This is page numbers 1181 - 1214 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th 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 know.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, apparently there's $10 million savings around here. Maybe the Minister can apply for some of that so he could spread the program a little more efficiently and with a quicker pace. I would like to ask the Minister when can the other non-tax-based communities get an indication of when they can expect their communities to be chipsealed for dust-control purposes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as soon as we have reviewed the progress and cost that we've experienced over the summer, we will get the information to the communities. However, we have to keep in mind that this has to go through the business planning process, as well, so I can't assure any of the regions that they're going to have something happen next year or the year after until the business planning process is completed.

Further Return To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the communities in the Northwest Territories that need and want dust control in their communities and hardtop on their roads want to be involved in this process and they want to be informed because they are waiting for it. I would like to ask the Minister what kind of communication plans does the department have to involve and communicate with communities so that they know exactly when they can expect action happening in their communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have capital planning staff and we also have our regional staff. So information to the communities will be passed through the regional offices and put to the communities, then there will be some discussions with the communities as to how we can proceed. No doubt, we would all like to see the communities receive the program as early as possible but, like I said, we can't guarantee anything at this point. But we will have discussions with the communities through the normal process, the regional offices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Question 376-14(6): Status Of The Community Dust Control Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

October 2nd, 2003

Page 1195

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it's with regard to the whole area of the mental health and alcohol and drug programs. As we all know, the government is looking at revamping the whole mental health and alcohol program by basically looking at reclassifying those positions.

Mr. Speaker, the alcohol and drug and mental health workers we have in our communities have gone off, got trained, and they've spent many years in the communities in those positions. But now they're being told you have to be reclassified, you have to go take training. Mr. Speaker, for me, it's essential we have people from our communities delivering programs and services in our communities rather than having people imported from outside.

I'd like to ask the Minister a question. I received a letter from the Minister on September 30th, a reply from the Minister of Health and Social Services on a number of questions that I asked in the June session. The answer the Minister of Health and Social Services stated, the process for three new mental health alcohol and drug workers, including one for the community of Aklavik, will commence on September 2003. I've looked in the Inuvik Drum and the government Web site and I could not find such job postings. Can the Minister please inform the House the actual timelines of hiring mental health and alcohol and drugs workers in the Inuvik region and what effect this will have on the present employees?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1195

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent of this process was the reclassification of the new job descriptions for alcohol and drug workers and mental health workers to recognize at long last that the alcohol and drug workers who have worked for many years had worked at very low wages without any of the benefits that accrue to other employees that were permanent employees for health and social services authorities. The intent is to train those workers that need training, the intent is to roll them over, upgrade them if necessary, do an analysis of their experience and education, a prior learning assessment it's called, to see where they fit on the new pay scale, and to commit to training them so that they in fact are capable of better doing the jobs and finally get access to the benefits. Those positions that are vacant are going to be advertised. Some areas have already started. There have been people in positions that have already been appointed to their new jobs. So, Mr. Speaker, this would be moving at different paces, depending on the authorities, their staff, who's there and the vacancies that they do have. Thank you.

Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's good to hear from the Minister that something is happening out there, but we don't seem to really see any activity taking place. The Minister stated the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Authority is working closely with the community of Aklavik to find a qualified counsellor who will meet the needs of the community on a long-term basis. I would like to ask the Minister, can you tell me exactly what are the timelines you're looking at, and if you are advertising for these other positions, why couldn't you be advertising for a similar position in Aklavik?

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated previously, my understanding is that the officials from the Inuvik Health and Social Services Authority were to be in Aklavik this week, sit down with the community to discuss the best way to move ahead on the staffing of the alcohol and drug and mental health positions that are there. Once that is determined, then if it's a contract, if it's going to be a permanent staff of the authority located in Aklavik, then the job description is there and the staffing process is ready to begin. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from that response from the Minister I get the feeling that Aklavik is being treated differently than other communities in the Northwest Territories when it comes to mental health and drug workers. On one hand, you're saying you're going out, you're advertising, you're trying to find these people and making sure that they're qualified to take these positions; but on the other hand you're saying your people from the Inuvik Health Board are going to go into Aklavik and consult if they can basically offer a service to the community of Aklavik. So I'd like to ask the Minister are there two lines of treatment here, one for communities that have the program and one for communities that don't? Do we have a system in place that's consistent for all communities?

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my preference would be that mental health workers, community wellness workers, alcohol and drug workers would all become employees of the authority in the region in which they work, that they would become employees and have access to benefits, pensions and leave that they may not have access to now. That would be my preference. The final decision has to be negotiated with the communities and the authorities, because in some situations they are employees of bands and they have contracts with NGOs. So we have to work through those areas. In a lot of cases, in the majority, they are staffed and they're just going to be upgraded and their pay increased. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems at times it takes forever to have anything done in this House. I would like to ask the Minister again, do we have a timeline on exactly when you see these positions being filled in our communities and give the comfort to the employees who are presently there to know that their job is secure, that they will have to possibly take some training, that they will not be fired going through this process, that we have such a stringent system in place, classification and qualification, that they will not need it and most of them may be out of a job. So I would like to ask the Minister exactly on the timelines, when can these people get some comfort that there will be job security and they know that those positions will be signed on, they will have a job at the end of the day and they won't have to be laid off? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, your final answer.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would be more than willing to say in this House, and I will say in this House, the intent of this exercise is not to fire existing staff. The intent of this exercise is to recognize specifically in the area of the alcohol and drug workers that they have worked long and hard for years for very little pay and often no benefits, no job security, or limited job security for the people in their community. We have gone to this Assembly and got funds to increase their pay. We've worked with authorities to be able to, where they're not already employees, make them employees so that they can get salaries at the reclassified position with all the accrued and contingent benefits that would go with that. The intent is to recognize the work they do. The intent is where they need further training to provide them with that training. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Mahsi, Mr. Minister. The time allocated for question period has expired. Item 7, written questions. The chair recognizes the honourable Member for Hay River North.

Further Return To Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Question 377-14(6): Mental Health And Alcohol And Drug Workers
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1196

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.