This is page numbers 2143 – 2196 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 services.

Topics

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

I wanted to ask the Premier what provisions is the government making to protect the interests of First Nations in the devolution process, given that most NWT First Nations do not have self-government agreements and most in the southern NWT do not have lands and resource agreements.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

In our view, and the legal advice that we’ve been given, and with all of the non-abrogation clauses that we have concluded in the Devolution Agreement, we don’t feel that devolution will negatively impact on either negotiation of land claims or of self-government. Those negotiations will continue and there should be no negative impacts on those processes.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Perhaps this question will help in terms of bringing to light some of the positive impacts of devolution. What is the government’s target for the number of jobs transferred to the GNWT as a result of devolution? Positions that will be located outside of Yellowknife.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We have identified decentralization as a priority for this government. There are approximately 350 jobs that will be involved with devolution. Approximately 175 of those jobs are already located in the Northwest Territories. We expect approximately 175 or so jobs will be moved to the Northwest Territories. As part of the devolution negotiations, the Aboriginal partners that have signed on have clearly indicated that locating jobs to their regions where they come from will also be a very important consideration. As soon as we finalize our organizational design, and we’ve already identified the principles for decentralization, then we will identify where those jobs will go.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question is: What scope is there for changes to the resource revenue sharing regime now and after a final agreement is reached?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We’re very close to finalizing a resource revenue sharing agreement between ourselves and the Aboriginal government partners that have signed on to the AIP. Once that is concluded, it will be very clear to everybody involved what kind of arrangements we have negotiated.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hearken back the House’s attention to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, May 29, last year. I had asked the Minister clearly, on the record, about possibly delivering support to school districts so they can teach their students, grades 9, 10, 11, 12, First Aid, by giving them the resources and empowering them to do this. There is an interest at the school level.

The response from the Minister on the record is that that’s something that they need to explore. It’s getting close to a year. What has the Minister found out on this particular question? Of course, these are obviously going to the Minister of Education. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. These are part of courses that are being delivered throughout the communities. It’s not really part of the schools. Some of the schools are currently delivering these modules, the First Aid and CPR, so we encourage those individual students that are willing to take First Aid and CPR training, because a lot of them are being delivered in the communities. Whether it be through various training, heavy equipment or other training that’s happening in the community, they always provide WHMIS or First Aid or CPR training that’s happening.

That’s what we’ve found out from our research into the communities. That is what is being delivered as part of a training package within the communities.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I swear the Minister’s reading the same paper that I am, because his answer is almost identical to what he said back on May 29, 2012. I’m not sure what WHMIS and heavy duty equipment has to do with grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. I’m talking about building it into the school curriculum through their normal programming. I’ve had a number of teachers say that they’d like this.

What’s holding the Minister back from having a real dialogue that talks about delivering resources to schools so they can hire, for example, St. John Ambulance to deliver this training or even train within, to have instructors that do this?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

When I talk about WHMIS and other training that’s happening in the community, there is always training happening in various communities and it does relate to First Aid and CPR as well. That’s what I was referring to.

Within our education system, currently there is no mandated requirement for students to take First Aid training. However, various boards and various schools are offering First Aid and CPR, and I commend them for that as well. At the same time, there is nothing stopping school boards or the schools to deliver that training, that First Aid and CPR. Like I said, it’s always happening at the community level. There is always training that’s pertaining to safety.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I’ve heard community so many times here today. I’m not talking about community; I’m talking about all education boards. That means all of them, not just one in particular. There is no mandate and, therefore, there is no technical support from the Department of ECE which can further support all education boards.

The Minister is correct; a few offered to a very few students. All students deserve this skill. What can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment do to ensure this type of mandate and support gets out there to all our students and all our school boards from his department? What is he willing to do?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

When I say communities, I’m talking about 33 communities that we service here in the Legislative Assembly. My department services eight school boards within the Northwest Territories, so I work closely with them.

Again, there are schools out there that are delivering First Aid and CPR and they continue to do that. When I say community, whether it be Yellowknife, whether it be Tsiigehtchic and a small community, you know, there are always, like, these different, various training programs from agencies that come in to deliver those programs. We, as a department, will continue to work with them and provide assistance in every fashion that we can, and produce those highly qualified people with safety standards. We do encourage those students to take advantage of those safety programs that are happening, whether they be in the schools or in the communities.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s clear the Minister is confused. He’s not the Minister of community. He is the Minister of Education, and that’s what I keep trying to say. It’s about mandate. There is no mandate; therefore, there is no support at the board level and at individual schools.

Would the Minister of Education be willing to expand the mandate and support the schools and the school boards who would like to deliver this program, because teachers tell me it’s a critical skill and there are youth that would like to learn this. It’s not a community-based program. It’s a school-based program I’m asking for.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

If the school boards feel that it’s a critical part of the safety program, then they can deliver that in the schools. We provide annual funding to the school boards based on enrolment. So we will continue to support the school boards, the eight school boards that we have, and 33 communities. I must emphasize that I am Minister responsible for 33 communities, not only one school, so I have to be responsible for all 49 schools. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in follow-up to my Member’s statement yesterday on last week’s devastating highway crash north of Fort Providence. The names of the families were released yesterday, and our thoughts and prayers reach out to those families.

In my questioning to the Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister of Municipal and

Community Affairs, my questions will not deal directly with the accident itself, as it is still under RCMP investigation. However, they will deal with the level of medical knowledge of our Department of Transportation, of our highway workers, and the protocols of our emergency dispatch and support.

My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation. Due to the fact that we do not have a community highway emergency response program in the NWT, could the Minister of Transportation explain to the House if our highway road maintenance or their supervisors have been trained in the basics of First Aid responder care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do know that the Government of the Northwest Territories has highway emergency learning protocols in place, and these describe responsibilities, by region, as to who will respond to emergencies on our highways, and these protocols are developed in partnership with our Department of Transportation, MACA, the Department of Justice and also Health and Social Services. As to the exact level of training of, say, a grader operator, they would certainly, I think, have different training than our highway patrol officers would have. But I could certainly get back to the Member and the House on what exact training each of our front-line staff has. Thank you.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

I appreciate the Minister’s response. Can the Minister of Transportation indicate what are the protocols for the Department of Transportation when our workers are faced with an accident on our highways? Thank you.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, they would just follow the protocols that are in place. If they come across an accident scene, they’re to alert the authorities and monitor things. Again, if the Member wants specifics, I would be more than happy to get him specifics. It is different between a highway patrol officer… We have a number of front-line staff out on our highways. We have highway patrol officers and also equipment operators, so it’s much different. Thank you.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Can the Minister of Transportation indicate what are the capabilities of our highway ground fleet in terms of communication? Do we have the capabilities of full communication or through dispatch along all our highway systems? Thank you.