Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the new public housing rent scale is scheduled to be implemented on July 1, 2012. We recognize the changes we are making are significant and there will be an adjustment period for all tenants.

As you know, there have been concerns expressed about the impact of the changes on seniors who reside without others in the house and often live on fixed income. These seniors have been paying zero rent under the old rent scale, but were to pay between $70 and $80 minimum rent using the new rent scale.

In recognition of the concerns that have been expressed, I am instructing the NWT Housing Corporation to implement an approach where seniors that live without other adults in their home would have the rent increase resulting from the new rent scales phased in over a two-year period.

The new rent scales will proceed as planned on July 1, 2012. However, for those seniors that reside in public housing that were paying zero in the past, 50 percent of any rent increase will be in effect on September 1, 2012, and the full impact of any rental increase won’t come into effect until July 1, 2013.

Mr. Speaker, the new rent scale has many benefits for residents of the Northwest Territories. The approach makes public housing rent simpler, more predictable and fairer, and addresses the long-standing concern over the disincentive to work. I am pleased that we will be implementing this change that will benefit so many NWT households on July 1, 2012. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Public Works and Services’ efforts to achieve our government’s energy conservation goals are paying off. Through energy conservation programs and initiatives, we are reducing our government’s greenhouse gas emissions, achieving considerable cost savings and reducing our dependency on fuel oil. These initiatives are key to effective and efficient government, and protect our environment so it will sustain present and future generations. Energy conservation isn’t a single program or initiative. It is our normal way of doing business. It affects every department in our government and it is having real results.

The Capital Asset Retrofit Fund program is one of the PWS-managed energy conservation programs that is having great success. Through this program, we focus on reducing operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions by assessing government facilities and identifying the buildings that are best suited for energy saving retrofits and upgrades.

Our energy conservation initiatives have eliminated the need for six million litres of heating oil. In the past five years, this saved the government $2.65 million and reduced our government’s greenhouse gas emissions by 16,600 tonnes. Since utility funding was consolidated in Public Works and Services in 2010-11, our energy conservation initiatives have saved the government $654,000 in ongoing utility costs each year.

Our early estimates from last year’s energy conservation initiatives show that we could generate an additional half million dollars in ongoing annual utility cost savings. This could bring the estimated utility savings for the past two years to $1.204 million. The cumulative reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could reach 25,156 tonnes by the end of the 2012 year.

A few examples of our highly successful energy projects currently in service would be:• lighting system improvements for the Deh Gah

School in Fort Providence;• a new biomass hearing system for Chief Jimmy

Bruneau School in Behchoko;• an energy-efficient lighting retrofit for the

Grandfather Ayha School in Deline; and• an energy-efficient lighting retrofit and a building

envelope upgrade completed for the nurses residence in Inuvik.

Alternative energy solutions are also being incorporated in the renovation and construction of buildings as part of Public Works and Services’ design considerations. The renovations for Ecole St. Joseph School included a $250,000 investment in biomass heating. The GNWT will be investing over $1.5 million in alternative energy heating solutions as part of new capital projects like the health centre in Hay River.

While the cost savings are impressive, the savings realized are now directly funding other energy-efficient projects starting in 2012-13. This is the first step towards making the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund a self-sustaining government program this year.

Thanks in part to the ongoing support of this Assembly, the GNWT has become a leader in energy conservation.

Mr. Speaker, program monitoring along with the sharing of best practices with other jurisdictions, the private sector and our residents is very important in demonstrating leadership in the GNWT’s energy conservation efforts. To that end, the department has finished publishing its second annual Energy Conservation Projects Report, which I will be tabling later today.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, the NWT is experiencing hot, dry conditions and the forests across most of the NWT are critically dry. The fire danger ratings in the North Slave, South Slave and Deh Cho regions are at high or extreme and the NWT is in the midst of an early fire season. We have had increased fire activity over the past week and are presently dealing with a number of problematic wildfires within these regions.

The long-term seasonal temperature outlook from Environment Canada for June, July and August continues to project above seasonal temperatures for most of the NWT. Precipitation is forecast to be below seasonal for the same period.

Should weather patterns remain at seasonal or above seasonal conditions as indicated by Environment Canada, we can expect to experience a very difficult fire season. Municipalities have already had to enact fire bans in Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith. In addition, Industry, Tourism and Investment had to impose a “No Open Fires” policy in Prelude Lake, Reid Lake, Fred Henne and Yellowknife River Park territorial parks. Campers have been asked not to light open campfires until conditions improve.

Activities to ensure that ENR is prepared for the 2012 forest fire season have been underway since fall 2012. Operational manuals and forms are up to date, standing offer agreements for aviation short-term needs have been signed, crew contracts are in place and seasonal/casual hiring is complete. Facility maintenance activities for air tanker bases, fuel systems, the lightning detection network, the automatic fire weather station network and radio communications have been undertaken. In addition, aircraft and crews were brought on early because of the fire hazard.

ENR is prepared to respond immediately should wildland fire become a concern. Available personnel, aircraft and support resources have been identified and are ready for mobilization.

