The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Good afternoon, colleagues. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy Minister of Health and Social Services

Mr. Speaker, the 17th Legislative Assembly identified the need to enhance addictions treatment programs as a key priority. Our government is committed to making sure that NWT residents have the tools and support they need to overcome their addictions challenges.

Addictions are linked to poverty and to educational achievement. Addictions can affect parents’ ability to care for their children and meet their needs. Their impact goes well beyond the individual. Families, communities and even our economy can be affected.

Mr. Speaker, we asked 12 respected community leaders to come together, to travel to communities and to learn from our people’s experience of what solutions are most effective in this battle against addictions. I want to thank Mr. Paul Andrew, the chair of the forum, and all the members for their efforts. After the Minister’s Forum completed its work last year, 67 recommendations were put forward in the final report on how to move ahead with a plan of action to help people heal and recover from addictions. Later today I will table the GNWT’s response to the Minister’s Forum.

Many of these recommendations perfectly align with what is already laid out in our Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, A Shared Path Towards Wellness.

The report also identified a need for new services and approaches. Initiatives that focus on spiritual and cultural healing are being incorporated into our approach to mental health and addiction service delivery. We are also focusing on the need for

streamlined intake and fast turn-around in accessing treatment services. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is a diverse region made up of many different cultures with their own traditional beliefs and practices. We need as many options as possible to allow people to decide what works for them. People need to determine their own pathways to wellness, and it is the government’s responsibility to help them follow that path. We are addressing the recommendations of the Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness with $2.6 million in new funding in the 2014-15 budget. This is in addition to the existing budget of $6 million for the delivery of the Community Counselling Program across the NWT.

As a result, we will continue to provide an array of southern residential treatment options which can offer specialized treatment facilities, gender-specific options, cultural components and increased length of treatment. We will ensure that NWT residents who attend these treatment programs are offered follow-up support and after-care through their Community Counselling Program once they return home.

Through the Standing Committee on Social Programs, we will continue to keep the Members of the Legislative Assembly informed about developments in this area. I greatly appreciate Mr. Moses, Mr. Dolynny and Mrs. Groenewegen taking the time to visit Poundmaker’s Lodge with me recently. We saw firsthand the high quality of care our residents are receiving at one of our four southern residential treatment facilities, and we heard directly from NWT residents attending this program how important this treatment option was to them.

Mr. Speaker, at the same time, we have not lost sight of the need to develop NWT-specific options as part of our approach to addressing addictions. In collaboration with Katlodeeche First Nation, we are exploring options for the use of the Nats'ejee K'eh building to ensure existing infrastructure is put to good use.

On-the-land programs will be an important part of our continuum of care. The $2.6 million in proposed new funding includes $900,000 to establish community-based on-the-land healing programs. This fiscal year we are partnering with Aboriginal governments and regional authorities to pilot a

variety of approaches to combining traditional and clinical approaches to healing. I am also committed to obtaining the best possible withdrawal management services for our residents, and work is underway to identify models that are best for the NWT.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I can assure Members that the Department of Health and Social Services is working to put in place a range of addiction treatment services that meet the needs of all residents of the Northwest Territories. We will open the doors for people to choose their own pathways to wellness and addiction-free lives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, many of our residents want to access more government services “on line,” rather than standing “in line.”

We are looking at ways to improve service delivery. In 2013 we approved the Service Innovation Strategy, a government-wide strategy to improve the delivery of programs and services by leveraging technology and by taking a more coordinated approach to service delivery.

I share this Assembly’s goal of efficient and effective government. It is time to move into the 21st century. It is time to focus on on-line services to complement the services we provide in person and by phone. We have to make it easier for residents and businesses to find the services they need.

The office of the chief information officer is working with all departments to provide a consistent approach. Already,

the departments of Justice and

Transportation have introduced new on-line services that securely manage on-line payments and client information.

We are committed to continuing to create and deliver services in a citizen-focused manner. We have already heard from the business community, and this year we will ask the public about their priorities for on-line services. We want to hear how satisfied they are with the services they receive from government.

We will also continue to foster a culture of service excellence within the Government of the Northwest Territories.

