This is page numbers 1019 - 1040 of the Hansard for the 14th 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 power.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Roger Allen, Honourable Jim Antoine, Mr. Bell, Mr. Braden, Mr. Delorey, Mr. Dent, Mrs. Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Nitah, Honourable Jake Ootes, Mr. Roland, Honourable Vince Steen, Honourable Tony Whitford.

-- Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1019

The Speaker

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Please be seated. Good morning. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, next week is National Foster Family Awareness Week. In honour of this week, I would like to invite Members of this Legislative Assembly to join me in thanking NWT foster families for the essential services they provide to children.

Mr. Speaker, we know that families and extended families play a vital role in helping children grow and develop to their fullest potential. We also recognize the valuable strength and contribution of the extended family in helping family members to raise children or even to assume the primary parenting role. Sometimes, however, children need a surrogate family to provide for their well-being. For example:

  • • the child's home may be unsafe due to child neglect, abuse or abandonment;
  • • the parents may be unable to provide care due to a parent's physical or mental illness; or
  • • the child may have behavioural problems, mental disabilities or physical disabilities that require extra attention or specialized care that cannot be provided by the parent.

Foster families fulfill this important role by providing safe, caring homes to children who require long-term, temporary or emergency placements. And let me clarify, Mr. Speaker, that foster parenting is more than just providing the basics of food, clothing and a place to sleep. Foster parents also:

  • • play an active role in maintaining and encouraging positive relationships between the child and their families;
  • • arrange for medical and dental care;
  • • provide discipline, structure and stability in a child's life
  • • help the child grow through educational, cultural and social experiences; and
  • • help prepare the child to return home (where possible).

Today's foster parent is a key member of a team of people dedicated to helping children and youth. They join social workers, mental health workers, nurses and other community professionals to meet the emotional, social and physical needs of NWT children.

For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to new developments this year that contribute to training and peer support for foster parents. For example, a new NWT-wide foster family coalition will be created. This coalition will strengthen the links between foster homes and provide peer support to foster parents in all communities. A founding board of directors has already consulted with communities to develop a mission statement, goals, objectives and a framework for making sure all foster families have a voice in this new organization, and they anticipate their first annual general meeting to occur in the next six months.

In addition, this year will see the implementation of a training program for all foster parents. The Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education (PRIDE) program is used in other jurisdictions to provide foster parents with the tools to give quality care. This program is designed to strengthen the quality of family foster care by providing a structured, standardized framework for recruiting, preparing and selecting foster parents. It also provides foster parent in-service training and ongoing professional development.

At this time there are close to 200 foster families in the NWT. These families volunteer their time and open their hearts and homes for the welfare of NWT children. I ask all Members to join me in thanking foster families for the contribution they make to the health and well-being of children in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in all too many instances alcohol is a contributing factor in motor vehicle collisions, injuries and deaths. Every day in Canada, on average, 4.5 people are killed as a result of impaired driving and many more are injured.

Mixing alcohol and automobiles is a deadly combination that continues to exact a toll in human suffering in the NWT, not to mention the personal financial losses and the added cost to our health system to care for those injured in alcohol-related crashes.

In 2001, according to statistics compiled by the Department of Transportation, there were 48 collisions involving alcohol in the Northwest Territories resulting in 36 injuries. Sadly this represents a full 17 percent of all traffic injuries in the NWT last year. The statistic that I find particularly disturbing is that 65 percent -- two-thirds -- of all drinking drivers were between the ages of 16 and 34.

This week groups such as Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) are observing National Students Against Impaired Driving Week in Canada. SADD chapters in the NWT have also participated in this national observance as part of their continuing efforts to raise awareness and promote the value of education as part of overall efforts to combat drinking and driving.

Mr. Speaker, it is against that backdrop that I am pleased to report that, while renewed efforts are still needed to prevent this deplorable act of driving while impaired, there are encouraging signs that increased awareness, education and enforcement have led to some noteworthy progress in this uphill fight. A review of DOT statistics shows that over the last decade -- 1992 to 2001 -- the number of collisions involving alcohol has decreased by almost 50 percent, from 91 collisions in 1992 to 48 in 2001. Over that same period the number of victims injured in those crashes dropped from 38 to 21.

Despite these advances in the struggle, Mr. Speaker, much still remains to be done to prevent alcohol-related collisions. We must change outdated and dangerous attitudes and behaviour to reduce the number of people who drink alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car.

