This is page numbers 3153 – 3192 of the Hansard for the 17th 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 chair.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People across the NWT are concerned about this government’s direction. I can’t help but agree. Many have observed a distressing alignment with the approach of our federal government under its present leadership. Government communications clearly reveal it doesn’t care what Members think or what the public thinks. A recent example is the surprising revelation that despite a 60 percent increase in our debt limit last year, our Finance Minister has initiated actions to seek an even higher debt limit. Not only no debate, but not even bothering to tell the elected representatives of a supposedly consensus government. To hear a Finance Minister say in this House that schools and medical infrastructure are not investments in economic development whereas highways are, shows a dysfunctional understanding of economic development. Sound economic development comes from healthy people, not from healthy roads.

Such thinking is all too common in this government’s policies and pronouncements and these policies yield economic development that tends to benefit non-residents, leaving net costs to Northerners. Later I will be speaking to the government’s plans for big subsidies to the richest companies in the world. Such activity will pull workers in from across the country, people who will not live here and will not pay taxes here, but will leave costs for us to pay.

Each of our current diamond mines have had to hire greater numbers of workers from outside the NWT. We now lose $300 million in wages per year

just from diamond mines, not oil and gas included yet. In North Dakota we learned that workers making a dollar in that state pay income tax on that dollar in that state regardless of where they reside, yet I hear no plan to tackle this issue or any of the others associated with the government’s development approach that will, again, largely benefit non-residents.

Last week the Premier said we will spend up to $700 million on a transmission line to export power to Saskatchewan. Power in Saskatchewan costs one-quarter of that in Fort Smith, so we will sell our power at a steep loss. This even without considering the half billion cost of the power line. Are we exporting or are we actually planning to import coal-generated power through this line to replace our local clean hydro power or even diesel with the dirtiest power in the world? Either way, it is another example of the wasting of public funding on infrastructure for industry, while our community infrastructure and sustainable approach and local benefits falls apart.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

This and more, despite public input, considerable public input that has called for economic focus and diversification towards smaller scale and renewable resources, development that provides real benefits and healthy communities. We heard this with the economic opportunities consultation, a comprehensive consultation. Perhaps it’s devolution on the brain, but whatever it is, it’s reason for concern and a re-examination of this government’s direction. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we rocket our way towards devolution on April 1, 2014, and towards the millions of dollars of resource revenue which will be our reward, and if we’re to believe Cabinet, the panacea for everything that ails us from roads to rents, I’m very grateful that the 16th Assembly had the foresight and gumption to

establish a Heritage Fund before it dissolved. That fund was established to capture and hold for our children’s children and their children’s children the revenue from the NWT’s non-renewable resources. But how much of those resource revenues will actually make it into the Heritage Fund? That is yet to be determined by Regular Members and the public. But from government statements made recently, it’s already been decided, and I have to say that I don’t much like the decision.

In the government response to Motion 20-17(4), tabled in the House on October 17th , it says: “As a

balance between long-term savings and addressing immediate infrastructure needs, the GNWT is proposing an annual contribution of 5 percent of resource revenues to the NWT Heritage Fund.” And further down in the same response: “Consequently, the GNWT proposes retaining flexibility over the majority of the new resource revenues to invest in infrastructure and pay down debt.”

The government response does also state that there is no intention to use resource revenues for operational requirements, and of that I am very glad. What saddens me is the miniscule amount proposed for the Heritage Fund: 5 percent of our resource revenues until such time as we have eliminated our infrastructure deficits and paid down our debt. Lofty as that goal is, has any government ever attained those two objectives? I doubt it.

In my view, we should be placing a minimum of 25 percent of our anticipated resource revenues into the Heritage Fund, and it should be so stated in legislation, not in regulations which are easily changed by government without any discussion with, or input from, the public.

As promised in the tabled response to Mr. Hawkins’ June motion, the Minister of Finance is currently travelling the territory, engaging residents in the discussions about the budget and about how we should use our newfound riches, our resource revenues.

The Yellowknife public meeting with Minister and staff is tonight. They are looking for residents’ views on both the budget and the Heritage Fund. Tonight, Explorer Hotel, 7:30 p.m. If you have an opinion on how much we should put into the Heritage Fund, make sure you show up and share it.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

The government has already made up its mind. Without any contradictions voiced, their decision will be the one that is put into place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Medical Travel Policy
Members’ Statements

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government provides a very critical service to residents of the Northwest Territories and that service is medical travel. In my short time being an MLA and listening to a lot of the concerns that residents of the Northwest Territories have, especially in my region of the Inuvik region and constituents of mine that travel to either Edmonton

or to Yellowknife, there are still concerns with this medical travel. I wanted to bring the point to order today on what is all provided in this medical travel. One of the things that were brought to my attention is return airfare, but also things such as accommodation and, specifically, ground transportation.