For instance, in December we delivered a pilot training program for front-line service professionals and plan to follow up on this training in 2014 with additional training for both front-line service professionals and management responsible for service delivery. Seven departments sent 30 very

engaged GNWT employees from across the NWT. Feedback has been very positive and consensus from participants was that their customer service skills have improved as a result of taking this training. This year we hope to offer regional training as well as more training in Yellowknife.

A service excellence training program is also in development. It builds on the introductory course and lays out a path to certification as a certified service professional or certified service manager. Based on the levels of interest shown in the course in December, we have already received feedback that more people would like to attend.

Our new service directory website launched in December, with information on over 375 government services, in one easy-to-search location.

It connects people, information and services, reducing red tape and making it easier to access information and services more quickly.

This government has had great success providing

in-person service through department

service centres, government service officers in rural and remote communities, and through offices like Services TNO here in Yellowknife. With the service directory, residents don’t need to know which department, division or location offers a service, they can simply go on-line to find the information they need.

You can also expect to begin seeing improvements to the GNWT’s website in the coming year. We are improving the design and making information and services more easily accessible.

Mr. Speaker, important initiatives like those outlined in our Service Innovation Strategy will improve the way we deliver programs and services and serve the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Minister of Transportation

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation is now providing residents with the option to access driver and motor vehicle services from the comfort of their homes, workplaces or from anywhere else with an Internet connection. On-line driver and motor vehicle services are part of the government’s Service Innovation Strategy. Effective and efficient government is achieved by reducing red tape and connecting NWT residents and businesses with the information and services they need.

It has taken over five years of dedicated work to modernize the Motor Vehicle Information System. Now we have been shifting our focus outward to expand on-line services to our clients.

Our first move was to offer electronic notifications. We’re streamlining processes and delivering more efficient government at the click of a button.

How many of us have forgotten to renew our registration or driver’s licence, only to be reminded by a ticket? NWT drivers, commercial carriers and organizations may now create accounts to manage their driver and motor vehicle information through the Department of Transportation website. It’s as easy as going under the “Drivers/Vehicles” tab at the top of the page and clicking on the link that reads “On-line Services.” Once registered, Northerners can subscribe to receive e-mail reminders to renew a driver’s licence, general identification card, vehicle registration, driver’s medical, appointments, and commercial vehicle inspection notifications.

Vehicle owners can now also renew their vehicle registration anytime, from anywhere that has Internet access, as early as three months before the registration expires. This is an important step that will particularly benefit those in small communities without issuing sites or who are outside the territory at renewal time. On-line services also reduce wait times and improve service quality at driver and motor vehicle issuing offices.

At our busiest issuing site here in Yellowknife, we have recently implemented a number of initiatives including queuing systems, posting wait times on-line and implementing measurable service standards to improve the client experiences. We expect that up to half of registration renewals will be processed on-line. That means clients who do need to come to the office will have shorter wait times. In small communities government service officers have been trained and are available to provide assistance.

The department will soon expand on-line services to include scheduling appointments such as driver tests and obtaining your driver record on-line. In the long-term, we hope to offer on-line driver’s licence renewals, address changes and commercial vehicle permits.

Streamlining the driver and motor vehicle services also includes eliminating validation stickers on NWT licence plates. When renewing vehicle registrations, clients will receive blank masking stickers to cover previously issued date stickers. Over the next year, like other jurisdictions, we will be phasing out the use of validation stickers. This will streamline the process for on-line registrations.

With technology and client-centred thinking, there are endless possibilities for innovative service

delivery. I look forward to keeping you updated on our ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and reduce red tape. In the meantime I encourage residents to go to the Department of Transportation’s website and click “On-line services” under “Drivers/Vehicles” to begin taking advantage of this convenience. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, last week I delivered the 2014-15 budget on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories. That budget was based on a fiscal strategy of living within our means while still identifying funds to better support the people of the Northwest Territories and make strategic investments in our economy. Part of our plan included investing in the future of the territory by allocating 5 percent of resource revenues coming through devolution to the Heritage Fund.

While public reaction to the budget has generally been positive, Members have clearly indicated that they disagree with the proposed allocation for the Heritage Fund. We have heard these concerns and, in the spirit of consensus government, will be taking Members’ wishes on this matter into account by allocating 25 percent of resource revenues to the Heritage Fund beginning in 2015-16 when revenues begin to flow to the government.