The department continues to monitor daily environmental conditions and is ensuring that risk mitigation measures have been identified and are ready. As appropriate, the department is providing advice on proposed activities which may pose a fire management risk in and around communities. ENR is also in discussions with Municipal and Community Affairs and local fire authorities regarding local preparedness for wildfires.

At this point, conditions point to a prolonged and difficult forest fire season. While we have done our level best to ensure we are as prepared as possible, we are still at the mercy of the weather. With this in mind, I would ask that all residents avoid using open fires wherever possible and make sure any fires are completely extinguished before they leave. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 17

th Legislative Assembly set a goal of

achieving sustainable, vibrant and safe communities. Today I would like to take a moment to recognize personal safety on our roads and waterways.

The Department of Transportation consistently works to raise public awareness of safety issues.

Now that summer is here again, it is important to keep these safety messages in mind.

Cyclists need to wear helmets and follow the rules of the road. When enjoying water activities, wearing lifejackets and keeping mandatory safety equipment on board can save your life. When riding ATVs, proper helmets and driving at a reasonable speed are key to a safe ride.

When it comes to our roads, public education can foster change in driving behaviour. To that end, the Department of Transportation continues to promote safety through the Drive Alive program. Distracted driving is a key issue on our roads these days, and on January 1

st of this year, legislative amendments

came into effect prohibiting the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving in the Northwest Territories. Driving deserves our full attention at all times.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has reason to be proud of its contribution to Canadian road safety, as our record of zero fatalities on roads and trails has entered its eighteenth month. This is an important achievement and I encourage residents to continue this safety record into the summer and beyond.

A key factor that has helped us reach our zero fatality record is the use of seatbelts. We all know that seatbelts can prevent injury in a sudden stop or collision. In fact, you are 13 times more likely to die in a collision if you are not wearing your seatbelt. Buckle Up NWT, a seatbelt awareness and enforcement campaign, is underway to increase the number of NWT residents who always wear their seatbelts.

Further to this, the department has partnered with the NWT Association of Fire Chiefs and community governments. The department and enforcement agencies will be monitoring seatbelt use in each NWT community until May 2013. The location with the highest rate of usage will win a local concert with Aboriginal artist Ms. Leela Gilday in June 2013. The winning location will also receive $5,000 for the fire department that serves that community. So I encourage all residents to buckle up and I look forward to announcing the successful community next spring.

With the construction season getting into full swing, I remind everyone to please obey all signs, drive defensively and slow down when crossing through road construction sites. Remember speeding fines double in construction zones.

Finally, when travelling on the highway, remember to be on the lookout for wildlife. Collisions with moose, deer and especially bison can be fatal. Slow down at dusk and dawn when visibility is low and drive slowly around animals or wait for them to pass.

On behalf of the Department of Transportation, I remind all residents to make healthy and safe choices on our roads, trails and waterways and wish everyone a safe and happy summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, corrections staff are committed to manage offenders in the least restrictive manner possible, provide opportunities for culturally relevant rehabilitation and be leaders in progressive and holistic healing.

These extremely dedicated staff members work in conditions that are challenging and emotionally draining. They have committed to multiple years of training to make a difference in the workplace and influence the lives of the young people in their charge.

I recently joined a group of our corrections youth officers and employees at the North Slave Young Offenders Facility as they celebrated their graduation from the Healing and Learning Together, or HALT, program.

Effective and efficient government is one of our goals. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes small changes improve our systems and result in more effective programs. For the North Slave Young Offenders Facility, we’ve seen real changes through the HALT program training.

During the graduation, I heard employee after employee mention how the skills they had been taught over the years improved their work habits and their personal relationships as well. As Damien Ramm said, correctional officers have to deal with stress on a daily basis. This can lead to health issues, conflicts at home and an unstable environment to rehabilitate offenders. The skills he learned through his training with HALT have really helped him. By passing those skills on to the youth he works with, he helps them to become contributing citizens back at their home communities.

Staff members also told the group they have seen positive changes over the four years the program has been running. Youth offenders are now being managed in ways that emulate our vision and mission, in the least restrictive way possible and with the purpose of reintegration in mind at all times. Youth Officer Shari Manyika pointed out her training has given her the tools she needs to successfully deal with the increasingly violent offenders who are coming into the facility. Two of

our long-term workers, Tanya Ashley and Hiedi Yardley, who have worked both before and after the introduction of HALT training, feel youth at the facility have had direct benefits from the new approach by staff. Youth now are learning how to be internally motivated, think for themselves and have coping skills that don’t involve substances.

These are powerful words from the front-line workers, progressive, innovative and effective.

Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing this valuable training and approach at the North Slave Young Officers Facility and the department will be looking at ways that we can expand the HALT program to our other facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the House was once again witness to another announcement of more money being required by the Department of Transportation and its Minister for the sinkhole we all know as the Deh Cho Bridge.

Many MLAs and many more residents of the NWT are extremely perplexed on how this department and its Ministers cannot seem to complete large-scale projects on time and on budget.

