This is page numbers 6391 – 6418 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 services.

Topics

Members Present

Hon. Glen Abernethy, Hon. Tom Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Blake, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Dolynny, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Jackie Jacobson, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Moses, Mr. Nadli, Hon. David Ramsay, Mr. Yakeleya

The House met at 1:29 p.m.

---Prayer

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, earlier today I had the opportunity to recognize award recipients within the Government of the Northwest Territories and their collaborative partners from outside the public service with the Premier’s Awards for Excellence and Collaboration in a ceremony in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly.

These innovative, engaged staff are essential in providing the best possible service to the people of the Northwest Territories, and I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 Premier’s Awards.

Award for Excellence – Individuals:

• Dr. Sarah Cook with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority.

Award for Excellence - Employee Teams:

• The Government of the Northwest Territories Deline Final Self-Government Agreement Ratification Team; the Incident-free Highway 3 Forest Fire Traffic Management 2014 Team; the Wellness Court Program Implementation Team; and the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic Link Project Development Team.

Award for Collaboration:

• The Lutselk’e Dictionary Project; and the Education Renewal Innovation Education Partners.

Dave Ramsden Career Achievement Award:

• Sabrina Broadhead with the Department of Health and Social Services.

Government service officers from across the Northwest Territories were also recognized for the

important work they do in providing day-to-day services to our residents in the communities. Recently they, as part of the Single Window Service Centre model, were the recipients of the Bronze Award in the Federal/Provincial/Territorial category of the national IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award for 2014.

Also presented this morning was the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration. This new award was created by the Northwest Territories Regional Group of IPAC, with the Commissioner as its patron. Each year it will recognize a public sector practitioner whose career exhibits the highest standard of excellence, dedication and accomplishment. The first-ever recipient of this award was the deputy minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Peter Vician. Thank you to IPAC NWT for establishing this new award celebrating excellence in public service and for recognizing a very deserving recipient.

Mr. Speaker, as we near the end of our term, I invite Members to join with me in thanking our public service employees for a job well done. Their energy, drive and commitment to implement and achieve our priorities are evident throughout the entire public service and together we have accomplished much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Minister of Transportation

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to announce that later today I will table an updated territory-wide, multi-modal Transportation Strategy, entitled “Connecting Us: Northwest Territories Transportation Strategy 2015-2040.” This important document will guide further development of our integrated air, road, rail and marine systems over the next 25 years. With this strategy, the Department of Transportation will work towards a vision of “Northerners connected to opportunities,” based on three key strategic objectives.

The first, Strengthening Connections, represents the department’s dedication to continuing to improve the existing transportation system. The second objective is Capturing Opportunities, signaling the department’s intensions to expand the system. The third objective is Embracing Innovation, through which the department strives to improve its operations and the way it delivers its services to the public.

Our strategy was developed with substantial public and stakeholder input. Over the last year, staff with the Department of Transportation worked to ensure this strategy reflects the priorities identified by residents and users of the NWT transportation system.

Mr. Speaker, these objectives support the goals identified by Members of this Assembly. Supporting a diversified economy while providing communities with opportunities through better connections is necessary for a prosperous future for our territory.

The department anticipates the release of two additional documents related to the strategy this fall. A transportation report card, the evaluation framework for the strategy, will include statistics that provide a benchmark to measure the department’s success. In addition, the department will develop a four-year action plan for implementation beginning in 2015-16.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all those who participated in the development of the NWT Transportation Strategy by providing their input. The department will continue working hard to meet your expectations and to deliver an enhanced transportation system in the NWT over the next 25 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my statement yesterday, my theory about trends coming forward in this government, the private sector is taking a hit at the hands of this government. Yesterday I talked about including stakeholders in private industry who have been on the front line of these sectors for years. Today I want to offer my observations about our government’s latest direction in fighting forest fires.

Buffalo Airways has been involved in that industry for 45 years. Twenty of those 45 years with the CL-215s, named the ducks, and you only have to see them parked on the tarmac to see why they are called the ducks.

Over those 45 years, Buffalo Joe has done everything from smoke patrol, Single Otter water bombing, helicopter water bombing, 10 years of birddogging and 20 years with the 215s. Based on that history, let me go out on a limb here and suggest this is a person and a company that may know a bit about aircraft and a bit about fighting fires.

We heard in Committee of the Whole, the last time we considered the capital infrastructure, all of the things that are wrong with the 215s such as access to avgas, an aging fleet, the turnaround time if they’re too far from a sufficiently sized body of water. We heard that the new proposed fleet of 802s would be the ideal solution for fighting fires here in the North.

A government-owned solution grounding a fleet of privately owned aircraft, we made every argument we could think of to dissuade this government and this Minister from dismantling this tried and proven fleet in our northern arsenal from fighting fire. We even suggested a hybrid approach: add the 802s but keep the 215s, as each aircraft has a very different capability and application. But no, this Minister will hear nothing of it.

Fast forward one year and already Alberta has lost two 802s. Two accidents, two planes down. One fatality in these single-manned 802s with floats that were never intended for the task of fighting a big fire with smoke updrafts and the restricted maneuverability of adding floats to an aircraft designed for fair-weather crop dusting, short hauls and small fires. But the 215s, like the DC3s and DC4s, are flying tanks meant for heavy payload and can fly into the kind of atmospheric conditions that are created by a large fire.

I want to ask if anyone else sees a trend here, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please.

---Unanimous consent granted

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

I want to ask if anyone else sees a trend here. This disregard for a private sector company with years of experience and knowledge to bring to the costly and complicated science of fighting fires. This is the mindset of a government bent on increasing government while throwing out the private sector with potentially dire and irreversible consequences.

