This is page numbers 4253 – 4284 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 land.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These Aboriginal games come from our ancestors, and basically, they come from the land and their survival. Now they have a different meaning but they’re very, very, very important. This is the foundation of our culture and our people.

I want to ask the Minister, in regard to these new Aboriginal games that are being out here, if he can work with this Department Education, Culture and Employment Minister. Is that part of the curriculum for physical education in our schools? This should

be, actually, a mandatory part of the curriculum in our schools with our young people.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I can’t speak for the Minister of Education. I can have a discussion with him. We’re fortunate that we have elders that are willing to share their vast knowledge of the traditional games and their beginnings. As far as making it mandatory in the schools, again, that’s a conversation we’d have to have with the Education Minister and the district education councils.

There’s another traditional game, I think, among the old traditional games that we don’t hear much anymore, and it’s called the lip pull. We may have to start practising that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

I hear a challenge there.

---Laughter

Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a long, cold and difficult winter for a lot of people and occasionally people fall on hard times and sometimes tragedies beset people in the North. We are really one big family here. We know most of the people in our constituencies.

I’ve recently had a situation where a family that has been struggling has just been pushed over the edge, I suppose, financially by the cost of maintaining a home during this very long, cold winter. This family is supporting an adult with disabilities in their own home at a very, very minimal level of support from this government.

If this family were not caring for their son who is disabled, and if he was in assisted living or in a southern institution, our government would not think twice to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to support this individual, but he’s being cared for by his own family. His family is in distress.

Have we ever or do we have any kind of a benevolent emergency compassionate fund whereby if Members and Ministers agreed that there was a candidate that was a case where someone needed a little support to carry on and not lose their home or have their power turned off or in some way have something catastrophic happen, is there such a fund in this government?

I attend a church in Hay River and it’s just a small church with a $200,000 a year budget. We even have a benevolent fund for if somebody shows up on our doorstep and is in serious trouble.

I’d like to know, has the government ever had something like this? Is there anything like this available? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We don’t currently have a fund that I think exactly matches the type of situation that the Member is talking about, but I think that goes a lot to the types of questions that Mr. Bromley was asking yesterday about the poverty trap and trying to find ways to support families so we don’t drive them into that area.

I have committed to working with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and the other social envelope members to start working to see if we could find some ways to address this to make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen and we could provide supports where possible. But right now there is no fund that clearly fits the type of situation the Member is describing.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Sometimes it is a very small amount of money and it is a very small amount of support that a family or an individual needs to get over a rough patch due to circumstances beyond their control. Usually time is of the essence in these instances as well.

I’d like to ask the Minister, is he aware if there ever has been such a thing? I remember, years ago there used to be some kind of a compassionate fund where, say, if a family was indigent or was falling on hard times that our government would pay to help family members go to a funeral or to the bedside of a dying family member or to purchase a casket if they had lost a loved one. There used to be a fund like that. I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s aware of it. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I am aware of a situation that has come up recently very similar to the one the Member is describing and it was referenced in that discussion that there used to be a fund that provided supports very similar to the type that the Member is talking about. That fund no longer exists. But it is one of the items that I’ve put on the agenda for the Ministers’ Social Envelope Committee and we will be having further discussions, and I look forward from committee as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

We are a small government but big in the fact that we have a fairly large budget. We have a small constituency overall in the Northwest Territories. I would certainly support something like that. Not something to be dipped into on a regular basis, but when there is an agreed emergency I think that we should have something like that. It’s very difficult for us, as MLAs, to get back to our constituents and say, sorry, there’s nothing that this government can do for you. We all know these people. Often they’re people who have grown up here in the North and are well known to all us.

I’d just like to ask the Minister if he will work with Regular Members, like myself, to come up with something so that these kinds of disasters can be avoided, which are going to end up costing this government a whole lot more money when these people fail to be able to carry on. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I like working with committee, I am committed to working with committee, and I will work with committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of lifeguard services at Fred Henne Park beach.

The petition contains 412 handwritten signatures and 312 electronic signatures of Northwest Territories, Canadian and American residents. The petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories act responsibly by providing lifeguard services at Fred Henne Park beach in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of Climate and Energy Action Plan.

The petition contains 73 handwritten signatures and 80 electronic signatures of Northwest Territories residents. The petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories:

1. Collect a $3.50 tonne (co2eq) levy on carbon

pollution from all fossil fuels sales in order to finance a new fund that would provide financial assistance to:

a) Homeowners and businesses to assist them

to take action to reduce carbon pollution and fossil fuel use; and

b) Aboriginal governments and community

governments to undertake community energy planning and climate adaptation projects.

2. Collect a $3.50 tonne (co2eq) levy on carbon

pollution stemming from the oil and gas

exploration and production activity in order to contribute to the existing NWT Heritage Fund.

Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “2012 GNWT Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey, Summary Report.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a document, a position statement from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, titled “Public Access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Nadli.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 10, 2014, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Government of the Northwest Territories, prior to summer 2014, honour its commitments and work with those Northwest Territories First Nations and entrepreneurs that have an interest in harvesting morels and other mushrooms, to implement interim measures that regulate and manage the commercial harvest of wild mushrooms; and further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories immediately begin drafting legislation to provide for the responsible management of the wild mushroom resource and provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 60 days. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS every 26 minutes a Canadian suffers a sudden cardiac arrest;

AND WHEREAS more Canadians die each year from cardiac arrest than from car accidents, diabetes, breast and prostate cancers combined;

AND WHEREAS each minute that passes decreases the chance of survival from cardiac arrest by nearly 10 percent;

AND WHEREAS almost 80 percent of all cardiac arrests in Canada occur in homes and in public places;

AND WHEREAS a defibrillator can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 50 percent;

AND WHEREAS automated external defibrillators can be installed at any location throughout any community, such as recreation centres, arenas and schools;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take the steps necessary to ensure widespread access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs);

AND FURTHER, that the government work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the NWT Association of Communities, the NWT fire marshal’s office and the NWT fire chiefs, and the RCMP to ensure access to defibrillators across the NWT by designating locations where AEDs must be made available, and require mandatory registration of all installed AEDs;

AND FURTHER, that the government develop protocols to ensure the monitoring and maintenance of all defibrillators in NWT communities;

AND FURTHER, that the government make funding available to NWT communities for training of staff in public buildings where defibrillators are placed;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the outset I would like to thank Mr. Yakeleya for seconding the motion and I bring this motion forward in the interest of safety of our residents and the preservation of lives.

