Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome to the Chamber. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Investing in infrastructure to improve access to communities is a key priority of the Government of the Northwest Territories. When the Deh Cho Bridge is complete, it will benefit NWT residents by providing a safe, reliable all-weather link from the South to the North Slave region, providing access and economic benefits to all residents.

Today I rise to respond to the mid-project performance audit of the Deh Cho Bridge construction project by the Auditor General of Canada.

The Auditor General identified concerns with the management of partnership risks in phase 1 of the project, which led to project delays and cost increases. We acknowledge those concerns. She also notes that the Department of Transportation has put a framework in place to manage key risks in phase 2, and that quality assurance and quality control have improved on the project as a result.

The government has accepted the three recommendations of the Auditor General and incorporated lessons learned from phase 1 into future capital project management. These steps are already underway as part of our commitment to best practices and prudent management.

I note that the Auditor General took no issue with our belief, which I have often stated, that the Deh Cho Bridge is being built to the highest standards of safety and quality, meeting best practices for design quality and construction standard. The

Auditor General pointed to the need to assure the Legislative Assembly and the public that we are effectively managing the remaining risks on the project. This is something that I am pleased to do.

I’m proud of our project team. They have identified and addressed each and every quality assurance and quality control issue on the project. Steps have been taken to ensure that any additional risks are identified, mitigated and managed to ensure a sound and safe bridge.

Our risk management processes were designed to be worthy of this important piece of infrastructure by reflecting the most current best practices in bridge building. We’ve engaged risk management experts to provide input and advice on risk issues. We put in place an effective project management process and our team is expert in the roles they play. We require industry best practices for quality control and quality assurance. Finally, we continuously identify risks and track mitigation measures. I’m confident that we are adequately managing risks to ensure the high standards of quality and safety are maintained on this project.

This is not to say that we can prevent all risks. As with any capital project, there are risks related to schedule, cost and technical issues that we are addressing.

Despite the current schedule delays caused by the late steel deliveries, we project that the bridge will be built within budget. The contractor has added an extra shift to help ensure the north side launch of the superstructure is completed before breakup. All bridge components will be delivered and on site before then. The contractor has provided us a revised construction schedule which we’re evaluating to determine whether the contractor completion date can be met without compromising quality and safety. I will update this House when that review is complete.

Finally, we’re refining our toll collection system to ensure we’re able to capture all the revenue that is due from commercial operators using the bridge. We have a team working hard to address administrative details that remain, particularly the capture of revenue from occasional traffic. This will be completed before the bridge opens to traffic.

Members of the Legislative Assembly have visited the project and I would like to again extend an

invitation for Members to come and see the work that has been done and talk to our world-class project team who are building a safe, reliable, high-quality all-weather connection that will contribute to sustainable, vibrant and safe communities. This will be a bridge that our children will be proud of and that people from all around the world will come and admire.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supporting a healthy and sustainable volunteer sector is one of the priorities that the government is addressing as part of the Building Our Future Initiative. Today I am pleased to advise Members on an important opportunity to recognize the significant contribution volunteers make to all our communities.

Launched in 1991, the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards Program celebrates exceptional volunteer service in the Northwest Territories. In the 21 years the program has been operating, over 700 individuals and groups have been nominated for awards by others from their community who want to recognize the contributions they are making. These are only a small portion of the thousands of people who generously give their time each year.

Volunteers provide a critical service to our communities. They are the coaches who give their spare time to train others, the firefighters who help keep us safe, the caregivers for people in need and the neighbours that help the elderly with snow or groceries.

Recognition of individuals and groups for their contribution promotes the importance of volunteerism and showcases the need for others to help out.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is now accepting applications for the 2011 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards. Individuals or groups can be nominated in four categories: elder, youth, group, and individual. Nomination forms are available at all community government offices and on the Web at proud2beNWT.ca and the department’s website. The deadline for nominations is March 25, 2011. An announcement of this year’s recognition event will be made in early May.

