This is page numbers 2135 - 2174 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 3rd 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 health.

The House met at 1:36 p.m.

---Prayer

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Colleagues, as a reminder for yourself and our guests in the gallery, we have interpreters with us today. Channel two is Gwich’in, channel three Tlicho. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister of Public Works and Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Around the world, market prices for petroleum products have dropped substantially since the summer of 2008. Unfortunately, many of our remote communities have yet to benefit as fuel has not been purchased and delivered to them at the current lower prices.

Under the existing FMB approved pricing guidelines, the costs of purchasing, transporting and delivering fuel is recovered in the retail prices charged to customers in communities served by the petroleum products division. Prices are normally adjusted after each annual resupply to reflect the costs of the fuel purchased for resale.

In light of decreasing fuel prices worldwide, and in order to reduce the cost of living in our communities, there is a recognized need to pass a portion of projected future cost savings onto our customers as soon as possible, well before the annual resupply adjustments take effect.

Mr. Speaker, effective fiscal management has allowed the petroleum products division to

accumulate a modest budget surplus. This surplus will be significantly reduced to immediately lower the price of heating fuel and gasoline and provide relief to those customers most affected by the high cost of living in our remote communities.

On January 26, 2009, the petroleum products division reduced the current retail prices of heating oil and gasoline by 16 cents per litre for all non-government customers and community government customers. This will result in retail prices that better reflect the recent decline in the market cost of fuel. More importantly, it would immediately reduce the cost of living in the 16 communities served by the petroleum products division.

Mr. Speaker, all communities served by the petroleum products division will see further retail price adjustments after their annual 2009 resupply. For those communities resupplied by the winter road, the adjustment will take place this spring. For those communities resupplied by barge, the adjustment will be in the fall of this year.

Mr. Speaker, if current prices for petroleum products continue, additional reductions in the retail prices for fuel can be expected in 2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to share with you some of the initiatives the Department of Health and Social Services has undertaken in the area of homelessness. The Small Community Homelessness Fund is an application-based program currently supporting five projects that benefit homeless individuals in small communities.

The projects include:

$10,000 in funding to the Rae-Edzo Friendship Centre in Behchoko for a lunchtime soup kitchen Monday through Friday;

$30,000 in funding to the Salt River First

Nation in Fort Smith for the renovation of a homeless shelter;

$10,000 in funding to the Acho Dene Koe First Nation in Fort Liard for a “Winter Warm-Up Project” where hot nutritious meals are served on a weekly basis;

$9,900 in funding to the Zhahti Koe Friendship Centre in Fort Providence for the creation of a Youth Cafe where youth receive hot meals several times per month;

$41,900 in funding to the Pehdzeh Ki First

Nation in Wrigley for food vouchers for the homeless and the renovation of a church basement for use as an overnight shelter.

As well, Mr. Speaker, in response to the GNWT Framework on Homelessness, the Department of Health and Social Services implemented the Homelessness Assistance Fund in 2006.

The Homelessness Assistance Fund has been well accessed this year by homeless individuals requiring transportation to another community where they will no longer be homeless. The Homelessness Assistance Fund also has assisted numerous individuals at risk of becoming homeless by providing funds on a short-term emergency basis.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services recognizes that homelessness is a complex and varied issue that cannot be solved in isolation.

In recognition of the complexity of issues relating to homelessness, the department works in collaboration with other government departments to address homelessness across the NWT.

The department is the lead of the GNWT Interdepartmental Homelessness Committee, which is comprised of members from the departments of Justice, Education, Culture and Employment and the NWT Housing Corporation. The Interdepartmental Homelessness Committee has begun the work of revising the GNWT Framework on Homelessness.

Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, the lack of access to public washrooms for homeless individuals has been raised as an issue in Yellowknife. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that the Interdepartmental Homelessness Committee is working with the chairs of the Homeless Coalition, officials at the City of Yellowknife and with the Chamber of Commerce to develop short and long-term solutions.

The department continues to be an active member at the table of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition. This active group was the force behind

the concept and construction of Bailey House Transitional Housing Project for homeless men and now is directing its energy toward developing a similar service for women.

Mr. Speaker, the department continues to work collaboratively with business, non-governmental agencies, communities, aboriginal groups, and all levels of government, with the shared vision of addressing the issue of homelessness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s no secret that Canada and the NWT, by default, are in the midst of a huge economic downturn. Members and Ministers alike have spoken about it often this last week, but if there is something we can be happy about it’s that we, the NWT, are to be the recipients of a sizable amount of funds from the federal government, the results of that government’s efforts to stimulate our economy. I know that our government intends to use these funds to their fullest. This money will allow us to start more projects and start them sooner than planned, but it will also put significant stress on our ability to complete all of our intended infrastructure projects.

