This is page numbers 241 - 270 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 going.

Topics

Members Present

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

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 241

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Welcome to our guests in the gallery today. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Joe Handley will be absent from the House today to attend the Council of the Federation meeting in Edmonton, Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to inform this House that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have reached agreement on an extension of the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program, better known as RRAP, for another year. Through RRAP, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is able to repair northerner's homes to meet acceptable levels of health and safety.

Through this partnership, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will complete $460,000 in home repairs during 2006-2007. Through RRAP, the corporation can also carry out home renovations that will increase energy efficiency. Perhaps more significantly, RRAP also contains components that provide assistance specifically to meet the needs of seniors and persons with disabilities to improve accessibility and increase the ability of these residents to lead independent lives.

I have been informed that the Government of Canada is considering extending this program over a longer term. Along with my colleagues in other provinces and territories, I will be lobbying the Minister responsible for CMHC, the Honourable Diane Finley, to express our desire that funding become permanent.

Mr. Speaker, RRAP is one of several successful homeowner repair programs delivered by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

The ability to renovate existing homes to improve health, safety standards and energy efficiency is a critical part of our efforts to provide adequate, suitable and affordable housing to our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will table the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut 2005 Annual Report. Mr. Speaker, it contains good news for northern stakeholders.

Everyone agrees the sooner an injured worker is helped to return to work, the better. The WCB offers injured workers the Healthy Return to Work Program. Through this innovative program, the average duration for lost-time accidents is under 44 days.

Mr. Speaker, last year the WCB registered 3,321 new claims. Of these, 950 were from workers who lost time at work. Of all the claims registered, there were a total of 128 requests -- 108 to the review committee and 20 to the appeals tribunal -- for review. The review committee completed 81 reviews and the appeals tribunal concluded 24.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, last year there were 10 deaths as a result of workplace accidents. All workplace deaths are avoidable, and we all need to keep that in mind. WCB continues to institute programs to reduce workplace injuries, including the strategic safety plan that focuses on the need to change attitudes on workplace safety. As well, Safe Advantage, a merit/demerit program that will recognize employers with good safety records, will be introduced in 2007. This program will encourage employers to work even harder to ensure safe work places for their employees by providing an incentive for good safety practices.

Mr. Speaker, in 2005, the cost of claims was lowered by approximately $1 million from 2004, and the WCB reduced administration costs by $300,000. A change in accounting rules and good administration of stakeholders' money has resulted in the WCB being one of the best financed boards in Canada, with assets totalling $295 million and liabilities of $211 million. That means there is more than enough money in the accident fund to cover all existing and expected claims, which is good news for both employers and workers. Mr. Speaker, it also means the WCB will plan to reduce employer assessments in 2007.

An Hon. Member

Hear! Hear!

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, the board and governance council focus on workplace and worker safety, along with good financial stewardship, means the WCB of the NWT and Nunavut is well positioned to look after the interests of both workers and employers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February, the NWT Barren-Ground Caribou Management Strategy was released. It identified the actions this government, our partners and users need to take during the next five years to help caribou herds recover. Today I would like to update Members on the actions we have taken to date:

  • • Measures identified by the wildlife co-management boards are being implemented.
  • • Harvest levels have been reduced.
  • • A two-week delay in the release of maps showing the locations of caribou has been implemented.
  • • Additional collars were deployed during the spring distribution surveys in March. The collars are used to determine locations of caribou during summer surveys.
  • • Additional compliance patrols were carried out throughout the Northwest Territories this winter.
  • • There has been an increase in public information materials, including radio and newspaper advertisements.

Mr. Speaker, the following further actions are planned for this summer:

  • • Additional regulations to restrict harvesting, based on recommendations of the co-management boards, will be completed in July.
  • • The department is working with Industry, Tourism and Investment to address hardships resulting from the low caribou numbers.
  • • Public information materials, including radio, television and newspaper advertisements, are being developed to help harvesters prepare for the fall hunting season.

A commitment was made to this House to survey the caribou herds again this year to confirm the numbers from last summer and some of this work is already underway with more planned for later this summer. A photographic calving ground survey to obtain a new estimate of the Bathurst caribou herd is underway. A reconnaissance of the calving ground of the Ahiak herd is scheduled for later this month and post-calving photo census for the Cape Bathurst, Bluenose West and Bluenose East survey is scheduled for mid-July.

