This is page numbers 2725 – 2750 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 community.

Topics

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The information that I have indicates 38,000 in 2013 from the cards that will be expiring, and the balance of the territory, their health care cards will expire in 2014.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

There have been a lot of complaints about health care card applications being lost in the renewal process. It’s come to a number of MLAs’ attention that the integrity of this information sent to Inuvik was lost and the Department of Health has no idea how many applications were lost and has no plan. Perhaps the Minister can enlighten the House, is there going to be some type of investigation as to what happened to all this lost information that was either mailed or faxed in, and I would like to know and the citizens would like to know. Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Yes, we are looking into any complaints that come in where there’s an indication that perhaps an application was lost in the process. We are looking into those cases. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Does the Department of Health and Social Services have any idea how many applications were lost in this renewal process, and does the Department of Health understand what type of integrity of information may be at risk if this information was misplaced and got into the hands of people who do various activities or whatnot? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, we likely have a list of the individuals who are indicating that their application has been lost, but I don’t have the number. The information, integrity of the information there, would be the information that would be needed to renew the system. We’re using the same mailing system that Transportation is using for drivers’ licences, so we don’t understand why this specific item gets lost in the mail more frequently. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I’d love to take on the drivers’ licence relationship issue, but to stay clearly on topic, what type of public process will be engaged to ensure all the public knows what the Department of Health has done? I’m acquiring maybe strong language, but there needs to be some type of credibility brought to this case. Private information has been sent and lost, and there seems to be no credibility as to what or where it may have gone to.

In short, what type of public process and engagement will the Minister develop and inform citizens of the Northwest Territories that we found what was wrong and this is how we’re fixing it? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I think we can start off by determining between our renewal office in Inuvik and the department and any of the communities where there may be some complaints about applications being lost, and determine that number and then specifically deal with those individuals who may have lost applications.

I guess to the public we can do our best to try to ensure that when they do the proper thing of putting the information in the mail, that it gets to our office, and once it gets to our office that it’s handled with due care and that it’s packaged and sent for printing, and then from the printers to ensure that mailing is done through the regular system. I don’t know what else we can add to that, but we can definitely try to find out who lost applications and contact them. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

---Interjection

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

I’ve allowed you five today because I cut you off early, but it can happen now. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, titled “Natural Resources Conservation Trust Fund Annual Report 2012-2013.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Aboriginal Achievement Initiative Education Plan - Status Update March 2013.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 15, notices of motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, June 3, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that this Legislative Assembly supports the efforts of the federal, provincial and territorial

Justice Ministers to better protect children by combatting cyberbullying, including changes to the Criminal Code of Canada that would make it a specific criminal offence to share intimate images without consent;

And further, that the Speaker transmit this motion to the Prime Minister, federal Opposition leaders, and federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Justice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, June 3, 2013, I will move that Bill 23, Supplementary Appropriation (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014, be read for the first time.Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Colleagues, let’s call a 15-minute break.

---SHORT RECESS

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

I’ll call the House back to order. Item 17, motions. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the creation of the federal Nutrition North Canada Program was announced on May 21, 2010;

AND WHEREAS the Nutrition North Canada Program replaced the Food Mail Program;

AND WHEREAS the Nutrition North Canada Program is administered by the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development;

AND WHEREAS all Members of the Legislative Assembly continue to have significant concerns regarding the success of the Nutrition North Canada Program in ensuring that nutritious food is affordable for all NWT residents;

AND WHEREAS these concerns have also been expressed in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut and the Yukon Legislative Assembly;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Legislative Assembly calls on the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a comprehensive performance audit of the Nutrition North Canada Program, and to report his office’s findings and recommendations to the Parliament of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. To the motion. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I bring this motion to the floor and I thank the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre for seconding it. I would ask that this motion be supported by all Members in this House here to look at the Nutritious North Program that was introduced in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, the old Food Mail Program worked well and we had regular users in our communities and retailers using it with the help from Canada Post at that time. The department did a review and now they’ve opted into a new Nutritious North Program. Basically it was taking the subsidies out of the hands of the people in the communities and putting them back into the hands of the retailers.

