, hard look at the cost-benefit of this particular system here in Yellowknife before he starts instituting it in the other airports. Will he assure me that he is going to have a good, close look at this?

Supplementary To Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 128

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Todd.

Further Return To Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 128

John Todd Keewatin Central

Yes, I'll look at it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Question 80-12(7): Takeover Of Arctic A Airports
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, when the closure of Akaitcho Hall was imminent, the Minister at the time assured the House that every community that requires a high school and where it was justifiable, they would get a high school. Gjoa Haven has been requesting a high school according to the Department of Education's own initiative. The department's priority is education, right? Now, Mr. Speaker, Gjoa Haven has been requesting a high school and we were assured about two or three years ago that in 1995, Gjoa Haven would get one.

Now we have another problem. When I was in Gjoa Haven, I was told by the hamlet council that they may not be able to have a high school because they don't have the facilities or staff housing to house the teaching staff. My question to the Minister -- and it may have to be directed to the Minister of Personnel -- would the Minister assure me, the people of Gjoa Haven, and this House that we will, in fact, be getting a high school and the teaching staff will be there in 1995? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you. I would like to be able to stand up and guarantee that, Mr. Speaker; however, I will have to take the question as notice and speak to the Kitikmeot Divisional Board of Education to get more information on this matter.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due to the urgency of the issue which my previous question related to, I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, who is also going to be the Minister responsible for social services some time in April. My question, of course, is similar to what I asked who I thought was the Deputy Premier; but he is only representing her in her absence. Mr. Speaker, in my preamble I said -- referring to Mr. Patterson's question yesterday -- that in two communities it has been ruled out that social services will be now paying for half of GLO positions, allowing these positions to be full-time. My question is in which two communities have these arrangement been worked out?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the honourable Member for raising the question and I do have the information. The two communities that are involved in the community pilot project -- which are getting ready for the transfer of social assistance to Education, Culture and Employment -- that affects the government liaison officer positions, one is located in Arviat. The GLO was co-located to the Health and Social Services area office in January and the focus for this project is to provide more employment career counselling to employable clients.

In Baker Lake, the government liaison officer co-located to the Health and Social Services area office in January and the project will provide employment career counselling to employable clients.

In Coppermine, the executive services officer, ESO, will issue social assistance from his office and will also offer employment career counselling to employable clients. The pilot will begin in March with an annual caseload of 954.

In the case of Rankin Inlet, the community social services worker co-located from Health and Social Services area to the career centre in January, with the entire Social Services annual caseload of 1,368.

Those are some of the income support pilot initiatives that have been undertaken. I believe that the same opportunity was offered to the Baffin communities and we did not receive any proposals and as such, did not proceed with pilot initiatives in those communities. Now that does not, Mr. Speaker, rule out the possibility of maybe us responding to the concerns that the honourable Members have raised in this House if their communities are inclined. In some cases, the municipal councils are actually involved. Cape Dorset is one where the social services are being delivered from the community and, as such, they're dealing with these particular issues.

Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. The Premier said yesterday that as we speak, other such arrangements are being looked at in other communities. My supplementary question is who is leading the initiative to make sure that the department, which needs these people to work, is contributing to the wages of GLOs? Who is responsible for this initiative?

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a combination of departments working in conjunction with one another. The Executive office, lead by the deputy minister, Mr. Pierre Alvarez, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Health and Social Services working in conjunction with the regions. So that was the basis on which we dealt with this particular matter, including the regional offices, which were involved in these discussions. So that is the basis on which we conducted the pilot projects. Nothing is suggested, at this particular time, that we have ruled out all possibilities. What we need is for the communities to become interested; they were advised of this issue and these were the communities that came up with their ideas on the initiative. There are a number of other communities that are also involved.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Arvaluk, supplementary.

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since these new arrangements that the Minister is talking about are now being looked at, I would like to ask the Minister...Another concern too, Mr. Speaker, there are anxieties being built up that some GLO positions will be cut in half. There are some other rumours, too. Wouldn't it make more sense to explore new sources of funding for GLOs in each community before causing anxiety and uncertainty by giving lay-off notices to all your employees.

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Okay, Minister.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Only to respond in this way, that the proposal that has been accepted by communities like Arviat, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Coppermine, Fort Providence, Yellowknife, Wha Ti, Good Hope, Inuvik and Fort Simpson and they are all ideas that had been given to the communities and asked for their suggestion as to whether or not they wanted to participate. Those were the communities that came in and said we do want to participate, we want to develop a constructive approach to delivering social assistance, and as such, those were the only communities we dealt with. The other communities did not seem interested and therefore, because of the transfer that will occur on April 1, 1995, it was decided that we had to give the appropriate notice, the three-month notice, but they still have an opportunity, if those communities are interested, to review that possibility. So if the communities are interested they should give notice of that fact immediately or as soon as possible.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 129

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary, this is a little bit upsetting, Mr. Speaker, so you will have to bear with me. I think I heard, in the past, that we agreed to create divisional boards if standards for education were kept up; that is a policy of the Department of Education, we will transfer some other responsibility to the other communities in the area of education, as long as we keep the employment standards and security of the employees so that they are respected and they are accommodated for their employment. Why can't this kind of respect be shown to the GLOs who have been serving

the community for a long, long time and have very important responsibilities?

Supplementary To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 130

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 130

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will just indicate to the honourable Member, I am not responsible for the GLOs. What I am trying to advise the honourable Member of is the pilot initiatives that the department, in conjunction with Health and Social Services and the Executive, undertook to ensure that we provided an alternative employment opportunity for those executive services officers or government liaison officers. This offer was made to the communities; it was taken up by a limited number of communities, the others chose not to, that is the unfortunate thing. And therefore, recognizing that transfer had to take place, those notices were given. But, the notices themselves were not given by myself, as Minister, or my department. They do not, at this particular time, work for us, other than those that are on the pilot initiatives.

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 130

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, written questions. Point of order, Mr. Patterson.

Point Of Order

Further Return To Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Question 82-12(7): Glo Positions In Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 130

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request unanimous consent to go back to oral questions. I don't think we can let the new Minister of MACA attend this first question period without asking at least one question. Thank you.