This is page numbers 3643 – 3682 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 positions.

Topics

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

We have roughly 10,000 households in the Northwest Territories and at least 4,000 GNWT employees at any one time given our 10 percent vacancy. This means that potentially almost 40 percent of households could include a person directly employed by GNWT.

Would the Premier agree that GNWT employees and their families make up a significant portion of informed citizens of the NWT?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I guess it depends if you figure that 50 percent makes up a significant portion.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

In reflection, I have to be quite disappointed that the Premier is not willing to welcome any input from our citizens on the issues that our people face. That’s shocking to me. It depends on what the question is on whether he is interested or not, so that’s a bit shocking, but let’s go with it.

With so many informed and caring citizens in our employment, and I assure the Premier, and although he sounds doubtful that we do have a significant number, there is some concern that GNWT may be tempted to silence public debate by preventing GNWT employees from expressing their opinions, even when the topic is not directly related to their job.

Can the Premier reassure us here in the House that the GNWT does, in fact, encourage its employees to participate in public debate on issues?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Finally, a question that I can answer. All GNWT employees sign a code of ethics when they enter into employment with this government, and as part of that code of ethics they have to adhere to certain principles and criteria, and I’m sure the honourable Member would be the first to cry out loud and clear if an employee of the Government of the Northwest Territories would come out and directly criticize it.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I hope the Premier doesn’t think that he thinks for me, but I would like to ask our reluctant Premier my last question here.

There is currently a petition on the Legislative Assembly website. Could the Premier please reassure our employees that they will not face any recriminations if they wish to sign that petition? It’s not criticizing the government; it’s asking the government for action.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I’m not aware of any petition on any website.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier. Falls are the most common cause of injures among senior citizens and our elders, and the top reason for admission for trauma. Falls account for 85 percent of all fractures among people aged 65 years and older and the top fracture being hips.

I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, do we have any protocols or procedures for treating seniors who fall? I think, in particular, as well, in my Member’s statement I also raised the concern of the family that only one X-ray was taken. Is this part of the procedure?

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There were two questions there, and I will try to answer both of them. The department works in partnership with the NWT Recreation and Parks Association to support training for community-based workers and activities that enhance independence and quality of life for elders. Research has identified several key areas to promote healthy aging, including physical activity and falls prevention, and falls prevention being of particular interest. In conjunction with Elders in

Motion training gathering, the department and regional staff are developing a territorial falls prevention program as part of promoting independence of our elders through prevention of injuries, so things are happening on that front.

With respect to standard protocols or clinical governance or clinical guidelines, this is an area that we obviously need to do significantly more work in the Northwest Territories. We have a number of authorities who have different protocols within their mandate. We have recently hired a chief clinical advisor who is going to be providing leadership on clinical governance throughout the system and trying to set some standards with respect to the exact type of thing the Member is talking about across all authorities.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

My constituency has all small and remote communities. The Minister is talking about a protocol. I would also like to raise the issue of getting medical attention through medevacs should be part of that protocol, because had my constituent been medevaced immediately for a proper and thorough examination, I don’t feel that she would have gone through this pain.

Also, in fact, why aren’t we doing proper medical examinations at our local health centres? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I certainly can’t talk to any individual case, but I do know we have highly competent professionals throughout the system who are doing great work in all communities, all regions and all facilities within the Northwest Territories. I can’t, obviously, speak to the individual case, but clinical guidelines would certainly be helpful across the Northwest Territories.

With respect to things like medevacs, we are doing things like Med-Response, which we hope to see roll out shortly, which are going to give communities a voice to a professional who is going to be able to streamline, coordinate and make medevacs more seamless and more timely. After all, what we are interested in is better health, better care and a better future for all of our residents. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I think by improving our system, we do that by creating statistics. In fact, does the department keep track of incorrect diagnoses in our individual centres? If not, why isn’t this information being recorded? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I don’t know if those types of statistics are kept. I will check with the department and get back to the Member. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just want to get back to the first issue. Many, many of our seniors are falling and fracturing bones. I

think that our medical health system should pay attention to that.

So, I’d like to ask the Minister once again, how can the department do this? The family wants to be sure that people do not get hurt and misdiagnosed and lay at home for three days. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I agree. There are, as I’ve indicated, a number of things that are happening. I talked about the training that’s available for elders across the Northwest Territories with respect to prevention and injury, especially from fall prevention. This year the department is supporting training in 28 communities as part of the Elders in Motion program, so there is education out there to help individuals attempt to avoid experiencing a fall.

I’m going to come back to my other response, Madam Speaker. We need consistent clinical guidelines across the system. We have a chief clinical advisor who is helping us with this. We’ll work with all authorities to put together clinical guidelines that give the practitioners, whether it’s nurses or physicians, the tools they need to properly diagnose and provide the best care possible to all our residents, which is what we want. We want better health, better care and better results. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, a follow-up from my Member’s statement.

I’d like to ask the Minister, is the Minister in support of preventative safety measures to protect school children from dangerous situations? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Totally I am in support of students as first priority when it comes to safety. These are some of the discussions that have been brought to our attention from Moose Kerr School. My department is working very closely with Public Works and Services, the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council and also Moose Kerr school administrators and staff to investigate the circulation of the problem, which has become an issue since the Stanton store has been open for business. Those are some of the areas in discussion with those

agencies and we will continue to find solutions for that. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

The Minister answered the first part of my two-part question. Will the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment commit to reviewing this unsafe situation at Moose Kerr School and will he ensure that a parking lot gets built? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

We are working diligently with various agencies like education councils, the school and Public Works and Services. Solutions to this problem are being considered and recommendations will be made to the Hamlet of Aklavik. The GNWT will participate in finding solutions that will be in the best interest of safety for the students and the public at large. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Until a parking lot is in place for the school in Aklavik, will the Minister work with the stakeholders in the Beaufort-Delta Education Council and the Aklavik District Education Authority to enhance safety measures for students at Moose Kerr School as an interim measure? Thank you, Madam Speaker.