This is page numbers 411 - 450 of the Hansard for the 15th 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 thence.

Members Present

Honourable Brendan Bell, Mr. Braden, Honourable Paul Delorey, Honourable Charles Dent, Mrs. Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Mr. Hawkins, Honourable David Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Honourable Michael McLeod, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Pokiak, Mr. Ramsay, Honourable Floyd Roland, Mr. Villeneuve, Mr. Yakeleya

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Please be seated. Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. I would like to draw your attention to the sea of green in the gallery today. I asked the Sergeant-at-Arms to beef up security in here and I think he might have overdone it a bit.

---Laughter

---Applause

I would like to draw your attention to the commander of Joint Task Force North Colonel Chris Whitecross.

---Applause

And Captain Tom Tulloch, director of joint command and task programs for Canadian Forces College in Toronto.

---Applause

And the future senior leadership of the Canadian Forces. They are here from across Canada and around the world. They are here on an Arctic field study exercise which is part of a 10-month Canadian Forces training course. Please join me in welcoming them to our Assembly.

---Applause

Thank you, Members. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide an update on the status of the $35 million community capacity building fund established by the Government of the Northwest Territories from funding made available by the Government of Canada under the Northern Strategy.

The community capacity building fund provides significant one-time funding to communities to allow them to advance their unique priorities. One of the key features of the fund is that all local governing bodies in a community must agree on priorities before a proposal can be submitted. Starting November 1, 2005, community governments have been able to draw down their allocation any time over three fiscal years. When originally announced by the Government of the Northwest Territories, the deadline for proposals was November 1, 2006, but I am pleased to advise my colleagues that this date has now been extended to March 31, 2007. This will allow communities who are still working on their proposals to take the time that they need.

At present, communities in the Northwest Territories are at various stages of advancing their community plans and applications for funding. To date, 15 funding proposals have been submitted and 11 communities have received funding totalling close to $11 million.

In reviewing the applications received, it is evident that each community has spent considerable time and energy in the consultation and planning processes to come to consensus and to develop sound funding proposals. The range of projects proposed by communities is impressive. For example, three communities are using the funding to expand community complexes or hamlet offices to include additional services and infrastructure support for various community groups.

Several communities are working on the development of new or enhanced community facilities such as community workshops, commercial cooking facilities, sawmills and cultural and traditional centres. Some communities are making investments in housing projects for seniors, staff and the community, while others are focussing on improved transportation systems such as road construction and upgrades. Several communities are using the funding to develop and support local day care centres and youth centres.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is aware of numerous communities actively finalizing their proposals, but is also aware of a few communities having some difficulty in reaching consensus. In order to address individual community concerns, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has offered to assist communities in the planning and application development process.

I would like to congratulate the 15 communities who have reached consensus and have successfully developed proposals that reflect community priorities. It is evident that the one-time funding will achieve its goal of supporting communities to achieve their priorities, and will leave a lasting legacy that will benefit all residents of NWT communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Aurora College Graduates
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to congratulate the recent Aurora College Graduates in the Sahtu.

Mr. Speaker, all these students should be proud of their achievements. They are most impressive, considering the Norman Wells Aurora College program is delivered out of a decrepit 20 by 50 foot ATCO trailer. A crying shame, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to recognize the graduates from the Kitchen Helper Program: from Norman Wells, Kyla Green, Yi Beng, Chen, Robin Lu, Dean Neyanda; from Fort Good Hope, Chelsey Gully; from Deline, Tanya Modeste, Conrad Modeste; from Tulita, Jonathan Yakeleya.

