This is page numbers 471 - 504 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.

Members Present

Honourable Jim Antoine, Honourable Goo Arlooktoo, Mr. Barnabas, Honourable Charles Dent, Mr. Enuaraq, Mr. Erasmus, Mr. Evaloarjuk, Honourable Sam Gargan, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Henry, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, 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 471

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Mrs. Groenewegen, point of order.

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 471

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on a point of order. In my reply to the Budget Address on Friday I quoted from Hansard a comment made by the Premier in response to questions being raised about the health care situation in the Keewatin. Mr. Speaker, I inadvertently neglected to report that the Premier in a comment returning to the same subject as a result of being questioned about his first comment on the next day and I quote, "what I meant to say is that I believe the Minister has the health issue in the Keewatin under control." I do apologize Mr. Speaker, to the honourable Premier for failing to mention the subsequent clarification of his comments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 471

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I appreciate the comments for correction, but it is still not a point of order. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Todd.

John Todd Keewatin Central

Mr. Speaker, in the 1998 Budget Address I presented to this House on January 22nd, I stated that our net financial position could be impacted by the results of the current negotiations with the Union of Northern Workers regarding pay equity.

At the time, mediation talks on pay equity were underway and collective bargaining had not yet commenced. Therefore, it was inappropriate for me to elaborate on the government's position on this issue.

Since the Budget Address, I have been asked many times by Members what the impact pay equity and the current negotiations with the Union of Northern Workers may have on our budget.

Members stated this information is a key part of our deliberations on the 1998-99 budget. Members and others have expressed concern that programs and services essential to the well-being of the people may have to be reduced to pay more money to resolve the pay equity issues.

Mr. Speaker, mediation talks on pay equity have ended, and this morning at the commencement of collective bargaining our negotiators briefed the UNW on our position.

The budget this government has set for the resolution of this issue and for current negotiations is $ 40 million.

This represents a global budget for dealing with working conditions, salary increases, retroactive provisions for pay equity and a new job evaluation system for the UNW, as well as non-unionized employee groups.

Mr. Speaker, after 10 long years, this government is committed to resolving the issue of pay equity, in order to set the stage for implementation of a bias-free job evaluation system, and a fiscally solid start for the two new governments.

Our priority - as well as our challenge - is to arrive at a solution that protects jobs, ensures service levels are maintained and keeps the current fiscal course as a basis for growth and prosperity.

As a Legislature, we must work together to ensure we achieve that objective. We want to and must work in partnership with the union for a made-in-the-north solution for northerners. Waiting for a tribunal to decide for us compromises our common efforts. The pay equity proposal the government is putting forward is based on an extensive review by the Hay Group, a nationally respected organization in the area of job evaluation.

The Hay Job Evaluation System provides the framework to ensure men and women are paid on the basis of equal pay for work of equal value. To that end, the bias-free approach to job evaluation assesses existing jobs on know how, problem- solving, accountability and working conditions. Using this system ensures there is a common reference for both the GNWT and the UNW to reach a financial settlement on retroactivity which achieves pay equity.

Mr. Speaker, $40 million is all this government, and hence the people of the Northwest Territories, can afford to re-allocate without causing severe service disruption and further downsizing. The GNWT is open to negotiating how this money is applied to the various issues at negotiations.

We believe this offer to be reasonable, in that it represents three percent of overall government spending and 10 percent of the current annual costs of the public service.

I sincerely hope the UNW will consult with and present a negotiated settlement to its members that reflects and supports the efforts of all government employees, and the people of the Northwest Territories, in their collective efforts to date to eliminate the deficit.

This is a unique opportunity to settle other outstanding labour-related issues and build a partnership to protect jobs and create a working environment in the public service that can and will result in enhanced services to the people of the Northwest Territories after years of restraint.

Mr. Speaker, let me say once again, this government is committed to resolving the issue of pay equity. It is the right thing to do. We have an obligation to our employees and to the people of the north to work with the union to resolve this issue.