Members are encouraged to support volunteer recognition by inviting their constituents to nominate that special volunteer or group in their community.

Recognizing outstanding NWT volunteers is an important part of the Government of the Northwest Territories Building Our Future Initiative, which

aims, in part, to improve support to the voluntary sector. Strengthening the voluntary sector supports our goal of healthy, educated people and sustainable, vibrant and safe communities as envisioned in the 16

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Assembly’s vision of

Northerners Working Together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of my statement is to update Members on the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project.

Late last year I asked the chair of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to review the proposed business model for this project. Based on what has been reported to me, it is clear we need to adjust our course.

Earlier today, the chairman of Deze Energy submitted a letter to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board requesting more time in the environmental assessment process to address economic gaps.

Recent discussions with the diamond mines clearly indicate that their collective mine life and commitments to buy power cannot, on their own, support financing and construction of the project at this time.

The development of the Taltson Project was premised on Deze Energy’s ability to finalize power purchase agreements, secure regulatory approvals and make a construction decision in time for mobilization on the 2012 winter road. Given current project timelines, this objective is no longer achievable.

While the project has effectively lost a year, through the unique Deze partnership we have invested in business capacity and important environmental and technical knowledge that will hold value well into the future.

Mr. Speaker, tapping in the NWT’s hydro potential continues to be a goal for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Access to clean energy and a renewable source of energy will help power industry, cut energy costs and reduce our dependence on expensive imported diesel fuel.

We have developed valuable expertise over the past months and plan to build on this important work. We want to find the right formula to revitalize this project and work with us to connect our residents, businesses and communities to this important energy source.

This decision gives us the time for a broader perspective, to come up with a business model that will provide real benefits to the people of our

Territory, and allow us to preserve our investment made so far.

I look forward to keeping Members up to date as we pursue regional development that supports our shared vision of strong individuals, families and communities benefitting from an environmentally sustainable and prosperous Territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have over 120 elders over the age of 70 in my constituency, all the way up to 98 years of age. Mr. Speaker, most of these elders have lived independently all their lives. They own their own homes. They’ve worked hard all their lives. Now, Mr. Speaker, they depend on a fixed income, which is their pensions.

Mr. Speaker, so many times as an MLA we get calls from the elders in our communities about the challenges they face trying to access government programs and services, and especially when realizing that they have a fixed income, being told to fill out tons of paperwork, account for the people who spent the weekend in your homes, and more importantly, asking for your pension statement annually.

Mr. Speaker, I think the frustration that these individuals feel, and ourselves as MLAs, is having programs and services there to assist elders retain that independent lifestyle, remain in their homes and not to have the worry if I am going to have enough fuel in my fuel tank this month or will I run out, what are my options or alternatives.

The same thing in regards to the different programs and services through the Housing Corporation in regards to the seniors emergency repair programs. Mr. Speaker, a lot of these seniors don’t have mechanical skills or even the physical skills to deal with the restraints of upgrading their furnaces, doing the fundamental maintenance that you require to basically maintain your home. Again, Mr. Speaker, I think it is upon us as legislators and government departments that we do everything we can to take down those restraints and the burden that a lot of the elders face, the emotional, physical, and more importantly, the stress we put them under simply to apply for a government program.

I think ourselves, as government, have to get rid of the red tape. We have to deregulate the programs. They are accessible. They are achieving results and they are helping the people they are supposed

to serve, especially our elders who basically have worked all of their lives for an independent lifestyle to show the rest of us that if you work hard, you achieve a healthy lifestyle and you can be independent. You don’t have to end up in a home, but you basically will be supported during the remaining days of your lives in comfort without having the stress and strains of applying for a simple program from the Government of the Northwest Territories.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Premier some questions on this matter later. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today on one of the tragic realities facing our elders: the huge yet hidden prevalence of elder abuse.

