This is page numbers 403 - 439 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 5th 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.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Jim Antoine, Honourable Goo Arlooktoo, Mr. Barnabas, Honourable Charles Dent, Mr. Erasmus, Mr. Evaloarjuk, Honourable Sam Gargan, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Henry, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Miltenberger, Honourable Don Morin, Honourable Kelvin Ng, Mr. Ningark, Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Ootes, Mr. Picco, Mr. Rabesca, Mr. Roland, Mr. Steen, Honourable Manitok Thompson, Honourable John Todd.

Oh, God, may your spirit and guidance be in us as we work for the benefit of all our people, for peace and justice in our land and for the constant recognition of the dignity and aspirations of those whom we serve. Amen.

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 403

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the release of the Play Safe - Play Smart Children's Colouring Book, designed to encourage children in our northern communities to play safely around municipal service vehicles or equipment.

This colouring book is a powerful tool to raise awareness among young children about the dangers of playing on or near community vehicles and equipment. It will also encourage parents to participate and work with their children to reinforce the important safety messages contained in the colouring book.

Mr. Speaker, the main character of the Play Safe - Play Smart Colouring Book is Granny Safety, who delivers many safety messages to young readers. The character of a wise, older woman and mother was used to promote to children the importance of respecting their elders and listening to their words of wisdom.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Johnny Oyakyoak family in Cambridge Bay, who lost their precious son last year in an unfortunate accident involving a water truck. The Oyakyoak family agreed to dedicate the Play Safe - Play Smart Colouring Book to the memory of their son, Jacob, who is featured on the back cover, in the hopes that his spirit will live on and prevent other children in the north from suffering similar tragedies.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this resource and will be providing copies to each of my colleagues later today. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will be working with the NWT Association of Municipalities to distribute the colouring books to community councils and schools for distribution locally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, despite recent downturns, the mining industry holds a good deal of potential for training and employing northerners. To help identify training opportunities for northerners, I established the Mine Training Committee late last year. The committee, a consortium of aboriginal leaders and industry representatives, has launched the first of a series of training initiatives.

Forty northerners are currently enrolled in the Mine Trades Access Program. The program includes a mixed curriculum of academic upgrading, personal life skills management and trades-related training that will prepare students for apprenticeships in a mining trade.

The training program began last October at the Aurora College campuses in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Fort Smith. Students have been selected from Inuvik, Rae, Wha Ti, Yellowknife, Detah, Ndilo, Hay River, Fort Smith and Lutselk'e.

This project is a collaborative effort between Aurora College and the mine training committee. It clearly demonstrates that industry and aboriginal leaders are taking a lead role in training northerners for careers in mining. I congratulate all partners on their work to make this initiative a success. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At each Summer and Winter Olympics the International Olympic Committee sponsors a youth camp for people between 15 and 20 years of age.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to inform the Members that Ms. Shannon Swartzentruber from Fort Simpson has been selected by the Canadian Olympic Association to be one of seven representatives from Canada to attend the youth camp.

Shannon was chosen from 162 applicants from across Canada, including eight who applied from the Northwest Territories.

This is a prestigious honour for this young woman who demonstrates so well the balance of education, athletic ability, volunteer experience and cross cultural sensitivity, which are the requirements for this program.

While at the camp, Shannon will participate in a variety of activities including;

- the opening ceremonies for the 1998 Winter Olympics,

- a tour of the Canadian Olympic village,

- a two day home stay program with a family from Nagano, and

- a cultural exchange program with participants representing other Olympic Nations.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Members to join me in congratulating Shannon Swartzentruber. She is a very special young woman and we wish her well as she represents our nation and the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Edward Picco Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many times in this House grand pronouncements are made and symbolic statements are issued, and then forgotten.

For example, Mr. Speaker, certain days or weeks during a sitting, Members will wear ribbons for AIDS awareness, poppies for Remembrance Day, and most recently lapel pins for FAS/FAE awareness. Usually Members will do a statement or questions during this time, but nothing seems to happen.

During FAS/FAE week most Members did ask questions and statements were made, and it would seem all was forgotten. Mr. Speaker, the Baffin fetal alcohol network is a non-profit volunteer organization working to promote greater awareness and understanding of the issue.

Currently they need money to create a series of public service announcements aimed at educating the public. Pauktuutit the Inuit women's organization has had some publications and translations done but more is needed. The Baffin FAS group thinks that approximately $5,000 is needed for that work.