Moreover, it seems this time the department had to negotiate an agreement-in-principle within an already negotiated contract price in order to get the work done. I’m not sure if many people picked up on that but, Mr. Speaker, this is absolutely absurd.

The Minister and department claim they had few options as the work has fallen behind schedule and the opening of the bridge this fall was in jeopardy. Excuse me, Mr. Speaker, but isn’t this what negotiated contract pricing clearly defines when both parties sign a contract? Furthermore, what about the concept of holdbacks? As the client, why aren’t these options being leveraged and exercised?

They’re not, Mr. Speaker, because this government is trying to save face with the general public in committing to a November 2012 opening at all costs and our current contractor knows this, hence the so-called, “Pony up, GNWT, if you want to see your bridge built this year.”

It’s painfully obvious that this government is clearly setting a pattern of concern in how it deals with cost overruns for large-scale projects and negotiated contracts. It’s only a matter of time when this

Member will bring further examples into this House that will prove this point once again.

So to all of you 41,462 men, women and children in the Northwest Territories, the Minister of Transportation just asked you for another $241.18 each this week to make him look good. But don’t worry, this pales in comparison to the final bill you’ll get under your door when you see your invoice for just under $8,900. No, the GNWT does not take PayPal.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today: I’ve encountered an Aurora College policy which causes me grave concern. A student at Aurora College Yellowknife Campus in the third year of their program, one who is achieving excellent marks and doing very well, has run into a housing policy which I believe, quite frankly, is discriminatory.

My constituent has been subjected to unfair treatment and inconsistencies in regard to how the housing policy is applied and to its lack of timely and personal responses to all inquiries and appeals. There are many inconsistencies between the Aurora College housing policy and the actual application of that policy. The policy is lacking in clear definitions and often contradicts other GNWT generally accepted policies; the GNWT Affirmative Action Policy, for instance.

Unlike other learning institutions across Canada where students are treated on a first-come, first-served basis, the Aurora College housing policy is written to specifically exclude local students from Aurora College housing without any consideration for the student’s financial situation and whether they are a local resident or not. Why is household income not part of the student accommodation evaluation procedures criteria? Why is it not a consideration as an extenuating circumstance?

The Aurora College housing policy unfairly affects all students, not only in Yellowknife but in Inuvik and Fort Smith as well. Why do we expect local students to be able to afford market rent housing when we don’t have the same expectations of non-local students?

To quote my constituent, “The policy states that Aurora College is committed to providing an equitable process for allocating student accommodations. From the perspective of a born and raised northern student enrolled in a northern program funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories, this would seem to be untrue.”

I appreciate that housing cannot be supplied to every student, but to deny Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife residents even the chance to apply for housing in their community is unfair. The response from the college to my constituent’s appeal freely admits that the policy is lacking. That letter said, “The change in policy does not meet all students’ needs, but we are required to follow the policy.” That tells me that there’s a recognition that the policy is not working but there is no will to act to correct it. An organization that recognizes a gap, as indicated in the above letter, should be acting to fill that gap and provide equal opportunity for all.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all our communities we’re seeing the happy faces of high school graduates. Across the territory there will be about 400 grads. I’m especially proud of the graduates in Deh Cho communities.

Graduation rates are increasing but we still lag behind the rest of Canada, especially in our small communities. Even so, there are more opportunities than ever as technology and communications have improved so much in remote communities.

It is a big step in our lives to go to college or university. Many students may feel that it’s too expensive, but it is an investment that pays off long into the future. We don’t often mention the life experiences that you will get or the lifelong friendships that you will likely make.

The Northwest Territories has one of the most generous student financial assistance packages in the country, with grants and forgivable loans. There are hundreds more scholarships available through band councils, community organizations, industry and the schools themselves. It is true that finding and applying for these grants takes a little bit of time and effort, just as it does to get high marks in school. Almost all jobs with competitive wages and benefits require further study after high school. Those who don’t finish high school or go further, run the risk of staying in low-paying jobs in sectors where they never find fulfillment or reach their potential.

To all graduates, I would say you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. If you are afraid or stepping out into an expensive field of study you may not enjoy, or if you have taken that risk and it didn’t work out, don’t be discouraged. You will learn valuable lessons about yourself and your future along the way. You’ll probably come away with much more than you expected. That is how life is when you make decisions for yourself. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to speak to the Deh Cho Bridge concern and issue. Yesterday we heard the Minister speak in his Minister’s statement regarding an agreement that they’ve reached that could run us up to a capped $10 million. What stood out specifically for me was they’re confident that both parties are committed to the success of this project. Of course, I’m more confident that Ruskin has figured out how to keep draining more money out of the GNWT coffers and the territorial government continues to roll over. If I may coin it in a typical sense of partnership, I would call this more of an abusive relationship than certainly a partnership.

Quite frankly, what happened to the fixed contract we were told time and time and time again? How many more figurative RSVPs will be told and sent out into our mailboxes that we’ll be getting ready for? Will the opening date be pushed back one more year? Besides, how much more money will it cost taxpayers?