Mr. Speaker, as a society that is concerned for the safety and well-being of our citizens, we must loudly and forcefully condemn those who insist on putting themselves and others at risk by drinking and driving. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Messages Emanating From The Nwt
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1020

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past couple of weeks, Mr. Speaker, the Premier has been delivering some messages, both in Calgary to oil and gas executives and other stakeholders in the northern energy plan, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and over the weekend, the Native Women's Association.

Mr. Speaker, I was trying to keep track of this and I listened to how the message was heard and interpreted and it has come out in a number of different ways. I think some audiences heard the message as a threat that the Northwest Territories government was going to halt development unless we got certain things. Others heard this message as kind of a downer signal that we had a demoralized Premier and a directionless government.

Mr. Speaker, I heard it as a message that the North is edging closer to realizing its goals of self-sufficiency and taking its place as a peer amongst the provinces. A region that really does have something to offer the rest of Canada, and not a place that is constantly in need of a helping hand.

We cannot do it ourselves. The message said clearly and unequivocally that Ottawa has to cast off its leffagy and indifferent attitude about the Northwest Territories and take a stand and support what we are trying to do. It was a message of frustration that our repeated efforts to get attention and some kind of commitment have been stymied over and over.

Mr. Speaker, I also heard it as a message of leadership, positive leadership and the stubborn belief that what we are doing is right and that as leaders we must never lose sight of our goals or let our beliefs flag. It was a message, a plea, for unity among all leaders in communities, among aboriginal First Nations, in business and here in this Legislature to stay united and to achieve this great purpose. We in this Legislature have not been doing much of a job of that this week.

While we have been consumed with issues surrounding our Power Corporation what really matters out there, Mr. Speaker, jobs, education, health care, an alarming rate of social decay are going untended. We are failing our people, Mr. Speaker. I implore my colleagues on both sides of this House to look beyond the issues of the day and steer ourselves towards those things that will truly make a better tomorrow. Thank you.

Messages Emanating From The Nwt
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1020

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Birthday Greetings To Mother Of Tu Nedhe Mla
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1020

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize women. Even though it is not mother's day, I would like to recognize my mother today because today is her birthday. Happy birthday, Mother.

-- Applause

My mother is Emmeris Cardinal, formerly Emmeris Drygeese of Lutselk'e. She is a long-time employee of this government, a former teacher, former supervisor of curriculum development, but most recently Mr. Speaker my mother is taking on the challenge of writing a Chipewyan dictionary and she is still in the process of finalizing that.

I would like to wish her and all mothers who are celebrating their birthdays today a happy birthday. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Birthday Greetings To Mother Of Tu Nedhe Mla
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1020

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Nitah, and happy birthday to your mom. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Sustainability Of The NWT Health Care System
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1021

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wanted to reflect on some of the concerns that I have been hearing about the sustainability of our health care system. This is something certainly that the entire Legislature is aware of, aware of our concerns. The issues at Stanton have been highlighted in the media and certainly have been on the lips of most of our residents, Mr. Speaker.

We know that the Minister of Health has an operational review underway to determine exactly what is the problem at Stanton, are these systemic issues, are these issues that we are up against in competing for talent nationally and internationally, or are there other issues at play?

Mr. Speaker, I do not think any of us, and certainly any of our constituents, expected -- and I believe we had assurances from the Minister to this effect -- that all other activities would grind to a halt, and I hope that they have not. One thing is certain, Mr. Speaker, the ICU at Stanton is not open, and I am not certain that it is going to be open any time soon. Certainly my constituents have a grave concern about this. I think everybody in this room and residents of the Northwest Territories believe that we have to have a basic level of service available to all residents, and I believe that includes having a working and open ICU at Stanton.

Mr. Speaker, I also have some concerns about the operational review, and I will be honest and say that the Standing Committee on Social Programs also had some concerns specifically with the independence, or perceived possible lack of independence, of the make-up of the steering committee -- a couple of deputy ministers, a couple of trustees from the board and the secretary to the FMB. We were willing to put those concerns aside and wait to see what the recommendations of the operational review came up with and judge them for their own merits, Mr. Speaker, and I thought that the most prudent and fair thing to do was to give the benefit of the doubt to the department and to the review.

We note that one of the concerns and one of the things that was being analyzed was whether or not money was a real issue here. Were we underpaying our staff at Stanton, and indeed across the Northwest Territories? If we were, Mr. Speaker, then maybe the claim that we could add money to this problem and it would go away certainly made sense. This is one of the things that we know the review was set to have a look at, Mr. Speaker.