Both GNWT staff and local businesses will be pushed beyond their normal limits. Some of these projects will be large ones and it’s quite likely that we will look for and find willing partners, industry partners, to help us bring them about.

Business facilitated projects will become more and more common in the future. As well, as northern businesses grow and expand, GNWT is going to receive proposals from these businesses to enter into partnerships with them. We currently have a proposal from the Alberta company ATCO Group in regards to a potential partnership with the NWT Power Corporation.

In my view, it’s imperative that before we enter into any agreement with any partner, that the government has a well-established, well thought out policy for public/private partnership; P3s.

Yet, as of this time, GNWT still does not have a policy to guide us in entering into, negotiating, administering and overseeing P3 projects and it’s long past due for us to have one. In this year of

more than the usual infrastructure dollars and the resulting more than normal number of projects on the table and with the federal government’s emphasis on P3 for Building Canada Fund dollars, finalizing a P3 policy should be a top priority for this government. Why is it not a priority? What is holding it back? I don’t think we want to get caught. We definitely don’t want to get caught with a too-good-to-be-true proposal from someone for a Mackenzie Valley Highway, for instance, and no P3 policy to ensure that the deal we sign is a good one.

Without a comprehensive P3 policy, we risk entering into a contract that does not make the best use of our dollars, does not create efficiencies for the project and lacks the necessary financial security for the government and, by extension, our residents.

Goodness knows we do not want to sign our financial lives away as we did for the Deh Cho Bridge and, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the lead Minister for infrastructure later on. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mackenzie Valley Highway
Members’ Statements

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement today is in terms of something that has been discussed throughout the last Assembly and could be some discussions around this Assembly in terms of our meetings. It has to do with the legacy of this government here, the legacy of the people of the Northwest Territories. I am talking about the legacy that would make a big difference to the people’s lives down the Mackenzie Valley as we continue on with the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.

Mr. Speaker, the issue here for myself is in terms of who is to gain and who is to lose in terms of not having some serious discussions about building the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Mr. Speaker, there has certainly been some strategic investments along the Mackenzie Valley route from Inuvik to…Sorry, from Wrigley to Tulita up to Norman Wells, Good Hope and further up the Mackenzie Valley here in terms of putting in permanent bridges in terms of looking at when this road could be built as people in the region who desperately want to have one. There are so many benefits of putting together a highway proposal, so many opportunities out there. It’s been said many times that the road here could reap many benefits for the people up and down the Mackenzie Valley.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that according to Connecting Canada, in the 2005 proposal, that the federal government could gain up to over $13 billion in tax and royalties if this road was built in terms of opening up the economic development in the Mackenzie Valley. They would be the biggest winners in terms of having this highway built. There have been many discussions as to how this highway could be built in terms of financing, in terms of P3, in terms of the government making a royalty sharing deal with the people of the Northwest Territories. There’s been private organizations working with the aboriginal groups to see how they could finance this project.

Mr. Speaker, the time is very right right now in terms of talking about a Mackenzie Valley Highway and having some serious discussions with the people of the Northwest Territories as to how this dream can become a reality within the life of this government to at least get the road open for the people in the North. Thank you.

Mackenzie Valley Highway
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Today I come to the House and I got a call last night regarding one of my elders in the community of Tuk having to wait. This individual, she’s an elder, she’s over 60 years old. She has TB and cancer. She’s been waiting to leave our community of Tuk on a scheduled flight to Inuvik to get a blood transfusion. The plane was cancelled due to not enough passengers the first day. The next day they get a call from the health centre stating the airline called and said they’re not coming into the community again due to the passengers weren’t there, so they didn’t come in again. She finally made it out of the community two days later. To me that’s not acceptable. Who draws the line in regards to medevacs? This lady should have been medevaced out of the community and into Inuvik to get proper care and attention.

Another thing in regards to the medevac contract, when it comes up, policies and procedures should be looked at from the Department of Health and Social Services at the time of the contract being awarded again. This is not only Tuk. This is also my other communities that are having the same problem. Who decides who gets medevacced out of the community? This is an elder. This is just not right. Unacceptable. At the appropriate time I’ll have questions for the Health Minister.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

NWT Opportunities Fund
Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, recently there has been a decision to loan $34 million out of the Opportunities Fund. I’m personally not pleased that by this process it has been done without Members’ knowledge and we were always kept in the dark. I won’t get into the merits of should the money have been lent to this group, but more to the problem of why we weren’t informed earlier and what we are going to do in the future.