I ask that this Legislative Assembly supports this motion, through requesting strong recommendations to the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a comprehensive audit. We’ve heard the Nunavut Government has made this motion and passed it with unanimous consent, and also the Yukon Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, those are my words for this motion.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I will allow the seconder to speak to the motion. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Mr. Yakeleya for allowing me to work with him on this particular initiative. I couldn’t agree with him more. The design was to ensure we got healthy food to people in regions that were unable to access healthy foods, perishable foods. The fact is this isn’t being accomplished under the present design and I couldn’t agree with Member Yakeleya any more than we are now.

I want to acknowledge the lead played by the Yukon MLAs and certainly the Nunavut Legislature. Although I can’t speak to who is pushing this issue in the Yukon, I can acknowledge Ron Elliott, MLA in the Nunavut Legislature who has been working hard on this one, pushing and demanding more credibility and integrity in the system.

Mr. Speaker, asking for a performance audit is ensuring that the quality of work is being done, and the fact is I’m unsure that it will prove that in the sense that the facts will prove themselves to show

that good food, nutritious food is not being delivered in the proper mode as being requested.

The idea, of course, is we all know very well to subsidize this type of food, whether it’s through the airlines or mail system to get it to the people. The fact is, this is not the case. It’s being left in the hands of those delivering it. The question is: Is that accountability there? I question that at first blush. I’m not an accountant or an auditor, but I think that’s the question that we need to ask today.

This motion drives that focus. Will it be scrutinized with the end result in mind? Scrutinized in the manner of saying are we ensuring that this type of food getting there delivered at the cheapest cost?

There has been many times I’ve heard over the years that people have shipped non-food items under the Food Mail Program. Does that continue to be a problem under Nutritious North? An audit process will raise that question. An audit process will dive into that question. Finally, Mr. Speaker, an audit process will solve that question and ensure that those checks and balances are put in place.

Did a new program help? I actually think it did the reverse. I think it’s drawn away from the results we were shooting for, to ensure fresh and nutritious food was provided to the people in the communities.

Again, I want to thank Member Yakeleya for bringing this issue forward. The very least that can be done here today is this whole Assembly stands up, puts this question to the Auditor General of Canada who has the skills, ability and integrity to tie this together, and ask is this program working as was desired. I can tell you I don’t believe it is, but let’s put it to the right people who can demonstrate that for a fact. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this motion. My comments are similar to those of my colleagues.

I haven’t been directly involved in the program. I don’t have many constituents who are directly involved in the program, but I am well aware of the deficiencies of the program. It’s been made known particularly through social media, Facebook, the printed and the electronic media and so on.

Since the change came in two years ago, I’ve heard nothing but negative comments about this new program. Those comments have come through social media, Facebook, the printed and the electronic media and so on. Since the change came in two years ago, I’ve heard nothing but negative comments about this new program, and those comments have come from a variety of people. They’ve come from retailers. They’ve come from residents, in particular. They’ve come from previous

federal employees, an employee who managed the program, and certainly from MLAs in both of our sister territories in the North, the Yukon and the Nunavut Legislatures.

It seems to me that from everything I’m hearing and everything I’m seeing, that the old system was better, and people do not want to continue with this new system because it’s a reversion to a system that doesn’t work. It escapes me why the federal government made those changes in the first place. I don’t think they did due diligence in their investigation into how a new system would work, and I think they overlooked a number of things that have made the system inoperable.

Our sister territories have discussed this and have passed motions calling for the same thing that we are calling for here today, and I think a united northern voice would carry a much further weight than just two out of three calling in the wind. I would, as Mr. Hawkins said earlier, exhort all of my colleagues to support this motion and show a unanimous voice.

I think an objective evaluation and an objective audit is what is needed, and I think, as has been stated, the office of the Auditor General is the perfect office for that job. They’re well known for their ability to be objective and to look at things with a practiced eye, to look at things with a very objective eye, and to make recommendations which make programs better, and we’ve seen that in this Assembly with the reports that the Office of the Auditor General has done, on behalf of this Legislature, for various departments.

I think they can compare the previous program with the new program and see where the failings are, and can make recommendations for the system which would work to the benefit of our residents instead of to the detriment of our residents, which is what I think this current program does. Again, I urge all Members to support this motion, as I will.