I remember one Member on this side of the House many years ago constantly talked about who is going to pay, who is going take responsibility for this particular project. It’s gone from $140 million to $160 million to $180 million. Now it’s well over $200 million.

All I hear about now on the street is, as the old slogan used to go, between a rock and a hard place. Well, people are now saying, well, I hate to be between a bridge and a hard place. Frankly, the citizens are getting tired of this. I’m getting tired of being held hostage to this particular project. How much more money does it continue to cost the taxpayers?

I’ve been a strong proponent of this particular project from the beginning because I believe in the concept. It’s the management. I’d like the Department of Transportation to stop negotiating with a blank cheque that’s sitting in the hands of Ruskin waiting for them to fill in the number.

Enforcement clauses were always written into all contracts, but apparently for this Deh Cho Bridge contract they must have been written in invisible ink. What happened to the day when a contract was a contract? I look forward to that being finally satisfied. To be frank, we’re spending a lot of time, energy and money on this particular project and now the biggest critic is the champion. We need to see results on this. How much more money will it cost the taxpayers?

I will have questions later today to get to the bottom of some of this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While there are many important looming issues in the North, I’d like to speak about the community of Fort Liard. They are having a graduation today. They are celebrating the achievements of four students who are graduating from the Echo-Dene School there: Ms. Camille Bertrand, Ms. Monica Berreault, Ms. Ivy-Lynn Marcellais, and I am especially pleased to acknowledge my nephew Mr. Trye Timbre, who is among those finishing high school this year.

---Applause

Thank you, colleagues. He’s a lucky man to be able to take not one but three young ladies to his grad.

Congratulations, graduates. You can truly be proud of your hard work and perseverance. That is what got them here today.

The theme for their grad this year is black and white, and it’s a good one. Black and white creates definition and impact, contrast and absolutes. The world relies on black and white. It makes the words stand out on a page and notes stand out on a sheet of music, and we know just how powerful those things, words and music, can be. Pianos have black and white keys. In combination, they also create harmony.

Every year our world, our territory and our communities become more complex. The decisions our graduates and their fellow students make will be more sophisticated than the ones made by previous generations. More and more we live in a world where so many people seem to have lost sight of what is right and wrong, but in traditional culture there were absolutes that helped our people live in harmony and respect with one another and with nature. I encourage our young people to look to the wisdom of the elders and spiritual leaders for help with the decisions they face as they venture out into the world.

In TV and photography, black and white images were the precursors of extraordinary things, things previous generations couldn’t even imagine. We all know it’s a challenge for our youth in our small communities to stay in school.

As the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nahendeh, I would like to congratulate once again Camille, Monica, Ivy-Lynn and Trye and all graduates in my riding. I want to recognize the support of the families, school staff and all the

volunteers that work in the school for encouraging our youth. They have what it takes to make a difference in this world. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are about nine months into this government here, and in that nine months I have heard a lot of concerns, a lot of asks and a lot of community concerns from this side of the table. All my colleagues have heard of Highway No. 7 quite a bit. I have heard access roads to gravel sources so the roads in the communities can be maintained. I have heard schools that need washrooms, who need new schools. Some communities haven’t had a school retrofit for a long time. Myself, we are looking at getting a child development centre. If it’s not done, two-thirds of the kids who are accessing that school are going to lose out this year.

I just read in the news that Colville Lake’s airport runway just got washed out yet again. However, we are going to have to tell these communities that we are going to have to put these back on the backburner. Why? Because of the continuing saga of the Deh Cho Bridge.

It is something that we have been dealing with for a long time. Up until yesterday, up until the Minister gave his statement in the House and all the media reports that I have heard on the news this morning, I didn’t feel the frustrations until yesterday that all Regular Members past and present feel about this project. The mismanagement of funds, signing off on a project that wasn’t even complete with the planning process, for it to go ahead and yet now we are paying for those prices again. It has even bankrupted a southern company. It removed one of our Aboriginal groups out of the process. It is just continuing.

I believe, being new to this government, this is the third time that this government is coming back into this House asking for more money. I am not sure when it is going to stop. I do sure hope that this is the last time it’s going to stop, because there are too many concerns from our communities.

I haven’t heard the concerns from my colleagues across the floor, their concerns for their communities, the projects that they need, but I am sure there are some. Like I said, we are going to have to put that back on the backburner because of the money that we are continuing to put on the capital projects such as the Deh Cho Bridge.

I would like to see this project completed so that we can start focusing more on our small communities,

our communities where we can start putting projects and money for the buildings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the House is aware of the recent United Nations’ decision that finally brought justice to NWT resident Cecelia Kell. In 1995 Ms. Kell fled her abusive relationship to a safe haven in the Alison McAteer House.

While she was away, her non-Aboriginal spouse, who was serving as a director of the Rae-Edzo Housing Authority, had her name removed as a co-holder from the Aboriginal housing lease with the approval of the LHO board. Ms. Kell was served an eviction order and lost her home. That began a legal journey of 17 excruciating years through a series of rulings eventually leading to the Supreme Court. Finding no justice even there, she took her case for review under the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. In its judgment this year, the United Nations found that the Government of Canada and the NWT, the NWT Housing Corporation and the Canadian legal system itself acted prejudicially by discriminating against an Aboriginal woman. The UN recommended the government provide her a house and financial compensation for material and moral harm. It also recommended the government recruit and train more Aboriginal women to provide legal aid, including on domestic and property rights.

