This is page numbers 3523 – 3556 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 going.

Topics

GNWT Position Vacancies
Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the public becomes increasingly aware, the ideas and concerns of Regular Members seem to matter little with this government. I ask anyone to show me one recommendation from Members and the committees in this budget.

However, the interested public here watching us do our work certainly get to realize that we learn things all the time, such as these job vacancy rates.

I have to give credit to MLA Blake and certainly MLA Groenewegen the other day, who certainly got it right. When it comes to those 800 vacancies, the public wants to know, where are they? This government seems to be tucking them away in hiding and saving them for what reason I have yet to know.

The public wants to know. They are asking questions. Where are these jobs? How long have they been empty? How much are they costing this government, and even more importantly, where is the money going?

The public deserves these types of answers. We didn’t get them the other day to either Mr. Blake’s or certainly Mrs. Groenewegen’s questions. We need these on the record.

The government says that they are actively recruiting these 571 jobs. I ask where. The public asks where. The public feels insulted by this particular problem.

Mr. Speaker, you yourself know, as a small community MLA, and all small community MLAs know, that the community employment rates are at dismal levels. If we had the ability to help these community rates with these types of jobs, these 571 jobs that mysteriously showed up that no one has ever seen before, they would help regional rates, and regional rates would help northern rates, and northern rates… Everybody working would help everybody. It would be good for the whole North. But where are they being tucked away? I personally don’t know where these hidden jobs are.

Recently, we heard about the job fair in Ottawa, and I’m certainly not against sending a job fair out, looking for special employment type of people that you just can’t get off the street. It makes sense sometimes, because those skills and qualifications may not be easily found. But I’ll tell you, the average Northerner is starting to wonder: does this government not care about them? Do they need to go to job fairs in Ottawa and shut them out of what should be northern opportunities? I know many families have passionately invested their lives into the North, and they’re feeling shut out by the circumstance.

Let me finish by this: Over the last 10 years, the unemployment rate has done nothing but increase in the Northwest Territories. I will tell you, by going to the NWT Bureau of Stats website it will show you that over the last two years of the McLeod government, it has sharply increased.

We need to get Northerners employed; we need to get Northerners working; and I’d say we need to do it now. Thank you.

GNWT Position Vacancies
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

NWT Fishing Industry
Members’ Statements

February 9th, 2014

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, as I was able to enjoy some dry fish from the Beaufort-Delta area, I came up with a Member’s statement here.

I know that in the Northwest Territories we value these northern fish. Whether we fry it, bake it, barbeque it, smoke it, or even enjoy it dried, it’s an important asset to the Northwest Territories.

In the Hay River area, in the Great Slave area, we catch it, a lot of it. One million pounds last year, the Minister was able to announce last November. One million.

Our fishers are working hard out there in this industry. They have increased the production over the last couple of years and made it over that million pounds.

The recent successes in the industry don't indicate the fact that we have to support them more. We have to increase the amount of the fishers out there and the supports that they have.

As we sit here and debate resource revenue sharing of these non-renewable resources, we should be focussing on this opportunity that we have in renewable resources like our fisheries. If we support and train these Northerners to stay here, this will have a direct impact on our economy, and we won’t have to be dealing with what the price of some commodity on the world market is. These are direct jobs directly affecting Northerners.

Later today I will have questions for the Minister of ITI about some of the money that they’ve talked about in the budget, supporting the industry, where that money is going to be and how we’re going to put these people to work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

NWT Fishing Industry
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Colleagues, I wish to welcome some very special visitors in the gallery here today. We have 10 young men and women, who are participating in the Ontario Legislature Internship Program, visiting us all this week. I understand they’re looking forward to seeing consensus government at work, and I assure them that you’ve come to the right place.

I’d like to recognize – once your name is called, please stand up – Emily Barrette, Jessica Behnke, Mitchell Davidson, Aaron Denhartog, Vanessa Dupuis, Amanda Garofalo, Taylor Lew, Lauren Miller, Melinda Munding and Douglas Wong.

On behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly, I welcome you here to the Northwest Territories. Welcome to our Chamber.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, and it goes to my Member’s statement on palliative care for the people in the community of Deline. It has been a big issue for some time, and actually since 1993 they’ve had units that were there for extended care shut down in 1994. They’ve made some changes to it. However, my letter of 2005-2006, just an update from last year from the previous Minister of Health and Social Services that went into Deline. People in the community of Deline are asking that the existing community wellness building have two beds dedicated for elders who are on the last days of life in this world, if they could look at that building being renovated so that we can have two palliative care beds in the community of Deline.