The graduates from the Heavy Equipment Operators Program are: from Norman Wells, Mr. Kochon, Daniel Jackson, Peter Kubrakovich; Deline, Tyrone Yukon, Harry Beyonnie, Aarron Lee Mackeinzo; in Fort Good Hope, Nicholas Tobac, Clarence Gardebois, Joseph Furlong, Amanda Kelly.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all the Members of the Legislative Assembly to join me in congratulating these graduates and wishing them success. I also hope my colleagues will join me in urging this government to put a proper Aurora College facility in Norman Wells. That would make the people of the Sahtu very proud and continue to support them in their education endeavours in terms of making a contribution to the Northwest Territories, to the economy, to build capacity and to show the people in the Sahtu region that when business is ready to go ahead with the pipeline or any other exploration, our young leaders are ready to go, they're willing to help, but we need some proper facilities in that region instead of a 20 foot by 50 foot ATCO trailer that is also known as...I don't know what kind of words I can put to the trailer that we have there, but it's deplorable, Mr. Speaker, and I think this government should step up to the plate, as the students have done, just to finish off this graduation program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Aurora College Graduates
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of WCB indicated in the House that the Board of Governors of the WCB is planning on changing the policy on chronic pain, more specifically that the board is looking at allowing those suffering from chronic pain due to workplace injury to be eligible for permanent partial disability. Mr. Speaker, even though I have to learn this by listening in on the third-party exchange, I feel like 'Desperately Seeking Susan'. I was so desperate for good news I was jumping up and down for joy because I thought after all these years it was an opening of some sort. Until, of course, I started reading the transcript, Mr. Speaker, and realized that even to this day the Minister, the board and this government continues to dither on making a decision on something that is so clear.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you once again, it is the law that people with chronic pain cannot be discriminated against as compared to any other injured workers, and this WCB keeps on doing that. The Martin decision in Supreme Court said so and the Valic decision in the Supreme Court of the NWT said that. Instead of changing the policy, which is the job of the council and the Minister and the government, they have decided, the latest as of yesterday, until yesterday, they were going to go back to the same court and ask if the changes they're making are constitutional. I'm glad they changed their mind on that because I think that was bad legal advice.

Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that the Minister and the board have finally seen the light of day and that they cannot dither any longer and treat those workers with chronic pain in a discriminatory fashion. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister whether or not any changes to this would apply to all the chronic pain cases and, Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated, well, there aren't too many. Well, I tell you, he gave an answer in this House and there are at least 36 workers over the last year with that same condition and while the Minister and the board are waiting, whether or not they have time to meet to discuss something as important as this for the people who are suffering as we speak, this is just, Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell you how upset I got when I started reading this transcription. And there's no time. There's no need for the council to consult anymore on something that they are legally obligated to do, and if they do not go do that, I'm going to ask the Minister of Justice for money to go to court myself.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Ms. Lee, your time...

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Federal Budget Reductions
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know if this is the right time for it with all these guys being up here, but I want to speak about the federal government's attitude towards the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, we recently heard about all the cuts that were made. A billion dollars cut for youth groups and for volunteer groups, adult literacy groups and for women's groups. Mr. Speaker, these people put a lot of work into the job that they do. Why should we have them sitting like little pups under the table waiting for some scraps to fall off. We have money constantly leaving the Northwest Territories and yet these folks have to fight for every nickel and dime they can get. It's really not fair to these people who try to provide a service. The Canadian government gives money all over the place and maybe it's time they started giving some money back to the Northwest Territories.

They like to talk about sovereignty all the time. We used to have an Armed Forces base up in Inuvik. That closed down a few years ago. Five hundred people left town.

Maybe it's time to look at re-opening that, putting another one up there so we can have those 500 people back.

We want highways, Mr. Speaker, and the thing that troubles me about the whole thing is the money that leaves the Northwest Territories. Every year we lose millions of dollars and we expect our NGOs and people who try to provide half decent services to constantly scratch and scrape for every nickel and dime they can get. It's really not a fair process, Mr. Speaker.

I think it's time this government, and I know Ottawa listens to us, and I think it's time...

---Interjection

Federal Budget Reductions
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Well, I'm hoping Ottawa listens to us. Ottawa, are you listening?

---Laughter

I'd like to see our government send them a real strong message because it's the people of the Northwest Territories that elected this government and we should be looking out for their best interest instead of having our strings pulled from Ottawa. I do not like the fact that they do make a lot of the decisions for the Northwest Territories. I am not a puppet and I don't think this government should be. So I think it's time we took a strong stand and maybe told Ottawa that enough's enough. We want what's rightfully ours. Thank you.

---Applause

Federal Budget Reductions
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Federal Budget Reductions
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to join my colleague in talking about the federal government and ask the people of the Northwest Territories to consider this as they reflect on the Conservatives' approach to social policy as it pertains to the North, to the needy, to women, to those that require literacy training. They have absolutely savaged those programs. They have cut smoking cessation, adult literacy, youth employment, women's volunteerism programs, the Court Challenge Program. Mr. Speaker, it's shocking, it's appalling and it was done without consultation. This government seems intent on ruling and governing by edict and fiat. In fact, I know that most jurisdictions found out about this in the newspaper or on TV. In fact, some of the program departments in the federal government found out about the cuts on TV.

So this is a shameful display for those in Ottawa that ask to lead us. While my colleague is pleading to Ottawa to listen, my suggestion to the people of the Northwest Territories is much more fundamental and I am asking them to keep this in mind, because I understand the Conservatives are going to need every seat they can get come the election. When it's time to vote in the Northwest Territories, remember what they have done to our social programs.