I pose the question: How does that jibe with the GNWT is open for business? The Northwest Territories is open for business investment and we travel all over the world with that message. How do these actions jibe with that? Mr. Speaker, there’s only 173 days left in this Assembly and all I can say is thank God.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With another tax season behind us, I’m reminded that the northern residents deduction has not changed since 2008 when it went up a paltry 10 percent. A lot of things have changed through the years, particularly the cost of living in the country, and this is one thing that seems to go up and never seems to come down. To think about it, taxes often defy gravity in the same way.

Yes, I know our Finance Minister is not responsible for the federal taxes we pay, nor can he increase northern residents deduction on his own, but he could use his persuasive power to sway his federal colleagues. I will offer a few good reasons why he should do just that.

Increasing the northern residents deduction would keep more dollars in the NWT economy, benefiting northern residents’ businesses. The northern residents deduction was implemented to stimulate growth in the Northwest Territories by helping compensate for the high cost of living. It is not delicious irony that the deduction has not kept up with inflation, not even close. If we want to increase our population, raising the northern residents deduction should be part of our plan.

We know the cost of living is a big problem, so let’s put a little bit more cash in Northerners’ pockets. Businesses will be on side. Boosting the northern residents deduction helps northern employers, including big employers, such as the mines and our own government, to attract the skilled people we so desperately need. We do compete in other jurisdictions for people, and even some of our own students go work down south. So let’s turn that around.

These are just a few reasons, and I can go on and on, but I bring this because the Finance Minister has not mentioned northern residents deduction when he talks about our government strategy for growing our population. Our government seems pretty shy about taking the case to the federal government, but this is an election year, a time for opportunity, for persuading our federal politicians to do the right thing and I hope the Minister is listening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Income Assistance Issues
Members’ Statements

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about a subject that I’ve been seeing difficulties with over my term as MLA. We as MLAs get concerns from all kinds of industry, all kinds of individuals, all kinds of groups, but some individuals come to us with a concern. I’ll talk to you about some of the income assistance clients that I’ve seen over the last year who have come to me and talked to me about an injustice.

These income assistance individuals receive some sort of small payment – a GST cheque, income from RWED for fur – and these are small amounts of dollars. We’re talking about $40, or $80. Because they receive this amount of money and they don’t declare that money, then their income assistance for that month is docked. They lose all the income for their family for that whole month.

I’ve brought it to the attention of the department and staff. Normally, staff are able to help me out and say, “Yes, there’s flexibility here. Maybe we could deal with it this way.” But they said, “The act is clear; this act doesn’t allow us to just deduct that amount from the next payment,” so that that family has income for the month, they don’t have to beg or borrow money to survive for that month.

We need to change this act that allows us, as a government, to be responsive to our citizens and say, “Yes, you received a $40 GST cheque and we understand you didn’t recognize it. We’re going to just deduct that from your next income.” That’s a reasonable approach.

The unreasonable approach is that we remove all that income from that family for the whole month. I’ve discussed it with the Minister today, and we may not have questions today because of time, but I know the Minister here is listening and I know the Minister has committed to me to looking into changing inequality in our system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Income Assistance Issues
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi. As we all know, last year’s fires signalled a bumper crop of morel mushrooms for this year. Our public information sessions have been extremely popular and people are eager to get involved and get picking.

One Fort Providence resident, Ms. Jessica Minoza, even won a $5,000 prize for her smart start-up: training local people in ethical picking, keeping profits in the NWT. But we’re still facing challenges and it seems like some of them we didn’t anticipate.

First, morels need warm, wet weather to grow. Our hot, dry weather keeps the pickers waiting, potentially straining the resources of small communities. Dry weather also increases fire risks. Morels may thrive on burned land, but fires can also destroy new growth, sending money up in smoke.

Second, the NWT is Canada’s prime spot for morels, but prices fluctuate based on harvests around the world. Experts suggest that this year’s prices could be as much as 50 percent lower than last year. That’s five to eight dollars per pound. Past projections from government had hinted at revenues of $10 million, but we don’t know how much would stay in the NWT.

With the rush of prospective pickers, there are also risks for people who are unfamiliar with the land. One picker was lost for nine hours.

I hope that the government will work with the Deh Gah Got’ine Dene First Nations’ recommendation, and that is to establish local monitors that should be appointed to improve safety and to enhance the current enforcement plan.

Because right now morel regulations are still being developed, leaving a “hands-off” approach for this season, this means that the government must be vigilant, making sure that each buyer has the required business licence and that all commercial pickers have the correct permits. Rules like these make sure that all pickers and buyers are on a level playing field and protect the land that produces morels.

I hope to see the morel season pick up and I wish all pickers and buyers the best, reminding them to consult the public handbook, take safety precautions, stay fire smart and keep the land clean. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Funding Long-Term Care
Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We hear a lot about our financial situation from the government every year almost every time the House sits, and it’s all doom and gloom. “We have no money,” we keep hearing.

I’m all for being fiscally prudent and I compliment the Finance Minister and staff for their ability to keep us financially solvent, but I’m also a firm believer in searching for new revenues and thinking outside the box to find them. We haven’t done much of either in my years in the Assembly.

Towards the end of the 16th Assembly, action was taken to look at supplementary health benefits. A working group spent many hours considering possible changes which might reduce the cost of the program. When word of potential changes got out into the public, there was a great hue and cry and change was abandoned. But it’s time to again consider new approaches to how we provide health care services to our residents.

I have no illusions. Asking people to pay for something that has always been free does not go over well. But it is time to look at means testing for residents using one specific service, and that would be long-term or extended care, the most expensive of all of our seniors’ housing options.

Our senior population is growing and it will continue to grow. Many more seniors are retiring in the North. As they age in the North, they will eventually require long-term or extended care.

A good portion of our northern retirees have pretty good pensions. They can well afford to pay actual costs for their long-term or extended care housing. Most importantly, many seniors are willing to pay for that kind of accommodation.

