This is page numbers 3619 – 3642 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 questions.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Is the Premier willing to work with the Gwich’in Tribal Council to set up monitoring systems along the Peel River for future data? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

When we review the court case, we will look at our options and decide if we will take any action, if any. Obviously with devolution, we are looking at where the best locations for monitoring sites would be and I would expect we would look very closely at putting in monitoring sites in that area. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Premier McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister responsible for sport. With Arctic Winter Games coming up and with the Olympics on, it’s a good time for me to ask some questions about the sports that were left out of the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. It was quite a controversy last year and I know there has been some work that has been ongoing.

I would like to ask Minister McLeod if he could provide an update on arrangements for competitions for the six, I think it is, sports – I can’t remember the exact number – that were left out of

the Arctic Winter Games International Committee decision to be in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are very disappointed that these sports were left out of the 2016 Games that are going to be taking place in Greenland. I have been working with my territorial colleagues and other partner jurisdictions and Ministers. We have come up with a plan to have an alternate event for the sports that were excluded. We are just working on the details now. One of our partner jurisdictions has volunteered themselves as a location, so we’re just working out the details now. We are hoping to have something to report back to our territorial sport organizations and Members of the Assembly as soon as we get that information and get it all confirmed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that. The Minister has said that a location has been identified; it may not be confirmed.

I would like to ask the Minister if all the sports are going to be able to be in one location, whatever that location is, or are they going to be in several locations in 2016. Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs

We have heard from all sport organizations in the NWT that were excluded from 2016 and their preference was to have all the sports in one location to give them that opportunity to compete together. We had another location that was probably willing to step forward, but one of the excluded sports would not have been included in that particular venue. This location, we are anticipating that all six sports that were eliminated will be able to compete in one area. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister and I’m really glad to hear that because I know full well that it’s not the same when everybody is not together, so I’m very glad that that’s a high priority.

We allocate money through our budgets for Arctic Winter Games and Canada Games and so on. In terms of the 2016 Games for these sports that are not covered under our allocation of funds for the Arctic Winter Games, will the cost of those games be covered for these athletes? Will they be paying the same amount as if they went to the Arctic Winter Games themselves? Will that be covered through our budget and the other jurisdictions’ budgets? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs

That is our intent, to try to cover off the cost of these games through our multi-sport line item budget if there is money left. We intend not to pass on the cost to the athletes. They would be paying their normal cost such as

their registration. We are working hard with our other jurisdiction partners to see how we can work this out. We don’t know the exact details yet if there’s an opportunity for us to come back to this House to seek additional funding for that. That’s something we will work on and we will inform Members of that as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I am really glad to hear that we are looking at making things as equal for these sports that aren’t part of the Arctic Winter Games as possible.

My last ask of the Minister would be, when details are a little more firm, when the location is determined and when costing perhaps has been figured out, if the Minister would provide an update to Members maybe by e-mail or letter or something just to keep us up to date.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs

I would be pleased to do that. We should have additional details after we meet in Fairbanks during the Arctic Winter Games that are taking place next month. There will be an opportunity there to meet with my colleagues from other jurisdictions. We should have the details ironed out a bit more and once we do have that, I do intend on informing the territorial sport organizations as well as Members of this House. I will be providing regular updates. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On February 6th of this year, I had asked the Minister of

Health about what type of protocols kick in when someone who doesn’t have authorization is visiting other people’s files. In essence, they are cyberstalking. I don’t know any other way of describing it. The only way the people find out, that I’m aware of, is purely by accident. It could be quite some time between the initial incident and by the time they stumble upon it by information being shared. My specific question is built around what type of protocols that inform those who are in charge of the system and lets them know someone is viewing who is unfairly or certainly not empowered to be visiting files.

I’d like to know what the Minister has done in a week, if he has been brought up to speed on this file, because this is an important issue. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated, we will share those protocols with the Member. I have had the opportunity to speak to the department about the protocols that are in place, including security passwords and all the other mechanisms that are in place to ensure that the privacy is secure.

I am not aware of any breaches of this system. A breach would be a serious issue. If there are breaches, I would appreciate the Member and all of my colleagues, if they’re aware, sharing those with us so that we can quantify them, fix them and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I’m not hearing anything that actually tips off the manager or the administrator of this type of private information that a particular person is spending hours, maybe even days examining individual and private files. I haven’t heard a single word built around that fact that there’s something that informs the administrator that something wrong is going on.

Would the Minister be able to speak to that issue specifically, to find out does anything address that type of problem? I’ve been informed they’re a problem, but I’m more worried about the broader protocols at this second to that issue.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Madam Speaker, as I indicated, we take our security on our records very seriously with respect to our medical records. As I indicated, if the Member would share with me, I’d be happy to dig in and look.

We do have a significant number of protocols, which I’ve already indicated I would share with the Member and I will be sharing those with the Member. We do have a significant number of staff within the department who monitor our programs to make sure the data coming in is appropriate and that people have the appropriate access to gain access to that information. So, I will share the protocols with the Member.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Madam Speaker, I guess I’m going to ask the Minister to contradict me, because I’m going to say this is happening and I want him to tell me this isn’t how it happens.

Somebody can be viewing a particular file, who’s not authorized, for hours on end. They have access to the system because that’s their job.

Is there an electronic process that kicks in to tell the administrator that situation X is happening and they should evaluate it as such, or is it when he’s referring to protocols is that, well, they find out when they find out? That’s what I’m trying to ask. Is

the system designed in any way to tell the administrator that people are searching files that they should not be? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

As I indicated, I will share those protocols with the Member so that he can understand the protocols that are in place.

Individuals who have access to our electronic medical records are those individuals who have a reason to be reviewing those files with respect to the clinical management of a patient or client. But I will share those protocols with the Member. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I do appreciate the offer and certainly the public has not heard one iota that speaks to how those protocols are triggered within the system.

Is there a computerized system that pops up, alerts the administrator that files are being searched by unauthorized people, even though they are authorized on the system at large, and indicates that they’re spending time reviewing files that they shouldn’t be? Quite frankly, I think the public deserves some clarity on this issue because potentially folks could be out there searching. We don’t know if that’s the case, so I’m boiling it down to how is the system designed, what alerts the administrator and how do we ensure private information is protected.

I don’t want to be told we’ll sit down later and talk about it. I want to be told now and I think that should be shared with the public. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Madam Speaker, as I indicated, only individuals who require that access or require that information that are involved in the circle of care would have access to those files. Thank you, Madam Speaker.