Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, with increased legislative and regulatory authorities, the Government of the Northwest Territories is positioning itself to take a more proactive and direct approach to expanding the territorial economy and to providing long-term and lasting economic growth and opportunities for the people of the NWT.

Last year this government released the Economic Opportunities Strategy and the Mineral Development Strategy. We could not have completed these strategies without our partners in industry, business and community associations, and the federal government. I want to acknowledge the valuable input we received through our engagement with local and Aboriginal governments as well as residents and business owners from across the NWT. I also want to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure for your input and guidance on both of these strategies.

Mr. Speaker, we are aiming to release the implementation plans for both the Economic Opportunities Strategy the Mineral Development Strategy by June 30.

The Economic Opportunities Strategy Implementation Plan will map out the priorities, approaches and resources that the GNWT will be undertaking to address the 117 recommended actions outlined in the strategy, led by Industry, Tourism and Investment. It is focused on four key areas: supporting the territory’s small business community; growing a stable and attractive entrepreneurial environment; pursuing major

investment projects; and attracting, retaining and preparing residents to be active participants in the prosperous and sustainable new economic environment that we are building.

The Mineral Development Strategy Implementation Plan will provide a blueprint to achieve specific goals outlined in the strategy. These include growing a sustainable mining sector, encouraging responsible mineral development and exploration, improving geoscience information and research, enhancing Aboriginal capacity and creating a Mining Incentive Program.

We will continue to collaborate with our partners who helped to develop these strategies, and work together to promote the Northwest Territories as a place to invest, work and live.

Mr. Speaker, a key element of devolution was that this government and this Assembly would gain the tools to shape and direct the economy of this territory for the long term. Capitalizing on our full potential takes the kind of strategic thought and planning reflected in these strategies and implementation plans. I look forward to working with Members to advance both of these strategies and ultimately to achieve our vision of a prosperous territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, every day, seniors across the NWT make important contributions to their families, their friends and their communities.

We don’t always give them the credit they deserve, but recognizing June as Seniors Month in the Northwest Territories and June 15th as World Elder

Abuse Awareness Day is one way to show our appreciation to NWT seniors.

Today we are wearing purple boutonnieres to raise awareness about elder abuse and its many forms, financial, emotional and physical. I would like to welcome and recognize members of the NWT Seniors’ Society and the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society present in the gallery today.

Seniors and elders are important keepers of traditions and culture. They are a valued source of wisdom and guidance and are role models and mentors for younger generations.

Elders and seniors should be given the best care possible, and our government is committed to meeting their health care and social needs. Partnerships with seniors’ groups help to ensure seniors receive the support they need.

Mr. Speaker, seniors are the fastest growing population in the NWT. In the past decade the seniors demographic has grown at a rate of more than 5 percent per year.

A goal of the Department of Health and Social Services is to enhance the continuum of care to ensure seniors remain independent and in their own homes and their own communities for as long as possible. We know that providing home and community care services for seniors reduces the demand for long-term and acute care and helps seniors maintain their quality of life. We all benefit when our elders are able to remain active and independent members of community life.

The GNWT already offers a range of programs and services that help seniors live independently, including home care, seniors housing, and the Extended Health Benefits Program for seniors. Home support is already available in every NWT community, and home nursing is available in communities with nursing staff. The department is also working with the NWT Housing Corporation to address independent housing needs in NWT communities.

However, Mr. Speaker, we know that as this segment of the population grows, we will need to change the way we offer services. After an extensive review of continuing care services in the NWT which helped identify needs, best practices and system gaps, we have developed a strategic framework which outlines the broad principles that will guide how we design and deliver programs and services in the future. The framework document Our Elders: Our Communities outlines seven priorities for healthy and active aging. These priorities include: • ensuring that we continue to deliver home and

community care services that meet the needs of elders and communities;

• making sure that services are integrated and

coordinated;

• recognizing that we need to support caregivers; • working with our communities to ensure that

they are responsive to the needs of their elders and seniors;

• providing accessible and current information to

seniors and their families; and

• continuing to explore and implement sustainable

best practices.

Encouraging healthy and active aging promotes independent living and allows elders to contribute their knowledge and wisdom within their community. This benefits everyone.

This approach also supports a sustainable health system by increasing community supports, which reduces the need for acute care services and long-term care beds, and it helps to achieve our vision of ensuring the best health, best care and a better future for our residents.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be tabling the document Our Elders: Our Communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, making sure our children inherit a healthy environment that supports traditional lifestyles in a modern economy through the wise use and protection of our natural resources is one of the main goals of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As you are aware, as of April 1, 2014, ENR took over responsibility for managing water resources in the Mackenzie Valley and inland waters in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region through the administration of the Waters Act and Regulations.

This new legislation gives the Government of the Northwest Territories the authority to make sure water is used in a sustainable manner and is protected and conserved for future generations.

With Rivers to Oceans Day coming up the week of June 9th , it is timely to provide Members with an

update on water management in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, the principles and vision of the Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy continue to guide our actions post-devolution and ensure conservation of this valuable resource. We continue to build awareness of water stewardship among youth, with activities planned with Grade 3 students on Rivers to Oceans Day.

We are fulfilling our enhanced responsibility for water resource management, guided by the goals of the Water Stewardship Strategy. Through monitoring and assessment, research partnerships and advisory roles, the spirit and intent of the strategy is followed and applied.

There are many important programs and activities we carry out with our increased water management responsibilities. For example, in the fall of 2014 we

will finalize a new Canada-NWT Memorandum of Agreement on Hydrometric Monitoring for the NWT, for continued baseline monitoring of water quantity at key sites across the territory.

We continue to regularly sample water quality in major transboundary rivers as well as through a network of special interest sites.

We are working with NWT communities and other partners to build upon, and support, the NWT-wide Community-Based Water Quality Monitoring Program in the Mackenzie River Basin to help answer community questions about water. Monitoring results have been shared with involved communities and other water partners through regional meetings, workshops and the 2014 water calendar.

A booklet outlining monitoring results for 2012 is now available. Results for 2013 will be communicated in upcoming months.

In late October 2013, following the Obed Mountain Coal Mine spill near Hinton, Alberta, ENR worked with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to quickly mobilize and get water sampling equipment in place to address residents’ concerns about downstream waters in the NWT. ENR provided sampling equipment and gave ongoing updates about the spill to the public. Spring sampling is now underway and results of the monitoring will be released later this spring.