But Health and Social Services and Cabinet seem unwilling to rock the boat, to even think about such a change. Say "means testing" and "qualify for a program" in the same breath and people treat you like a pariah. But I believe it’s time to rip the band-aid off, as they say, and reopen the conversation from four years ago. It is time we started charging realistic rent for long-term care for those who can afford it. Thank you.

Funding Long-Term Care
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I made a couple of statements in this House about some of the great people that we have in Inuvik and today I want to continue that kind of a trend of Member’s statements that I have been doing over the last couple of weeks.

I too was able to attend the Premier’s Award of Excellence this morning and I would like to congratulate all individual and team award recipients. I want to state that their contribution to the government, to the residents of the North and to our culture is much appreciated.

I would like to recognize and appreciate one person in particular. This morning I was very glad to see that Mr. Peter Clarkson was recognized. He wasn’t recognized for only one award, he was actually recognized for two different types of programs that we have been pushing and have been priorities of this government and have been doing really great things.

First off, he was recognized as a recipient for the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic Link Project Development Team, of which we have been hearing really good things and has been very innovative and is going to bring us up to speed on how the Northwest Territories does business, not across Canada but across the world.

The second award that he was recognized for is the single window service centres. That in itself has come a long way in helping people in the remote and the small communities get the help, get the support that they need by educating and training these individuals to help our elders, to help those who might have learning disabilities and to help people in the small communities. I just want to recognize Mr. Peter Clarkson for being a reward recipient today of two awards. I am not sure if there is anybody in the past that has been recognized for two different occasions.

A little bit about Peter is he is a very strong community advocate. He has helped with the building, the structure of the Children First Centre and the Midnight Sun Recreation Centre. He has also helped organize the film and photo festival that goes on every year. He is very involved in the community on various levels. At one point he was a councillor and the mayor of Inuvik, and I was very glad to serve with him in my tenure as a town councillor when he was serving as our mayor. Not only that but he does have a compassion for the people in the community, a strong compassion for our elders in long-term care and in the community. He has been known to provide traditional foods to people in the community of Inuvik.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Although Peter wasn’t here to receive his awards today, I want to recognize him nonetheless. I know he would have loved to be here but I know he’s doing some work. His commitments to his work have made him not be here today.

Currently Peter is our public administrator for the Inuvik region and he is doing a very great job with all the departments that we have under government. He also does a really great job coordinating visits when government comes to town, or any other ambassadors, whether from across Canada, international or from the GNWT.

I would like the Members to join me in recognizing Mr. Peter Clarkson, two time recipient of the Premier’s Award of Excellence today. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Basic Guaranteed Income
Members’ Statements

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has chosen to pursue a focus on helping people lift themselves out of poverty. Unfortunately, the welfare-based system we now have in place has proven unsuccessful. It is complex, intrusive and inefficient and administration is too costly. Not enough dollars are getting through to the people who need them. Instead they are chewed up by an increasingly expensive bureaucracy. Positive outcomes are few and far between and the cycle of poverty deepens.

Economists of all political stripes, both right and left, agree that a better and more effective tool is the basic guaranteed income. Automatically topping up the incomes of people living in poverty using direct automatic payments through the existing tax system has many benefits. It allows families to keep their assets, get off and stay off social assistance, and it negates the need for an expensive bureaucracy to oversee a system of applications, monitoring, and a continuous justification on the part of the recipients.

The system encourages people to find work by giving them the security of an income guarantee without the fear of being worse off by working, unlike the current system with its clawbacks for extra income.

The idea of a guaranteed annual income is gaining traction. In Finland, the Pro-Basic Income Party won the recent national election. Calgary Mayor Nenshi, at the National Poverty Reduction Summit last month in Ottawa, called for a “brave step” toward a basic income guarantee. Edmonton mayor Iveson spoke in favour of it, suggesting that Alberta’s two largest cities should pilot it towards poverty solutions that work.

The premier of PEI is on record as supporting a guaranteed income. Groups are sprouting up all over Canada and an international movement towards poverty reduction based on a guaranteed income is growing worldwide.

We in the NWT have the dubious distinction of having the greatest income disparity in Canada. Rather than pursuing the same hopeless techniques for poverty reduction, we need to do something different. It’s time to give a new idea a chance, and the new idea that is most likely to be successful is a basic income guarantee. Where is the pilot study on this potential? We have nothing to lose but poverty. Let’s at least look into it and include it on our transition papers.

Basic Guaranteed Income
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As all Members know, the community of Deline has for years been concerned about the waters of Great Bear Lake. It has worked hard to ensure that the development proceeds in a way that does not do undue harm to the environment, the cultural integrity of the lake and its watershed. The community has been a leader in the field of sustainable development and engaged fully in the negotiations which resulted in the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement and the land use planning process which resulted in the Sahtu Land Use Plan. It led the development of the Great Bear Lake Watershed Management Plan and recently successfully concluded the Deline Final Self-Government Agreement. Deline has been supportive and part of a Devolution Agreement which has been another incident of self-government.

In recognition of Deline’s leadership, a nomination for international recognition in sustainable development has been submitted to the United Nations education council and cultural organization Man and the Biosphere Program. This designation, if approved by UNESCO, would be the first such designation north of 60 anywhere. It would firmly endorse the use of northern tools and ensuring responsible economic development proceeds in the context of sound environmental stewardship. It will place a spotlight on Deline and the Northwest Territories as a place where sustainable development is actively practiced and led by Northerners. The designation is entirely consistent with the principles embedded in the Land Use and Sustainability Framework, the Sustainable Development Policy and in our regulatory system. In effect, the Premier’s Award of Excellence at an international scale.

The designation would fully endorse the northern tools promoted by the Government of the Northwest Territories, including the land claims, the Sahtu Land Use Plan and the Great Bear Lake Watershed Management Plan. It celebrates the success of those tools and confirms the importance on an international scale.