Responding to the decision, the GNWT has said that a lot has improved since 1995, that adequate checks and balances are now in place and that no further changes are planned as a result of the recommendation. Yet, in its recent update on Housing Corporation’s operations, the Auditor General for Canada cited unsatisfactory progress on recommendations to establish a clear picture of the state of the delivery of the Public Housing Program, including whether local housing organizations are processing. I’m still waiting to hear how Ms. Kell is being compensated for her suffering.

These events are a source of shame for us all. We shouldn’t have to rely on you and the Auditor General to tell us how to protect our citizens’ rights. As we embark upon our review of the Legal Aid Act and services, these recommendations should be firmly in mind. The recommendations of the 2011 community justice review and the phase 3 Coalition for Family Violence Report provides valuable

advice for ensuring such injustice never occurs again.

I will have questions for the Minister of Housing. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to say it’s a good day today for the seniors of the Northwest Territories, and by thanking the Minister and thanking this government for delaying the implementation of charging seniors rent until September. Also, to go a little further, then to implement a two-phased approach to the seniors’ rent by giving them the opportunity to look at the reasons why we’re going to implement the rent at a lower cost than what the Minister and the government really wanted to do.

Today is the beginning of June and I guess there is Christmas in June also, because it’s a good present for the elders. I want to say thank you to the Minister for listening to us, listening to the concerns.

This government has the obligation to take care of its residents, especially the elderly people, the ones who are very vulnerable in the communities. The decision to delay should also be seen as a period that this government should sit down and listen to the elders and tell them why they’re going to be charging them rent and, more importantly, to listen to the elders while the elders tell them why it makes it hard for them to pay rent in our communities.

This government and this Housing Corporation need to work with us on this side and they’ve done that. It’s a start in that area and I applaud the Minister for realizing this, and that it needs to be done in a way that is effective and efficient and that we can move on this together.

I wanted to say to my colleagues here, to the gallery, to the Minister, thank you very much from the Sahtu elders and the seniors across the North that we’ve done something good for the seniors. We’ve done something that we hope we see that the seniors do want to make a contribution, but we need to sit and listen to them to see how we can do this together.

So I want to say thank to the Minister, Robert C. McLeod, for this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use my Member’s statement today to encourage the 1,189 youth participating in the NWT track meet going in the next couple of days in Hay River.

My colleague Mrs. Groenewegen and myself would like to thank some of the Members from the Legislative Assembly that travelled down to Hay River to see the exciting grand opening of the NWT track meet this year: Premier Bob McLeod, Minister Robert C. McLeod, Mr. Daryl Dolynny, Mr. Alfred Moses. Thank you for coming to Hay River.

The NWT track and field event is organized by over 300 volunteers. It has a great economic impact to Hay River. I would like to encourage the youth to have fun, make friends and try your hardest. The event involves over 100 coaches. Thank you, coaches, for all your hard work and efforts for the youth.

The event involves 36 teams from 19 communities. The 19 communities are as follows: Colville Lake, Fort Liard, Fort McPherson, Fort Providence, Fort Res, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Gameti, Inuvik, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Ndilo, Norman Wells, Rae Edzo, Trout Lake, Wrigley, Yellowknife, our neighbours beside us, K’atlodeeche and, of course, the host, Hay River. Good luck to all the participants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The high school years are difficult for many students. It can even be tough for sensible and smart young people who get strong support from their parents. The reality is that teenagers face some big challenges and a lot of pressure. I’m sure we all remember if we think about it. I fear those challenges were forgotten when the system was designed to support students who have to leave home to complete high school.

This is still happening in our small communities such as Tsiigehtchic and Sachs Harbour. Those students go to high school in Inuvik and have to live with other families in their homes. Sometimes this works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but all too often students don’t get the support they need. In some cases it’s dealing with distractions of living in a larger centre. Sometimes the arrangements actually cause additional problems. The result is too many young people drop out of high school and go back home.

We cannot let that go on without doing something about it. I know the issue was raised many times by our colleague Mr. Jacobson during the 16

th Assembly, so I am surprised it seems to have fallen upon deaf ears. Our students will be back in Inuvik again this fall and there is still no sign of a boarding home to accommodate them.

In reviewing this matter, I noted that the Education Minister often said during the 16

th Assembly, that

student accommodation in Inuvik is the responsibility of the district education authority. I am again surprised the Minister has suggested he is not the boss.

