Mr. Krutko, your time for your Member's statement has ended.
Debates of Feb. 20th, 2002
This is page numbers 21 - 47 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 development.
Topics
Implementing Affirmative Action
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 32
Implementing Affirmative Action
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 32
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Krutko.
Implementing Affirmative Action
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 32
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have lost a lot of good people who have made a career in this government to the other sectors like the federal government, the diamond industry, the oil and gas industry and now the aboriginal organizations in the North. We are talking about self-government. We are talking about claims negotiations.
I think this government has to do more to ensure that the employees of this government are able to realize their potential by offering them the ability to show that potential by assisting them to advance in their careers. At what day, at what place and at what time will we see the majority of people in the senior management of this government reflecting the population of this Territory?
Almost 50 percent of the population is aboriginal. We have used this excuse time and time again, we talk about policies -- we have hiring policies, affirmative action policies, but yet nothing has happened.
Mr. Speaker, I will be asking Ministers questions on this matter later on. Thank you.
Implementing Affirmative Action
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 32
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 32
Paul Delorey Hay River North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address an issue that is affecting a large portion of our health care professionals. The issue I am referring to, Mr. Speaker, is the recent announcement of a further recruitment and retention bonus of registered nurses in the Northwest Territories.
I agree wholeheartedly, Mr. Speaker, that we need to provide incentives to our allied health care professionals in order to provide adequate health care throughout the North. My point, Mr. Speaker, is that these incentives should be provided to all health care professionals. It is not secret, Mr. Speaker, that this government has spent an exorbitant amount of money on recruitment and retention of health care professionals.
Mr. Speaker, we have 26 licensed practical nurses, also known as LPNs, registered in Hay River. At last count, there are 38 in Yellowknife, 11 in Fort Smith, eight in Inuvik, four in Fort Simpson and one in Fort Resolution.
There was a study done in British Columbia, Mr. Speaker, that showed that LPNs are underused. There is a 60 percent overlap in skills between RNs and LPNs. If the LPNs were used to their full potential there would be no need for bed closures or staff concerns.
Mr. Speaker, morale is low amongst allied health care professionals in the North due to the physical shortages and staff recruitment problems. We as a government do not need to add this as an issue that has proven to be divisive to health care workers.
The Hay River Community Health Board, Mr. Speaker, has experienced severe shortages in staffing over the last few years. We were without a speech language pathologist for over a year-and-a-half.
Mr. Speaker, RNs and LPNs were not able to take vacations at their leisure due to staffing problems. All of this creates inherent stress for all health care providers.
Mr. Speaker, in 1999 a memorandum of understanding was signed by the UNW, Financial Management Board Secretariat, and Health and Social Services. This temporary nurse market supplement provided for a recruitment bonus of $5,000 for nurses upon hire. Mr. Speaker, this temporary supplement also provided for a retention bonus based on years of service payable to indeterminate front-line nurses as of September 1, 1999, and again on September 1, 2000.
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Delorey.
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
Paul Delorey Hay River North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. The funding was extended for the year 2001-2002, and a further MOU signed for the recruitment portion only, which is effective April 1, 2002. Mr. Speaker, I would like to categorically state that I am not against our registered nurses receiving this bonus. On the contrary, I believe that we cannot say enough about how blessed we are in the Northwest Territories to have the calibre of nurses that we do.
Mr. Speaker, my concern is that there appears to have been a value placed on registered nurses over their allied health care professionals by this government. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have further questions for the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause
Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Professionals
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.
Affirmative Action Policy Implementation
Item 4: Members' Statements
February 19th, 2002
Page 33
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about this government's practices when it comes to employees and the affirmative action policy. Mr. Speaker, it has been unfortunate that this has been an issue that has been highlighted through numerous Assemblies and sessions and through Members who have come and gone raising issues around the affirmative action policy.
Mr. Speaker, there are legitimate times when the policy works and there are times when it does not work. We hear from sides that say it was a tool just to fill up a quota and people would feel that is how they were placed, and some people would take it as a slight in the sense of not being measured for their worth. Instead, they were measured for just a number to fit into a program. But there are occasions, Mr. Speaker, when we have individuals who rise through the ranks and in fact have proven beyond any doubt that they have managed to do things on their own, and the affirmative action policy is something that I do not think they really needed. But there are times when they feel that is the only avenue they have left because it is hard to get into the higher echelons, if you want to call it, of government, Mr. Speaker. It seems to be a very closed group in certain areas.
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to speak badly about anyone, people who are in the government who have put many years into their jobs to get to where they are. They deserve recognition for how far they have come. But there comes a time when we must measure ourselves in the sense of what we have achieved and what we are doing as elected leaders when it comes to those that do the work for us that we set here, Mr. Speaker. We are the ones that sort of set the pace because we set the laws of the land in a sense, and it is our staff that carry out these decisions. Sometimes our staff out there feel that they have no other opportunity but to raise their issues in a different circumstance because they feel they are not protected.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions following this government's actions when it comes to dealing with employees of this government. When they make a commitment to an employee, why is that commitment not followed through with? Later on I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Thank you.
Affirmative Action Policy Implementation
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.
Comments On The Budget Address
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today our Finance Minister introduced the budget for 2002-2003. At first glance, the budget looks good and we are going to have to take some time to have a closer look at it. The agenda for a better tomorrow seems to be incorporated in here, but I will speak to the fact of the inequity of funding between smaller communities and larger tax-based municipalities.
There are 33 communities in the Northwest Territories and 27 of them are non-tax based. A lot of those communities would be considered third world, as compared to first world here in Yellowknife. I look forward to asking questions of the different Ministers with their departmental responsibilities, such as the mention in this budget of growth in the communities. How does the government plan to focus on growth in the smaller communities? What do they mean by infrastructure development? What do they mean by growth in small communities? Do they mean population? Do they mean businesses? Or do they mean infrastructure such as sidewalks, one simple example?
I look forward to the next four weeks and the next year to implement this budget and I will be asking questions of the different departments over the next three weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Comments On The Budget Address
Item 4: Members' Statements
Page 33
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 4, Members' statements. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.
Item 6: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 6: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Page 34
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize one of my constituents and one of the hard-working people on the Homeless Coalition, Captain Karen Hoeft. Thank you.
-- Applause
Item 6: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 6: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Page 34
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you and welcome to the gallery. I admire your ability to stick it out. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and it is with regard to the position of the assistant deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to ask the Minister exactly what is the status of that position and has the position been filled?
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.
Return To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the position is not vacant. The employee that was there will be returning to employment within a very short period of time to that position. There is no vacancy there. Thank you.
Return To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
Supplementary To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the position has been vacant for some three-and-a-half months now. I would like to know exactly why it has taken so long to have that position filled?
Supplementary To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.
Further Return To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the employee in the position, it was decided mutually that there would be approximately three months to look at some issues, that she could be re-oriented back into the department. We needed a time frame there to do that. She will be coming back into the department within several weeks. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Question 15-14(5): Status Of Assistant Deputy Minister Position
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 34