---Applause

We should be clear, Mr. Speaker, that this will have an impact on future budgets for our government.

Our Fiscal Responsibility Policy limits the amount we can borrow to fund capital projects, Mr. Speaker. Beginning in 2015-16, when the first resource revenues begin to flow to our government, we will have to revisit our fiscal strategy.

We will need to find offsetting reduction from the O and M base and protect the infrastructure budget.

We share a vision of a strong, prosperous and environmentally sustainable territory, Mr. Speaker. The programs and services we deliver as a government and the capital projects we undertake have a direct impact on that vision. An important part of our job in this Legislature is to decide how we will work towards that vision and how we will pay for it. Come next year, this government and this Assembly will have some decisions to make about the initiatives it wants to undertake in its final year and how to pay for them. I look forward to working with Members to take on that challenge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members’ statements. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently had occasion to run into a leader from the Fort Smith Metis Council and he was telling me about a very interesting program. I subsequently did some research and I wanted to share what I found out with Members of this House. It may be something that’s already been shared with this House, but it’s not something that I was aware of, so I would like to do a Member’s statement about that today.

About a year ago, the Fort Smith Metis Council was approached by the Department of Health and Social Services to develop a pilot project for elders that would incorporate traditional foods. In the fall of 2013, the Metis Council received a $55,000 grant. The idea behind the pilot was simple: provide elders with a free year-round supply of fish and wild meat. The project is called TAASTE, which stands for Time-honoured Aboriginal Actions Sustaining Traditional Eating, short form TAASTE.

The bulk of the funding was earmarked for the purchase of new freezers to be stocked with foods donated by local hunters and fishermen. The freezers have been purchased and installed in the Metis Council’s secretariat building.

The success of this pilot hinges on a time-honoured Aboriginal tradition: to give a portion of the hunting harvest to the elders of the community. According to local observers, the program is a godsend because it gives elders access to the type of foods that they were raised on but have, regrettably, gotten used to going without.

Another facet of the project is sending youth out into the bush to learn basic hunting and survival skills, how to set up a tent, how to shoot, clean and cook small game and how to make bannock on a stick. Getting kids out on the land stimulates their curiosity and their appreciation of local foods.

A final component of the project will see greenhouses built in the Northern Lights Special Care Home, giving elders a chance to cultivate some of their own food.

The principles behind the project are sound and surprisingly easy to put into practice. What’s not to like about enhancing community solidarity? What’s not to like about elders having access to healthy, fresh and unprocessed food? What’s not to like about elders lessening their dependence on imported food and redirecting the savings toward other necessities?

Traditional foods are good for them. They are also a source of comfort and pride. I would like to see this pilot project become a blueprint for other NWT communities, so my hat is off and kudos to the Fort Smith Metis Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When times are tight, you pay down your exposed debt, retool your expenses and seek ways to increase your revenues. When times are good, you invest and plan for growth with infrastructure and service enhancement. These should be the principles of a sound business plan or, in our case, a fiscally prudent government balance sheet. Sadly, this is not the case. Instead, we see our financial picture as one based on a Fiscal Responsibility Policy that doesn’t pass the smell test, yet this policy is touted and praised at every conceivable opportunity by our Minister of Finance.

Again, if one repeats the policy statement enough times, it must have some bearing of being truthful. At least this is what this Cabinet is instructed to do and does so faithfully.

However, there are some of us on this side of the House whose job it is to evaluate grand statements of claim and take the time to look at the numbers being brought forth into the public realm. One only has to look at statements made in the budget address, such as “We have a record of sound fiscal management as shown by our Aa1 credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service and debt servicing costs below 1 percent of revenues.”

I think I addressed the Moody’s part last week, so I wanted to hone in on the debt servicing issue today. Clearly, we have heard many times in the past week from the Minister of Finance of our servicing cost below 1 percent of revenues. Now, this sounds very impressive, yet has anyone asked for the government to prove this?

If I told you this number could be more like 1 percent under our debt servicing ability, we can sleep better at night knowing this, or should we? Thank you.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.