Someone has to be accountable when district authorities fail to provide the basic support our students need. If students from Tsiigehtchic and Sachs Harbour are going to succeed in high school, they need a stable environment in a boarding home.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize two important board members of the Status of Women Council: Ms. Georgina Jacobson Masuzumi from Tuktoyaktuk and Doris Camsell from Hay River.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada; Geoff Couldrey, executive vice-president of the Mental Health Commission of Canada; Michelle McLean, vice-president of public affairs of the Mental Health Commission of Canada; and Dana Heide, associate deputy minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my sister-in-law Doris Camsell and, of course, Ms. Jacobson Masuzumi.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome the staff of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. We had a really good presentation and launching of the Mental Health Strategy today. I also recognize Dana Heide, who is the associate

deputy minister and board member of the commission as well.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. I’d like to welcome my mother in the House today, Ms. Georgina Jacobson Masuzumi. Welcome. I’d like to welcome all our visitors here in the public gallery today for taking an interest in our proceedings here in the Legislative Assembly. Thank you for coming.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask some questions to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. The Minister just made a very important, significant announcement regarding the implementation of the seniors’ rental charges and delaying it until September 1

st . I want to ask the

Minister, between now and September 1

st , what

type of work he will do with the seniors in terms of explaining the reasons why the rental charges will be coming in, what type of consultation his staff or the communities or LHOs will be doing to see how we can talk and listen to the elders and see that the rent will be reduced quite significantly in the first year of the second phase of this implementation of charging the elders’ rent.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Leading up to the new rent scale, all the tenants, including seniors, will have an opportunity to meet with their local LHO and they will be given an indication at the time of what their rent can be expected to be. With the rent scale change, it will be July 1

st . With the seniors, now with the new

implementation of September 1

st , there will be an

opportunity for them to work with the local LHOs and give them an indication of what their rent is going to be.

We had our meetings here as a committee and we had the NWT Seniors’ Society come and meet with us one fine, early morning and talked about the rental issue with the seniors and the Housing Corporation. I want to ask the Minister if the NWT Seniors’ Society asked for a meeting with the Minister and staff about this new implementation, especially the delay. Would the Minister be able to entertain having a meeting with them?

I did have an opportunity to meet with the NWT Seniors’ Society. Obviously, with an issue of importance like this,

there was mixed views on it. Some thought it was a good thing. Some said we should just stay at zero. There were a few that said, well, why don’t you just meet us halfway and phase it in? Listening to that and listening to concerns of the Members, we took that into consideration and we decided to go with September 1

st and implement it over the next two

years.

Can the Minister tell us his reasons why the reduced rate for the first year of implementing the seniors’ rent charge starts on September 1

st ?

Well, we listened to what Members had to say. We listened to what some of the concerns were for the seniors out there. We thought this would be an adjustment period, because to go from zero to $70, $75 or $80 dollars, as was the original intent, we thought this would be an easier adjustment to graduate up to the higher rent.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a follow-up on my Member’s statement. I’d like to ask the Minister of Education a couple of questions. What is the Minister doing to address the need for a boarding home in Inuvik for students from small communities in the Beaufort-Delta?

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

This particular issue has been addressed with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council and there’s been some correspondence back and forth. This has been an ongoing issue and I did raise that issue with the board chairs, as well, during a chairs meeting. They’re fully aware of it. They’re doing what they can to accommodate those students that will be in Inuvik from outlying communities. We will continue to monitor that and we’ll continue to pressure the BDEC to assist those students to the best of their ability in the community of Inuvik.

If the numbers show that students from small communities are not succeeding in Inuvik, will the Minister take the steps necessary to provide a boarding home by this fall? Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Those need to be addressed with the

Beaufort-Delta Education Council. My staff is listening. Definitely, my department will follow through and monitor, especially this fall, how many students will be attending Inuvik from the outlying communities, and the succession plan. I can get back to the Member about the number of students who will be boarding in Inuvik, and where they’re going to be boarding and provide that information to the Member from BDEC. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier today with questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. My statement today outlined a very sad chain of events for Cecelia Kell and an international embarrassment, obviously, for us. Could the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation tell me what steps have been taken to act on the UN recommendations and get Ms. Kell a home and pay the recommended compensation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re fully aware of the situation and we take the recommendations from the UN very, very seriously. We would like to try and set up a meeting with Ms. Kell to try and work out some details. We have six months to respond to the recommendations, but as of right now, we are trying to meet with this lady and work out the details. Thank you.

Thanks for the comments from the Minister. I know that the Minister recognizes that this is a serious situation and will do good work to get this rectified, and I ask that we would be kept apprised of the progress on that.

As the UN decision pointed out, Ms. Kell’s traumatic experiences point to the need for greater public understanding of property law and ensuring that clients of our LHO partners are aware of their rights. Since we are trying to stress the breaking down of silos and coordinated actions across government, such as through the development of the Anti-Poverty Strategy, can the Minister say how he intends to work with his ministerial colleagues to ensure, for example, the Department of Justice’s Legal Aid and Community Court Worker programs incorporate knowledge on rental rights into their services? Thank you.

Well, I can speak from the Housing perspective and say that we’ve got

some checks and balances in place to ensure that a situation like this doesn’t happen again. One of the checks and balances is to not allow for a person to be removed from the lease without their notification, and I think that’s what happened in this particular case. I will commit to working with my counterparts and the Minister of Justice to see how we can better inform his department on some of the steps going forward, and the communities too. They have an opportunity to work with their tenant relations officer.