What is the point of identifying the problem if we do not have the professionals, the specialists, in place to do the work. Does the department have a strategy or plan to address these issues or again it is up to the health boards with their shrinking budgets again to identify the issue and prioritize it?

We all know groups and boards have to do more with less, but when you do more with less you get less done. Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will be addressing these concerns to the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of late as I mentioned yesterday in a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Department of Health and Social Services and the health boards have been in the news. Unfortunately for a lot of the wrong reasons and because of that there is a certain amount of concern about the state of affairs, have we made the right decisions and are we going the right way. Mr. Speaker, to me clearly we have made a significant investment in the direction that we have chosen to take in empowering the communities in giving control of programs and services and decision making to the community and regional level. Since I first became able to work and started working for the government back in the early 70s, I clearly remember the constant pull from the communities and regions for more authority and more decision making autonomy. I can well remember the days still of the Commissioner being a lord of all he surveyed and the regional directors being his trusty henchman in the regions. Now that we have made a transition to giving the decision making to the communities and to the people we cannot falter even though there may be bumps in the road. We cannot necessarily blame just the health boards if there are bumps in the roads. We have to recognize that there is a working relationship between the Department of Health and Social Services and the health boards. If one partner falters, the whole system suffers. If one partner falters it means they have done so because there may be problems on the other side. So when I see problems with health boards, we have to look at what kind of support is the Department of Health and Social Services providing. Are there adequate monitoring systems? Are there adequate evaluation systems? Is there board training so that board members know exactly what their mandate is? Is the department providing adequate coordination among health boards to deal with issues that cut across all boards, like specialist services like my colleague from Iqaluit mentioned? So Mr. Speaker, we are in this together, the department, as the Minister has indicated, has recognized the need to put

systems in place. I think the health boards are more than willing to make a better go of this as long as we do this together. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

Levi Barnabas High Arctic

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to say hello to my wife and my children at this time. My youngest child is five years old today. It is his birthday.

Mr. Speaker, last week or this week, I have heard questions being raised in this House and I am very sensitive to the questions that have been raised in this House, questions about the lack of housing in the communities especially for government employees. I have talked with the mayors in the Baffin region communities and they have expressed to me that there is lack of housing for staff, especially relayed to me by the divisional board of education in the Baffin region.

I have heard the same employees talk about it too as well from the Department of Health or the regional health boards, lack of housing. The divisional boards of education from the regions have been requesting to meet with us as a caucus especially to deal with the inadequate housing for their staff.

I have a feeling that the government does not really recognize the lack of housing that is being faced by those boards. They have heard from the Baffin region side, but I think this problem exists throughout the territories.

Yesterday I heard through the radio as well about this issue, about the Kitikmeot region having problems. Mr. Speaker, will we be able to hear from the health boards and the education boards and when we meet with the NWTTA we will probably hear from them again saying that they have inadequate housing for their staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Members' statements. Mr. O'Brien.

Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 6th and 7th of this year, I had the pleasure of meeting in Winnipeg with the Deputy Premier of Manitoba, the Honourable James Downey, who is also the Minister of Trade. Also present at this meeting was the Honourable Len Derkach, the Minister of Rural Development and a number of deputy ministers. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this meeting was to discuss and promote increased trade between Manitoba, my constituency and the region in general. Also discussed was a possibility of a winter road between Arviat and Churchill and possible power grid options.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Manitoba trade delegation will be travelling to Arviat and Baker Lake on the 16th and 17th of February to discuss and promote business between the two regions. Mr. Speaker, a delegation of approximately 35 people, or guests rather, are expected to include the Premier, Honourable Gary Filmon; the Deputy Premier, Len Derkach, the Honourable Darren Praznik, Minister of Health, the Honourable Glen Findlay, Minister of Highways and Transportation and the Honourable David Newman, Minister of Northern Affairs and Energy.

Mr. Speaker, we welcome this delegation and see this as a first step in better relations between the two regions. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien, Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, my comment today is in regard to the whole problem in the area of health and social services in the Northwest Territories and the effects that it has on everybody as a whole, not one particular region, one particular riding, but everyone is affected by the decisions we make in this House and the decisions we make to change things. In regard to the whole health and social area we have made some drastic changes to the way things were done in the past. Yes, changes are good, but changes come with a price.