I am bringing this up today, because on Saturday in Inuvik, we had, I believe, about six medical clients who returned back to Inuvik after going out for some treatment or going out for medical appointments and who got stranded at the airport. Obviously, it is on the weekend, so the government only usually runs from Monday to Friday, government workers, but this does bring to attention that when we do send patients and clients out for medical service and appointments that there has to be somebody there coordinating to ensure that this individual gets back to their point of origin in a safe manner.

In one case I heard that one of the clients that did return on Saturday, who was also an income assistance client, was even thinking of walking into the community of Inuvik. In this temperature, about 11 kilometres, that’s uncalled for.

Later on today I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on what actions are going to be taken to rectify the situation and also deal with some of these matters at hand such as escorts as well as people who travel to Yellowknife and need that transportation to get either to the boarding homes or to their appointments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Medical Travel Policy
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with great honour and much excitement today that I congratulate the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute on their most recent Group Category Award presented by the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

The GSCI displays a fine role in developing and supporting cultural heritage. I am proud that such a group can celebrate, promote and preserve the arts, culture and heritage as defined in the eligibility for this award.

What great timing as the GSCI celebrates its 20th anniversary this fall, such an honourable way to recognize this organization with 20 years of researching and recording over 100 projects for our future use. Also, 414 official place names have now been approved and the geographical map has been

developed showing over 900 Gwich’in place names.

I would also like to acknowledge the people behind the work: the staff and the board of directors, past and present, for making such a huge commitment and being proud of their accomplishments.

Many of the elders who started this project have now passed on. Their participation in this project, in identifying place names with their stories, will be an educational tool for years to come. Congratulations, once again, to the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute on your hard work and dedication. Also, congratulations to the rest of the recipients of the Ministers’ Culture and Heritage Circle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need a pilot car to drive home the idea of having a driver education program in our school communities, small schools. Mr. Daryl Dolynny, Member for Range Lake, last week spoke about this. He actually made a suggestion. Minister Ramsay, Minister of Transportation, talked about how the Department of Education and Department of Transportation are working together in regards to driver education programs in our schools. I think it’s time we have a pilot project by next year. When it makes sense, such as our need to invest in our children and into our future, give our youth a challenge to take the opportunities on the road to success.

The 17th Assembly Caucus priority states,

“believing in people” and I believe this is a doable project for the reasons I will state. Creating a pilot project in the schools, in the small communities especially, we have regional disparity. Sixty-seven percent of young drivers, aged 15 to 24 years, in Yellowknife, Fort Smith and Hay River have their licence, compared to 33 percent in the small communities aged 15 to 24. That’s regional disparity.

Now, the Minister goes on to talk about the Project Gearshift. So I tell the Minister, it’s about time we get a high school that will give them incentives to get to school and to have an actual driver education training program. Will Project Gearshift actually give the youth a driver’s licence? What services and programs do we have to wait for? How long will a qualified driver instructor come to our communities and to our school? Where do they get their Class 5 driver’s licence? Well, that can change. Go to school.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I say to the Minister, initiate a pilot project now. Start to introduce one next year, with a target date of September. The message is: education pays. Drive home this pilot project.

I call upon this government to bring forward a proposal to have a driver’s education training program in one of our Sahtu communities or any other small communities in the North.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every day in the news we hear troubling stories about poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, but they are not stories from far-off, distant lands. They are stories that affect the lives of Aboriginal peoples right here in Canada.

For anyone with a conscience, it should be deeply disturbing about the abuses of residential schools and the terrible living conditions in communities like Attawapiskat law enforcement to be concerned about the disappearance of countless Aboriginal women, or the destruction of our land and water by big industries engaging in practises such as fracking. But think of it this way: For every big news, there are many, many untold stories of suffering. In 2007 the UN passed its Declaration on Indigenous Rights, which set a standard for the treatment of Aboriginal peoples by government worldwide. I think it says a lot about how the federal government abuses Aboriginal people, and Canada was only one of four nations out of 148 that did not support the declaration when it was adopted.

Canada has since shown support for the declaration, but as the UN Rapporteur reminded us this month, Canada’s treatment of the human rights of its Aboriginal peoples leaves a lot of room for improvement. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there’s a sense of mistrust between Aboriginal peoples and the federal, provincial and territorial governments of Canada.

Federal and GNWT policies on First Nations land claims and self-governments state that they aim for certainty and finality, yet progress towards the completion of these claims is so slow it is spanning generations. The GNWT has promised that it will work with all First Nations on the Intergovernmental Council on Land and Resource Management, based on the Devolution Agreement. We have assurances that devolution will not change the fundamental relationship of the Crown with First Nations people. How can we trust these

assurances when so many promises to the Aboriginal people of Canada have been broken or left in unrest?

Perhaps it is time for the federal, provincial and territorial governments of Canada to support establishing a tribunal with First Nations peoples and governments to resolve impasses, conflicts and disputes. This would create a mechanism for mediation to resolve disputes more effectively than the courts can. Maybe then we could really put behind the injustices of the past and also set up the relationship between Aboriginal people and the Government of Canada, a new frame of trust for moving into the future. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Cavities, toothaches, bad breath and painful extractions that might have been prevented, these things aren’t talked about very often. Unfortunately, though, oral health problems are very common amongst my constituents. With a simple legislative change to the Dental Auxiliaries Act and a promise from our government to invest in visits to small communities, residents could receive timely and valuable dental care.