I think the recommendation from this has probably taught us a very valuable lesson in how we need to inform people of the particular rights they have. I believe we’ll start working on that when the rest of our tenant relations officers come in. Thank you.

Thanks for the comments from the Minister again. I’m not questioning the comments, but I do want to point out to the Minister that the final checks and balances are indeed the court system. This wasn’t just an NWT failure. This was a total Canadian failure. I think what we need is to bring the accountability and complete the circle. I would appreciate it if the Minister would commit to bringing that to committee on how, in fact, that will be done. We will know that our legal system, which is our final check and balance, will indeed be able to back up the systems that I know the Minister will be putting in place within Housing. Thank you.

I would be pleased to meet with committee. I mean, we have six months, obviously, to respond to the recommendations. We’re trying to get the pieces in place right now. But once we’ve completed all that work and I’ve had an opportunity to discuss with my counterpart from Justice, I think it might be prudent for both of us, actually, to come before committee and give them some time and explain to them how we plan on dealing with any situations. I don’t think we’ll have any more situations like this in the future. If we put the proper pieces in place, then that should rectify the problem that happened in this particular case. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again for those comments. Again, of course, I wasn’t speaking about this case now. I’ve backed off and I’m speaking in a sort of a systemic issue, so I think the deadlines are sort of mute with respect to that.

Again, I have to be a bit reticent in just accepting the Minister’s intentions compared to what the final result is, because the recent update by the Auditor General on recommendations for improvements to the Housing Corporation operations some years ago found that there has been unsatisfactory progress on ensuring applications for housing are

dealt with consistently and according to policy. In fact, if my memory serves, I think only 17 out of 45 were done correctly. This speaks to the need to ensure everyone gets equal treatment. Can the Minister say what steps his corporation is taking to finally move on these recommendations, when the improvements will be made and how the corporation will continue to monitor for compliance? And applications are a good example of what we’re talking about. Thank you.

I kept referring to this particular case in my answer before because this is the one that brought about this situation. In the overall picture, working with the Housing Corporation and the Auditor General’s report, obviously, that was from a few years ago, we’ve taken great steps in the meantime since then to improve how we work with our LHOs. One of the things we have done is we’re implementing a territorial-wide housing information system. I think that’s going to give us the ability to monitor the workings of the LHOs a lot closer. They’re doing a fine job out there, but we need to be a little more connected, I think is what I’m trying to say, and communicate a lot more. Also, we just announced the other day, we’re setting up an NWT Housing Appeal Committee, and I think this may go a long way, too, in addressing some of the concerns.

As far as the Auditor General’s report goes, I mean, we’ve listened to some of the recommendations. I think we’ve done a very good job in responding to some of the recommendations, and I think we’ll see a great improvement in the overall delivery of housing and the appeals system for tenants that feel they’ve been wronged. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are in follow-up to my Member’s statement that I did earlier, and it’s regarding the Deh Cho Bridge here. It’s going to be directed to the Minister of Transportation.

With the asks for money continuing to come in, does that affect the amount of years that this bridge will be paid off in, and how many more years would that be expected onto what was initially predicted? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, it doesn’t. Thank you.

Keeping with the impacts of this big project, can the Minister please let me know how

this is going to affect other capital projects throughout the Northwest Territories, what kind of impact it’s going to have? Thank you.

We wouldn’t know that. Obviously, the ask is $10 million, but we wouldn’t be able to define that question at this stage in time. Thank you.

Can the Minister confirm and let us know if he believes that it will have an impact on other capital projects in the small communities? Thank you.

That’s an opinion, Mr. Moses. I need a question. Rephrase.

I’ll switch the questions up here. Can the Minister give us an operational cost for this bridge on a yearly basis? Thank you.

I’m not sure if the Member is looking for a once it’s completed operational cost or if he’s looking for an annual cost on what the payback would be on that bridge over 35 years. I’m unable to answer much of what the question was. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Considering that it will be the taxpayers who will be paying for this bridge, I’m looking for the operation and maintenance of this bridge on an annual basis. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to get that information for the Member. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My residents are concerned about the construction of the Deh Cho Bridge as well. I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions. I think the concern is that it was really no great surprise that the cost continues to rise and they continue to come to this House for expenditures. Can the Minister assure this House that once this final deal is done, the bleeding will stop, so to speak?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All expectations are that this will be the final ask. It’s going to allow us to have the bridge open this fall. We have also negotiated an end to the claims back and forth on the construction of the project. This is going to be something that we continue to

pursue until the bridge is complete in November. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I can appreciate some of the past issues that the Auditor General’s report spoke of incomplete designs, et cetera. Is the Minister confident in telling this House that all considerations and risk factors have been taken into account to date and that they can achieve this November 2012 opening, especially with this new deal that he is talking about with the contractor? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. Again, it’s our expectation that the bridge will be open in November. We were weighing a few different options in how we could look at this. This was the option that would allow us to get budget certainty and also schedule certainty that would enable us to move forward and complete this project by November.

