This is page numbers 3851 – 3904 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 communities.

Topics

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I would be pleased to provide that information on the dates. I know that once the bridge is complete there, that would become the permanent structure that will be used for that crossing on the winter road going into the future.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to use this occasion to ask questions to the Minister responsible for Housing. Quite often I’ll have complaints sent to my office, called in or certainly e-mailed in, about health and safety issues. Whether they’re about leaky windows, heat not on, steps not shoveled, complaints all orientated to, actually, the landlord. A lot of these calls that come in, they’re all Yellowknife Housing Authority clients. It got me to thinking, does the Housing Corporation instructor work with our housing authorities to actually bring complaints forward to the rentals office against landlords that aren’t the GNWT? In my research, I’ve yet to find one complaint, but yet we have continued complaints come in all based around those types of factors, but yet the landlord of these buildings never is brought before the rentals office. But if the shoe was reversed or the situation was reversed, my goodness, they’re the first ones trying to get these folks out of there.

I’m going to ask the Minister of Housing, how often has the Housing Corporation worked with any of the authorities to take these types of landlords, that

aren’t GNWT landlords, to the rentals office for dereliction of their responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act, as I’ve highlighted, and if he hasn’t, why not?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Housing, Minister R.C. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We don’t work with the tenants in market housing to help take the landlord to court. Sometimes we will get some concerns from those that are living in market housing and we tell them that their option is to go to the rental office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, they are a third-party source tenant situation here. We have Yellowknife Housing renting the units from a landlord. The tenant itself through Yellowknife Housing, by way of example, has no tenancy rights on this because they are directly responsible. It is the housing authority that has a direct contract with the landlord. That is where the responsibility lies.

So I ask again to the Housing Minister, if this isn’t the case, why isn’t this the case? Because I can tell you I have had habitual complaints all built around things like heating, access, safety and other responsibilities, all directly related to the Residential Tenancies Act, that say the landlord must provide, and if they ignore these requests, what are we to do?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, in the Member’s first question he didn’t point out the fact that they were renting these from our local housing authority and was involved as a third-party renter. If that was the case, then I would encourage the tenants to work with the local housing authority to identify some of the problems there because they would be leasing these from the private developer, and if there is an opportunity to get some work done and they are not willing to do it, then the option might be there for the local housing authority to work with the tenants to take them to the rental officer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, they do, and they take them to the housing authority and the housing authority takes the complaints to the landlord and nobody does anything. So I’m asking, why don’t we have a rule on the books, or why don’t we have a Minister’s directive that if the landlords are not responding to the needs of the tenant, which are furthermore supported by the needs of the housing authority that they believe that they are valid, and again under the Residential Tenancies Act, that they will be taken to the rentals office and they will be treated as appropriate? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I would like to think that our local housing authority, if they are leasing these units of the developer, that they would have some say into the maintenance of

these units, and if the work is not being done, then I would encourage them to… There are some options they may have at their disposal, but I would encourage them to work with the rental officer to see if there is opportunity there to have the landlord do some of the necessary repairs because, at the end of the day, we are paying the landlord to use these units and if there are opportunities for us to use some of the stuff at our disposal, then we may have to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They, again, are doing these things, but the housing authority isn’t taking the landlord of the units, that we lease and pay a hefty sum for, to the rentals office. So I would like the Minister to show some leadership on this issue to say that if we have anything outstanding over 30 days, that falls under the Residential Tenancies Act, we are going to start filing, and that will motivate these landlords to comply with the rules as clearly stipulated under the Residential Tenancies Act. He could do that today and he could send a letter not only to just the Yellowknife Housing Authority but to all authorities so, therefore, our people are treated fairly and respectfully as outlined in the Residential Tenancies Act. Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I would like to work with the Member, and if any other Members over there have specific cases where I don’t hear from any of the other communities, but if there are specific cases, then the Member has raised them and the Minister will show leadership and try and rectify the problem before it gets to the floor of the House. This is the first time I have heard of it, and we need to work with each other sometimes to ensure we try to deal with these issues. If we are unable to deal with these issues, or are unwilling to deal with these issues, then we raise them on the floor of the House to bring them out to the public, but give us that opportunity and we will take care of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 8, written questions. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of written questions here today.

My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

1. Please provide the total number of cases for

10,000 patients for the following superbugs for

each calendar year starting from 2005 through 2013:

a) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

b) Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE);

c) Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)

d) Klebsiella;

e) Acinetobacter;

f) Enterobacter;

g) Pseudomonas; and

h) Clostridium difficile.

2. What is the regional breakdown of the number

of cases per 10,000 patients for the list of superbugs listed in question 1 for the same time period?

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

1. What is the total dollar amount of housekeeping

cleaning budgets for all NWT health care facilities involving in-patient services for each of the calendar years starting from 2005 through 2013?

2. Within the context of question 1, please provide

the following breakdown for the calendar years starting from 2005 through 2013:

a) the average number of housekeeping

cleaning dollars per in-patient visit for each of the NWT health care facilities;

b) the average number of hours/minutes of

cleaning time per in-patient visit for each of the NWT health care facilities; and

c) the staff turnover rate in housekeeping for

each of the NWT health care facilities.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Please provide the following information:

1. the cost of expanding the Social Work Program

at Aurora College by one year so that three years of study toward a degree in social work are available in the NWT;

2. the steps that would be required to expand the

Social Work Program at Aurora College by one year; and

3. the obstacles, if any other than funding, that

would have to be overcome in order to expand the Social Work Program at Aurora College by one year.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committee on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Errata for Tabled Document 22-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates for 2014-15.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Northern Lands, Northern Leadership, The GNWT Land Use and Sustainability Framework.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, February 26, 2014, I will move that Bill 12, Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bill 11: Petroleum Resources Act
First Reading of Bills

February 23rd, 2014

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Kam Lake, that Bill 11, Petroleum Resources Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.