We now have a positive and workable proposal on the table to do just that.

The Members of this House have worked hard to date to balance our budget and work to eliminate our deficit. We must now face this current challenge with the same spirit and commitment to the future of the north, and at the same time get money into the hands of northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently attended a meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in Saint John's, Newfoundland. As a result of this meeting, an accord aimed at improving cooperation and increasing environmental protection across Canada was ratified.

This accord, Mr. Speaker, envisions governments working in cooperation to achieve the highest level of environmental quality possible. Under the accord, each government will retain its current legislative authority but will come together as partners to achieve the highest level of environmental quality for all Canadians. Each government will be responsible for specific actions and is required to report publicly on its results.

In addition to the accord, a number of sub-agreements dealing with environmental assessment, inspection activities and Canada-wide standards on air, water and soil quality were also signed.

The council has directed officials to develop further sub-agreements in the areas of enforcement, monitoring, reporting, research and development and environmental emergencies. It is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that officials have also been asked to develop strategies which will ensure involvement from all stakeholders, including present and future land claimant groups.

The Northwest Territories covers approximately one-third of Canada's land mass, and the majority of our residents have a deep respect for and dependency on the land. The north is often referred to as the last frontier with many unique species of plant and animal life. I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that this cooperative accord will strengthen and enhance environmental management in the north, helping to ensure that land, water and air quality are maintained.

I am also pleased to announce, Mr. Speaker, that the NWT has assumed a term of chairmanship for the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. The first meeting in the north will be in June. I look forward to introducing my fellow Environment Ministers to the NWT and our unique environmental challenges. Mahsi cho.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Minister's Statement 36-13(5): White Cane Week
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize that February 1st to 7th is White Cane Week.

Visually impaired individuals often play an important role in our communities and our lives. Our supportive and positive attitude towards blindness and visual impairment in the Northwest Territories will help them continue to do so.

We must encourage blind and sighted northerners to work closely together - in the workplace, in our communities - to discover ways it can be possible for the visually impaired to do the things they wish to do. The CNIB has done a tremendous amount in this area and I would like to recognized and commend them for their work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge each Member of this House to take a moment and think about the visually impaired and to reaffirm our personal commitment to support and encourage northerners facing special challenges. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Minister's Statement 36-13(5): White Cane Week
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. While we often speak in this House on the issues relating to the northern employment, I would like to take a moment today to recognize a group of individuals that make up an important part of our workforce, that is, the skilled trades people who help build our communities and help drive our economy.

Journey persons and apprentices can be found in every community and constituency in the Northwest Territories, and their work can be seen and appreciated in our hospitals, schools, airports, community halls and offices.

With thousands of men and women currently working in the trades, it is truly a northern success story of which we should all feel some pride.

To recognize the ongoing success of the Northwest Territories Apprenticeship Program, I am pleased to announce that today marks the beginning of the first ever Apprenticeship Week in the Northwest Territories.

As part of that, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will recognize these dedicated individuals in many ways, including open houses scheduled at many regional career centres where regional honour rolls will be on display and a contest sponsored by BHP, for high school students across the territories.

During this week, we should note that much of the credit for the ongoing, and indeed, growing success of the Apprenticeship Program is due to the unique working relationship between the employers and apprentices.

Employers are responsible for 80 percent of all the training an apprentice receives; and therefore, organizations and companies play an important role, not only in helping these people pursue productive careers but in allowing them to earn a salary while doing so.

So, in addition to recognizing the trades people themselves, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those employers, past and present, who have contributed to the success of the Apprenticeship Program, and encourage them to continue to invest in and support the development of these skilled workers. The demand for skilled trades people will only increase as we all work together to build a stronger economy in the north.