I am happy to report we expect there will be little or no impact on NWT waters.

ENR recently supported the Town of Hay River’s emergency measures office during breakup of the Hay River by producing daily breakup reports for the director of protective services and testing an ice jam flood risk model developed by the University of Alberta.

The ENR network of climate monitoring and snow survey sites across the NWT provides valuable information to a broad range of clients and researchers.

Mr. Speaker, we will be relying on the continued support and involvement of Aboriginal governments and other partners as we build capacity and undertake northern-focused research with a greater emphasis on the biological aspect of water monitoring.

ENR continues to support NWT communities in developing source water protection plans. ENR developed a community source water protection guidance document that has been distributed to NWT communities and water partners.

Collaborative partnerships are being established between ENR, other GNWT departments, Aboriginal groups, environmental non-government organizations, community representatives, federal

government departments and academic institutions in efforts to establish community-based monitoring initiatives related to source water protection.

Significant progress has been made on negotiations of bilateral water management agreements with Alberta and British Columbia. An intentions document is being developed for each to serve as a basis for the NWT to negotiate final bilateral agreements. Aboriginal consultation and public engagement regarding negotiations of these agreements are ongoing. We continue to pursue transboundary water management agreements with Saskatchewan and the Yukon.

Along with the regulatory responsibilities of reviewing water licence applications, providing technical advice to NWT regulatory boards and inspecting and enforcing water licences, ENR is now responsible for approving Type A water licences. Since April 1, we have approved two amended Type A water licences, CanTung and Con Mine, in a thorough and timely manner

Mr. Speaker, ENR is stepping up and successfully meeting the challenges of our new water management responsibilities post-devolution.

We remain committed to our vision of keeping the water of the NWT clean, abundant and productive for all time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before the House today to inform you that Cabinet has agreed to begin developing regulations under the NWT Oil and Gas Operations Act that will set out filing requirements for projects involving hydraulic fracturing.

The Northwest Territories has significant natural resource potential that could help create prosperity, jobs and economic opportunities for Northerners and the whole country. Devolution has given the Government of the Northwest Territories new powers to manage resource development. We are committed to using those new powers to ensure that the development of Northwest Territories petroleum resources proceeds in a responsible, sustainable way that creates prosperity for our residents, while protecting the environment and human health and safety.

As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT mirrored the federal legislation that was in place prior to April 1, 2014. Our government assumed responsibilities for an already well-developed environmental protection and regulatory system as part of devolution. It is the same system that has overseen the development of diamond mining and

other projects in the Northwest Territories. That system already allows hydraulic fracturing under guidelines established by the National Energy Board prior to devolution.

Our strategy was to devolve and then evolve. Developing a made-in-the-North regulatory system that promotes responsible, sustainable management of our natural resources and protection of the land and environment is an ongoing process. That work is aimed at refining the current system to better reflect northern priorities and values. Developing regulations for hydraulic fracturing filing requirements is part of that process.

This is an important issue and we are putting together a plan for how we will proceed. We will not develop regulations without consulting Members, the public, Aboriginal governments, industry, NGOs and other stakeholders. Any regulations we do develop will be based on current science, recognized best practices and will consider all the views presented during consultations.

The GNWT has been working on this issue since early 2012 and has already undertaken research into environmental best practices used by industry and regulators in other jurisdictions. Standing committee has been involved in this process and I want to recognize their contributions. We will benefit from the significant work that the GNWT has already done and will also draw heavily from the good work that the National Energy Board had done in developing its hydraulic fracturing filing requirements. This will be an opportunity to strengthen those requirements and ensure they align with northern priorities and values.

Mr. Speaker, it is also important to remember that decision-making around resource development, including hydraulic fracturing, is shared among several Ministers at both the federal and territorial level and boards established under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. Proponents must also have a land use permit and a water licence, issued by regulators other than the regulator for oil and gas operations. These decisions are guided by an established legislative and policy framework that includes the MVRMA, territorial legislation, the Land Use and Sustainability Framework, Sustainable Development Policy, Water Strategy, Economic Opportunities Strategy and commitments under settled claims.

New hydraulic fracturing regulations would complement the integrated, already well-developed environmental protection and regulatory systems in the Northwest Territories. They would apply to any hydraulic fracturing projects in the NWT, in both the Mackenzie Valley, regulated by the NWT oil and gas regulator, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, regulated by the National Energy Board. New regulations would provide clarity to decision-

makers, industry and the public around filing requirements, ensuring proponents understood NWT expectations before they prepared their applications.

Mr. Speaker, the Canol shale holds an estimated two to three billion barrels of oil which, if developed, would create prosperity for the residents of the Sahtu and provide for royalties to the GNWT that could support investment in NWT priorities. We are all aware of the proposed hydraulic fracturing activities in the Canol shale and the often heated and polarized debate around the use of hydraulic fracturing as a technique to extract petroleum from certain kinds of rock formations.

Our government is committed to protecting the health of our people and environment and creating prosperity for our residents by responsibly and sustainably developing our natural resource potential. We will continue to work with the people of the NWT, industry, the Sahtu, Aboriginal governments and Members to identify and adopt best practices on hydraulic fracturing that will allow us to balance our commitment to protecting the environment with efforts to create prosperity for NWT residents. We will provide more details on how we will proceed with the development of regulations and the timelines for consultation in late June. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a little story I want to tell today and it ends with a question. What are we supposed to tell them?

For many, many years, Hay River has had an electrical inspector who works under the Department of Public Works and Services. Most of you will know that that was Stanley Norn. Stanley Norn recently retired, and congratulations to him on his retirement.

Now, the job was out for competition and candidates applied. This is a position that we have to fight to keep in Hay River. If a candidate who applies for the job lives in a different community, they can’t then just say, can you move that position to my community so I can stay home and do the job?

Mr. Speaker, we not only have to fight for decentralization to get new positions into our communities but it looks like we have to fight to keep the ones we’ve already got and have had for

many, many years. It’s not just a political decision. It comes down to issues like where are the majority of the electrical permit applications made? Where are the majority of electrical contractors? Where is the majority of the work that this electrical inspector would be doing? Where is it located? If it’s located in Hay River, the job has to be kept in Hay River.

