This is page numbers 631 - 660 of the Hansard for the 13th 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 aboriginal.

Topics

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of competitive wages for nurses in the Northwest Territories, or the lack thereof. As we all know, this government that claimed to be completely strapped for cash during their negotiations with the Union of Northern Workers then found $3 million to assist with the recruitment and retention of nurses.

How long can we ask workers such as nurses and other health care professionals to buy into our claims of no money? On what basis could we appeal to them to stay and work in the NWT under what must be, in some communities, some of the most strenuous working conditions in Canada, when shortages in other jurisdictions competing for health care professionals equates to openings under better working conditions and more attractive remuneration packages?

Nurses provide essential care and are an important component of our health care system, Mr. Speaker. Every other jurisdiction realizes this and has responded accordingly by providing nurses with competitive compensation. To compound our chances of recruiting nurses, they are in short supply in Canada, as well as worldwide. It is not going to take a genius to understand the basic economic principle that people and yes, including nurses, are going to gravitate and make choices about where to live and work based on issues such as salary, benefits, quality of life and career options.

I do applaud the department and the Minister for their efforts in attempting to encourage young Northerners to train in careers in nursing. I hope the enrolment is even higher in the RN program at Arctic College this fall. The concept of allowing student nurses to perform practicums in their home communities over the summer is also an excellent initiative. We experienced this in Hay River with one very bright, young student nurse, and it was very effective.

I only hope that this is just. I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude the short remainder of my statement, thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Hay River is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays, Mrs. Groenewegen you have unanimous consent.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you colleagues. I only hope that this is just the start of a very proactive and not just always reactive posture within the department to address these shortages before they impact the residents of the North even further.

To quote Ms. Maureen Johnston, a registered nurse in Fort Smith, " Is it not time we took better care of the caregivers? One day, you may need us", and Mr. Speaker, that is so true. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Member's statements, Mr. Erasmus.

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a number of issues that are related to resource revenue-sharing. Mr. Speaker, for sometime now we have been hearing that we are going to be going into a deficit soon unless we find another source of revenues and we are looking to resource revenue-sharing or a Northern Accord that would bring control and benefits of northern resources to the North. I was interested to hear the Minister speak about the Community Government Leaders' Conference because I was also there. I heard aboriginal leaders saying that it is going to be difficult to get a resource revenue-sharing agreement because that is the last ace in the hole for the aboriginal leadership.

I think that this government needs to do something concrete to earn the trust of the aboriginal leadership if we are going to attain a Northern Accord. But what are we doing in this area, instead our government is talking about making it easier for development, making it faster for development to occur. Why should areas like my constituents who have no land claim, why should they want to speed up development? They do not. They want to slow it down so that they can be better prepared for when development occurs so that they can actually benefit from development. What else are we doing? We are passing Bill 15, five new seats to the larger communities and we know this has to be passed, but at the same time we need to provide the smaller communities with a comfort zone. We need to provide them with something concrete, now. Not just promises that something is going to happen after the next Legislature comes into effect and you have those new five extra MLAs. Mr. Speaker, what I am trying to say is that if this government hopes to attain a resource revenue-sharing agreement or better known as a Northern Accord, then we have to provide that comfort zone to the regions and the smaller communities now. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dent.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the president of the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories, Ms. Vi Beck, in the audience today, along with the executive director of the council, Rosemary Cairns.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery . Mr. Henry.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the presence of a member of the constituency of Yellowknife South and a member of the aldermen of Yellowknife, Mr. Bob Brooks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Antoine.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Pete Fraser, a former Member of this House, former Speaker and an elder for a lot of us here in the North. Thank you.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ootes.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize a couple sitting with deputy mayor Brooks of Yellowknife and Vi Beck and Rosemary Cairns, and it is Jake and Sara Fehr of Saskatoon. Welcome to the gallery.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I also would like to recognize two special visitors in the gallery today. The Consul General of Indonesia, Mr. Marlis Shum-Sudden, and the Vice-Consul, Mr. Your-ra Kan. Their consulate office is located in Vancouver. Welcome to Yellowknife and the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

--Applause

I hope I pronounced your names okay. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Morin.