My question to the government: Is this government supporting Deline’s nomination?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. My observation is that our current government prides itself on thinking big but often forgets its duty to also think small. All too regularly our small communities are an afterthought when this government plans its big projects such as the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line. My colleagues across the floor sold this 80-some million dollar project to me and other Members partly on the benefit it would bring to the small communities along the route such as Wrigley. There were promises that a fibre optic line would serve those communities with faster and cheaper Internet, better service and health centre and better learning in our schools. Yet, even as this line is being dug into the ground in the Mackenzie Valley, the government has not publicly laid out its plan for small communities along the route. I haven’t heard about any construction opportunities for them either.

Communities in my riding are concerned about this lack of planning and communication, in particular Wrigley. It’s a sensitive matter. I suggest the government be proactive. In April, Wrigley’s leadership announced withdrawal of their support for the fibre optic line. Land claim issues and lack of progress on the Dehcho Process are big factors in that, but it is a much easier decision to pull support when the government does not see the benefits of this fibre optic project.

Of course, “big picture” interests do see the benefits: the European space industry, federal government departments, big companies like Ledcor, which is building the line, and NorthwesTel. I would like to see some small thinking and see it very soon.

Let’s see some business opportunities and jobs in the small communities along the route of the fibre optic line. Let’s see the details on how the line will serve our health centres, schools, local governments, businesses and homes. Think small.

Like Highway No. 7, this will be my next favourite two words to this government: think small. The result might be bigger than they think. Thank you very much.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier mentioned that this morning we had a number of awards here at the Legislative Assembly today. Of those recognized of the single window service centres, I have three constituents out of those 22 people. Ms. Shandel McLeod, Ms. Diane Koe and Mrs. Maureen Cardinal-Clark were the three GSOs who we have in our communities.

They do a lot of work on our behalf, going visiting elders and people who cannot come out to the offices. They’re a great help to our communities and I hope that as we move forward that this program continues. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Public Housing Needs
Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To my surprise when I opened up page 3 of the Yellowknifer today, I saw and I counted 194 families still in need of some type of shelter.

What it is, is a cry to this government for more housing, more emergency shelters, more transitional space. These shouldn’t be numbers that anyone should be proud of. This government itself should be hanging its head in shame.

Last year the government built just over one house per 33 communities. The actual stat was 1.15, when you do the math. This government has allowed 19 percent of the NWT houses to still have core need. The poverty list isn’t getting any shorter. It continues to go unaddressed, and while housing solutions are being ignored by the lackluster investment, we only have no further to look to either the McLeod government or to the Minister R.C. McLeod and start to wonder where they are fighting at the Cabinet table for more money in housing.

There has never been a session that has gone by that I have not heard “we need more housing.” There is not a week that doesn’t go by when I hear from somebody in our community that needs more housing in Yellowknife, and I know that cry is equal, if not worse, in the smaller communities. People need housing solutions.

I never hear about how people are fighting at the Cabinet table about let’s find more money for housing. I just hear about nothing else at all. As a matter of fact, the fact is that they’re all worried about their own little projects. I wish somebody would take housing on as their individual project and become the champion of it.

So, what we see and what we hear is the defence of the status quo. We hear how CMHC, oh boo hoo, no more money. Well, the fact is I’m sick and tired of hearing that. Why don’t we find new solutions? If we keep blaming CMHC, eventually we’re not going to have anyone to blame but ourselves. Well, I certainly hope that we get to that solution a lot faster.

Better yet, if we wanted to do something, this government could show some real brass leadership by leaning forward and saying, “We’re going to build 20 new homes in every community. Now, we don’t need the money immediately, but we could come up with a plan.” Plans such as it would create a jobs boom; we could re-orientate some of our income support money; we could re-orientate some of our housing money; and there are a lot of other types of ways. We could challenge the private sector to say, “We need 20 new units in that community. How can you step up to the challenge?” Money wouldn’t be needed immediately, but it would be over a trend of a couple years as we did payments.

As my time runs out, I certainly hope the enthusiasm of this government doesn’t run out on this problem. Thank you.

Public Housing Needs
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, I have the great honour and privilege today to introduce a special group from Range Lake North School, a Grade 6 class of social studies. I got to know this class over the year and they’re an incredible group of students, so it’s my pleasure to have them in the House today here and I’d like to introduce each and every one of them. I have Mathieu Durnford, Matthew Broadis, Genesis Saturos, Rayyane Awan, Ethan Aumond, Naba Osman, Stephanie Walsh, Sarah Campbell, Hannah Downes, Aishah Mohammed, Abbey Newberry and I’ve got Drew Wolfe, and unfortunately, two of their colleagues aren’t here today. I know that they’re very enthusiastic, I got to meet them many times, and that’s Elle Mitchener and Bailey Johnston. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank their teacher, who’s very politically inclined to learn a lot about that and she teaches a lot of this stuff in her classroom, and that’s Josiane Asselin. Thank you. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my good constituency assistant, Mr. Grant Pryznyk, for coordinating all this. You know, Mr. Speaker, before I leave, these students definitely are our future, and if they are, I can tell you our future is really bright. Thank you. Thanks for coming.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Ramsay.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I hosted the first ever Mining Industry Advisory Board meeting here in Yellowknife. This was a key recommendation from our Mineral Development Strategy and it certainly is an honour here today to welcome four of the six members of that board with us today, so I wanted to recognize them: Mr. Don Bubar of Avalon Rare Metals; Mr. John Kearney, Canadian Zinc; Ms. Leni Keogh of Olivut Resources; Mr. Rod Brown of Discovery Mining Services. Not able to be with us today and I should mention the chair of the advisory board is Mr. Brendan Bell from Dominion Diamond Corp, and also Mr. Darrel Beaulieu from DEMCo. I also wanted to recognize the

ex officio

members, Brooke Clements, president of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and with Brooke is Mr. Tom Hoefer, executive director of NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to thank them for all of their commitment to the Northwest Territories and advancing the interests of mining here in the Northwest Territories.