It’s a fact that defibrillators can make a life and death difference in the same way that a fire extinguisher can make a significant difference between life and death. AEDs are portable, easy to use, and modern technology, with some defibrillators, now provides voice prompt instructions and requires virtually no training whatsoever. That’s not to say that training is not required. It is required. If AEDs are combined with CPR, the use of a defibrillator can increase the likelihood of saving a person’s life by 75 percent or more.

The defibrillator works by assessing the heart of a person in cardiac arrest for what’s called a shockable rhythm. If such a rhythm is detected, the defibrillator requests the shock or a series of shocks to the victim’s heart. If no shockable rhythm is detected, no shock can be given.

Concerns and questions of safety have been raised in other jurisdictions about the public using defibrillators. Experts in the field say that in fact the technology is now so advanced that elementary school children can be equipped with the skills to successfully use a modern defibrillator simply through reading and writing and listening.

So why do I feel the government needs to get involved with the provision of AEDs? We talk a lot about prevention and how important prevention is. Having an AED readily available for a cardiac arrest situation is preventative and I feel it’s common sense for us to be prepared.

I want to tell a story that occurred last December when the Yellowknife MLAs held a tea for the Yellowknife seniors here in the Great Hall. I was appointed to be the emcee this particular year. So at the outset of the tea I mentioned a number of safety things, I advised where the washrooms were, I advised where the doors were for people to exit and so on, and one of the CAs came up to me after that brief introduction while the seniors were enjoying their tea and goodies and leaned over and whispered in my ear and said, where’s your first aid kit and do we have a defibrillator and where is it? And I went, um, I have no idea. I know where the safety kit is, but I have no idea whether or not we have a defibrillator.

So that got me started, and as the motion states, cardiac arrests can happen frequently and they can happen without warning. Unfortunately, as I’m well aware, our population is aging and we are going to get a more aged population every year. It’s a fact of life here and it’s a fact of life in Canada.

Luckily, we have AEDs in many of our buildings in the North already. It’s not that we don’t have any, we do have quite a few, but it’s a hit and miss situation and my goal is to try and make it a much less hit and miss.

The motion asks the government to determine where AEDs should be located. It also asks that this will allow the government to determine that they are as widely placed as possible and in as many buildings as possible. The closer an AED is to the person undergoing a cardiac arrest, the higher their chance of survival, and they say that three minutes, if you can get the AED and return to the person in three minutes, then there’s a very good chance of survival. So that means we need to have defibrillators in fairly close locations to people, wherever they are taking part in activities.

I mentioned, during the budget debate, that we have an opportunity to provide funding for communities in acquiring AEDs for their public buildings, when I was speaking to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. We currently have an unused emergency fund. The Minister advised that there’s only one application before that fund in the ‘13-14 year. It would seem to me that we could put that fund to a much better use by advising communities that they can apply for funding to put AEDs into their communities and their public spaces and in their public buildings. It could also be used for training for those staff who happen to work in those buildings. I reiterate again that we shouldn’t be installing AEDs without also having training for the people who are close to them and need to know how to use them if a cardiac arrest situation occurs.

So, why have I referenced the Heart and Stroke Foundation and a number of other organizations? I don’t feel the government needs to do this on their own and we certainly have organizations that are out there. The Heart and Stroke Foundation, for sure, is very involved with heart conditions and cardiac arrests. They can provide valuable advice on what we should be doing and where we need AEDs and how many we need. They can identify the public places where people are and the public places where people are going to be at greatest risk for cardiac arrest. Certainly, they can tell us that those places, whatever is identified, would be the best ones where we can place a defibrillator. I say that we consult with them because there needs to be a review of the level of risk that is out there in terms of buildings and people and cardiac arrest.

I don’t believe that we have to do this all in one fell swoop. I think we can start with buildings and public places where we determine that people are at the greatest risk and start with those and make sure we have defibrillators in those places – and we may have some in many places already – then, in

stages, work our way outwards until we have defibrillators in as many places as we need.

The motion asks for some regulation, for some consistency around where we can find AEDs in the NWT and that’s what I’m after. We don’t need to blanket the NWT, but we certainly need to have more than we do now.

The other aspect of the motion is to ask for a registry, and that may seem like an onerous task, but I think that the locations of defibrillators, if known, can certainly aid somebody who is in a strange place. If we ever get 911, for instance, if I’m in a situation where I see a cardiac arrest happening and I don’t know where the defibrillator is, I could call 911, they could check the registry, they can tell me where it is, it can be gotten and applied to the person.

So I think a registry certainly will assist communities in knowing whether or not they’ve got defibrillators, whether they need to get more and it could potentially assist in a lifesaving situation.

I think this is a chance to improve circumstances in the NWT for all of our residents. I don’t think it will cost us much money, I don’t think it will cost us much time to get the work done required to accede to what’s requested in the motion.

I would hope that all Members would support the motion. Thank you very much.