It's as simple as ABC, Mr. Speaker; "Anybody But a Conservative."

---Applause

Federal Budget Reductions
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Behchoko Public Housing Rental Arrears
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, housing in Behchoko is a mess. The community of Behchoko has some serious arrears on rental units, the public units. There are currently 182 public units in Behchoko. Mr. Speaker, these 182 units are under the umbrella of the NWT Housing Corporation. That's our Housing Corporation here in the Northwest Territories government. Some residents argue that they have been rated wrongly in the past, paying high rent when they were unemployed, for example. Mr. Speaker, assessments in the past were done incorrectly. Their complaints have fallen on deaf ears, Mr. Speaker. Unable to pay their rent arrears simply continues to accumulate, leaving them hopeless and potentially homeless, Mr. Speaker. Some owe as much as $76,000 on public government units, Mr. Speaker. Now these clients face eviction. No one has dealt with this problem and worked on any plans to help these people.

Mr. Speaker, this government has not done its part to find a solution to this problem. I refuse to believe that this current government will stand by and allow this to continue. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

---Applause

Behchoko Public Housing Rental Arrears
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Net Benefits From Resource Developments
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had a Member's statement prepared today, but hearing the lead that's been taken by some of my fellow Members with respect to the federal cuts, I think I'll change my topic and talk about that very subject.

Mr. Speaker, this summer some of the Regular Members had the opportunity to go into some of the small northern communities here and see some of the living conditions. We went there with a theme to talk about the cost of living, but we really saw the conditions of living. Something that really stuck out in my mind is, when we went to the community of Fort Liard we had a small gathering of people there and somebody who had just moved from Newfoundland to the Northwest Territories stood up before our committee and said, I thought Newfoundland was poor until I came to the Northwest Territories. He was talking about the living conditions, when he talked about mouldy houses, when he talked about the lack of services, when he talked about having to send the little kindergarten children home from school on their first day of school because the teacher had to leave the community, more than one teacher had to leave the community because there was no place for them to live when they got to the community of Fort Liard. They had to turn away, and the

little kids that were looking forward to starting school that day had to be turned away.

Then contrast that with our new Prime Minister Stephen Harper coming here and standing in our Great Hall talking about the mighty resources of the Northwest Territories, and talking on the world stage about the Northwest Territories and Canada, Northwest Territories being a part of the Canadian image of an energy superpower. Where are we talking about the energy coming from? Where are those natural resources coming from? They're coming from here. Yet the extraction is going to take place and the people of the Northwest Territories are still going to be living with the worst social conditions in this country. The statistics are there. All you have to do is look at the rates of suicide, you look at the rates of addictions, you look at the rates of everything which is a negative social indicator and I'm sorry, but the Northwest Territories and northern Canada wins the prize. We've got the worst conditions. We've got the most resources. I hope the federal government doesn't just look at us as a bastion of revenue and royalties and money flowing into their coffers, because we need to keep a portion of that money here in order to serve the needs of our people so that we do not have them living in the conditions that they're living in today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Net Benefits From Resource Developments
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Paulatuk Community Freezers
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on my tour of Paulatuk on September 13th, 2006, I had an opportunity to speak with the mayor, who is also the resource person for the Paulatuk Hunters' and Trappers' Committee. Mr. Speaker, I was informed that many of the residents had stored their traditional food at the local community freezer after a successful spring and fall hunt. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, the Paulatuk Hunters' and Trappers' Committee had a refrigerator repairman travel to Paulatuk to conduct what was thought to be a minor repair to the local community freezer. Mr. Speaker, it turns out the compressor was dysfunctional to even be repaired. The estimate to repair the compressor was about 35 to 40 thousand dollars.

Mr. Speaker, because of the breakdown of the community freezer, many residents lost most of their traditional food which was to last over a few months. We know the cost of living at the local Northern Stores. Bought food is very expensive in isolated communities. Mr. Speaker, in 2005-2006 the then Department of RWED purchased 25 freezers for Paulatuk and 25 freezers for Ulukhaktok. There was an understanding, if required, the Department of ITI now would provide further freezers.

Mr. Speaker, a freezer is a vital component of household items to store traditional and store-bought food. Given the understanding, Mr. Speaker, why weren't these freezers purchased and sent to Paulatuk this summer? Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Paulatuk Community Freezers
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Barren Land Caribou Management Practices
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert Villeneuve

Robert Villeneuve Tu Nedhe

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd just like to talk about this government's Barren Ground Caribou Management Strategy for the Northwest Territories rolled out earlier this year. The five key components of this strategy focus on, one, engaging partners; two, ensuring appropriate information is available for management decisions; three, managing impacts of human activities; four, informing the public about their role in this management scheme; and five, addressing hardships. Of course the success of this strategy rests on everyone's participation and input.