In nearly every Canadian province, dental hygienists are allowed to work independently. They aren’t required to work under the direction of a dentist. In the NWT dental hygienists don’t even have that freedom. This means NWT residents are not benefiting from a range of services offered elsewhere in Canada.

Better alternatives are available. One example is the use of interim stabilization therapy. This is basically a temporary filling to relieve pain and halt the progression of tooth decay. This type of therapy can be performed by dental hygienists in most provinces and it should be performed by hygienists here too.

A simple legislative change has the potential to prevent a great deal of pain and expense associated with tooth decay and gum disease. We should make it possible for hygienists to practise independently. This would be a win-win prospect. Residents would benefit and so would dental hygienists. People of all ages would have timely access to oral health care and it could be served in a variety of settings, from schools and community health centres to private clinics in people’s own homes. They could receive more regular checkups starting at an early age.

Dental hygienists have a proven record of innovative service delivery and they could do a

world of good in our small communities. The Northwest Territories needs to bring its legislation in line with the majority of the Canadian provinces. I will have questions for the Health Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Yellowknife Power Rates
Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, when I was visiting constituents this summer, as I do each summer, I heard a number of complaints about this government, which should really be no surprise to anyone in this building. In fact, there were so many complaints about this government I don’t know if I can fit them all in, even in replies to the opening address.

However, particular attention was paid to this government’s lack of attention to families and their bottom line. People told me devolution is important over the long haul, but they can’t make the short haul, so the long-haul details really don’t matter.

In particular, families are struggling day by day and, when they see our cost of living go up to number one, they don’t like being number one. Who wouldn’t want to be number one in the real world, but when it comes to your power bills, they don’t like being number one.

We certainly have to thank the Premier, in his old role as Minister Bob McLeod, because Bob McLeod helped move our power bills in the method that they are going. He deserves the credit for this, and let me explain why.

A few short years ago, Members will recall the power rates were engineered so that they would be lower in the communities, but locked-in in Yellowknife. Let me be the first to say that the communities struggle day to day and certainly their power bills are no envy of anyone. In fact, if you’re not on the hydro grid, I don’t know how you survive. I believe it’s very necessary to pay particular attention to those problems and I certainly support solutions that work toward that.

Affordable living is a challenge everywhere in the Northwest Territories, but government does what government does. I’m not disagreeing with the first part. That took a bit of courage, but it’s the second time they have had to look at what else happened. So they were artificially lowered, and somebody had to pick up the costs somewhere.

What happened was power rates in Yellowknife were frozen, but what they didn’t tell is – and here it is – the rate riders in Yellowknife were just about to fall off. So in other words, they locked us in at a higher rate. Then they shifted the administrative burden from the regional centres to Yellowknife. Again, the cost of living continues to go up.

When you compare apples to apples, Yellowknife to Iqaluit, Yellowknife to Whitehorse, Yellowknife to even Barrow, Alaska, guess what, we’re number one. Our power bills are horrible. We want to do something about real-life working families who struggle to get by day after day. This Cabinet needs to come down from its perches and big salaries and lofty offices and see what it’s like for the living families to struggle each and every day.

I won’t have softball questions today for the Ministers, but they will be getting a bit of a push from me, that’s for sure.

Yellowknife Power Rates
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize some of the recipients that are here in the gallery. First of all I’d like to recognize the Youth category, Justin Memogana is here with us from Kugluktuk. His brother Chad is here with us as well. Also, the Elder’s category that is here with us, Emily Kudlak from Ulukhaktok as well. In the Group category I’d like to recognize from the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute Alestine Andre, Bertha Francis, Ingrid Kritsch and Robert Alexie Sr., who are here with us today. Also, Minister’s Choice, Yellowknife Choral Society, and here with us today are Lorne Gushue, Ruth McLean, Constantina Tsetsos and Margo Nightingale. Also with our department here with us are Karen Wright-Fraser and Ashley Green. Welcome to the Assembly. Mahsi.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Blake.

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize my constituents: Alestine Andre, from Tsiigehtchic; Bertha Francis and Robert Alexie Sr., of Fort McPherson; along with Ingrid Kritsch, who are the recipients of the Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle Award. Thank you.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Bromley.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize all of the winners of the Culture and Heritage Awards today. Congratulations to them and, particularly in the House today, members of the Yellowknife Choral Society, some of the members, and I know Constantina Tsetsos is there, a resident of Weledeh, as well as Lorne Gushue and Ruth McLean, Margo Nightingale, I don’t know if Margaret Peterson made it or not. So congratulations, and I don’t know if Jennifer Young is there. I can’t see everybody behind me, but she

is one of the co-founders of the Yellowknife group Face to Face. It’s a support group for people suffering from the loss of infants during pregnancy. So I’d like to recognize Jennifer as well. Mahsi.