I also wanted to recognize, if I could, a couple of Pages that I have in the Assembly: Marionne Gacayan from Weledeh School and Umairah Mutoola from Weledeh School as well. I also wanted to thank all of the Pages for all of the hard work they put in for Members during this sitting of the House. Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize two presenters who assisted with the awards. One was Matt Young from NWT IPAC and also Charles Perron from Canadian Public Sector Leader, Deloitte, for the awards that were awarded this morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of people in the Gallery also. I’d like to first recognize Don Bubar, president of Avalon Rare Metals. I’m hoping that someday there might be a rare metals mine in Tu Nedhe. That’ll be good for the workers of Tu Nedhe, both Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e.

Also, I would like to recognize Tom Hoefer, executive director of the NWT Chamber. Tom and I actually worked together in the ‘70s. That is hard to believe, but true.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. That’s only 40 years ago. Mr. Yakeleya.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Tom Hoefer. Mr. Hoefer gave me a picture of one of our most respected elders in the Sahtu and I want to thank Tom for that picture. It means a lot to me. Thank you, Tom, and congratulations to the new board on mining development.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I would like to welcome everybody here in the public gallery. Thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees, Mr. Moses.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Social Programs would like to read in our report on Bill 47, An Act to amend the Child and Family Services Act. Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Proceed, Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Social Programs is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act and commend it to the House.

Introduction

Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, makes enhancements to the Child and Family Services Act. The bill is a long-awaited response to the statutory review by the Standing Committee on Social Programs in 2010.

The bill proposes to expand services offered to youth, require Aboriginal organizations to be notified in advance of child-apprehension hearings or youth-protection hearings, require the director of child and family services to advise clients of their right to legal counsel, provide for mediation processes, require an application for an apprehension order to include a statement of alternatives that were considered, require a review of the act every five years, include involvement in prostitution as grounds for a child or youth needing protection, and adjust time limits for temporary custody depending on the child’s age.

Bill 47 was referred to the committee on March 3, 2015. The public hearing with the Minister was held on April 20, 2015. The clause-by-clause review was held on June 1, 2015. With the Minister’s agreement, five motions to amend the bill were passed at the clause-by-clause review. These amendments are discussed below.

In its review of Bill 47, the committee heard from many stakeholders, including the family law section of the Northwest Territories branch of the Canadian Bar Association; the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner; the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society; UNICEF; the Canadian Equal Parenting Council; the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission; the Greenland family in Aklavik; social workers, including government employees and those in private practice; community advocates; and dozens of residents from across the Northwest Territories.

The committee held public meetings in Yellowknife, Ndilo, Hay River, K’atlodeeche First Nation, Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Deline, Inuvik and Aklavik. Poor weather prevented the committee from flying to Fort Liard and Tuktoyaktuk as planned. During the two-week itinerary, Members also heard from residents about Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act.While there was broad support for the bill’s provisions, numerous ideas for improvements were raised. In addition, scores of stakeholders and private residents pointed out deficiencies in the child and family services system. These matters are addressed in the remainder of the report. The concluding section is devoted to recommendations for additional courses of action.

Echoes of the 2010 Report

The department’s poor track record in the area of child and family services cast a dark shadow over the committee’s review of Bill 47. The 2010 report served as a ready reference document and the bleak results of the 2014 report of the Auditor General of Canada were fresh in the minds of Members, including the report’s conclusion that the department had been failing to meet key legislative requirements. While Members are pleased to see a number of recommendations from the 2010 report reflected in the bill, they noted that nearly five years have elapsed. This lack of urgency demonstrates that the child and family services occupy a low priority status on the government’s agenda. Indeed, many stakeholders are pessimistic about the bill resulting in meaningful change.

In a similar vein, some stakeholders stated that the amendments of the act will not address the core issues at hand because legislation and policies are only as good as the infrastructure, the programs and staff that are in place in the communities.

In keeping with the core findings in the 2010 report, dozens of residents and community advocates called for greater compassion from child protection workers and the system in general. It also called for a collaborative approach for dealing with family members as opposed to an adversarial approach.

Noting the legacy of the residential school system and the loss of so many children due to child protection concerns, numerous stakeholders requested a stronger focus on prevention and early intervention strategies, including parenting skills and help for families who are healing from the impact of trauma, addictions, and intergenerational abuse.

The widespread lack of resources was another prevalent theme. One long-time foster parent said, “When I look around at what services are available, I see nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.” Dozens of respondents complained about a lack of resources across the board from the lack of funding for respite care to give foster parents occasional relief from the duties to the lack of resources for FASD children and their families and the high rates of staff turnover, which lead to patchy and inadequate service delivery.

Several social workers described their heavy caseloads, noting that the volume, complexity and intensity of work in the North poses greater demands on them than their southern peers. Along with a number of private residents, these overworked social workers called for more effective interdepartmental collaboration, especially in small communities where resources are thin on the ground.

It is worth noting that the Tlicho Community Services Agency reported a number of positive changes flowing from the department’s action, which was developed in response to the Auditor General’s 2014 report.

Mediation

During the review of Bill 47, scores of stakeholders and residents called for a stronger mediation process as an alternative to the adversarial court process. Members recalled this is one of the core recommendations from the committee’s 2010 report, and commended the Minister for including a mediation provision in the bill. However, Members agreed with the stakeholders who asked for the provision to be fleshed out. The committee saw merit in the submission from the family law section in the NWT branch of the Canadian Bar Association and agreed with a number of its recommendations. Accordingly, the committee brought forward three motions:

1. A motion was passed to ensure that the parties entering into mediation jointly agree on who will serve as a mediator.

2. A motion was developed to ensure that communications and evidence gathered during any mediation process will be treated as confidential and not used in court proceedings.

The Minister agreed with these two motions.

1. A motion was developed to authorize a judge to order parties to engage in mediation and to set the terms for such a process and to direct the child and family services to cover the cost of the mediation.