The NWT Seniors’ Society has been working hard to push this reality out into the open through their Building Networks on Elder Abuse Project. The project’s three phases were reviewed at a two-day symposium in Yellowknife, November 30

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and

December 1

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, attended by more than 100

participants drawn from all regions.

Community and literature research was reported. National experts shared their wisdom on the state of knowledge on elder abuse. The results of the 12-community survey of 528 adults aged 50 and older and the survey of 98 service providers and policymakers was provided. The survey results are startling: 71 percent of respondents said elder abuse is a problem in their community; 77 percent reported financial abuse; 68 percent neglect; 62 percent reported emotional abuse; 54 percent verbal abuse. Half said they didn’t know how to protect themselves from abuse. A third said they didn’t know where to get help. Only one out of three said they knew elder abuse is a crime.

Elders said abuse isn’t reported for a number of reasons: shame and guilt; fear of authority or reprisal, including losing their independence; lack of knowledge was a clear finding. Service providers and policymakers cited familiar factors creating the situation: poverty and lack of affordable housing; addictions; unemployment; ageism; lack of community and agency supports; lack of clear elder protection policies.

What did people say about attacking the problem? The answer takes itself in the name of the symposium, Building Networks. People said we must get together to respond. Get community people together on programs such as home visits, whole community training workshops and other

local steps. The people know the answers must come from the communities.

It has been said that the public consciousness on elder abuse is where awareness of family violence was 20 years ago. The work of the NWT Seniors’ Society is forcing this issue into the open and I applaud them for helping us all to understand and leading the drive for action. We must help, but how?

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Seniors on how this government will pitch in. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In recognition of our theme day on seniors, I would like to highlight the work done by the NWT Seniors’ Society.

This non-profit organization established in 1983 is the only volunteer agency representing the interests of all seniors in the Northwest Territories and a resource for any of our residents aged 60 and over. Its mission is to ensure dignity, independence, participation, fairness and security for our elders within our communities. The society’s goals include effectively dealing with elder abuse, promoting healthy lifestyles, involving elders in the preservation of Aboriginal languages, and lobbying to integrate more seniors’ issues and perspectives into school curriculum.

The NWT Seniors’ Society wants to reach out to the community to narrow the generation gap and give the younger population a better understanding of seniors’ issues. Low literacy issues among elders, as well as the loss of language and cultural wisdom are serious issues.

Tobacco, drug, alcohol and gambling addictions are problems for seniors whether personally or among their relatives. Family violence, elder abuse, effects of crime and feeling safe in one’s home and community are constant concerns for many northern elders.

As a person’s mobility decreases, some people become very isolated. In larger centres we like to think that this is less of an issue, but just because we don’t see these people doesn’t mean that they’re not there. Seniors living on fixed incomes struggle to make ends meet when cost of living increases are not reflected in their benefits.

The NWT Seniors’ Society encourages us, the government, to rethink all or nothing subsidy policies. We create inequality among our people when someone only $1 above the income threshold

cannot collect the benefits that someone else does if their income is just $1 below. There is inconsistency between communities and housing standards for seniors. The services offered in Yellowknife are not a clear reflection of what is available to elders in the Territory as a whole.

The NWT Seniors’ Society is doing its part to address these issues by encouraging seniors to become more proactive and supportive of the individuals and communities and to mentor youth. Mr. Speaker, more and more people are choosing to stay in the North after they retire. Many of the North’s finest volunteers are among our elderly population. Our seniors are a dynamic group that can offer a wealth of wisdom, insight and experience. I’d like to applaud the NWT Seniors’ Society’s efforts to provide them with the dignity, independence, security and opportunities they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I rise with my colleagues to speak on the seniors’ issues that are very important to us all. Over the course of this budget session I have raised this issue and many others until my voice is hoarse.

