This is page numbers 4771 – 4804 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th 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 million.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. GNWT labour relations recently informed the Union of Northern Workers that Stanton Territorial Hospital’s eight maintenance services workers are likely to face layoffs, possibly as early as June 2015. While Cabinet communications recently softened and confused this announcement, the writing is on the wall.

Stanton’s food services and housekeeping employees have already been privatized. With the public-private partnership approach to the Stanton rebuild project, this government is committing itself to yet more privatization of government jobs and long-term provision of formerly government services to profit-focused private enterprise.

Should the P3 rebuild of Stanton go ahead with these layoffs, Stanton Hospital will lose the knowledge, experience and demonstrated dedication these long-term employees provide.

Housekeeping and food service jobs were the beginning. Now it appears this approach is to be applied to facility maintenance, and what other services go remains to be seen.

We have little experience with P3 projects and for good reason. Our record of success, and that of many others, is poor. Seldom does outsourcing provide equivalent quality work or match the cost of public services. Outsourcing can have far more serious consequences than bland food or dirty floors. Lowest-bid contractors will not have the institutional memory or services background with Stanton that long-term employees now bring to work every day.

Current safety and maintenance standards will likely be compromised when dealing with the highly stringent requirements of ventilation and sterile environments hospitals require. Lives are often at stake if essential structural systems within the hospital fail. The first time the power goes out or the oxygen system fails or the boiler bursts, consequences will become clear.

The current maintenance staff at Stanton Territorial Hospital are considered by all who work there as an integral part of the health care team. They should be treated that way. Instead, the equivocal government communications on their future has destroyed the previously positive working atmosphere of the maintenance services workers currently at Stanton.

Workers want honesty and certainty and a clear option to continue on the job under a new employer with comparable compensation. This government apparently wins awards for how it employs people and treats employees. Let’s see a demonstration of this worthiness here. Provide the workers with clear information and ensure that any P3 partnership contract include a fair opportunity for them to continue their role and apply the experience they have gained under our watch.

I will have questions. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. News media in Canada and the world are talking about the decline in gasoline prices. The reason is because of the international glut of oil, which is causing the decline of global oil prices. The southern media reports that in New Brunswick a

gas pump buyer said it’s just like winning the lottery, he was so happy gassing up.

The average price of gas across Canada has declined about 23 cents since the end of June. The decline is forecasted to continue well into Christmas, giving people an early Christmas present, so to speak. But closer to home in our small and remote communities, sadly there will be no lottery winning or Christmas present because government-delivered fuel prices are fixed.

Gasoline and heating oil prices are the single biggest driver of the cost of living there. The residents of my communities and all of the other smaller and remote communities across the NWT will suffer with the exceptional high cost of fuel while the world benefits. This is simply not right.

I will be calling upon this government to do something to help our people in small communities who depend on gasoline to make a living from the land and heating fuel for their homes. They should not be penalized by our outdated policies and procedures for delivery of fuel to their communities. We have seen this government come up with $20 million to help with the power costs. This government can once again be a champion by reducing the cost of fuel in our small communities to reflect the realities of lower oil prices in Canada and throughout this world. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently on a visit to Aklavik, constituents raised the need for more housing units in the community. This government has done a great job replacing units, but we now need to focus on adding units to our small communities.

We have a huge demand for both single units and duplex units in Aklavik because many people are moving back to their home community. I have constituents who have been waiting for up to two years for a unit and today they are still waiting. How can we expect to have healthy communities when we have a shortage of housing?

Thank you. I’ll have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to pay tribute to a young Rhoni

Morgan Beaulieu of Fort Resolution. Rhoni was born February 24, 1998, and passed away on August 15, 2014, at the tender age of 16. Rhoni died of smoke inhalation in a house fire.

Rhoni was raised in Fort Resolution by her grandparents Ronnie and Cecile Beaulieu, and she referred to them as mom and dad.

Rhoni had completed Grade 10 and would be going to Grade 11 this fall. She was very active in all kinds of sports from a very young age and was considered a great team player. She had many friends from all over the NWT and other provinces. Rhoni was not shy. She was very outgoing, spoke her mind and was not afraid to express her feelings and thoughts. She was culturally strong and enjoyed going on spring and fall hunts with her father, Ronnie. She enjoyed learning and speaking Chipewyan language and impressed me by speaking Chipewyan to me each time she saw me. She used to walk up to me and say…[English translation not provided.]…which means how are you, for me things are beautiful. The young and old in the community were deeply touched and very saddened by Rhoni’s passing.

Rhoni was predeceased by her aunties Dolly Beaulieu and Annie Lafferty; uncles Tinker Delorme, Roland, Harry and Bruce Beaulieu; grandfather John Beckwith; great-grandparents August Beaulieu and Louis “Mickey” Lafferty.

Rhoni is survived by her biological parents, Melanie Beaulieu and Dave Beckwith; her sister Rhonda Beaulieu; her brother Kelly Betsina; grandparents Ronnie and Cecile Beaulieu and Margaret Beckwith; great-grandmothers Lizzie Beaulieu and Virginia Lafferty.