The Minister did not concur with that motion. As it is unlikely that parents involved in child protection proceedings will be able to afford the cost of such mediation, Members urged the department to reconsider its position. The committee noted that mediation support of child protection concerns is very successful in other Canadian jurisdictions. With the help of trained and neutral mediators, parents are brought together with social workers, children, grandparents and extended family members, as well as band representatives, legal counsel and others to identify joint solutions. Successful mediations typically result in agreements about such matters as who will care for the child, who will have access to a child in care, how parents can participate in support services, and how the plan of care will unfold. Mediations build trust through collaboration, and thus foster less adversarial relationships between the parties. Indeed, parents who have participated in successful mediations often report that the process enabled them to “find a voice” and feel empowered to make positive changes. The committee believes that greater use of mediation will, in the long run, result in cost savings by virtue of earlier resolution of matters.

It is worth noting that, in the midst of the review, the committee inquired about the department’s capacity to provide mediation services in each of the 33 communities of the Northwest Territories. In its correspondence, the committee noted that a number of mediators are based in Yellowknife but that capacity would likely need to be developed to ensure that child protection matters can be mediated in the communities where they occur. Regrettably, the Minister did not provide a formal reply to this query.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass the report on to my colleague Ms. Bisaro. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Moses.

Alternatives to Apprehension

The committee commends the Minister for including a new provision requiring an application for an apprehension order to be accompanied by a sworn statement listing the alternatives to apprehension that were considered. The provision is meant to curb the frequency of apprehensions and to ensure that child protection workers have availed themselves of the least intrusive measures. All too often in the Northwest Territories, families lose their children instead of getting help.

The committee approached the department about an additional provision which would clearly identify the measures taken to facilitate kinship care, including any provision of financial support, and why those measures proved insufficient to prevent an apprehension. The Minister concurred with this motion at the clause-by-clause review.

In addition, responding to a query from a front-line worker, the committee confirmed that any statement listing alternatives to apprehension would be supplied by affidavit and that the rules of evidence would apply.

Kinship Care

During the committee’s public hearings, residents stated repeatedly their desire for a “family first” approach that will give extended family members, especially grandparents, the right of first refusal whenever a child is in need of protection or care. A companion request was for extended family members to receive financial compensation when they care for children on an informal or temporary basis. According to one wearied grandmother who has fostered several grandchildren, “I’m tired and I’m angry. This government is actually going backward. When are things going to change for the better?”

In a similar vein, community residents strongly and repeatedly expressed their desire to see more children remaining in their families and communities of origin and within their cultures. To this end, the committee noted Section 2(f) of the act, which states that child protection measures must promote family and community integrity wherever possible, and Section 3(c) of the act, which states that determining the best interests of the child must include consideration of the child’s cultural, linguistic and spiritual upbringing and ties.

In an attempt to address residents’ concerns within the scope of Bill 47, the committee sought an amendment to the provision that requires an application for an apprehension order to include a statement of alternatives that were considered. The amendment will require that the statement also include a list of any financial supports provided to extended family members to help maintain the child. It is the committee’s hope that this provision will, in appropriate cases, result in the courts rejecting the application and ordering financial support be provided to family members who are willing to care for the child. Recognizing that this amendment does not mandate the provision of financial support for kinship care, the committee noted that these statements will have extra weight because they must be supplied by affidavit.

The committee feels it cannot overstate the degree of concern over perceived deficiencies of the current arrangements, especially when grandparents step in to care for grandchildren and find themselves drained of their personal and financial reserves. Indeed, the discussion surrounding kinship care led Members to conclude that the Child and Family Services Act should be completely revised in the 18th Assembly. Specifically, Members want to see comprehensive new provisions to address kinship care and family-preservation strategies. Potential amendments could include revisions to the preamble so that kinship care is given a prominent place throughout the act. Another example would be a new provision authorizing the court to place a child with a member of the extended family as an alternative to temporary custody.

Youth Services

The committee recalled one of its core findings in 2010: that young people aged 16 to 19 are disadvantaged in our system, to the point where their human rights are compromised. The gap in services for this age group was first raised in 1977 and remains to this day. The changes proposed in Bill 47 allow the director of child and family services to offer the same services to youth as are offered to children, and to extend the director’s parental responsibility for permanent wards to the age of 23.

Like many stakeholders, the committee was pleased to see new provisions for youth services. However, the committee notes, the provisions are largely discretionary. Members are therefore unconvinced that the department will actually follow through on the provision of these services. As a case in point, a number of discretionary provisions to provide youth services already exist in the act and yet these services have largely been denied to young people as they age out of the system.

The committee noted that youth who have been through the child protection system are at a much higher risk of becoming homeless, developing addictions and mental health issues, becoming involved in crime and committing suicide. Accordingly, Members would like to see a much broader range of services offered to these youth. Multi-departmental teams should be set up to support these high-risk youth, and the teams should be comprised of experts in areas such as psychiatry and mental health, literacy and career counselling, nutrition and crime prevention.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass the reading of the report to my colleague Mr. Yakeleya. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Child and Family Services Committees

The committee’s 2010 report included a core recommendation to set up and fund child and family services committees in every community, as set out in the act. Only one community, Fort McPherson, has ever had a child and family services committee, although provisions were first made for them in the act nearly twenty years ago. The lone Fort McPherson experiment was fragile and short-lived.

During the public review, the Minister clarified that these expanded roles in communities would be performed on a voluntary and unpaid basis. Members were uniformly displeased to hear this and their dismay was shared by scores of private residents. The committee concludes that the unpaid and voluntary status of child and family services committees would be an impediment to laypeople’s involvement and would not make the committees more viable.

In the midst of the review, the committee wrote to the Minister and asked if serious consideration had been given to allocating meaningful resources toward this important community-based work. Regrettably, no reply was received. Concluding that the proposed provision to expand roles is empty of substance, the committee prepared a motion to eliminate it. The motion received the concurrence of the Minister.