Can the Minister give me a brief update as to where he is now with that request?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is actually currently completing a Territorial Palliative Care Framework and Action Plan, which is going to guide us on the delivery of community-based palliative care services throughout the Northwest Territories, and this plan and action plan are expected to be completed by the end of March 2014. Once that’s done we’ll be in a better position to have a discussion about what we can do with existing infrastructure and new infrastructure.

I do know that with all new infrastructure that we’re building with respect to long-term care facilities, we are including one palliative care bed and one respite bed. So that’s all new facilities we’re building. I’ll be in a better position to talk about what we’ll do in the communities otherwise once this action plan is done, and I would be happy to have discussions with the Member and committee once that is done. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Can the Minister commit to meeting the people of Deline and the people of the Sahtu, once the report has been completed, that there will be some specific discussions for the community of Deline on their request to have palliative care services? Is that something that we could look at working on, on a going forward basis, because the capital infrastructure budget will be coming up shortly after that.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

At the invite of the community or the Member, I’m happy to visit his

constituency and talk about any issues that the residents may have. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I know once we get Ministers into our communities, there are issues even without the Minister’s role or responsibility. There are all kinds of issues. So, specifically, I want to have the Minister put some emphasis on the request for palliative beds in the community of Deline, and certainly as I’m standing here today, I will be inviting the Minister into Deline. When we have time we can go into that community. So I want to ask the Minister to talk about specifically the palliative care request that the people in Deline have.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I’d like to thank the Member for the invitation. We will certainly come to the community and we will come prepared. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement about the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority and where we are and where we’re going.

I was pleased that the Minister of Health and Social Services was in Fort Simpson and had the ability to explain to residents, I think it was like a bird’s eye view plan of the health authority. So I’d just like to ask the Minister and get it on record here in the House, once again, on behalf of my constituents, the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority does not have an existing board.

What is the plan for the Dehcho Health and Social Service Authority as we move forward? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are committed to ensuring that we have mechanisms that allow the voice of the people to be heard with respect to health and social services authorities. The Member is right; we do have a public administrator providing us the direction from the Dehcho at this point in time. We are exploring options for changing our structure so that we can provide better health, better care and better results for our residents throughout the Northwest Territories. In that model, I believe and I’m committed to ensuring that the people for the regions and the communities continue to have a voice in the delivery of their health and social services.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Part of the Dehcho Health and Social Services authority is spread over basically two constituencies, Nahendeh and Deh Cho. There was some talk about utilizing the Hay River hospital as opposed to everybody coming to Yellowknife. Can the Minister comment on that?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

What we are trying to accomplish is a more integrated system of health and social services delivery in the Northwest Territories so that a resident in a community can receive seamless care through the whole system from their community of origin to any facility that can provide them the services they need. With a more integrated system, we can maximize our benefits of having patients go to other locations as opposed to just focusing, say, on Yellowknife. We’ll be able to flow patients to Inuvik, Hay River or wherever we can provide the best service in the best time for the best results, so it could conceivably include individuals, depending on conditions, utilizing the services that will be available in Hay River.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I’d like to thank the Minister for that answer. As well as the old board and the authority, we had one member from each community sitting on a governance council. Just how would that kind of community input be involved in this new structure that the Minister is thinking about?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Those discussions still need to be had and ironed out, for the most part. We do know we want to, and must, maintain regional and community input, but every region and every authority that exists today is different and has a different catchment area, and the individuals that need to be represented may be different, so it’s not going to be one model fits all. We’re going to have to talk to the people from the Deh Cho with respect to that particular area, as we’ll need to talk to the people from the Tlicho, the Sahtu, the Beaufort-Delta as well as Yellowknife. We need to have those discussions, and we will be having those discussions as we move forward. We are currently out seeking input and some guidance and having discussions with communities throughout the Northwest Territories as well as committee.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to ask the Minister to continue to keep my constituents and our residents informed as we move along. I know that sometimes we get ahead of ourselves when we get an idea. I think that’s important, and of course, I’d like to ask the Minister to return to Nahendeh for a fuller tour later on this spring as we move along with this bird’s eye view of health authorities in the Northwest Territories.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I believe it’s important to get to the communities to meet with the residents. As the Minister of Health and Social Services, I’m absolutely committed to do that. I’ll take that as an invitation, and I’ll have my staff work with the Member’s staff and we’ll work out a date.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to follow up to my Member’s statement, I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, what process does the department follow for medical escorts for the elderly?