I am pleased we are now marking this week to increase awareness and appreciation of apprentices and as a result, perhaps open the doors for more young people to make productive career choices. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Ms. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today to the highly publicized issue of timber permits for a company in my riding. Pattersons has been in the sawmill business for over 30 years. As well as employing many people in the area over the years, they employ three generations of their own family. It has become increasingly difficult for them to identify timber stands in the area because of interest by other parties in the timber business. While it is my hope that issues regarding the identification of sustainable inventories and boundaries can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction, I also hope that there will continue to be a place for people, such as the Pattersons, who have invested most of their life in the north. I believe that there is a great potential for the lumber industry in the Deh Cho and the South Slave and hopefully, enough timber to satisfy everyone's aspirations to be involved in a sustainable and responsible harvest of this renewable resource. I would like to thank today, the Minister, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi for his attention to this industry, for his respect for the environment and his department's professional handling of the concerns expressed by all parties as indicated in a CBC interview with his deputy minister, Joe Handley, this morning and also by his staff, Mr. Bob McLeod, in attendance in the Kakisa today to work through the issues of all concerned parties. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) I will be speaking in Inuktitut. I have a statement today regarding something that has happened in previous years, some things

that have gone on in the Baffin region during the 1950s and 1960s. During the late '50s and early '60s, a lot of Inuit people were shipped down to southern institutions by boat or ship to Montreal and Toronto to go to sanatoriums for TB treatment.

Mr. Speaker, for those people who went to southern sanatoriums and passed away while they were still in the hospitals, when they did pass away, all they did was mark the graveyards. Some graves were unmarked in the cemeteries. There are a lot of people who were impacted by this situation. There are some constituents of mine that have come to me to ask for assistance to see if they can locate their parents' graves in southern Canada. They have been wanting to locate their graves so they can visit their families. I am appealing to the government of the Northwest Territories to see if they can assist these people who have concerns regarding unmarked graves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statement. Mr. O'Brien.

Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health and welfare of my constituents of Arviat and Baker Lake are very important to me. I am their voice. It is my job to speak loud and clear so I can look after their best interests. To be harangued in this House for speaking loudly, for asking tough questions or for telling it the way it is, is simply silly. What is at stake here are important issues like the state of health care in the Keewatin or discussions on the Lahm Ridge Tower and how these deals are reached.

Sometimes my line of questioning may cause some Ministers some discomfort and they may appear to be on the defensive. This is not my intent, Mr. Speaker. I simply want the facts. If they are defensive or evasive, then one must ask why. Without tough questions, there will be no answers as to why things are the way they are. We need checks and balances to ensure our government is above board, honest and fair. Constructive debate helps to enlighten and open up the political process. This is what we call accountability. If I did not speak up about what I considered third world conditions regarding the Keewatin health care, we would still be continuing in a downward spiral toward an even bigger crisis.

Mr. Speaker, in reference to third world conditions or serious matters, I would refer to the following points: it is when one is down to the last IV bag, when you have an overworked nurse who is exhausted after working 24 hours a day over the Christmas holidays servicing 1,600 people; this is when the chief medical doctor for the region quits in disgust, after blasting the health board for mismanaging their health care system; when the board chair quits and the CEO is fired in the space of one week; and when we suffer from a large or major shortage of nurses and doctors in the Keewatin. Mr. Speaker, these conditions may be fine for some people, but they are not fine for the people I represent.

I will not sit back and blindly ignore the problems and put my constituents at risk. Mr. Speaker, I do not stand here hoping to see my face in the newspaper or on television. That is for the whim of the editors. I stand here to raise issues that concern the people I represent. It is not me who is in the spotlight. It is rather the issues.

I bring issues forward because the people I represent are concerned and they expect me to speak out. My job as MLA is to get problems fixed, to look after my constituents, to point out injustices, to get answers and action. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House of the passing of Ms. Lucy Francis of Fort McPherson on Friday, January 30, 1998. Lucy was 99 years old. Lucy was born to the late Chief Julius and Maggie Salu on January 1, 1899 on the Blackstone River Valley in the Yukon Territory.

