This is page numbers 297 - 330 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.

Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 24th, 2003

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, following up on my colleague for Hay River South's questions about anti-smoking legislation. I guess maybe this would be a question for the Minister Responsible for the WCB, but since the Minister of Health and Social Services has already addressed it, I am wondering why the WCB legislation already in place wouldn't prohibit smoking in the workplace since it seems to be a harmful substance and that, in effect, could do what we are trying to do with anti-smoking legislation already. Thank you.

Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If it pleases the Speaker, that's a question of WCB legislation policy. I know it's being looked at. I don't have the specific background material, but it has been done in BC, for example, where the WCB declared tobacco a hazardous substance. So the potential is there. Thank you.

Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Supplementary To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Okay. I thank the Minister for that. I guess I will keep the questions to anti-smoking and the programs and save those questions for the WCB Minister. I think this is related, Mr. Speaker. I wonder how the Minister of Health and Social Services is working with the Ministry of Youth to coordinate the delivery of programs aimed at curbing youth smoking. Clearly pamphlets and posters aren't enough, so what is he doing with the Ministry of Youth to coordinate this programming? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first, let me just make the point that there are a number of options in terms of legislation. We have to come up with, as a territory, the best way to proceed to the most comprehensive way possible with legislation to make sure we have safe public spaces and buildings.

With regard to the Minister Responsible for Youth, we have had initial meetings and, as the Minister of Health and Social Services, I have indicated an interest and a willingness to flow some money from health promotions into the Ministry of Youth so we can have hands-on active kinds of solutions to working with youth. We are also working with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to try to coordinate the committee resources, so we can, as the Member pointed out, not just do posters and ad campaigns, but do some actual real work with youth and combine that money with the money that's there so we are as effective and as collaborative as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Supplementary To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear that and I would encourage the Minister to continue to work with his colleagues in this government to make sure we get the best bang for our buck. We know we have limited resources. As well, it would be important for him to consult with his federal and provincial colleagues. I am wondering if the Minister has had any discussions in this area at FPT meetings. We know there are other jurisdictions doing some good things. I use the Quebec example. I think they have made incredible headway in curbing smoking rates. I am wondering if this Minister has had a chance to consult with his colleagues on best practices. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 305

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, I have, Mr. Speaker. I have taken the opportunity to talk with some of my fellow Ministers. One jurisdiction really caught my eye and the efforts they have undertaken, as well as British Columbia, with the rather elegant solution of using existing legislation. So there is a lot of good work being done out there. This is an issue of growing public concern and it's not going to be one that we can avoid, so we have to be proactive and come up with the best legislation possible. We don't want to reinvent the wheel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Question 83-14(6): Anti-smoking Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 6, oral questions. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, during our last session in October, I questioned the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about the department's financial contributions to the career and technology centre that Yellowknife Catholic schools is planning. While I applaud the efforts of the Yellowknife Catholic school board in advancing the trades sector in our schools, I am concerned about the level of funding committed by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in other communities. Mr. Speaker, the potential price tag for the trades centre was $1.45 million and that has since increased to $1.8 million. Last October, the Minister told me in this House: "To my understanding, there has been no commitment for a level of funding that has been approved as of yet by us. Our position I think will be to look at the program, but normally how we do this is to suggest that the various DECs and DEAs that are looking to expand programs have to take those out of existing funding." I would like to ask the Minister again, what level in funding, in actual dollars, will the department be providing to the centre for the Yellowknife students? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a very good question and I am glad it's been raised. We have the Yellowknife Catholic school board who is interested in developing this centre. Initially, they asked for the property, Mr. Speaker, and we acceded to providing that property to the board, but with the understanding that they would take the program from there. My initial understanding is they would develop the program from within their resources. I have the extra area of concern, Mr. Speaker, or extra area of benefit in this community. We also have the Sir John Franklin High School where a lot of trades programs are offered. All of these programs though, Mr. Chairman, are done on the basis of board allocation and school allocation to their funding. There is no extra funding, to the best of my knowledge, for those programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's been well publicized that the first $1 million for this project will be committed by the Yellowknife Catholic schools and the remaining $800,000 will be garnered through various partnerships, one being Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to ask the Minister to expand a bit. As there are no financial commitments, what kind of partnership is your department going to be supplying? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do have to emphasize that we haven't indicated that we would provide funding support beyond providing the property for this particular project. To the best of my knowledge, we have not made any commitment financially on this project nor indicated that we would support it because we have, as I said, in this community alone, two schools to provide this training and we don't want to duplicate, for one reason. Our position has always been that the cost of this must be taken out of the allocation provided through the DEC. In future, we are looking at -- as I mentioned the other day to the honourable Member -- different pathways, and we want to be fair throughout the territory if we are ever able to obtain funding to support the industrial arts strategy or program, or whatever you wish to call it, that we wish to pursue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware the Minister keeps committing that there is no finances going into this project, but I read with interest in the January 31st edition of the Yellowknifer that the department officials were to travel to Edmonton and then on to Abbottsford, BC, with a contingent from Yellowknife Catholic schools and Skills Canada to tour career and technology facilities in other locations. I assume this trip took place, Mr. Speaker, recently and that the officials were successful in gathering some useful information. Would the Minister please indicate if his department has ever done or would be willing to do an assessment of Hay River as a potential regional trade centre, given the strong manufacturing and private enterprise sector that exists in Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 305

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware of the department having participated in the trip to Abbotsford. I know there's been some media publicizing on this that we were prepared to participate in YCS program, et cetera, but there is no commitment on that, Mr. Speaker. That is speaking not from our side as a government, but from the Yellowknife Catholic school board side. So to the best of my knowledge, we did not participate in that particular trip. Secondly, I would be prepared to look at what we can do in terms of industrial arts development in the Hay River schools, just the same as we would be in Fort McPherson and other locations. We are very interested in pursuing this whole program, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In Nwt Schools
Question 84-14(6): Advancing Trades In NWT Schools
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again the Minister is stating that there is no financial commitment, yet keeping in mind that the GNWT has already donated the old driver training school to the Yellowknife Catholic school board, surely that's worth something. I would like to get a commitment from the Minister that he would be willing to work with his department and with the Hay River entities to identify a suitable location to promote the trades in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.