This is page numbers 3945 - 3980 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 4th 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 work.

Topics

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Health care is one of the most important services this government can provide to our residents and

communities across the Northwest Territories. It’s not easy. Many challenges the northern health care providers face are truly unique to the North. For many small, remote communities all across the North, such as Nunakput, the community centres provide a large range of services for the average flu, regular elderly examinations and, in some cases, even emotional wellness programs. These are many reasons why this is so critical for this government to adequately provide not only the resources but the technical and administrative support to all communities. Health care centres can provide proper health care services.

Mr. Speaker, during my recent visits to Nunakput communities, speaking with the leadership, most centres lack the basic requirements in addition to resources, medical professionals or specialists visiting the community and are seriously eroding the standard of care this government is committed to providing.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in previous Member’s statements, the staff in the community health care centres when they work they almost have to improvise. This government must step up and implement all various recommendations and suggestions through the years of various reports from local governments.

In Nunakput, the communities, if there is a serious condition the plane leaves from Inuvik and has to fly into the community and sometimes it takes five to six hours for a medevac before they can see a doctor. Especially health care centres, they must be adequately equipped as clinics such as Inuvik and Yellowknife. We all know how fast medical conditions can progress in even one or two months. The situation means the difference between life and death, as I have expressed in several Member’s statements over these last 18 months.

Health centre staff and nurses are working very hard in trying to ensure the best medical service that they can provide, but this government needs to help. This government needs to devote the resources to ensure the problems do not affect the quality of care to our residents, but it needs to ensure that the shortages that are experienced in small, remote communities aren’t always bearing the brunt of it all.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to address the issue of government contracting today. In 2008-2009 we spent upwards of $515 million in

contracts. The government’s stated objectives for contracting is to acquire goods and services in a way that enhances suppliers’ access to contracts, encourages competition, reflects fairness, transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.

Mr. Speaker, over 10 percent of our total procurement, roughly $53 million, was acquired through sole-sourced means. There is little doubt that as a government we need to contract, but from what I have seen, and continue to see, from this government is a propensity to sole-source contracts to the detriment of our stated objectives.

Sole-sourcing throws competition out the window. It is much more likely to show favouritism to friends and family and our pursuit of spending public funds with transparency becomes very questionable. Looking through the Government of the Northwest Territories Contracts Over $5,000 Report from 2008-2009, it becomes very clear that we have a habit of handing out sole-sourced contracts to former employees for consulting services. The report is very short on the nature of the work that was conducted. Why are we sole-sourcing so many consulting services?

Mr. Speaker, judging by the amount of references to studies, reports and strategies by the Finance Minister in this year’s budget address, it looks like an all-you-can-eat buffet for consultants. I’ve always taken issue with the government’s reliance on consultants and it is even worse if the consultants continue to be retained via sole-sourced contracts. Whatever happened to trying to get the best price?

Consulting services for communication services in particular is out of control. Hundreds of thousands of dollars just handed to one company. No competition, no RFP, no transparency, no accountability.

An Hon. Member

Shame.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

My fear, and I’ve said this before, is many of our senior managers are becoming or actually spending most of their time as contract administrators. The work is being consistently farmed out to consultants. How do we or can we get some of this work done by our departmental staff? The trend of spending on consultants and sole-sourcing contracts can easily be reviewed on an annual basis.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Can we not come up with a goal of reducing our bad habit of sole-sourcing and our reliance on expensive consultants?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Judging by the audience we have in the gallery today there is a very important issue there. I was going to speak about something else today, but I feel it’s important that since so many people have demonstrated an interest in this topic of the caribou, that I speak to it from my vantage point as only one of 19 Members elected to this Legislature. I hope this will be received in the spirit in which it is intended.

For the sake of the caribou I implore leaders of all affected stakeholder groups to continue a dialogue that is mutually respectful of all parties. Please don’t allow valuable time, financial, and wildlife resources to be negatively impacted by the personalizing or politicizing of this very important question.

I would like the GNWT and the Minister to continue to explore every option possible to avoid a standoff, a gridlock, or an all-out legal battle over the management of this unique and traditionally precious commodity.

Every one of the ranging caribou herds must be sustained for the benefit of those who will come after us. This isn’t about Minister Miltenberger and it isn’t about Chief Erasmus. It is about humans who will be humble enough to bring the best traditional and scientific knowledge to bear on our God-given, Creator-given duty we have as humans for the well-being of our land and our wildlife.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my great pleasure today to welcome the many people of Dettah and Ndilo, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, their supporters, and residents of the area. I’d like to mention some names, but I certainly can’t mention all. In particular are Chief Edward Sangris and Ted Tsetta of Dettah and Ndilo, and Grand Chief Bill Erasmus. I know there are elders in the crowd here. I see Muriel Betsina, I believe, and others. Particularly the youth, I want to recognize them and all the people. I particularly appreciate the time that they have taken out of their schedules to be here today in the House with us.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a couple of hardworking Pages that came from one of my communities, Nahanni Butte. I’d like to recognize Ms. Lory Ann Bertrand and Ms. Kiayana Betsaka, as well as their chaperone, Bhreagh Ingarfield. Mahsi cho.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my CA from my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, who is down here on training with the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Donna Bernhardt.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure today to thank and recognize two Pages from Hay River South, grade 8 students from Ecole Boreale School, Ms. Jill Belanger and Julia Gyapay.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome the chiefs that are with us, Mr. Tsetta, Mr. Sangris, and Mr. Erasmus, that are up in the gallery.

As well, Mr. Bromley talked about some youth we have here with us today. We have some special visitors from K’alemi Dene School and I’d like to just go through their names, if I could. Crystal Sangris, Shelby Betsina, Ernest Sangris, Clayton Sangris, Kristen Sangris, Maverick Betsina, Kyra Sangris, Justina Johnson-Black, Walter Johnson-Black, Jeremy Joe Frankie, Brent Betsina, Kevin Betsina, Carla Frankie, Elijah Grandjambe, Adrian Sangris, Savannah Mackenzie, Vicki-Lee Martin, Danielle Martin, and as well we’ve got the principal of the school, Ms. Angela James; Ms. Eileen Erasmus, Mr. David Ryan and Ms. Angela Gallant.

I’d also like to welcome everybody that’s with us here this afternoon.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. It’s always a pleasure to have an audience in here.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, in my Member’s statement, I spoke about daycare programs in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

According to the department’s website, the department put out a document called Framework for Action: Early Childhood Development in May 2001. Can the Minister tell me if the department has released anything more recently on childhood development?

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. That Early Childhood Program has been successful in the communities, especially in the smaller communities where we provide funding to the Aboriginal Head Start Program or preschool. The Family Literacy Program is part of the Literacy Strategy 2008-2018. And also the day homes that we’ve been promoting for a number of years now. We continue to promote those particular programs because we want those programs to be successful. Early childhood is important for education so we can see some success in those areas. I can certainly provide the Member or Members more detailed information in that respect.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Within our work with the Committee on Sustainable Rural and Remote Communities we have allocated money to early childhood development. Can the Minister of ECE advise me if any of that money will be targeted to daycares?