The committee wishes to note that the motion to eliminate an expansion of duties for child and family services committees was initially a gesture of protest. Upon further deliberation, however, Members concluded that the model has never proven to be viable. The committee is therefore urging the department to introduce a separate bill to remove all provisions pertaining to child and family services committees in the act and, further, urging the department to investigate viable alternatives for involving community members in the child protection process. The committee notes, for example, that New Zealand and a number of Canadian jurisdictions have had success in their use of family group conferences.

Notifying Aboriginal Organizations

Bill 47 includes a new provision which requires Aboriginal organizations to be notified in advance of an apprehension hearing or youth protection hearing. While the Information and Privacy Commissioner expressed concerns about the privacy implications of this provision and called for tighter restrictions, the committee did not agree, noting that companion provisions already exist in the act.

A number of representatives from Aboriginal organizations expressed confusion over the purpose of the notification provisions and, specifically, what they are expected to do with the information once it is received.

The committee therefore urges the department to establish a protocol with Aboriginal organizations for handling sensitive information. The goal should be to strike a balance between the rights of Aboriginal governments to know what is happening to their children, on the one hand, and the privacy rights of children and family members, on the other hand.

Right to Legal Counsel

The committee commends the Minister for the new provision requiring the director of child and family services to inform clients of their right to legal counsel. However, the committee wanted to see stronger obligations. The Minister agreed to a motion to amend which places a positive obligation on the director of child and family services to facilitate clients’ access to legal counsel and, where appropriate, the services of an interpreter. In the committee’s view, this additional provision merely codifies what should already be happening in practice.

Mr. Speaker, I will now turn the report over to Mrs. Groenewegen.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recommended Actions

The Standing Committee on Social Programs recommends the following courses of action:

1. that the Department of Health and Social Services completely rewrite the Child and Family Services Act in the 18th Assembly, with renewed emphasis on kinship care and strategies oriented toward mediation, prevention, early intervention and family preservation;

2. that the Department of Health and Social Services take stronger measures to keep children within their families and communities of origin, including devoting additional funding for prevention, early intervention and family-preservation strategies;

3. that the Department of Health and Social Services move swiftly and assertively to build capacity in the area of mediation across the Northwest Territories;

4. that the Department of Health and Social Services cover the cost of hiring and training mediators in order to facilitate more collaborative and favourable outcomes;

5. that the Department of Health and Social Services establish a protocol with Aboriginal organizations for handling sensitive information, striking a balance between the rights of Aboriginal organizations to know what is happening to their children and the privacy rights of children and family members;

6. that the Department of Health and Social Services act immediately to introduce a bill to remove all provisions pertaining to child and family services committees in the act;

7. that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate viable alternatives to child and family services committees that will promote community involvement in the child protection process;

8. that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate the approach whereby the problem parent is removed from the home instead of apprehending the child;

9. that the Department of Health and Social Services provide community-based workshops and healing camps to parents and families as a cost-effective alternative to sending people out for treatment or counselling;

10. that the Department of Health and Social Services work toward building people’s capacity to parent effectively and competently; and

11. that the Government of the Northwest Territories engage in discussions with UNICEF to examine whether this jurisdiction is doing to enough to recognize and promote children’s human rights.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1

That the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I pass the reading of the report over to Mr. Moses.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs.

Conclusion

The Standing Committee on Social Programs thanks all stakeholders who provided comments on Bill 47 or attended the public hearings.

The committee advises that it supports Bill 47 as amended and reprinted and presents it for consideration to Committee of the Whole.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the presentation of our report; therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Committee Report 18-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further discussion.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Committee Report 18-17(5) is received and moved into Committee of the Whole for later today.

Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 100(4) to have Committee Report 18-17(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Committee Report 18-17(5) is moved into Committee of the Whole for later today for consideration.

Item 13, reports of committee on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Growing the Northwest Territories: Supporting Population Growth of the Northwest Territories,” “Background Research: Growing the Northwest Territories - Supporting Population Growth of the Northwest Territories” and “Environment and Natural Resources Framework for Action 2012-2016, December 2014 Status Update.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Community Wellness Initiatives Annual Report for 2013-2014,” “NWT Health and Social Services Performance Measurement Framework” and “Public Performance Measures Report for 2015 NWT Health and Social Services System.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 10-17(5), Report on the Review of 2013-2014 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories,” “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 13-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 42, An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act,” and “Agriculture Products Marketing Council 2014-2015 Annual Report.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Northwest Territories Transportation Strategy 2015-2040” crafted with the input of our stakeholders. The Department of Transportation Strategy provides direction for the development of a multi-modal transportation system for the next 25 years.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “Results Report, 2014-2015, 20/20: A Brilliant North - NWT Public Service Strategic Plan.” The Public Service Strategic Plan guides our efforts to enhance and develop the capacity and effectiveness of our public service. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Motion 35-17(5), Lobbyist Registry.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Pursuant to Section 5 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Summary of Members’ Absences for the Period February 4 to May 26, 2015.

Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 59 has had first reading.

Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 60 has had first reading

Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Public Airports Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 61 has had first reading.

Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 62, An Act to Amend the Coroners Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 62 has had first reading.

Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 63 has had first reading.

Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Co-operative Associations Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 64 has had first reading.

Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 65, An Act to Amend the Safety Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 65 has had first reading.

Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 66 has had first reading.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 67, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 67 has had first reading.

Item 19, second reading of bills. Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 56, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015, be read for the second time.

This bill corrects inconsistencies and errors in the statutes of the Northwest Territories. The bill also deals with matters of a minor, noncontroversial and uncomplicated nature in the statutes.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 56 has had second reading and is referred to committee.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 67, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 67 has had second reading.

Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

I seek consent to proceed with the second reading of Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, today.

---Consent granted

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, I move seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, be read for the second time.