Again, it wasn’t easily arrived at. We have been in negotiations for a number of weeks with the contractor. This is our best effort to move this project along and get the project complete. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I’m trying to get at the point that in the past there were unforeseen and incomplete things being done. Can the Minister assure us that all aspects of bridge construction have been considered and that this side of the House and the general public have no reason to expect further delays or further cash output from our government and hence the taxpayers of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, there always could be potentially unforeseen circumstances, but again, my expectation – and I have been following this project closely for a number of years – is that this will be the final ask of this government to see the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge in November of this year. We can move on after that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All things being considered, I know that last year we had shipping delays, production delays. Is there any of that on the table? What does this House have to expect, or have all things been considered? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, pertaining to the completion of the construction of the Deh Cho Bridge, this is all encompassed in the negotiated deal that we have with the contractor to complete the project. It is in there. This is our way forward so that we can see the bridge get completed this fall so we can get budget certainty and we can get schedule certainty. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions as well will be about the Deh Cho Bridge, similar to my colleague. They will be directed to the Minister of Transportation. Has Ruskin ever failed to comply with directions from our engineers to comply with a particular schedule? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question, but that’s more of an operational question. It would be something that I would be more than happy to go back to the department with and provide the Member with the answer. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that’s a pretty big question. You would think the Minister would know if he was certainly asking for up to $10 million as he pointed out in his Minister’s statement, so maybe I’ll try it again.

Is the department aware in any manner that our engineers - and I believe they are called associated engineers watching the project - have they ever instructed Ruskin to complete this project on schedule? Has there been any pushback or refusal from Ruskin to do so? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide this answer. Back in March it became apparent the contractor wasn’t going to be able to complete the project on time. We had a number of options, three of them. The option that we chose was to work with the contractor to figure out a way that we can negotiate the claims that are out there and complete the project on time in November. That was the schedule that we wanted to maintain. That’s how we negotiated an end to the claims and also put ourselves in a position where we could say that everything is included in that deal. We’re going to have the bridge project completed in November.

Again, if the Member wants further detailed information, we can get that for him. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, maybe can I get some understanding of why they would refuse to comply with our direction provided by our engineer at the particular time? I think it is cited in March. Is he saying if our associated engineers instructed Ruskin to comply with a schedule, why would they refuse to comply with the schedule? What grounds would they have with the ability to refuse a contractual schedule? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it’s in our best interests as a government to work with the contractor to move forward and not look back. I believe the negotiated settlement in completing the project and working with Ruskin is a much better approach than going back and dealing with the long list of claims and being stuck in court for a number of years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m still missing the answer of why they would refuse to follow instructions provided by our particular engineers. It almost sounds like, if I’m understanding this correctly, that it’s costing us more money because we are complying with the will of Ruskin. Is this approach costing us more money, as mentioned in the press release, up to $10 million? Why aren’t we enforcing our legally obligated contract which we negotiated with them earlier? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it’s not going to cost us any more money. That is the message that we have to get out there. If the bridge wasn’t going to open this fall, we would be faced with a minimum of $9 million for various costs associated with the delay. We would also have hanging over our heads a number of claims, a myriad of claims that exist for the last couple of years with Ruskin.

What we have done is get some budget certainty and, again, that budget certainty, we have $13.7 million left in the construction budget. We are looking for another between $7.2 million and $9.5 million to add to that $13.7 million to complete the bridge by this coming November. That’s something that we are intent on doing. We need to find a way forward. We need to get this project completed. That is our full intention to do just that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Continuing with the main theme here on the Deh Cho Bridge today, I have some questions for the Minister of Transportation. What is the expected time of completion or payback on the mortgage or bonds that we currently hold on the Deh Cho Bridge?

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thirty-five years. Thank you.

My next question is concerning the tolls on the bridge and what effect those tolls will have on the repayment of that debt service.

Thank you. We’re anxious to begin growing our resources here in the Northwest Territories and in the Slave Geological Province. A lot of revenue will depend on truck traffic across the Deh Cho Bridge. So if we can grow our economy and get more trucks moving across that bridge, we’ll increase the revenue there. So again, it’s all dependent upon truck traffic that crosses that bridge. Thank you.

Thank you. As my colleagues have indicated some of the concerns with the high cost of the bridge, one of my questions is what has been removed from the bridge project that was in the original design of the bridge?

Thank you. I missed the beginning of the Member’s question. So perhaps you could allow him to re-ask that question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bouchard, could you speak into the mic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll ask my question again. As I indicated, I was concerned with the high costs of the bridge, but my next concern was the items that have been removed from the bridge, from the original design. What items have been removed?

Thank you. Those items would predate my tenure as Minister of Transportation, but I’d be more than happy to get that for the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is the estimated cost of delivery of some products to the North and to Yellowknife and beyond. Does the Minister have any indication of the costs these tolls will have on commodities in the Northwest Territories?

Yes, years ago there were looks into that subject, but really it remains yet to be seen on what that impact would be. Some would argue that there wouldn’t be an impact, others would say there is and that’s been the debate since I’ve been a Member of this House since 2003. Thank you.