Over the past couple of years, if you look at the operational review parameters... Sorry, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Sustainability Of The NWT Health Care System
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1021

The Speaker

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude, Mr. Bell.

Sustainability Of The NWT Health Care System
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1021

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. If you look at the operational review parameters for this review we see that, number 3, over the past two years Stanton hospital has experienced a great deal of difficulty in recruiting and retaining health care professionals. The review will identify what are internal versus systemic factors contributing to staff turnover at Stanton and make recommendations to address these, with particular focus on internal factors, Mr. Speaker. Really what that says to me is that we want to look at this situation and see if it is a money problem, we simply are not paying enough, or are there other management, morale, etc., other issues internally in management.

When I look in the paper today there is an article talking about a GNWT comparison of national nursing salaries comparing us against other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker. I think the comments in the paper lead us to believe that the department has already made the conclusion that it is not about money. Indeed, one of the members of the steering committee, the secretary to the FMB, is reported as saying -- and I am not certain he said this but he is reported as questioning -- he makes the comment, do you take your pay cheque home every two weeks saying you make enough, probably not, he said.

I think most people would agree that many of us are unsatisfied with the amount of money we have, but I think this is going to put doubts in many people's minds that the department, and indeed this government, has already come to the conclusion that this is not about money, there are other issues at play here, and I would only say, Mr. Speaker, that if this operational review is not done -- and I do not believe it is -- and if the recommendations and conclusions have not been arrived at yet, then we should certainly refrain from saying that we have the answers and we know what it is not. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Sustainability Of The NWT Health Care System
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1021

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Disappointment With Recent Ministerial Performance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1021

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to say how completely disappointed I am with the performance of Minister Handley yesterday in answering to the questions of this House with respect to his responsibility, involvement and actions, or inaction, in his role as Minister responsible for the Power Corporation.

I do not intend to spend a lot of time on this issue after today, but I would like to summarize what I have heard to date. In October 2001 NTPC began work on a general rate application for a single rate zone, with or without the Minister's and Cabinet's blessing, and I am not sure which it was. In June 2002 Mr. Handley did tell Members that a single rate zone would be a hard sell to the hydro communities and he had no confidence he could get Cabinet approval, let alone support from the Members of this House, and that is assuming that we were going to be consulted at all.

At the same time the president of the Power Corporation informed Members that NTPC was proceeding to phase 2 of their application on the basis of community-based rates. Less than two months later, on August 6, Cabinet took the position that consultation on the new rate structure and several other issues should be deferred until after the energy strategy was complete. This strategic direction, as Mr. Handley has characterized it, was clear to him and made clear to the chairman of the Power Corporation.

One week later on August 13th, in the presentation to regular Members, Cabinet's position was clearly laid out in terms of the deferral of the discussion with Mr. Handley, the chairman and the president of the corporation present. Close to the end of that discussion Members were surprised with the announcement that NTPC was proceeding to file their application in the next few weeks based on a single-rate zone.

Rather than attempting to reconcile that information with what Members understood, Mr. Handley took the opportunity to share his personal views seemingly contradicting Cabinet's direction on the merits of a single rate zone. This timing left no opportunity for regular Members to be consulted, and after the filing of the application the public became increasingly confused with the Minister responsible speaking out publicly about his support for a single rate zone and another Minister using his weekly column in his local newspaper to speak against the flat rate and filing for intervenor status. It is little wonder that the Premier had to step in to clarify the situation.

There are so many things wrong with this picture. I could attempt today to reword the questions about key points that contributed to this situation. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

Disappointment With Recent Ministerial Performance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

The Speaker

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mrs. Groenewegen, you may conclude.

Disappointment With Recent Ministerial Performance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you colleagues, and thank you, David. I could attempt today to reword the questions about key points that contributed to this situation. Whether the direction was clear, whether it was clearly communicated, whether the Minister even cared about the position of Cabinet, whether he feels any responsibility for the unfortunate circumstances leading to the dismissal of the board and the chairman's belief that he had the Minister and Cabinet's full support, or the lack of consultation with Members.

Judging by the contradictions in yesterday's answers, the Minister's repeated forays into the media with what he characterizes as his personal views and his cavalier attitude towards Cabinet solidarity one thing is clear. There is little point in asking any more questions of this Minister on this subject. I have worked with and observed Mr. Handley's performance as a Minister and I have to say that, overall, it has been very good, but I am very concerned about this Minister's continued assignment to the NWT Power Corporation. Thank you.