My condolences go out to the late Rhoni Beaulieu's parents, sister, brother, grandparents and great-grandparents, many uncles, aunts and friends. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in Inuvik Canadian North flight 444 landed in Inuvik like it does seven days a week, weather permitting. The significance of this flight was it was being piloted by Cece Hansen, who is retiring. It was his last flight and he wanted to fly into Inuvik.

Cece has been flying since 1967 and I believe he’s the first of our people to be flying commercial jets, so I think it’s important that we recognize and acknowledge the achievements of a lot of those who came before as they helped pave the way for

lot of us in the Assembly and across the Northwest Territories.

I would ask the Legislative Assembly to join me in wishing Cece a happy retirement, thank him for being a role model to all those who came after him, and thank him for all the work that he’s done for the people in the Northwest Territories, getting us safely to and from. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

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

October 16th, 2014

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Minister’s statement today I spoke about the Med-Response program, and I’m very pleased to have the team that are working on this innovative and exciting project in the House today. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize them and thank them all for their efforts. First, David Keselman, director of ambulatory care and medical affairs at Stanton; Janie Neudorf, the territorial emergency medical supervisor with Med-Response. We have a couple of emergency medical coordinators: Justin Davi, who is an RN; Carolyn Ridgley, who is an RN; and Vladislav Portnick, who is an RN. We have emergency medical dispatchers Lori MacMillan-Gallant, Kanina Clorey, Samantha Moynes, Justin Youzwa, and Ali Budgell. We have Melody Nikiforow Tkachuk, who is a senior medical travel officer; Carol Bucknor, who is the manager of medical travel; Kevin Taylor, who is director of system innovation; Ashley Geraghty, senior project manager for Med-Response; Amanda White, evaluation specialist; Dr. David Pontin, who is the clinical lead; and Dr. Kue Young, who is the dean of the School of Public Health at University of Alberta, who is helping lead our evaluation team on this important project. Thank you all for being here, and thank you for everything you’re doing.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Bromley.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to welcome Dr. David Pontin into the House today, a constituent in the Weledeh riding, and any other constituents that I don’t know. Thank you. Mahsi.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mrs. Groenewegen.

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

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although not technically in the gallery, just on the other side of that wall, I’d like to recognize my constituency assistant today, Wendy Morgan, who is celebrating a very special milestone birthday. So if you see her today – I don’t want to name the number, but you can guess. It’s a big one.

---Laughter

Wait a minute. I didn’t mean that. It’s an important one. It’s an important one.

Wendy has worked as my assistant for over 15 years. I just texted Mr. Miltenberger; his assistant, Denise, has been with him since he was elected, I believe. So I think these two ladies hold the record for constituency assistant. I could not do my job without her. I know she has helped others of you in this House as well. I just wanted to say happy birthday to her today. Thank you.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I would like to welcome everybody here in the public gallery today. Thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings here. Welcome.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement, I’d like to ask the Minister, when will the department be adding units to the community of Aklavik?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the construction of a new seniors centre counts as units, we’re doing that right now. See how quick the Member is? As soon as he asks, it happens. But we continue to try and identify a lot of needs across the Northwest Territories, and we’re working on that. We continue to try to identify all of our needs. We just had a new community survey done. We used a lot of the information from that to determine where some of our strategic investments are going to be. Again, we continue to replace a lot of public housing units. I have to add that since 2006 we’ve spent over $18 million in Aklavik.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

As I mentioned in my statement, I applaud the department for all the replacing of units, but there’s a big demand for new units as we have many people moving back to the community in a lot of our small communities. But with waiting lists of over two years, some young people who want to start their lives need units. There’s a big demand for single units like the multiplex units that we’ve discussed in this Assembly.

I’d like to ask the Minister, are there plans for a multiplex unit for the community in the near future?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

One of the challenges that we face with the declining funding from CMHC is the ability to add new units. A lot of our public

housing units now are replacement units and we’re replacing units that are already there. We’re struggling with that. We’re fortunate that the Legislative Assembly stepped up last year and filled in some of the gap, but it’s going to be awfully costly for them to be doing that every year.

Again, I’m not sure of the exact capital allotment for Aklavik. I will find the information and I will share it with the Member. We just, I think, replaced 10 units in Aklavik here just a couple of years ago because the old units were failing, and we put in five duplexes. The Member is correct; we are going to more of a multi-unit type configuration to help with energy costs and keeping our costs down.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about how gasoline prices are, on average, being reduced across Canada. I am well aware that Public Works and Services runs our fuel delivery program. However, in general, I’d like to ask the Premier of the NWT some questions regarding this.

More specifically, I would like to ask the Premier, how can he address this inequity where fixed gasoline prices are in our small communities and will remain there until next year when the fuel is delivered this winter but prices will be fixed.

How can our government be involved to address the needs in the small communities when the rest of the world’s gasoline and heating fuel prices are declining?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The communities that the Member is referring to are those where we resupply once a year, and whatever the price is at that time we pass it on to the consumer. We have a revolving fund, and in a lot of the small communities when the revolving fund is in a surplus position, we reduce the costs, in a lot of cases, by 10 cents a litre. But, generally, we pass the cost on to the consumer. It’s very unusual for the gas prices to go down. Usually they go up. We’re still waiting here in Yellowknife for the gas prices to go down, so I think you’re referring to a temporary spike and it will probably go right back up.