A few may know Chief Julius was the last hereditary chief of the Tetlit Gwich'in and the first elected chief. He was also the signatory to Treaty 11 and a well respected elder and leader.

Lucy married Brian Frances in the early 1920s and they had nine children, six of whom are still alive today. They also looked after Catherine Semple of Aklavik for many years. Lucy and her husband raised their family in a traditional way and lived for many years at Tl'oondih which is now the site of the Tl'oondih Healing Camp. Lucy has 24 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. The funeral is scheduled for Thursday in Fort McPherson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased last week to hear the Health Minister say in this House he considers a breast cancer screening program to be a core health service for northern women.

As the Members of this House know, it has long been my position that the Department of Health and Social Services should be aggressively pursuing a breast screening program. An important component of this is a mobile mammography unit. While I appreciate the Health Minister's change of opinion on this very important issue, I still feel too many issues with pan-territorial concerns are being handed over the regional health boards. I am not alone in this opinion.

In a recent newspaper article, both the president of the NWT Medical Association, Dr. David Butcher, and the president of the NWT Registered Nurses Association, Miss Nell Vrolyk, agreed the issue of screening for breast cancer was too important to be left up to the regional health boards. Their voices are added to those for the NWT Working Group on Breast Cancer Screening, who identified a need for a full pan-territorial screening program in their report issued last month. Doctors and nurses agreed that if breast screening is left up to regional health boards, there will be no standardization of service, which will leave northern women vulnerable or well served, depending upon where in the north they lived. This is simply not acceptable, Mr. Speaker. Breast cancer screening is part of a basic national health package, yet the majority of NWT residents are unable to access it.

The government receives funding from Ottawa to provide health care services. As such, it is governed by the conditions set out in the Canada Health Act. Three of the five guiding principals are universality, accessibility and comprehensiveness. Leaving breast cancer screening up to regional health boards violates all of these three principals. The north remains the only jurisdiction in Canada without a comprehensive screening program. Northern women are entitled to expect their government to take their health issues extremely seriously. They are entitled by law to have access to the same medically required and recognized health services as their southern neighbours. It is necessary this government meet the obligations under law. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like today to speak of a momentous occasion. Last weekend when we had the annual Legislative's curling bonspiel, it was very well attended by Members and staff. We did have a few awards that were given out, Mr. Speaker. This year we gave out little pigs to those who did not make it over the hog line and the person who got the most pigs for hogging was Nicole Camphaug. Honourable mention has to go to Floyd Roland who got the most last year and did not get any this year, so he really improved. The most enthusiastic curler, Mr. Speaker, was Sheila MacPherson and I must add, she must have been very enthusiastic because it usually goes to the most enthusiastic team, but she won it by herself. The best wipe-outs was Sarah Kay. I understand she slipped twice. She wiped out twice in one game but they were not the only casualties, Mr. Speaker. I already had to go for a massage and probably will have to go see my chiropractor as well. Mr. Speaker, the sharp shooter of the entire occasion was Mr. Todd, who I understand drew to the button.

--Applause

The bad hair curler was Mr. Picco, who had to comb his hair continuously for some reason. The loudest, Mr. Speaker, I do not know how they came to this, they found the person, Mr. Hamilton as the loudest.

We also had winners of three different events. In the C event, again, Mr. Hamilton came out on top. His team won the C event. On his team were Ed Picco, Nicole Camphaug and Dorothy Zoe.

The winner of the B event was Brian Armstrong's team. On his team was Rob Moore, Sarah Kay and Ronna Bremer.

The winner in the A event, Mr. Speaker, and won this trophy here, was the Roy Erasmus' team.

--Laughter

We had David Krutko, Mr. Ng and Sheila MacPherson curling on our team. I would really like to thank the organizers, Vera Raschke, Cheryl Voytilla, Ronna Bremer and Brian Armstrong. They did a wonderful job.

Finally, but not lastly of course, I would like to thank Mr. Seamus Henry who, very kindly once again, paid for the ice time and was our sponsor. Thank you very much.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.