I feel, as many others feel, that we were kept in the dark until the contract was signed and all they were worried about was the official announcement and, oh, by the way, maybe we should inform the MLAs. By the time I found out, that decision had already been made and there was no room for discussion by process.

The Opportunities Fund, as many people know and have come to learn, is a fund to use to leverage federal dollars to make cash for this government. That sounds great to me, but a lending program like this should never operate under the cover of silence without Members being informed about a deal prior to the deal being finalized; not now and not ever.

Going forward, the Minister of ITI must realize that this whole Legislature is on the hook when a decision is made behind closed doors. Whether it goes good or bad, the results will fall on all our shoulders. This must end.

Oddly enough, we do have the tools to operate by better rules. We have the Financial Administration Act where we can find those rules and guidelines. I stand here today and clearly say that nothing can be better accomplished on this file than saying we will set rules in place to make sure this never happens again.

I do not want to hear that the Minister will do this again. I want to clearly hear that the Minister will not operate in isolation again. He may have had the power to do this, but perhaps he should have thought about the magnitude of this loan. That alone should have set off bells by saying maybe the Members should be informed. This must end.

Under section 67(1.1) of the Financial Administration Act they discuss loans of over $500,000 and giving Members 14-day notice. Under section 5, guarantees and indemnities and regulation, it talks about informing Members, giving them maximum liability information and proposed addendums. The rules exist; let’s start applying them.

I look forward to questions later today with this Minister and getting his full commitment that they

will not proceed with this type of loan in the future without contacting Members.

NWT Opportunities Fund
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

[English translation not provided.]

Today my Member’s statement is about the youth of Tu Nedhe and the need to have a coordinated approach for the youth spending in this government.

This government has responded to the need to invest money in the youth and it’s time now to have all of those budgets coordinated. We should not fall into the trap of each department doing their own thing as far as youth are concerned. We have a Minister responsible for Youth that must coordinate all budgets and activities from the various departments where youth budgets lie. Those departments are departments like Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services, MACA, and any other department that is working on investing in the youth of the NWT.

This government’s investment in the youth is very important for the future success of the whole Territory. On July 18th , 2008, I asked the then-

Minister of MACA to hire youth staff to assist the communities in completing items such as youth surveys. I realize that the Minister-of-the-day was not able to commit to hiring youth staff. At that time there was no money in the budget for it. However, now the time may be right.

On October 8th I asked the Minister of MACA to

increase youth budgets and look at how youth budgets were allocated specifically for my communities in the Tu Nedhe. In addition to responding to the questions, the Minister committed to working on a youth strategy for all communities in the Northwest Territories.

On October 22nd , 2008, I asked the Minister of

MACA to look at youth programs for smaller communities and again asked the Minister to work with the communities on youth strategies. Today I will have more questions as it pertains to youth and the need for this government to have a focal point that is the Minister of Youth.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, colleagues. I know there is a plan to hire two youth workers. A few of those workers should work directly for the Minister of Youth and

be responsible for coordinating all youth funding and to ensure that all the money that is targeted for youth is spent on the youth and spent to benefit the youth across the Territories. Later today I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Youth.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Proposed Board Reform
Members’ Statements

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about the government’s move to amalgamate boards across the Northwest Territories. The stated goal by this Cabinet is to go from 70 boards to seven. The model being presented is based on the Tlicho Community Services model and would be implemented in seven geographic regions across the Northwest Territories.

The government’s plan and process that they have embarked upon is full of holes. The consultation, if you can even call it that, is a one-sided approach that is nowhere near meaningful. There’s been no clear, compelling indication of what the problems are and what it is that you’re trying to address.

To the school boards in Yellowknife consultation has been a few restrictive, poorly worded questions that follow preconceived directions. There has been no opportunity to meet directly with the government as was promised. There’s no research shown in the documents provided; no data or data analysis is offered to justify directions proposed, and a lack of understanding on the proposed regional board’s governance. There’s no financial plan or human resource plan or a costing of a regional board approach. Added to this are some impossible timelines. How can adequate consultation take place with all of these boards in a two-month time frame?

The GNWT sent out its package on January 29th without the much-needed face-to-face meetings with boards. How can the government make a final call on this by April 1st ? To me, that’s simply

impossible.

Once again I have to stand up and ask this government why they just don’t seem to understand the reality that you must do all the groundwork, costing, and analysis prior to shopping an idea like this that would impact so many people across the Northwest Territories. On something as large as board reform, we owe it to our residents, to the stakeholders, to be able to answer questions.