So, Mr. Bouchard and I have both received communication from several electrical contractors in Hay River who are extremely concerned that they will not have ready access to an electrical inspector to process their applications when they need to pull a permit to do work in Hay River.

So, in response to that, we need to get some answers on what’s happening here. If we can apply for government jobs in a different location and then say can you just move the job to where I live, then I think everybody in Hay River should apply for a job with the government in Yellowknife, and when they are the successful candidate, they can just ask the staff, can we just stay in Hay River and do that job that’s actually a job in Yellowknife?

I think that we owe these folks in Hay River some answers. I don’t know if decisions have been made, but I had to bring it up here publicly today. We have not named any name of the candidates or potential candidates or where they live, but it’s a pressing issue for us as MLAs for Hay River.

Later today I will have a question for the Minister of Public Works and Services: What do we tell our concerned citizens about the position of the electrical inspector for Hay River? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we witnessed earlier today in the Great Hall with the education presentations, we have many great teachers throughout the Northwest Territories. There are those in our education system that are here to teach and those who serve to inspire their students to great heights.

Keeping on this theme, I’d like to dedicate my Member’s statement today to a group of inspiring Yellowknife teachers at St. Pat’s High School for going above and beyond what is expected as an educator.

Of course, I’m referring to the special St. Pat’s Scuba/Marine Biology 2013-2014 Club Administration Team comprising of Mr. Brent Simmons who is a PADI rescue diver, Mr. Todd Stewart, who is a PADI advanced open water diver and the driving force behind the program, Ms.

Michelle Thoms, the main course and scuba instructor.

The St. Pat’s Scuba/Marine Biology Class is a club that was started in 2000. During the past eight years, the club has taken five trips to British Columbia and as of this past May, three trips to Cozumel, Mexico.

The club’s main objective is to educate youth about marine environment, using safe and environmentally friendly techniques, the completion of a scuba certification and collection of data from a marine biology project.

Students receive credits for the marine biology course, learn First Aid and CPR and graduate with a PADI diver certification, which is also a high school credit course.

The students worked very hard at fundraising leading up to this trip and must maintain school-based academic and attendance requirements. Like any adventurous activity, there are always potential risks; however, I can assure you that these teachers supervised all the training, all PADI guidelines and provided a safe diving experience for their students.

I have great faith in our education system, knowing that we have teachers like Mr. Simmons, Mr. Stewart and Ms. Thoms going that extra mile to inspire our youth in lifelong learning.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly, join me in appreciation for their efforts. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The cost of fuel is hurting homeowners in small communities across the NWT. Seniors and those on a fixed income are especially vulnerable to increased fuel prices.

Since 1999, heating oil and propane prices have increased over 200 percent in many places. Last week Petro Canada rack rates in Hay River price diesel and furnace fuel oil at $1.01 per litre. Global demand and prices for fossil fuels continue to rise.

Government needs to look at ways to standardize fuel prices like other provinces have done. We could establish rates for private, commercial and industry customers, first in areas served by the petroleum products division and then consider ways to broaden support to the whole NWT.

We know that our years of subsidizing energy prices are dwindling. Fuel prices are among the greatest cost to individuals, communities, corporate taxpayers and the environment. We need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Not only is it draining our bank accounts, it costs the planet and people more than we can afford.

Consider the changes to our culture alone due to dependence on fuel. Fossil fuel production threatens water supplies and air quality. It compromises cultural traditions and alters our relationship to the natural world.

Advances in technology have generally made our lives easier and longer, but we also rely less on each other. People feel like they have to spend all their time working to have money and things. For the most part, modern lifestyles depend on machines and the ability to travel long distance in a short time. That isn’t all bad, but we need to remember we’re in a balance with nature.

We’re making some positive changes in promoting biomass heating systems in homes and public buildings. We need to make sure private

homeowners and eligible public housing tenants can take full advantage of more stable prices of biomass energy. The government has launched a Solar Energy Strategy, and the Diavik Mine is powering some of its own operations with wind.

We need to help Northerners manage the price of fuel while working on longer term solutions to reduce our reliance on expensive energy. I look forward to more discussion on energy solutions for the NWT over the next few days.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, housing conditions in remote communities matter to all Members of this House regardless of what constituency you represent. I want to talk about some of the public housing conditions in Paulatuk here today.

I’ve been reading some of the condition ratings provided in detail by the Housing Corporation, and I am quite concerned, and I think we need to discuss them today. Now, if you have visited or perhaps been in contact with any of the families there recently, you would hear one point of view, and of course, if you have asked for information such as I have, the Housing Corporation would have provided a briefing note which says one thing, which is a different view, and furthermore, they provided stats to back that up which, oddly enough, is something else.

Take, for example, that the Housing Corporation says that there are five units that fall under the condition rating of liveable. But, you know, when you go through their stats, they don’t actually line up. When you ask them how many units are available for families out there, they’ll tell you that there are three under one condition and two under another, and that adds up to five. But if you talk to people in the community, there are actually nine units sitting there unavailable for people to live in. It causes people to wonder, or at least it causes me to wonder: who is doing some of these condition ratings, who is counting houses, how do you lose houses, what is their ability to do condition ratings, do they actually have competencies to do these types of things, and how do we allow this to happen?

Frankly, in talking to the people in the community, they feel that these conditions that they’re living under are bleak without any hope. I hear stories that the houses there are fraught with mould, the inspections are not being done, the repair and maintenance is non-existent, and as everybody knows, most certainly people like yourself, when it costs $7 or more a pound to fly up anything, if you

shipped up one sheet of drywall, which could weigh 40 pounds, you’re paying $280 just to get that one sheet of drywall to Paulatuk, for goodness sakes. The question is: Do we have the money and are we doing what we should be obliged to, to help the people there?

I have a lengthy Member’s statement, and I don’t know where to begin. There is just so much to say about the mould there and the conditions people are living under, the fact is, are we being fair and honest with the folks there? Clearly, there is a significant need there, and I would definitely say that the responsibility of our government needs to listen clearly to this point. When we own 75 percent of the housing in Paulatuk, 60 out of 80 units, it doesn’t leave you a lot of options on where to go, so people learned that they cannot complain or they’ll be shunned. That has to end. We need something done.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May was Speech and Hearing Month, and many of us take our ability to communicate for granted, but the ability to speak, hear and be heard is far more vital to our everyday lives than most of us realize. One in six Canadians has a speech, language or hearing problem.