Disappointment With Recent Ministerial Performance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

The Speaker

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Cabinet Directive To The NWT Power Corporation
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me give you my version of what I have heard over the last two days.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, this is Friday and it may be comical to others, but I think it just goes to show the serious situation we find ourselves in with the state of affairs our government is in, and has put us in to a certain degree by action or inaction from more than one party.

Mr. Speaker, in this House we have had many questions and answers and responses from both the Premier and from the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, and through those answers we have tried to follow the sequence of events. On page 2263 of unedited Hansard the Honourable Joe Handley puts out information that as of October 2001 Cabinet gave a directive for the government to look at a one-rate zone. So much beyond what started from August 6th was in fact authority given by this Cabinet to look at a one rate zone for the Northwest Territories.

Following that it gets a little bit more confusing. The Premier stated that it was clear direction given on August 6th by the Cabinet to have the Power Corporation cease and desist any further action on a one-rate zone. I have asked the Premier if it was clear and as we can tell from Hansard that in fact we have danced around the issue again.

Today I am going to, once again, get commitment that clear wording was put in the directive to the Power Corporation, the board, that in fact they were to stop and remove their work from the application of one-rate zone.

Later on, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier on that. Thank you.

-- Applause

Cabinet Directive To The NWT Power Corporation
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Reflections On Recent Debates In The House
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1022

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this being Friday, I have composed a little song or story to summarize what I have learned in this House over the last few days. It is entitled, 'When I Grow Up I Want to be Just Like Joe Handley" because Joe is the king of his one-man kingdom, I will be Queen Sandy of a one-woman queendom. I have a good start because I am a Member of the Legislative Assembly just like Joe. I will get elected to Cabinet and rule the world. There will be seven others like me in Cabinet but they won't count, because I will be the queen of the one-woman queendom.

There will be MLAs who will give me their confidence to do the job, and oh, how nice, but I don't have to listen to them afterwards because they are just mushrooms in the dark anyway because I will be the queen of a one-woman queendom.

I will have a little corporation to run, and oh how nice, that will be so much fun. I will pass on the direction from the Cabinet, but whatever they do with it is fine by me, because I will be the queen of a one-woman queendom. If there is any misunderstanding, it is the board's problem.

If MLAs get upset, that's okay, I'll just say, "It's not my fault, Cabinet should have been more clear" because I am the queen. If Cabinet Members don't agree with what I say, too bad, so sad, because I am the queen and I can say whatever I want. If I have to fire the board, that's okay, because I can just say, "I didn't want to do it but I had to do it and it is everyone else's fault."

And I will just say, "Oh how sad I am" because people understand and they will all love me because I am the queen of a one-woman queendom.

Mr. Speaker, oh I can't wait until I grow up to be just like Joe Handley, Queen Sandy of the one-woman queendom. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Reflections On Recent Debates In The House
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1023

The Speaker

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Impact Benefit Agreements
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1023

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my third year that I have been an MLA I find it rather frustrating that some of the issues that I initially raised as an elected Member remain unresolved. An example of this is how the government deals with the impact benefit agreements. These agreements exist in the Territories between First Nations groups and businesses such as BHP and Diavik.

Financial compensation is being given by these businesses to aboriginal groups to allow for their traditional use of the land. During the February sitting of this House, Mr. Speaker, my colleague Mr. Nitah questioned what other territorial groups or companies have negotiated impact benefit agreements with industry other than the aboriginal groups.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that only First Nations groups have been recognized in these agreements. Obviously these agreements recognize that the territorial lands are the homelands of aboriginal people and with resource development and the loss of the traditional use of the land, First Nations should be compensated.

The reasoning behind IBAs is the same basis as to why treaties were created between First Nations and the Government of Canada. It is fair to say therefore that IBAs are modern treaties.

One of the pieces of legislation that we, as legislators are examining right now is related to the IBAs. It is the Human Rights Act. Some people have said that it is the most important piece of legislation that the 14th Assembly will deal with. In section 2 of the Human Rights Act it states that nothing in this act shall be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from the protection provided for existing aboriginal or treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada, by the recognition and affirmation of those rights in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982."

Mr. Speaker, impact benefit agreements have been created with First Nations groups on the basis that initial treaties were signed between the Government of Canada and the First Nations. As such, the territorial government needs to recognize that the monies received by First Nations from IBAs are constitutionally protected. Mr. Speaker, aboriginal people should not be discriminated against because of who they are when it comes to income support clawbacks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Impact Benefit Agreements
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 1023

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.