This is page numbers 5127 - 5158 of the Hansard for the 16th 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 communities.

Topics

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

In the case of Fort Simpson, at the start of the school year that certainly didn’t appear to be the case. I was just wondering, I did contact the Minister’s office as well as the Minister of Public Works on it and I’d just like to know what exactly happened. Have they reviewed what

occurred during the summer? Will they come up with a good plan for next summer?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

When the request came in from MLA Menicoche on concerns of the playground, we expeditiously followed up with PWS and had resources, staff members go into the community and clean up that area, along with the assistance of the school as well. There has been community contribution, as well, from the parents, which was greatly valued. At the same time, this issue that came up before, the community can play an important role in preventing vandalism and also littering issues in the community. We are working with PWS and my department with the schools to put up some cameras and fencing along that area. Those are in the works, and the camera I think is slated to go in and be completed by the end of October. That’s the goal we are working on.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I, too, commend the parents’ groups for the work that’s been done. Next coming summer, what exactly would be the plan in place? I know that Public Works and Services have a lot of priorities during the summer months as well. Is there any provision with the education boards or ministerial office for part-time summer work for somebody to maintain those grounds?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

We have across 33 community schools in all communities that deal with these particular issues. It is the principal in the schools and administration team that does that type of work through the custodial work. At the same time, I would encourage the MLA to also meet with the local school board to see what kind of planning is in place. They are fully aware of what’s happening here and there are plans in place for fencing and cameras for next year as well. We are doing what we can as the Department of Education along with Public Works. At the same time, the community plays an important role as well.

I again encourage the Member to meet with the local school board and find out the planning process from them.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I certainly have been working with the school boards as we progress with some type of plan for the school grounds.

Once again, is there any provision for extra funding or resources to help maintain the school grounds during the summer months?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

That provision would fall under the local school board and the divisional education council. We provide funding to them and they disperse the funding through their priorities. The decision lies with the local school board. If they feel there should be a need for a half-time or full-time position over the summer, it’s at

their discretion to allow that to happen. We’ll continue to work with the school boards.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to pick up where my colleagues Ms. Bisaro and Mr. Abernethy were asking questions on the respite program here in Yellowknife. We’re confused about where the funding has gone and how this has happened. If we’re confused, I can only imagine how the parents and families that utilize the respite service are feeling today.

I’d like to ask the Minister, we sat through the business plans. I’m not a member of the Social Programs committee, but I was there during the business plans. We also had a meeting with the authority shortly thereafter. Nobody said that the $250,000 was gone and the respite program was going to be cut come March 31st of next year. I’d

like to ask the Minister why that was omitted from the business plans and the meeting with the authority.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve been working with all the authorities to come up with a comprehensive plan on transitioning from THAF to THSSI, because the pot of money we’re getting from the feds is not the same, the criteria is not the same, the amount of money that we’re getting is not the same. It was important that we work with the authorities to come up with a plan; a plan so that we don’t work to cross purposes, that we do a full analysis of how we’re spending this money. It did come as a surprise to me that this letter went out and it was communicated in that way. I have a commitment from Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority that they will work with YACL and come up with a plan, and I am committed to working with Yellowknife and to make sure that we look at all possible options. That’s why it... I’ll just stop there. I’m sure he has a supplementary.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

I guess the bottom line for me was that the federal funding was set to expire in 2011-2012, yet there have been changes made to that funding and where that funding is going. I’m trying to follow that $250,000. Maybe the Minister could let me know and let this House know where exactly, if the $250,000 isn’t earmarked for the respite program next year, where exactly that $250,000 is going.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

That funding is multi-million dollars over five years. THSSI is a multi-million dollar proposal for the next two years. We have just finalized this. I’m not trying to confuse anybody or evade answers in any way. This is a complicated package of funding that we received from the federal government. This is why I’m making a commitment from the Members on the other side that I will come to them with the full proposal so that we can have the entire picture of what the new funding looks like and get an explanation of where respite care would have fit or should fit or doesn’t fit. We’re just working on that. I think we need to have the full information before we decide exactly what happened to that $200,000. Federal funding always comes with criteria and complicated rules and we need to have a full briefing on that.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

I understand that and I understand that there are rules in place for the utilization of federal dollars. If the rules were in place that allowed it to be spent on the respite program in one year, I’m just wondering how it could change to the next year.

The next question I’d have for the Minister -- and we all know concrete is very expensive; the department has entered down this road of a Foundation for Change -- is the money that was earmarked for the respite program going into the Foundation for Change and the cost to that.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

As I stated to the Member for Great Slave, one of the criteria for the new funding is for us to exit THAF funding. This new funding ends at the end of 2012. We fund doctors, we fund midwifery, we fund diagnostic imaging. We fund lots of other things under THAF right now and we’re finding ways to work out the details on how we spend THSSI funding. Part of transitioning means system change as well. This is why it’s important for us to get details on exactly what the federal government has asked us to do with THSSI, what we have agreed to do.

Once again, the respite care is a small program that’s vital to the people who have been receiving it. I think it’s incumbent on us to have a full discussion on that instead of just speaking about one program.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I still am quite confused, because you had a program that was working, you had funding that would have enabled it to continue to 2011-2012, yet the $250,000 is gone somewhere. You’re using it for something else and I’m not quite sure I understand what you’re using it for. Whose decision was it to cut the $250,000 out of the respite care program? Was it the department or was it the authority?

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Just two points on that. The first point, I will commit to get back to the Members

on how the accounting was done in terms of the comparison between BP and the new funding we’re getting, because we did just go through the BP process. There’s a program there, money for respite care, and we are bringing new money under THSSI under supplementary appropriations. So there are some accounting rules that we had to follow that I would get the Member the detail on.

The second part is, I want to tell the Member, and I’ve said it again, THSSI funding is a lot less than THAF. So we are going to see reductions in programs that we have paid under THAF. We have authorities that make decisions about how they spend money that they get from the department. All the authorities are working on plans. We were all to work together on those plans. It is unfortunate that an announcement was made about discontinuation of one program in one isolated way, and Yellowknife Health is working to address that. I am committed to working with Yellowknife Health. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about the serious issues of low employment in the smaller communities and the need to address this issue. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Recognizing that this is a government-wide issue, does the Minister agree that addressing the low employment rates in the small communities is the responsibility of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I do agree that ECE plays a role in addressing low employment rates across the Northwest Territories, but we have to keep in mind that we cannot do it alone as the GNWT. There have to be other partners, aboriginal partners, municipalities, and also industries in the communities and also individuals. So those are our partners that we continue to work with. Mahsi.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, I feel that this government should play a lead role. Can the Minister commit to developing a plan that addresses the issue of low employment rates in the smaller communities before the end of this government? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, we currently provide, through ECE, a number of programs into the smaller communities, the isolated

communities, so they can participate in the labour market in the Northwest Territories. We also are currently working on the Labour Market Development Framework that also involves consultation with the communities. This framework will help us to adapt to the new emergent economic and labour force challenges and opportunities. What the Member is referring to will be addressed in the framework itself, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, speaking in the short-term context, will the Minister commit to a comprehensive summer student program for this coming summer for rural and remote communities? Thank you.