This is page numbers 157 - 202 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 communities.

Topics

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, treaty people in the Northwest Territories are getting worried that the non-insured health benefits are being slowly eroded by policy and directive changes from Ottawa that this government does not seem to have an ability to fight. These are treaty rights that have been slowly eroded from people who hold treaties. Can the Minister inform us in this House today how much of the budget has been eroded over the years since the government had the contract for delivering non-insured health benefits to treaty people in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The Chair is not quite certain what the question is, but I will allow the Minister, if he has heard it, perhaps to respond if he so chooses. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government sets the benefits schedule for non-insured health benefits. We administer it. Part of the dispute and debate over the funding is that we tend to expend more money than the federal government will reimburse us for. There are a lot of outstanding issues on the table in terms of benefits that have not kept pace with cost increases and the federal government tends to be very parsimonious when it looks at any kind of additional enhancements to that particular program. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I questioned the former Minister of Health and Social Services on this issue last year because the department was considering not re-entering the contract to deliver non-insured health benefits to Treaty Indians and Inuit people in the Northwest Territories because of what the Minister has just said. The federal government was not paying what our government had been submitting the bills for. So the question I am asking is, has the non-insured health benefits entire budget been eroding over the years since the Government of the Northwest Territories have had the contract to deliver programs and services on behalf of government under the non-insured health benefits? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, very clearly, by the federal government sticking to the status quo year after year, just this year, the cost of living factor alone, let alone bounces in population and demands, otherwise have made the reality that the program is falling farther behind.

There is a cost that has not kept up with the current times. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 25th, 2002

Page 174

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. It is regarding the community empowerment agreements that his department has with the communities to provide an economic development officer.

In the community of Aklavik they have given that responsibility back to the department. In the case of Fort McPherson they have had discussions. One of the concerns that has come up is the amount of revenues that are offered to communities to empower them to carry out that responsibility is not really enough to attract good candidates to fill those positions, with the cost of living in the communities for housing and what not.

I would like to ask the Minister, will the Minister consider or look at those agreements and see what his department can do to increase those amounts, so you are able to attract good people into those positions in our communities to ensure we are able to carry out those responsibilities with the economic development officer positions?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we as Legislative Assembly Members talk about putting more focus on the smaller communities and putting resources and personnel into these smaller communities, we have to review the whole thing, including what the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta is raising. I think it is a very good point. I think if there is a problem in there, the idea here is to put resources into the small communities to help them meet the challenges of economic development. That is one of the things we have to look at. Thank you.

Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think because we are competing against the other sectors of the economy, in order to attract good people, we have to pay a reasonable salary for these positions.

I think it has been some time since communities have seen any increase in the programs they are delivering on behalf of this government. I would like to ask the Minister, can we somehow find a way to streamline the amounts that communities get so that we are compatible with other sectors that provide a similar service in the Northwest Territories?

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Yes, we will look at that as well. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the other areas that I think is important for the government is that we allow organizations in the communities, say if the joint hamlet councils or band councils do not want to jointly implement a program, that we allow the organizations who want to have the ability to do it.

I was pretty shocked and appalled to hear that band councils are not able to carry out those responsibilities such as economic development officers because of some policy in the government. Does the government have a policy on who can carry out these responsibilities on behalf of government?

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 174

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this department has made arrangements with different organizations in the communities. Every organization is different from the other. If an economic development officer is going to be placed in the community through a band council, then we would require that the other bodies, like the Metis association as well as the municipal body, be supportive of that initiative so that if an economic development officer goes into a community through the band council, this individual has to provide the same level of programs and services as it is functioning under the Government of the Northwest Territories. Meaning that this person has to provide the services not only to the First Nations but to the Metis and to other people through the municipal government that is provided. If there is agreement with all parties, then we would make those kinds of arrangements. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 175

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 175

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we do have these positions. There is an economic boom out there that people within the business community need assistance and they need help. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we have these positions filled. The resources are within the department and they are not being filled in the community.

I would like to ask the Minister to ensure that he does check with his department to ensure that these positions are being filled, they are funded and we do not have these vacancies in these communities because this is definitely an area in need right now. We need the resource people. Can the Minister assure me that he will check with every community to ensure they have an economic development officer active?

Supplementary To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 175

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 175

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I will commit to check in on all the communities for these economic development positions and see if they are filled and if they are not, then we will find that out as well. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Question 81-14(5): Economic Development Officers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 175

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The time for question period is over. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to the opening address. Item 10, replies to the budget address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.