Computer technology has made counting caribou easier and more accurate. The photos are loaded into a computer program and as staff point at each caribou, the program tags it with a number. The results from the summer surveys will be provided to our partners and the public in September. Workshops involving wildlife co-management boards and users will be held this fall in Inuvik and Yellowknife to evaluate herd-specific results and to review management actions.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before in this House, plans are underway to host a caribou summit with all stakeholders across the North, once we have gathered the information needed to give us a comprehensive picture of the current state of our caribou herds.

We will continue to work with the people of the Northwest Territories and our partners to ensure our caribou herds are conserved and treated with respect so we can continue to depend on this valuable renewable resource. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Recognition Of Father's Day
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with Sunday being Father's Day, I thought I would devote my Member's statement today to some very special fathers.

Mr. Speaker, my own father passed away almost 10 years ago. I miss him but I do have the wonderful and vivid memories of him. He was colourful, opinionated and larger than life.

The testament to a good relationship is when you lose someone and you can say that you have no regrets. I was very close to my dad. To me he was human, but he was very savvy and discerning. One of the best legacies that a father or a parent, for that matter, can leave to their children is their unconditional approval. Oh, I got into my share of trouble, like everyone else, but I knew that beneath his gruff British exterior, I met with his approval. When I was little, he was my sense of security. If the teachers didn't like me, if my friends deserted me, if my siblings criticized me, it didn't really matter because my dad loved me and he was always there not far away. I was like his shadow; I wanted to go everywhere he went. I always knew where he was. He was at the family business behind the meat counter in his white butcher's apron. As long as I knew where he was and I could go to him any time, life was good.

That doesn't really explain why I left home at 17 years of age and moved 3,200 miles away, but even that I could do because of my father's constant assurance that I could do anything that I wanted to do.

The love of a mother is important, but the approval of a father has immeasurable value. Many children,

regrettably, grow up without the strong influence of a father in their lives. This creates a challenge for them in life that's difficult to put a cost on. Fathers have a unique role to play in childrearing and family life and it's a part that should be honoured and celebrated as we will this Sunday.

Mr. Speaker, in my 32 years in Hay River, I have been away from by dad but I would like to make mention of a very special Hay River father who recently passed away. Frank Hirst, Sr. passed away on March 23, 2006, at the age of 84. He had a large family of his own with many grandchildren and great-children, but he had the type of kindness that extended to a larger family in the community of Hay River, and, like my dad, he was a war veteran. He knew hard times and losses, but he embraced life with an extraordinary passion. If you've ever been to Hay River in the summer, you could see his beautiful trademark at the corner of Woodland and McBryan. When he wasn't out golfing, he was in his yard. He had to stop and wave or chat with so many passers-by that I'm still not sure how he had such a perfect garden. We will think of him every time we drive by his house, and thankfully his memory will also live on through his numerous family members who live in the North.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

Recognition Of Father's Day
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Recognition Of Father's Day
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention my husband, Rick, who is also a wonderful father to my children. He was good with the kids when they were little and that's why I know he'll make a super grandfather, but we'll have to keep you posted on that front.

---Laughter

No pressure, kids. To you, Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues who are fathers and grandfathers here in this House, to the fathers of Hay River and to the fathers of the Northwest Territories, Happy Father's Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Recognition Of Father's Day
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 243

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Shared Child Custody Legislation
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank Mrs. Groenewegen for her statement today. Today I'd like to talk about fathers' rights and custody cases. Statistics show that most marriages are ending in divorce, Mr. Speaker. Forty-six percent is the national average. In some cases, Mr. Speaker, the consequences are only financial. In cases that involve the custody of children, the consequences can be far-reaching and can impact on the lives of the children for decades to come.

When a marriage or relationship breaks down, the issues that lead to the breakup seem to supersede what should be the primary focus of any proceedings: the welfare and the wellbeing of the children of the relationship. The needs of the children often get overlooked by the need to punish their former partner. All too often, Mr. Speaker, this punishment takes the form of trying to restrict access to children. The children don't understand this. They want and need both parents in their lives.

The adversarial approach that exists under current divorce legislation can, through the awarding of sole custody to the mother, deny fathers any meaningful role in the upbringing of the children and lead to these children being brought up in what is essentially a single-parent household.

Statistics show that children brought up in a single-parent home are more likely to come into contact with the law, abuse drugs and alcohol, and do poorly in school. Studies show that conflicts between joint custody parents diminish over time. Whereas in the case of sole custody, court battles often rage on for years after the actual physical separation. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the adversarial approach to custody matters serves no one, least of all the best interests of the children, and that it's time for the federal government and the territorial government to introduce and amend the current legislation to allow for automatic default to shared custody arrangements between the two parents. The only role the courts would have in determining custody would be in those cases where violence or abuse has been proven against one of the parental parties and it would be in the best interest of the child to restrict access to that parent. This would also reduce the number of false accusations of abuse that are often made in the heat of battle in our current adversarial process.