I think sometimes it is hard to admit you are wrong. I think we have to realize with change, also we have to have the ability to step back, take a look and see how we can better the system in regard to the concerns that we have from the people we represent. Mr. Speaker, I am speaking about a statement made in this House yesterday by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng, regarding an action plan for the Keewatin region. I think the Minister cannot look at health as strictly a regional issue. It affects everyone. It does not matter which riding you come from, the east, the west, from the small centres to the large centres.

I think the Minister has to take a good look at the whole health and social services envelope which he is responsible for and not piece meal it back together by dealing with it on a regional basis. There have been several questions raised in this House from myself and other colleagues in this area. It seems like it is always our word against his or our word against regional boards. I think it is time, Mr. Speaker, that we seriously take a look at the whole health and social problems that we have in this area and stand up and say, maybe we made a mistake in regard to the whole decision of down sizing, amalgamating and also saving monies for the sake of cutting the deficit. Now we have a surplus, maybe we should seriously listen to the people it affects in regard to the people that we say we serve and the needs of the people of the north. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement will be on the issue of families. I would like to send greetings back to mine in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, before I returned to Yellowknife, I had the opportunity to speak to a class at the Aurora Campus in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, this class was taking part in the Social Diploma Program. I had an opportunity to address some of their questions and listen to their concerns.

One of the concerns that was raised was to do with the early childhood intervention. It is a good move and I believe a lot of people believe it is the right area to be moving into, trying to deal with situations before they become problems. Unfortunately, sometimes as we heard change is a difficult thing to take and move forward with. In this situation, although it is a good move, I think there needs to be more done. The situation in my community was an organization put forward a proposal that was to try to seek some funding through this early childhood intervention. They were denied because it did not focus on just children, it focused on the family.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to do any changes and improve conditions for children, we have to focus on families. We cannot take children, put them in the classroom, no matter what age, and figure that they are going to learn it all there, because at the end of the day, they go back home. If the situation at home is not changed, what are we doing? We give them a few hours a day of instruction, send them back home and hope that they will teach the families, their parents? I think we need to continue to work on the whole situation of families. I would encourage the Ministers in the social envelope to look at further changes that would further produce and impact families positively. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

James Rabesca North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our elders, as my honourable colleague, Mr. Ng, announced in this House regarding the progress on plans for the International Year of Older Persons. Throughout our land we have many individuals who have contributed greatly to the formation of this country and for their respective regions. In my region we have had many great elders, Chief Jimmy Bruno, Chief Arrowmaker, Chief Mowhi and many others who have seen the future and realized the need for change.

All regions across our country have community members who have passed on or are in their later years who contribute to the betterment of the community and the country at large. These residents are a great resource for us all and should be recognized for their contributions. I believe this will be a very worthwhile event and I hope the International Year of Older Persons will be promoted and recognized by our regions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Rabesca. Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I wish to once again visit the issue of value added industry and the diamond mining companies. Even though, Mr. Speaker, I note that BHP has exceeded their northern hiring and purchasing quotas as outlined in their socio-economic agreement, I cannot help but feel they are not willing to walk that extra mile with northerners. The north needs to diversify. If we continue to rely on a resource-based economy, our own economy will also continue to be subject to market fluctuations in the resource sector. The recent layoffs at the local gold mines are a prime example. What the diamond mining companies have to realize is that we are fighting for jobs for all northerners. We are fighting to stabilize the economy of our city, impacted by government cutbacks and mine layoffs.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the honourable Ministers Todd and Kakfwi are doing everything they can to lobby the federal government and the diamond companies to ensure that as much value-added industry as possible stays in the Northwest Territories. My honourable colleague, Mr. Todd, has gone even further, by stating that the GNWT would initiate a tax regime that could choke a mule if the Northwest Territories does not get a reasonable share of the secondary diamond mining spin-offs required. I am opposed to the introduction of a tax. I would much prefer, Mr. Speaker, to see jobs created and have the employees paying taxes to the government. We need one or the other. Taxes from the diamond producers or jobs for northerners.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the diamond mining industry does not like the thought of any more taxes, and most certainly, not the kind that would choke a mule. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if the diamond mines would consider selling to the Government of the Northwest Territories or a similar organization, a Crown corporation, some of the run of mine product so that Crown corporation could in turn sell those run of mine product to employers who would bring that industry to the Northwest Territories so that we could get a start on a diamond cutting and polishing industry and the related industries that that would create. Mr. Speaker, we have to look at the innovative solutions to ensure that as much of the secondary diamond mining industry stays in the Northwest Territories for the benefit of all northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.