Each year Speech-Language and Audiology Canada dedicates the month of May to raising public awareness about communication disorders. This year in the month of May, speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel joined forces to highlight the importance of early detection and intervention in the treatment of communication disorders. Whether working with a child with autism, an adult with impaired hearing or an elderly person recovering from a stroke, their goal is this: to help people speak well, hear well, live well.

We have many chronic health conditions in the North, and hearing loss is one of them. Canada wide, hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic condition behind arthritis and hypertension, and half of all cases of hearing loss are preventable.

Hearing loss is one of the most common major conditions that is present at birth. Approximately three to five babies per 1,000 born each year have some degree of hearing loss. It’s a condition that affects a child’s understanding and use of language, and it’s one that can be easily screened for in newborns. It’s a condition that can affect a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, academic and communication development, and the sooner the

hearing problem is detected the better the chances for improvement and future success of the child.

That said, historically, hospitals only screen high-risk babies for hearing loss, but studies show that nearly half of all babies with hearing loss have no high-risk factors, so they don’t get screened. All newborns should be screened. Early identification allows for earlier intervention, which can enhance a hearing-impaired child’s development. An accurate and objective hearing screening test on a newborn can be completed in less than five minutes. The typical quoted cost is about $35. On the flipside, every case of unidentified hearing loss has been estimated to cost taxpayers $1 million.

We do have a hearing screening program in the NWT for newborns.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thanks to my colleagues. Our hearing screening program is sponsored by the Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the Department of Health and Social Services, and it’s delivered at every birthing centre in the NWT. However, it is a voluntary service for parents.

All children in the NWT deserve access to proper hearing screening to help them reach their full potential. Newborn and infant hearing screening programs must be mandated for all NWT newborns, no matter where they are born. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, sometimes we do face challenges with a lack of resources to provide certain programs and services in the Northwest Territories. As a result, we often have to partner up with organizations from the South, and a particular organization is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Although it’s June, I’d like to take time to reflect that the month of May was, and is, Vision Health Month, and actually the Senate of Canada officially declared May as Vision Health Month.

As the primary provider of vision rehabilitation programs and services to Northwest Territories residents with vision loss, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind Alberta and Northwest Territories Division knows first-hand the importance of vision health.

At this time I would like Members and residents of the Northwest Territories to consider some of the following facts about vision health and vision loss. Seventy-five percent of vision loss is avoidable

through prevention or treatment. Many serious eye conditions have no symptoms and can only be detected through a comprehensive eye exam. Even someone with 20/20 vision may be at risk, and those working with vision loss face additional health risks such as clinical depression, increased risk of falls and increased admittance rates into nursing homes.

In the Northwest Territories there are more than 1,000 residents living with vision loss. This number is expected to grow exponentially with an aging population. As you heard hear earlier today, the seniors demographic has been growing at a rate of more than 5 percent a year, as the Minister of Health alluded to a little earlier today.

The first step towards avoiding vision loss is to visit a vision health professional to receive a comprehensive eye exam. For more information, members of the public, health professionals, Members of the Legislative Assembly can actually find more information by visiting the CNIB website, cnib.ca.

At this time I would like to thank Mr. John J. McDonald, the executive director and regional vice-president of the CNIB Alberta/Northwest Territories Division for contacting all Members of the Legislative Assembly to recognize the important work that they are doing for residents of the Northwest Territories in bringing this important matter to the table for all Members of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We hear increasing concerns from parents, teachers and education professionals regarding ECE’s plan to implement a free kindergarten curriculum that many feel is inappropriate for the NWT. The curriculum, apparently a blend of kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and early grades, not only lacks benefits for four-year-olds, it may even be harmful to some aspects of child development.

The fact that our smaller communities recognize that go slow approach is required, means that we have some opportunity to get it right before irreversible damage is done. We must get professional early childhood educators in place from Junior Kindergarten suitably and ensure the development of appropriate northern JK curriculum.

Fortunately, a substantial body of work is available, a made-in-the-North program developed over the past 17 years by the Aboriginal Head Start program. For example, Aboriginal Head Start staff found that the conventional early development indicator currently in use by ECE is not appropriate

for Aboriginal students in our small northern communities. Through intensive focus and expert consultations, AHS derived an alternative assessment through which they enabled steady improvements in program performance. It is well documented and included in their rigorous evaluation reports and has been ignored by ECE in ECE’s blind rush to implement their latest edict. No attempt has been made to use the wealth of northern and Aboriginal knowledge that the AHS Council has put at the government’s disposal.

All available studies point out that in order to be effective, early childhood education programs must be of the highest quality and delivered by qualified child development professionals to be successful. Hybrid programs don’t work and are, in fact, harmful. Four-year-old children have much different needs than five and six-year-olds. People who are qualified to deliver early childhood education programs have completely different qualifications from kindergarten and early grade teachers. To ask staff to work with children that they are not qualified to teach is unfair to both the staff and the children.

Success hangs in the balance. To date, the Minister has refused to meet with AHS leaders and his staff have ignored their input. Will the Minister commit to integrating the experience and knowledge available through the Aboriginal Head Start program experience, and will he guarantee qualified professional early childhood educators to deliver an appropriately northern pre-kindergarten, not hybrid, program for every JK group?

I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over 100 years ago, Aboriginal children in Canada were sent to Indian residential schools funded by the federal government and run by Christian churches. Children were stripped of their language and cultural identity. Many were abused and neglected. Traditional practices that once bonded families together were damaged.

Canada’s attempt to wipe out the Aboriginal cultures failed, yet we’re still reeling from the effects. There’s an urgent need for reconciliation for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. May 26th is the National Day of Reconciliation and Healing declared by our government, so it’s a good time to talk about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or the TRC as it’s commonly known.

The TRC emerged out of a $5 billion settlement in 2007 between the federal government, Canadian churches and the Aboriginal people. Through the TRC independent assessment process, nearly

40,000 claims have been made. Over four million government and church documents have been collected. The testimony and the evidence has been described as devastating, incredible, beyond belief and out of this world.