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier on the new building for the Yellowknife Correctional Centre. Did Cabinet have an opportunity when they were considering building a new correctional centre in Yellowknife, did Cabinet have an opportunity to make any other decision other than to award this multimillion dollar capital project to our capital city? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Premier.

Return To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the Cabinet discussion there was an initiative that was put forward by the Minister that is responsible for corrections, the Minister of Justice. In putting his case forward to the Cabinet during the discussions, it was a number of points that were regarded in order to come to this decision and it was one of the items on an agenda, which we dealt with and it was changes that we considered in looking at this project. The project, the decision has been to, we never really discussed putting it in any other place because the decision was already made to put it here in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Return To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Supplementary To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

July 26th, 1999

Page 637

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The decision had been made to renovate an existing facility, so Cabinet had the opportunity to consider other regions. Cabinet had the opportunity to consider spreading the wealth. Cabinet had the opportunity to consider boosting up other economies other than Yellowknife, other regions. Did Cabinet consider any of those things when they made a decision on building a brand new correctional facility and was it a political decision? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you. The Minister that is responsible for corrections, the Minister of Justice, has reviewed this whole initiative like the honourable Member is talking about, and he brought his recommendations forward to the Cabinet and then we debated and we agreed to make the decision that we did. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Supplementary To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 637

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everyone in this House and everyone clear across the Western Territories has heard the Minister of Finance say that we have a limited amount of dollars. Cabinet is well aware that you have a limited capital budget, but yet, they choose not to look at other regions. You choose not to consider other communities to try to spread out the wealth and share with other people in the Northwest Territories other than spending the majority of our dollars in the city of Yellowknife? Is this what the Premier is saying? Ultimately, on any decision, it is my understanding that Cabinet, that is what we put them there for, is to make those decisions, make those political decisions. So, to the Premier, did you make a political decision to increase

the capital expenditures in the city of Yellowknife and ignore the other regions of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 638

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Question 235-13(7): Alternatives To A New Correctional Centre
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 638

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, whenever the Cabinet reviews and assesses this research, we do not take it lightly. We take it very seriously. It is not something that we just go over without considering the things that the honourable Member is saying. We do consider all of these things. These are all very important. However, the correctional institute is here, the decision was made a long time before I got involved that the correctional centre is here and the decision was made before I got involved as a Premier, I was in Cabinet, to make a major renovation to the existing infrastructure that is there. The decision to relocate the young offenders facility was made here last year. So, you have two facilities, the Minister has indicated that he has reviewed and researched thoroughly and assessed the situation and the decision was not made lightly. It is the Cabinet's view that considering everything, the cost and everything, the best and most cost-effective decision in light of the information that we had at that time, we can only make decisions with the information that we have in front of us. We all know that and this is in a situation and the Cabinet had the best information that we could and the best and most cost effective decision and with that we made the decision to do this.

This is an ongoing thing. This is the money that was allocated to renovate the correctional institute is substantial. The money to build a whole new young offenders facility is substantial and then, if you combine it, rather than renovating what we have and building a new facility, cost-effective wise and assessing, if you combine it in building a new facility, in the long run you have some cost savings. This is where I agree with the honourable Member where you have to look at the costs of these things. There are limited funds, but the decision was made already and approved to spend huge amounts of money towards renovating the facility that is there and the fire marshal says we have to do something about it. We all agree that we are going to do something about it. As well as the youth facility is required and the decision was made to make it here. So, if what the honourable Member is saying is to renovate the existing facility with the way it was originally agreed upon, you renovate it over the period of time that was originally put forward and build a whole new youth facility. We could go ahead and do that. In the long run it is going to cost more to do that. In our view, it would be cost-effective and it would be quicker to build if we combine them in building a new facility. This is the decision that this Cabinet made. Thank you.