This is page numbers 2063 – 2092 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 health.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask some questions on the… I don’t know if the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment had any update on the contaminated soil that was recently exposed by Enbridge Pipelines during their remediation digs. I’d just like to ask the Minister if he has had an update on the contaminated soil that was dug up. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re certainly aware of the situation in Nahendeh and the contaminated soil. Perhaps we have some folks from Environment and Natural Resources that would be better able to respond to that question. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, the Minister had directed me to the Minister of ENR. If I can do that and ask him, has he had an update from Enbridge Pipelines on the contaminated soil that was dug up on the remediation digs? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Only the Premier can do that, in regard to changing, but I’ll put you back on the list. Thank you. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement. I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with regard to the focus that we put on heritage in the NWT and in the activities of the department. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could explain to me and to the House what we currently do to support heritage activities. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As you know, currently we provide some funding allocation to culture and heritage organizations. Within that, there are approximately 15 different organizations that we sponsor. Out of the 15, there are approximately seven of them who are with respect to the cultural projects, heritage, Yamozha Kue Society, the museum, historical centres, heritage centres and so forth and also the Minister’s Cultural Circle is another venue that we recognize for valuable contribution towards the Northwest Territories on preserving our culture, language and our heritage. Those individuals will definitely fall within the groups and organizations and also Minister’s choice. Those are venues that are available to them so we continue to strive towards that. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that we do, as a government, provide some funding for heritage activities, but the Minister received this letter from the nine organizations who are looking for more funding, obviously, everybody wants more funding, but they are also looking for a little more assistance, I think, to sort of profile some of their activities.

To quote from the letter, the activities of these nine organizations create an enhanced learning, research, tourism, employment and business opportunities across the NWT, and that’s a pretty broad reach. I’d like to know from the Minister – he’s mentioned the number of activities that are out there – how much funding. What are the dollars that are available to these nine heritage organizations to promote their activities and to actually do their programs? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my response to the letter, I was in full agreement with the suggestion of the heritage, culture and history. They all complement each other. I would like to take this opportunity to better inform the new part of the Minister’s Cultural Circle Recognition Program. With the funding the Member alluded to, I can certainly provide the detailed list. I do have approximately $2.2 million that is going towards all 15 different organizations. Out of that, it will be what the Member is referring to, those nine organizations, and I can provide the breakdown. Mahsi.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that commitment and I look forward to the information. I think the Minister said that he has responded to the letter that came from the nine organizations. I don’t believe the Minister copied us on that letter. If he did, I haven’t seen it yet.

I’d like to know from the Minister what the Minister’s response was to the four or five requests that were in the letter that he received in December. Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, the letter I was referring to was a response to the NWT Mine Heritage Society, that letter I received, and I responded to the individual, the president. Also, there was a distribution list with all the MLAs. The information has been sent and shared with the NWT Mine Heritage Society as a response. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not having seen what the response to the group’s requests were, I know the letter came on letterhead from the NWT Mine Heritage Society, but it certainly was signed by nine different organizations. I’d like to ask the Minister if he at least is considering expanding the Minister’s Cultural Circle to be a Minister’s culture and heritage circle in terms of the awards that he presents on an annual basis. Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, the Minister’s Culture Circle, again, does highlight those individual groups and organizations, also individuals. There are elders, youth, and Minister’s choice. It does consist of heritage as well, so it’s not exclusive just to the culture and language. It covers heritage as well. In order to fulfill those requests, we need to have those discussions with the various groups. We’ve done that with the Minister’s Culture Circle before we initiated the project, but to consult and engage with public stakeholders. We do have a program in place that already has been very successful to date, a couple of years now. The Minister’s Culture Circle will continue to promote that. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services following up on my Member’s statement with what residents have been asking for, and one in particular is with the Midwifery Program and dollars that are being allocated for this program here that was a suggestion brought forth by Members of the Assembly. I’m just wondering what the intention of dollars that are being allocated for this Midwifery Program, where they are going to be allocated and what the intention is of those dollars. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The plan for 2013-14 in this budget session for midwifery is community consultation activities for Hay River, review and update NWT Midwifery Practice Framework and midwifery regulations, hire a Midwifery Program development consultant and midwifery project coordinator at the department to support ongoing planning and program development activities, Hay River community Midwifery Program planning activities, and community consultation activities for Beaufort-Delta communities. Thank you.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, with all the mention of community consulting and consulting with Inuvik, I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, is he familiar with the Department of Health and Social Services’ Midwifery Program review and expansion analysis midwifery options report of March 2012. Is the Minister familiar with that report? Can he confirm, please?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I am familiar with the report, I don’t have all the details of the report, but I do have enough details in the report to move forward in the direction that the department is taking it. Thank you.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you. The Minister just mentioned that he knows enough in the report to move forward on what the report is saying. The report is saying we need a community-based midwifery report. I mean, if he knows enough to move forward on that, why aren’t we doing that and we’re going into consultation where the consultation is all done in this report? So it really makes me wonder about that.

Can the Minister kind of confirm why dollars are being spent in regulations and standards when our previous Minister of Health has this signed off on the standards of practice for registered midwives? Can the Minister justify why he’s putting more money into regulations and standards when there’s already one in the report? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you. Midwifery is not a cost-savings measure. Midwifery is to provide a service that will be put into place for the health of the children and for the long-term benefits to the health system. It’s not an immediate cost savings. Any cost savings that would come as a result of midwifery through medical travel and so on will be eaten up by incremental costs of hiring midwives. So we can’t approach this and say we’re going to put Midwifery Program feet on the ground right away and start seeing the results of savings. That’s not going to happen.

What will happen is, in the long run, as we expand a proper Midwifery Program, we’re going to see the development of the children that are working with midwives, and that’s why we’re trying to expand from a community Midwifery Program, which has regulations, to a regional Midwifery Program, which needs updated regulations, and to a territorial Midwifery Program, which will need further regulations. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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