In March 2014 I was fortunate enough to attend the TRC national event in Edmonton. Thousands of survivors, including myself, gave witness statements. Dozens of church representatives were also on hand to offer personal apologies.

During the event, the Alberta Aboriginal Relations Minister announced that K to 12 curriculum will include contents on the history of the residential schools.

In a similar move, the mayor of Edmonton unveiled plans to educate all city municipal workers. Edmonton has one of the largest urban populations in the country. The goal is to provide services in a more sensitive and compassionate manner

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has shed light on the shameful past as part of our past. It has accomplished a great deal. Now we need to keep the momentum going. One way to do this is to recognize how the legacy of residential schools affects Aboriginal families today. Thousands of NWT residents are dealing with this legacy. It is called intergenerational trauma. This trauma is one of the root causes of child maltreatment. It also contributes to alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues, domestic violence and poverty.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

In fact, in a recent report in the House, the Auditor General said that child and family services are failing Aboriginal families in the Northwest Territories, so the government has a major task ahead to change the welfare system.

During oral questions I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Summer has begun and the ferries across the NWT are starting their engines. At a constituency meeting in Fort Simpson last fall, the people in my riding raised the possibility of running the daily ferry at the Liard crossing from 7 a.m. until midnight. It currently runs from 8 a.m. until midnight, and people are often in a rush to attend business in Hay River or Yellowknife or make other travel connections. This spring I had initial discussions with the Department of Transportation to propose operating the ferry between the hours of

7 a.m. and 11 p.m. They suggested there would be no added cost, but to constituents there is a lost benefit if we travel to Hay River for an early appointment but still have to rush to make it back for an 11 p.m. closing.

I recently took it upon myself to survey the community on this issue. The majority of the people I spoke with prefer a 7 a.m. start. There were several that wanted a 6 a.m. start, but the consensus among residents and businesses is to keep the ferry open until midnight and not close an hour earlier. I support serious consideration of a 7 a.m. until 12 a.m. operating hours. Over the last two years I have seen increased demand for the ferry services, especially at the earlier hour.

The potential operation of the Prairie Creek Mine will bring more travel between Fort Simpson and other regional centres. The government is also trying to promote tourism and road travel throughout the Northwest Territories. These economic reasons alone support extending ferry operations by just one hour. Residents of Fort Liard will also benefit when travelling down Highway No. 7. They can arrive in Fort Simpson sooner and/or business travellers can depart down Highway No. 7 by 7 a.m.

I am sure Members of this House are familiar with the frustration road travellers experience and sometimes bring to MLAs when they miss the ferry crossing and have to sleep in their vehicles, or their travel plans are upset by inconvenient operating hours.

We can improve things by running the ferry on a more convenient timetable, and also extending the Lafferty ferry service by one hour is a reasonable request. It’s a small thing that can make a big difference.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address Junior Kindergarten that the Minister has approved for our school in the fall.

The Minister has approved this with no further funding and lack of adequate space for the new program. How does the Minister expect to have our teachers instruct the students and teach them in a learning environment with no money, no space and no plan? Our communities throughout the North have commented in-depth regarding the Junior Kindergarten Program. We need an extra $40,000 to $50,000 to help implement the program, similar to the communities that have taken on the pilot project this past year. We need to have the proper

resources to carry out Junior Kindergarten, but we need funding in order to help that happen.

Education is high on our priority list. One of our goals for this Assembly is healthy, educated people free from poverty. Our priority states: ensure a fair and sustainable health care system by investing in prevention, education and awareness and early childhood development. How can we, as a government, make these priorities happen without adequate funding? Our children need us to be their voice. Yes, we want them in school. Yes, we want them to learn. The most important time for these children to learn is in the early stages of their lives. I urge the Minister to please give us the funds and help us to implement Junior Kindergarten in our schools.

Order! The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to pay tribute to the late Michael Eugene Bridgman of Lutselk’e, who passed away on March 31, 2014. Mike was the husband of Debra Bridgman and had two daughters, Chantyle and Sarah, who lived down south in Ontario. Mike had six grandchildren, a brother named Randy and two stepsons, Michael and Paul.

Mike was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, July 6, 1951, and spent the majority of his working years working for the Ford Motor Company where he was a welder and in assembly, and he spent 30 years doing that.

Mike believed in education. Towards the end of his career he got a degree in psychology and then applied for a job, when his wife became a teacher in Lutselk’e, as an adult educator and was an adult educator from 2010 until his passing last March.

Mike was a very dedicated person to the community. Debra was transferred to the Beaufort-Delta and had many conversations with Mike, asking him if he was interested in finding work in adult education in the Beaufort-Delta, and he was. He wanted to join his wife, but at the same time he was torn because he loved Lutselk’e.

Mike had joined the Rangers there, and he was very well liked and a popular individual in Lutselk’e. The community misses him, and last Friday they held a memorial, which the majority of the community showed up for.

Mike loved Lutselk’e. He was always out on the land, and because of his background in mechanics and welding and so on, he taught of lot of technical

skills to even adult students in Lutselk’e. Recently, when the Department of Education built a new adult learning centre he was very excited. He was the first teacher to be in there and he’d indicated that really helped a lot of his students.

Again, Mike will be very sadly missed by his family and the community of Lutselk’e. Everyone that had encountered Mike always thought he was a great guy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker…[English translation not provided.]…

I’d just like to recognize and also welcome Education Hall of Fame inductees that are here with us for 2014. They are as follows: first, from the Beaufort-Delta Region, Lorna Storr. Lorna Storr is with us today. Welcome.

From the Deh Cho region, Martina Norwegian.

From the North Slave region, Liz Baile.

From the Sahtu region, George Cleary.

Not with us here today, but Celine Marlowe is another one from the South Slave region.

Also here with us as Minister’s Choice Award is Valerie Carter. Mahsi and welcome. Congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a few people in the gallery today from the NWT Seniors’ Society and the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society: Dawn Lacey, Barb Bromley, Esther Braden, Yvonne Quick, Martha MacLellan and Kim Doyle.