Mr. Speaker, the one strategy component that I would like to get more information on is the fifth component related to addressing hardships. Winter's coming and I feel that this is where our declining numbers of caribou really become important, and the hardships because of that will become very evident in many of our small remote communities in the NWT where cash is scarce, rent is high, and the cost of living is rising every day.

Mr. Speaker, these hardships are already being felt by local hunters and providers with increases in fuel prices and the need to travel further out on the land to find the main meat source. Later on today I will be asking the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources if the department has any information available to northerners, especially those who rely heavily on caribou, about how this government is planning to help them and at what cost. I will be asking these and other questions, Mr. Speaker, because this information is listed in the strategy document as TBD -- To Be Determined. I want to know what we have determined to date. Thank you.

---Applause

Barren Land Caribou Management Practices
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Management Of The Human Resources Department
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a second and welcome the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces to our proceedings here today.

---Applause

I'd like to once again address the concerns I'm having or hearing from the public and the employees in our public service in regards to the management of the Human Resources department. Cabinet Members and other Members of this House have heard me stand up on numerous occasions over the past three years challenging and taking the government to task over how it consistently mishandles human resources. The fact of the matter is that the Minister has stood up in this House and admitted that there are numerous challenges and concerns and everything is not as it should be with the new department.

Last year the Minister entered into a sole-sourced $475,000 contract with an American firm, the Hackett Group, to try to develop recommendations to improve client service and business processes. Mr. Speaker, I have questioned at length the former Justice Minister about HR concerns at North Slave Correctional Centre and, Mr. Speaker, there was an operational review done there with 63 recommendations about how they could improve client services there, and I wonder how many of those recommendations have in fact been acted upon. The excuse has always been that HR was still sorting their issues out. I've had issues with constituents waiting to retire from the government, persons with disabilities having barriers to employment with the GNWT, and then there's the very large issue of recruitment and retention of health care professionals and staffing issues at Stanton and other health centres across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, HR is such an important and critical piece of our operation and it is imperative that the public and our workforce have every confidence that our HR department is functioning effectively. Mr. Speaker, judging by the comments I hear, the e-mails I receive, I lack the confidence that this department is doing its work and delivering the service and response to the clients it represents. Given all the issues that have been brought up in this House in regards to human resources, I believe the communication between the Minister and the Regular Members on this side of the House is not what it should be. HR seems able to do as they wish because of confidentiality becoming a barrier for Members to take on individual cases because of fear of reprisal from the department. Mr. Speaker, I certainly will have some questions for the Minister responsible for Human Resources at the appropriate time. Thank you. Mahsi.

---Applause

Management Of The Human Resources Department
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Visual And Performing Arts Celebrations
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to acknowledge our brave men and women in green here in the gallery today. It's quite overwhelming to see them all. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Speaker, every day the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment contribute to individual artists and groups of artists through grants issued by the NWT Arts Council. In 2005-2006 there were 124 applications for grants totalling almost $1.2 million, of which the NWT Arts Council was able to fund 84 projects totalling $355,000. In the last update on the NWT Arts Strategy from last March, the Government of the Northwest Territories stated that it believes a collaborative, holistic approach is needed to support and develop a vibrant arts sector.

There are many examples of this type of approach and the government's support of venues like Folk on the Rocks, Festival of the Midnight Sun, End of the Road Music Festival, and the South Slave Music Festival is certainly to be commended, Mr. Speaker. They are fine examples of government doing something.

However, Mr. Speaker, even though artists from all other parts of the Territories appear there or have their work shown at these venues and festivals, there is a way to help benchmark and show what we could do and could do better and help support it. I believe this government could do better. I believe this government could do more. I believe it's time this government realizes that we need a government-sponsored festival or venue on an annual or semi-annual basis that we could help showcase these artists from across our territory, Mr. Speaker.

Artists from the performing arts, visual and traditional arts need the opportunity to network with their peers and receive feedback from a large audience at an arts festival or awards night. I see this festival as a collaboration and a celebration of arts, Mr. Speaker, with the recognition given to artists who excel or show promise in their particular area.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it's time to discuss ideas that the Department of Education take the lead in establishing an NWT annual arts achievement award night to celebrate and enhance the arts sector of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will have questions for the Minister of Education on seeing what he can do to take the next step to help celebrate our arts community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.