We can’t be lazy or allow sheer political determination to rule the day. Our citizens won’t subscribe to it and I personally will not subscribe to

this way of doing business. We must do better than what appears to me to be just another pathetic attempt at consultation.

This makes me think back to my days at university when one of my political science professors told the class that if a politician wants to end their political career, all they need to do is cause upheaval within education or health care. In our case, this Cabinet seems intent on throwing housing in for good measure.

Proposed Board Reform
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, not to belabour the supplementary health benefits issue, I need to bring emphasis one more time to a certain segment of our population that will be negatively impacted to a change to supplementary health benefits if those income thresholds and caps are left in place.

I know the Minister has agreed to take the supplementary health benefits review back to the drawing board and not to implement anything until after extensive consultation has taken place and the stakeholders’ concerns have been taken into account, and none of that is going to happen before April 1st , 2010. I do thank the Minister for that. I do

again thank the seniors of the Northwest Territories who mobilized in such an effective way to address this concern. It was amazing. It really confirms the saying of grey power. They were amazing with their petitions and their very thoughtful and insightful questions.

Mr. Speaker, there is another group of people in our society that were potentially going to be negatively impacted by this Supplementary Health Benefits Program change. I want to just, by my Member’s statement today, bring emphasis to that group. That is the group of persons with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents in Hay River who have contacted me with disabilities, I just again want to make sure that any consultation, we’ll make sure you contact the NWT Council for Persons with Disabilities. Many disabilities that are health-related require specialized equipment, medication, things that can be very expensive. It may not strictly fall under the chronic condition, but it is persons with disabilities. Today, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to emphasize that this sector who has not received perhaps as much attention as the impact on seniors, that we keep this group in mind as well and that the consultation expands and take into account their concerns.

I have a constituent in Hay River with a disability whose household income does exceed $50,000 a year, but, trust me, they would never be able to survive with their needs for medication and equipment if that service, if those benefits were removed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken out in support of the government’s proactive approach to developing clean energy initiatives. Investment in alternative energy, hydro, wind and biomass are necessary if we are to move away from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These investments will also support communities in completing their community energy plans which will identify ways to reduce energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas.

Mr. Speaker, the community of Fort Simpson is developing its energy plan and has identified a number of goals to reduce its energy consumption and utility costs. They include working with the local Chamber of Commerce in investigating the potential of alternate energy sources such as geothermal energy, supporting the use of residual heat recovered from the NWT Power Corporation diesel generators, promoting recycling to reduce the volume of materials in the local landfill.

Mr. Speaker, these community initiatives line up closely with the government’s recently announced energy priority. I am optimistic that there will be funding and expertise and resources to work in partnership with the community of Fort Simpson to realize these very important goals. Mahsi cho.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Sidedoor Youth Centre
Members’ Statements

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I arrived today to draw attention to the SideDoor Youth Centre and the good work that it is doing for the people of Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

Now in their 14th year, the SideDoor provides

shelter and a safe haven for thousands of youth annually. SideDoor began in 1995 in the basement of the Anglican Church in Yellowknife as a hangout for youth who would otherwise be on the street.

Since then it has grown and now offers a number of programs from its own facility on the corner of 49th Avenue and 49th Street. Its programs serve young

people from ages five to 19. The SideDoor’s programs address the needs and services of youth ages 16 to 19 who are too old for child welfare and too young for social assistance and tend to fall through the cracks.

The care and dedicated staff has a passion for youth who struggle in our community. The SideDoor is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It offers one-on-one counselling, laundry, showers and a place for youth to stay overnight. It enforces a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy and homeless youth who are struggling are encouraged to seek employment and develop skills to help them live independently. Junior SideDoor is a free afterschool daycare service for children from five to 13 to provide kids with snacks, structured and free time activities, and a warm, supervised place to play. Summer day camps offer recreational activities for children free of charge.

The SideDoor’s programs are preventative in nature, giving young people a constructive alternative to the streets, crime or any amount of police activity when what they really need is food and a safe place to rest.

The SideDoor provides safe shelter, emotional support, and increases the health and dignity of downcast and victimized youth.

Mr. Speaker, the SideDoor is located in Yellowknife but regularly welcomes youth from all across the Territory. It is the only youth drop-in centre of its kind in the region. The programs and services are effective and, most importantly, have gained confidence of the youth themselves. The SideDoor is taking care of our young people and they are shaping our future. I would like to thank and applaud them for their dedication to our youth. They are appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Sidedoor Youth Centre
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.