I’d also like to recognize and congratulate all of the inductees into the Education Hall of Fame. In particular I’d like to recognize Val Neville Carter. Everybody in their life has somebody who’s had a positive impact on their life, and if they hadn’t known that person, they might not be where they are today. For me one of those individuals is Val Neville Carter, who was my Grade 5 teacher. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her for everything that she’s done for the people of the Northwest Territories and for me as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to welcome everybody who is in the gallery with us today. I also wanted to recognize two Pages

that I have working in the Assembly from the constituency of Kam Lake. I have a Ms. Sahara Lafferty and also Ms. Hayly Soares that are with us. They both attend Ecole St. Joseph School, also located in Kam Lake. They are in Grade 8 and I would like to welcome them and also thank all the Pages for the good, hard work they put in for Members during our session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome all the visitors in the gallery and Gordon Graydon, who walks with me occasionally in the fieldhouse. I also want to recognize a Page from Yellowknife South, Chris Sangris, and also thank all the Pages for all the good work they do here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. R.C. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr, a well-deserved induction into the Education Hall of Fame. I’ve had the opportunity to know and work with Lorna for a number of years. I don’t think she has missed an Arctic Winter Games since they’ve started in 1970. I look forward to seeing her at many more.

I also want to congratulate the other recipients for being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It’s very important that we recognize the contribution that our educators make across the Territories. Judy also sends her congratulations. She asked where your clipboard was. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr from Aklavik, one of the longest serving teachers in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to extend my congratulations to the winners of the Education Hall of Fame awards today. Congratulations to every one of them. I also can’t see them, but I want to mention the seniors who are here with us today. I am wearing my purple jacket specifically to raise awareness of elder abuse. I do have three Frame Lake residents I want to single out amongst the crowds up there, so to speak: Kim Doyle, Yvonne Quick and Gordon Graydon. Welcome, everyone, to the Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to recognize the Hall of Fame inductees who were honoured today. I want to recognize Mr.

George Cleary from the original workplace of ice hockey in Canada.

---Laughter

Also, Mr. Cleary being one of the architects of the Sahtu Dene-Metis Land Claim negotiations along with my cousin and his wife, Doreen. And also the other inductees, thank you very much for your hard contribution to education for the people of the North.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to, as we begin Seniors Month, recognize the NWT and Yellowknife seniors, in particular a couple of Weledeh residents, starting with my mother, Barb Bromley; Barb Hood, president of the NWT Seniors; and I would like to join my colleagues in recognizing all the inductees of the Education Hall of Fame today. I listened to their comments and their commendations, astounding dedication and service on behalf of the people, especially the wee people of the Northwest Territories, which I know the seniors will appreciate too.

Could I just mention Val Carter? It was great to see her – I haven’t seen her for a long time – and her number one teaching assistant, of course, John Carter. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome Martina Norwegian to the gallery and congratulations on your induction into the Education Hall of Fame. Hopefully, you will see the test run of the Lafferty ferry this summer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been given a long list of seniors torecognize, so I will go through them quite quickly and I will even re-recognize a few. We’ll make sure we get them all. I’ve got Barb Hood, NWT Seniors; Kim Doyle, YK Seniors; Yvonne Quick and Carol Robinson; Mrs. Esther Braden; Dawn Lacey; Martha McLellan; Barb Bromley; Patricia Jasper; and, finally, I would like to make special mention to Mrs. Marlowe and Mrs. Carter for their educational contributions. I would also like to recognize George and Doreen Cleary, who I know. The first thing Lorna Storr said to me this afternoon was she is still scarred from the jigging contest I did with her in Tuk a few years ago. Martina Norwegian from Fort Simpson and Liz Baile, who’s not only a friend but a constituent and a neighbour in Yellowknife Centre. Congratulations to one and all. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I would like to welcome all our elders here today. It’s

always good to see Mrs. Bromley in the House. Come watch your boy, Mrs. Bromley.

---Laughter

I would really like to congratulate all our hall of famers for teaching. You have done so much for the Northwest Territories. Thank you so much for the contributions you’ve made for our youth. They are so precious with regard to their learning. Keep up what you’re doing. Keep up the good work.

Lorna Storr, congratulations. You are one of the best coaches. I took a lot of her coaching style, which is a winning style, of course.

---Laughter

Thank you so much for what you’ve done for everybody in the Beaufort-Delta. You are still going to be coaching. You’re not going to get away from us.

I’d also like to welcome into the House today, I was happy to have Kaydence Storr, the granddaughter of my uncle, Vince Steen. If you could stand up. Let’s welcome her into the House.

I’d like to welcome everybody here today. Thank you for taking an interest in the proceedings here today in the House.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge Mr. George Cleary, originally from Deline. Today George received a 2014 Education Hall of Fame Award.

George began his career as an educator in his early years of life. Although he moved to other professions, George continues to support educating his people in leadership roles and the importance of self-reliance and self-responsibilities.

Congratulations to George and his family on this worthwhile award.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement today, my questions are for the Minister of Public Works and Services.

Can the Minister confirm that a recent competition was held to attract and recruit an electrical inspector for Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can confirm that that competition was held.

As a result of that competition, can the Minister confirm for me that the position of electrical inspector with Public Works and Services will continue in Hay River as it has been for many years? Thank you.

As the Member indicated, there was a competition held. We had offered the position to an individual who was in another community. The individual had requested a desire to remain in their community. We had looked at the numbers to see if something was possible for the individual to remain in the community. Initial numbers we had looked at indicate that the position would be best to remain in Hay River. Thank you.

So, in response to the constituents who have raised a concern to us as MLAs about the availability of an electrical inspector in Hay River, and back to my question in my Member’s statement about what shall we tell them, can today we tell them that the electrical inspector’s position will continue to be located in Hay River? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the position of electrical inspector will remain in Hay River.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend marked the end of an era of the territorial Dene Ko Day Shelter located in Yellowknife. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I said territorial day shelter because that is exactly what this shelter provided: a home, a refuge and a place to feel human for over 300 homeless people from all over the territory.

Sadly, this era has come to a close with little information from the Department of Health and Social Services nor its Minister as to its return. Before I ask my questions to the Minister, I would like to take this moment to recognize the long-standing operators of the John Howard Society for their tireless efforts and, of course, to the temporary contractors of the NWT Disabilities Council that hung in there.

The debate of lack of funding for the shelter has been, for many years, a baseline of discussion in this House. Now that it is officially closed and our

downtown streets are once again facing the rigors of homelessness and poverty, we have heard absolutely nothing from the Minister on this subject.