Our children deserve to have both parents, Mr. Speaker, and legislation to default the equal share of parenting is advancing in countries like Italy, Belgium, Australia and the United Kingdom, and, Mr. Speaker, we must do all we can as legislators to ensure that happens. Thank you.

---Applause

Shared Child Custody Legislation
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is very important. There's a lot of graduates in our territory today and as leaders and elders, we have a high school. They want a better school in our community. (Translation ends)

...of the Tlicho high school as outlined in my Member's statement the other day in this House. I think it is time that this government refocuses capital planning initiatives into the NWT and Canada that is ready to take on any major development initiatives that comes its way.

Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that a new facility for Aurora College is in the planning stages, preliminary stages, Mr. Speaker. The department is currently searching for land to situate their new building on in Yellowknife; a difficult task, to say the least, during this time of limited land space, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it also seems apparent that in order for Aurora College to become the premier post-secondary institution and to be the first choice of post-secondary education facility for northerners, that the college and the department must rethink its program delivery and location.

Mr. Speaker, my leadership is seriously interested in having the new Aurora College campus to be rebuilt in Behchoko. The Tlicho have a mass of land available and are conveniently located one hour away from the city of Yellowknife. Behchoko would be the ideal location for this new facility, Mr. Speaker. There are numerous advantages to having Aurora College campus located in the community of Behchoko. Being the largest Dene community in the Northwest Territories and graduating the most aboriginal high school graduates than any other jurisdiction, many of the college potential students originate from the Tlicho region, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, a Behchoko Aurora College campus will be able to provide a truly unique northern post-secondary experience for all northerners, especially aboriginal northerners. Having the campus located in Behchoko would ensure that all students could be immersed into a rich, meaningful cultural atmosphere that reflects the traditions and cultures of NWT Dene population.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, Aurora College and the department must be open to the idea of looking beyond Yellowknife for their ideal new facility site. The college and the government must realize that in order to build northern capacity, the college must have a facility that can model and reinforce the Dene culture and region to the aboriginal population far more successfully than it is currently doing. Mr. Speaker, I would like the department to seriously consider and start planning for a new Aurora College campus to be built in Behchoko. Perhaps if this were to happen, Aurora College could become as successful and recognized as Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School has become.

Mr. Speaker, the community of Behchoko and the Tlicho region are ready to take on the task of housing Aurora College. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you can see in the gallery today, we have a very special person joining us along with her kindergarten class, friends and family. That is Mrs. Toni Auge from Range Lake North School.

Mr. Speaker, for 41 marvellous years Mrs. Auge has taught literally hundreds, or even in the thousands, of young minds a lifelong love of learning and caring for others around them. She began teaching in 1965 in New Zealand and has taught in Yellowknife since 1970. She taught in the teepee class at Mildred Hall and at the Yellowknife Playschool, at Sissons, and since it opened in 1993 at Range Lake North School. In fact, one of her first Yellowknife students at the teepee is now the principal of the teepee school and three of her former students join us today.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the truly blessed are those fortunate enough to find their calling in life early and spend their working life doing what they were gifted to do, especially if in doing so one can make a real difference in the lives of our precious young. Without a doubt, Mrs. Auge has done that. She's loved by all, especially those chosen people who were lucky to have her as their teacher, but also the parents and fellow teachers.

Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, where I grew up in another world, kindergarten schooling was reserved for the wealthy and privileged in private schools. But in a vicarious way, I feel like I got my kindergarten experience with Mrs. Auge and I want to thank her for that. Over the last six years as an MLA, she has welcomed me to her beautiful class at Range Lake North School every year to see and learn and experience the little haven she creates for her children. I have watched in awe the way she transforms these little preschoolers into competent, creative, mature first graders who are ready to take on the world. Some of them are joining us today and her latest class joins us today.

Mr. Speaker, in recent years she made it her business to mentor new kindergarten teachers to prepare them for the impossible task of filling her enormous shoes and that shows what kind of a person, a responsible and respectable citizen she is. Mr. Speaker, may I take this opportunity to invite this House in expressing our deep appreciation to Mrs. Auge for her singular and distinguished career of 41 years and in wishing her and her husband, Joe Auge, and her family the very best in her well-deserved retirement, with which I have no doubt she will create a whole new life following her jubilant motto: life is what you make of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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