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Firstly, constituents who have their elderly parents refused the seniors home heating subsidy believe that our system is broken. Aboriginal seniors in our small and remote communities are faced with government guidelines, procedures and rules, which are often difficult to interpret and understand. Myself and my colleagues look forward to the review of the Income Support Program that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment spoke about and I hope that it is more streamlined for our elders in the small and remote communities. Show some flexibility for those who wish to stay with the seniors who are there to support, as our government should.

I have also spoken about the NWT Housing Corporation not having senior-specific programming that will take care of their needs. They have been lumped in with everybody else for much needed programs. Also, I take issue that our seniors are not eligible for NWT Housing programs if they exhaust all existing programming.

I’d like to thank my colleagues who supported me last week for a motion to support seniors’ targeted-specific programming with the NWT Housing Corporation. I look to our government to take these concerns seriously and I’d love to see action on these issues this coming summer. Mahsi cho.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join my colleagues in speaking out today against elder abuse. I was disgusted and sickened by a story on the CTV two days ago where a man and his wife had left his elderly mother in an unheated garage for an extended period of time. Mr. Speaker, this action was reprehensible and highlights the fact that elder abuse is happening every day, not only in communities in our Territory but across this country. In this case, laws were broken, but the abuse can take many forms, Mr. Speaker, such as financial abuse, people stealing money, belongings, forging cheques or tricking an elderly person into giving away their money; neglect, when a caregiver does not provide adequate food, medicine and proper living conditions; physical abuse, rough treatment through slapping, hitting, punching or pushing and threatening to hurt an elder; sexual abuse, when elders are touched sexually without their consent; and perhaps the most common form, Mr. Speaker, emotional abuse, which includes threatening, swearing, keeping elders from friends and community members, and guilt trips.

The only way to stop the abuse from taking place is to report it. Elders have every right to feel safe in their homes and in their communities. They also have every right to manage their own money and belongings. If you know of any of this abuse taking place, you can help by telling someone about it. If you are the victim, then you should talk to a friend or the RCMP.

Again, other colleagues of mine have mentioned the NWT Seniors’ Society and I wanted to publicly thank them for all the work they’ve put into addressing the issue of elder abuse in our Territory. I’d also like to thank this government and the Department of Health and Social Services for the material and the campaign to tackle elder abuse in this Territory.

In closing, please, if you see someone – anyone -- being abused in our communities, report it. It’s the only way to stop it.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also join my colleagues today in talking about elder abuse. I’m sorry to say that elder abuse does go on in our country and does exist in the Northwest Territories.

Elders are the maturity and wisdom of our nation and it’s appalling for me to hear some of the stories of abuse that go on behind closed doors. We hear of stories of physical and emotional abuse and these things truly upset us. I was going to tell the same story that was just cited so recently in the news that Mr. Ramsay has cited. I’m not going to speak to that.

I’d like to look for tangible and practical ways of how we individually in our lives can reach out. Mr. Bromley touched on Building Networks. I think that’s very important. How many times do we sit down to a family dinner at Christmas or Thanksgiving or sometime a year and do we have our minds trained on the fact that perhaps there is a senior out there who is away from family and friends that we could set an extra place at our table for?

When my son was married about 10 years ago, a post-war family friend of my father’s showed up for the wedding unexpectedly. His name was Grandpa Ken. My father had since passed away. We invited Grandpa Ken to come and stay with us for a few days. He stayed for four years. You might remember him. You would see him around Yellowknife sometimes wearing placards. He wasn’t the most politically correct person in the world. Grandpa Ken did stay with us for four years and our kids were accustomed to the fact that when there was something going on in our family, it was time to run down to the Harbour House and pick up Grandpa Ken. I do apologize to those people. He was a retired pastor. Some of the people who stayed in the Harbour House got an unexpected sermon or two when they stayed there, so I do apologize for that. He was eccentric but beautiful and we loved him. It was an opportunity.