Can the Minister indicate to the House what he is doing about this? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the winter session I think I clearly articulated that we are intending to open the shelter in September. But before we do that, we have a significant amount of work to do.

The shelter just about closed down earlier this year, and we worked really hard with Yellowknife Health and Social Services to find a provider to keep it open until May. That provider has provided us with some additional data that’s going to help us figure out the best course of action for the day shelter.

A couple of things: the building that the day shelter was located in has shut down and it will be torn down, so we have to find a new location and we have to look at the model, but these are all things that I said in the winter session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is right; it was discussed in the winter session, but we don’t know where to find a lot of this communication. It was just mentioned in Hansard.

Communication is key to transparency and accountability. As of this date we’ve heard or seen little in the way of communication since the winter session.

Can the Minister shed some light on what form of communication we can expect to see as we anticipate the reopening of the shelter? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been talking to the chair of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and the CEO, and I’ve asked them to find a solution to the upcoming September. They are working very closely with a number of NGOs in town, trying to find alternate providers, alternative locations.

When we are closer to having a decision with respect to where that location might be and who the provider will be, we’ll be advertising that information throughout Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories,. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the Minister’s response. Homelessness, poverty, mental health and addictions, all these programs require significant investment. As my grandfather always said, talk is cheap, whiskey costs money.

Can the Minister indicate to the House what level of funding his department is willing to invest to properly find a suitable operator and facilitator for the shelter once it is open? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services and Yellowknife Health and Social Services aren’t in this alone. We do have a relationship with the City of Yellowknife who has, to date, contributed $50,000 per fiscal year. On top of that $50,000, the health and social services system here in the Northwest Territories contributes an additional $250,000, $175,000 from the mental health and addictions budget and $75,000 from the anti-poverty budget. So, combined with the city, there’s a $300,000 budget to operate this facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know very well that $300,000 isn’t going to be sufficient to run this shelter, as has been proven in the past.

We have learned from our past that merely providing four walls is not in the best interest for those who use this shelter. Many MLAs have demanded that we offer rehabilitation options and hope for our homeless.

What is the Minister doing specifically to address required enhanced services and proper funding for such services as we await the opening of this new territorial day shelter?

Mr. Speaker, we’ll have a better idea what the costs will be and how far $300,000 will go once we’ve actually completed the review. As I’ve said, the provider who has helped us out for the last two months – the NWT Disabilities Council – has pulled together some really good information that’s going to help us inform the way we move forward and as far as what the design will look like and what types of services, if any, are provided in that facility. At that time I’d be happy to come to committee and the public with that information so everybody knows what we’re talking about. But until that time, we don’t know if we’re going to need additional money. Plus, we’re always looking to partner with other organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, decentralization has been a priority for this Assembly. My questions today will be for the Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Is the government expecting to announce any further government decentralization anytime soon?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we’ve pointed out, we’ve taken a three-phased approach to decentralization. We’ve now completed phase one and phase two and started phase three. I’m pleased to say that to date we’ve decentralized 124 positions from Yellowknife to centres outside of the capital, and we are actively discussing other opportunities for further decentralization under phase three. Through the leadership of the Minister of Finance and the Department of Finance, our expectation is that we will be able to identify to the standing committees as we undergo the 2015-16 business planning process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I’m glad to hear that we’ll maybe get some updates in the business planning session.

Has the Premier and his office and the Cabinet come up with this bigger plan of how this thing is going to roll out, considering the housing needs, the office space needs and how exactly these positions will be decentralized?

We always have a plan, so you can be sure of that.

As we’ve announced in the budget, we will be spending $21 million over three years to build 100 houses in communities throughout the Northwest Territories. We are also spending $783,000 for an additional 69 market rental housing units, and we’ve also approved in the Infrastructure Acquisition Plan for 2014-15 $300,000 for office space acquisition.

Our Department of Human Resources has implemented a Regional Recruitment Strategy to address the high vacancy rates outside of headquarters. With the 2015-16 Business Plan, we’ll be identifying which positions and how many positions will be decentralized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier has indicated that they have a plan in place and they’ve indicated some of the expenditures that are tied to that plan.

Is it possible for the Premier to share that plan with the general public and the Members on this side, because we haven’t seen that plan yet.

As it is our normal practice to brief the standing committee on all of these plans, we will continue to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just wondering if there’s a direct correlation. When I

look at the housing expenditures, is that where all the positions are going?

It’s not a quid pro quo. We will identify some of the houses to go to remote communities, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we will put a decentralized position in there immediately.

As we go through the business planning process, which we’ll be meeting with committees early this fall, at that time we expect that we’ll be able to outline the positions that will be decentralized.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The past previous winter, I think, was on record as the coldest winter we’ve experienced, and likely as the trends towards global warming continue, likely we’re going to see more cold winters up here in the NWT. Of course, colder winters have an effect on people’s homes in terms of their heating costs. My question is to the Minister of Public Works and Services.

How does this government help NWT consumers control the fuel pricing?

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do this in a couple of ways. For communities that are under the petroleum products division where we are providing fuel, we only charge to the individuals the cost of the fuel plus a commission plus the transportation of the fuel. In situations where we have, in the middle of winter, a sharp increase like we had seen last February, we use the Stabilization Fund that we use to run the PPD as a division to make sure that we keep the prices stable until after the winter season, and we use up some of that Stabilization Fund in order to do that.

I’d like to thank the Minister for highlighting at least one measure that the government is undertaking. It’s stabilizing the fuel prices.

What kinds of current measures are in place to help consumers meet the high price of fuel, and also, in the future, what measures would the government contemplate if indeed we have a higher than average cold winter up here and it, of course, affects the consumers and maintaining their fuel costs to heat their homes?

Another method that the department is using, the Department of Public Works, we are trying to become anchor tenants in a lot of the communities where it’s not feasible for

individual companies to have a biomass presence. What we’re trying to do as we make our units more energy efficient, we’re introducing biomass in some of our buildings so that there is some volume there for an individual to be able to… A business can be created in the small community where biomass becomes feasible for them as the distributor into a community because they would have a good anchor tenant as in the Government of the Northwest Territories. This would allow to bring in, for example, the wood pellets at a reasonable cost so that they can resell those back to individuals that can convert their units from just fuel to a combination of fuel and biomass or just biomass.

I think it’s an acknowledged fact and reality that the biggest factor, in terms of determining the vibrancy of the economy, is just the cost of infrastructure, and one of them is in terms of the fuel prices. At some point government has to step in on behalf of, of course, its citizens, and so I wanted to ask the question: What steps is the government taking to standardize fuel pricing? The Minister has outlined some complementing initiatives such as biomass as one example.

At some point will the government look at standardizing fuel prices for the NWT?

The Department of Public Works is responsible for providing fuel, heating fuel to communities where there are no other individuals that find it feasible to provide that product to the people. So in communities where our department is providing fuel, we do that and it’s just at a cost basis. There is no actual increase to the charge of fuel other than just to get it into the community and provide it to the individuals. We do have some charge that’s in the Stabilization Fund. That is something that I had indicated earlier that that type of stabilization fund is then used to support the communities or provide funding to the communities where the prices go up sharply, and we try to stabilize the costs with that.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is in terms of fuel and its pricing in terms of the oil and gas industry. Surely the Minister of Public Works and Services, in terms of the department monitoring the fuel prices and its fluctuations, what future trends can northern consumers expect in terms of fuel pricing as we go into the summer, the fall and the winter?

The department does buy all fuel at wholesale. We do try to look for the best wholesale price. Having said that, I am not able to answer the Member’s question. I don’t have the information of what our anticipated fuel costs would be going into the future.

What we do is we have the trends that we recognize that fuel goes up and down on a daily basis and then slowly inching upward, but we recognize that the wholesale purchase this year compared to the wholesale purchase last year was substantially higher this year. Therefore, there were increases of up to 19 cents, 20 cents on a litre of gasoline, fuel products and so on this year over last year.

Unfortunately, going into the future, I don’t have that information with me, but I would be willing to provide that to the Member if I can get that from the organization that works on that for us.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Colleagues, before we go on today, I’d like to welcome my daughter Chelsey into the House. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has provided me with a briefing note. The Minister has provided me with some stats. The Minister has provided me with some further information, and oddly enough, all these three pieces of information conflict with each other. I’ve talked to the people in the community of Paulatuk and their information conflicts with all three pieces even further.

I’d like to ask the Minister of the Housing Corporation who is doing these particular assessments on these units, what is their qualification, what are their competencies and when were the assessments of these units in Paulatuk last done to know that they’re up to date, because the condition ratings given to me in these pieces of paper are not what’s actually on the ground, and I would challenge him to say that they’re being done by qualified, professional people who can make these proper assessments.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a lot of confidence in our LHO maintenance ability to do these condition ratings. We do have some training with them. The latest batch of condition ratings would have been completed as of March 31, 2014. Out of the 2,160 units across the NWT, we’ve got 2,146 that have been completed. They were completed as of March 31, and again, we do have a tremendous amount of confidence in our LHO maintenance staff’s ability to do these condition ratings as they have been doing them for a while.

I’m glad we have confidence in these people who deliver the program, because somebody who, obviously, we have confidence in

said all the molding material was removed, area was treated, new material was installed, and by the way, that’s the fall of 2014. There is conflicting information with this work done. I’m speaking to people in the community. The Housing Corporation owns 75 percent of the housing units. There is nowhere else to go. They’re deplorable.

Will the Minister step this up and do an evaluation of all the housing in Paulatuk, because there are no options and nowhere to go, and people are living in unhealthy, unsanitary conditions there that need to be addressed now.

Two of our units in the community are very good, but I will commit to going in there and doing an assessment. We have people from our district office going up there all the time and working with the community, and some of the numbers may be different because the numbers that we use are the assets that we control. There may be some homeownership units that are in there that the residents might be counting amongst our units because Housing would have been responsible for building those units in the first place, but at the end of the day they’re homeownership units.

I will follow up and make sure that all of the information that we have is current and up to date, and I will share it with the Member as well as the MLA for Nunakput. Thank you.

Back to my very first question, I will accept that as an offer, but back to my first question. I want to find out what competencies that these people who are going to go in there and do these particular assessments. I suspect that the everyday person can spot mould, but are they aware of what type of mould it is and how dangerous it is?

We have overcrowding in that community and we have zero options. We own 60 of the 80 units in that town and there’s nowhere to go, but there are nine sitting empty with nothing being done, but your information provided to me says there’s only three. So we need to find out what’s actually happening on the ground. What is the Minister prepared to do?

As I said before, I’m prepared to confirm all of those numbers, any information. I’ll confirm the nine units, whether some of them are homeownership units that may have been just lumped together with our own assets.

As far as the mould issue goes and the competency, again, our folks on the ground, because there are more and more issues with mould, there are many remediations, and that we try to communicate to the residents of the communities, but once we identify a unit with mould, we either try to remediate it, or in some

cases where it’s not being able to be remediated, we will dispose of the unit.

Again, I will confirm all that information and make sure all of the information correlates and I will share that with the Members. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re getting somewhere on this file and I want to be very clear. Will the Minister send proper professionals with appropriate credentials to go and assess those particular units, not send some secretary in there to walk out or some administrative assistant to walk in there, count heads, count bodies, whatever the case may be to say is your unit well. I want competent professionals that can go in there, assess them properly, develop a plan with the community and show them that the housing issues matter to them. Because right now I’m getting calls that there’s an oil spill in that town, people don’t know what’s going on, they see pads all over the ground, it’s springtime. That means that fuel could be going anywhere. We need to ensure that this community is safe and taken care of. Thank you.

I can assure the Member that this community is safe and is taken care of. As with every other community, there are small issues that we have to deal with from time to time. As far as the mould goes, our folks in the community are getting more educated on mould and its effects. If they see mould and they need a further opinion, we do have folks in the district offices now that have taken mould identification and remediation training. We will send them to the community as we did with another community in the Beau-Del where we heard in the community meeting that they had some issues with mould. The very next day we had one of our folks go in there that just completed the training, and I haven’t heard the latest out of that yet, but we’re looking forward to seeing that.

Again, I mean, I will make sure that in dealing with these issues that all those folks are qualified, and if there is some identification that they’re unable to work with, then they will call in the appropriate people. We’re not sending secretaries or administrative assistants into these units to do the condition ratings. All of our LHO maintenance people are qualified. Thank you.

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