Not everybody can do that, what I just stated, but I bet you there are many times when we can reach out, build a friendship, make a connection to a senior in the community. My children did not have the advantage of growing up with their grandparents nearby. My father was in Ontario. So we can look at other people and think that could be your father, that could be their grandfather, and when those people may need at a time when they come into a difficult time in their life, how wonderful it would be for them to have a family that they were connected to.

We have programs like Big Brother and different things that try to link people in the communities. I think this is something we could extend to the elders community, as well, and we could all be on the lookout for opportunities where we could network with and reach out and be a servant to those who are our seniors.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about seniors also, senior homeowners specifically that are in need of programs to assist them to maintain their homes.

As it stands now, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has programs that can provide what is needed for seniors. However, accessing the current programs is more difficult than it needs to be.

The NWT Housing Corporation has a CARE program that can provide both maintenance and repairs but the seniors are not a priority and if they can’t get themselves to the officers that are delivering the program, they are missed.

Earlier in this session we passed a motion asking the NWT Housing Corporation to introduce a program that is targeted to seniors that only seniors are eligible for. In addition, I have asked on many occasions to have staff of the NWT Housing Corporation visit seniors in their homes during the initial application stage. I even provided a list of seniors to the Minister that may have mobility issues. The officers did not go into the homes during the initial application stage and many of the seniors did not get assistance.

I want the Housing Corporation to develop a seniors-specific program or programs for repairs and maintenance. I also would like the staff of the Housing Corporation to go into the homes of the seniors to collect the necessary documentation for the application stage.

I have spoken many times in the House about the benefits of keeping seniors in their own homes, the benefits that could be accrued to both the senior and the government overall. The cost benefit to the government could be high. For example, if a senior was no longer able to live in his home, the government would provide rental accommodation at a cost substantially higher than that of repairing the home. If a senior gets to a stage where the home is in that condition and does not wish a rental accommodation, the government would have another option: leave the senior in the dilapidated home or replace the house at a cost of $200,000 to $300,000.

The Housing Corporation has to get serious about this request. We were told by the seniors this is what was needed. In addition, a seniors-specific program would not cost the Housing Corporation extra money. The money can be flowed from the existing programs.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of weeks ago I raised in this House the need for our government to develop a seniors charter that speaks to the dignity and care that our seniors rightly deserve. A seniors charter could be called by many names; perhaps a blueprint of our care, a manifesto of our stewardship, or even a statement of values and commitment by our politicians and government as to what we truly believe.

As the present, leaders of this Assembly, let us not forget we are the shepherds of our present and future generations, both young at heart and certainly young of age. As I stated a number of weeks ago, in 2006 the House of Commons adopted a similar concept for recognizing the importance of seniors through a seniors charter of Canada.

Seniors are an integral part of society as they are the pillars that have gotten us here today. Let us never forget that.

Clearly an NWT seniors charter, if adopted, would recognize older Northerners as creative, active, valued members of our society. As I stated earlier, it would serve as a mission statement and set up the government’s commitment and goals to their well-being, equality and certainly a standard of living.

The NWT seniors charter would also speak to such issues as income security, housing, wellness, health care, our commitment to stopping elders’ abuse, accessibility options for recreation, education and training, and timely access to government services. Those are only just a few.

Now, if that sounds familiar to some, I certainly think it should. Back on September 22, 2006, in fact, the NWT Seniors’ Society created their own Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Older Adults. That charter, drawn out for guidance, hangs in many seniors’ meeting rooms and long-term care facilities in the NWT. Later today I will be tabling a copy of that for the benefit of this House. At the time I should also mention that the board of directors got well enough to pass on this information to the responsible Minister of the day who took care of seniors. Like many great ideas, those calls for action and support have fallen deafeningly silent.

The information I researched on this particular issue is in the hands of the Minister for Seniors. What would be important here today is that our government, the Minister for Seniors be prepared to commit to work with our northern seniors and take the first step to develop an NWT seniors charter that would definitely recognize the valued contributions our seniors have made to our North

and demonstrate that commitment by more than words but certainly be standing with them.

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