Bill 66 amends the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act so that the definition of child includes a child who is dependent upon the Member because of mental or physical impairment. The bill also makes adjustments to the definition of recipient so that the same terminology is used in each act.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 66 has had second reading.

Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 74(2) and have Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, moved into Committee of the Whole.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Bill 66 is moved into Committee of the Whole.

Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act; Committee Report 17-17(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of Bill 44: An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act; and Committee Report 18-17(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs Repot on the Review of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Good afternoon, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to deal with Committee Report 17-17(5), Bill 47, Committee Report 18-17(5) and Bill 66.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Committee, we have before us here still left outstanding Committee Report 17-17(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs, we have a report of the review of Bill 44, Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act. With that, I believe we’ll go to Mr. Moses. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a committee motion. I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The report is being circulated. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The motion that is before us is just to ensure that we do get a response from the government. The report was read into the House yesterday and a lot of committee members and Regular Members also made some good response to it. I think we addressed a lot of the concerns from stakeholders as well as residents of the Northwest Territories and look forward to moving this motion and getting a response from the government.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Does committee agree that consideration of Committee Report 17-17(5) is concluded?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Committee Report 17-17(5) is concluded.

Committee, we’ll continue with the orders here. Committee, we agreed to consider Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act. I’ll go to the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to be here to discuss Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act.

Bill 47 is the result of four years of work by the department and would not have been possible without the interest and dedication to the Child and Family Services Act demonstrated by the people of the Northwest Territories as well as Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs from both the 16th and 17th Legislative Assemblies.

The primary purpose of the Child and Family Services Act is to protect children and youth from harm, and the amendments proposed in this bill allow us to focus on less intrusive measures wherever and whenever possible.

While the bill will address many gaps in services for children and youth, we know the work does not end there. This legislation provides the foundation for keeping families and communities together as much as possible and the department will continue working to achieve this.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, community members, front-line workers, and families for their significant contribution to the development of this bill.

I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Committee, I will now turn it over to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs to consider the bill for opening comments. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too would like to thank the department for bringing this very important bill forward. I’d also like to thank committee for their thorough review of Bill 47, as well as all stakeholders and community members, residents and interested groups who provided very strong feedback and recommendations that I believe committee tried to address to the best of their ability with concurrence from the department of course.

In the bill itself there were five motions that the Minister concurred with. There’s a lot of history with this bill dating right back to 1977, but I also want to acknowledge the work that was done by the previous Standing Committee on Social Programs in the 16th Legislative Assembly for doing the hard work that they did in bringing forth the 2010 committee report and the work that our committee continued that momentum to get where the bill is now.

I’d like to thank all involved and I look forward to moving forward with this bill. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Moses. We’ll now go to the Minister to see if he would like to bring witnesses into the House. Minister Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Yes, I would, thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you can please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister Abernethy, can you please introduce your witnesses to the House.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me today on my right is Debbie DeLancey, who is the deputy minister of Health and Social Services. On my left is Thomas Druyan, who is the legislative counsel. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Druyan and Ms. DeLancey, thank you and welcome back to the House. Committee, we’re going to open this up to general comments. General comments on Bill 47. That we’ll start with Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to make some comments on this bill similar to the comments that I made the other night when we reviewed the bill clause by clause.

As the Minister said, this has been a long time coming. It’s four years of work by the department, but it started with work in the 16th Assembly, as has been mentioned. I’m very glad to see that these amendments are here. They don’t go as far as I would have liked them to have gone, but certainly it’s going to address a gap in our services for youth, which has been a concern for Members since 2010 when we did the review of the Child and Family Services Act in the 16th Assembly.

I think it is going to improve our services. It will also bring us in line with being lawful. We were basically contravening the rights of youth by not having a provision in our act. So, I’m very glad to see that this is coming forward.

I spoke in the reading of the report about kinship care and this was a term that sort of came to committee through our discussions and deliberations on the bill and on changes that we wanted to see in the bill. I think it’s indicative of the premise that certainly I would like to see and I think committee would like to see on how children are cared for when they need to be removed from their family. It should be our guiding principle that the child stays within the community but also within the extended family or with someone who is very close to the family as opposed to removing them from the family altogether. We started calling it kinship care. It includes grandparents; and many, many times grandparents in our territory take over the maintenance and the care of the children when their own children can’t look after the grandchildren. So, right now it’s very difficult for grandparents to do that. Many do, but they don’t get the support that they need from the department and we need to ensure, when we enact the provisions of this particular act, that we have in mind the child needs to stay with the family and extended family.

When we were travelling and doing public hearings in the communities, I have to say that we heard a great deal of scepticism from residents who were commenting on the amendments to Bill 47 and just on the Child and Family Services Act and programs in general. Things have been broken, so to speak, for a very long time and the people that spoke to us were people that had been involved in the system and the system had not treated them well or had not afforded them an opportunity to keep their children or to treat their children properly, or in the case of grandparents they weren’t able to look after their children without having to basically put themselves into poverty in order to do it. So, there was a lot of scepticism because of their past experience that these improvements to the act were actually going to have some effect. So, I urge the department to try to break that scepticism down, try to ensure that the act, with these changes, shows people that we are well meaning and we can succeed; we can keep children in the home in the community with their extended family.

We spent a lot of time, as well, in committee talking about mediation and I feel, and I think committee feels as well, very strongly that mediation should be used to the utmost before the situation goes to court and the child needs to be apprehended through the court process. We suggested an amendment, to which the Minister did not concur. I’ll talk a bit about that when we get to that clause, but it is important that we, as much as possible, avoid going to court, avoid apprehension and that as much as possible we use mediation to solve the differences between the family and the child or the family and other members of the family.

Child and family services committees were a focus of discussion as well. The act has mandated child and family services committees since it was first written and they haven’t worked. A number of times, certainly in the public hearing, I asked the Minister why we were trying to amend the act and give these committees greater jobs, greater power, so to speak, when they haven’t worked for some 10 or 15 years. So, I want to urge the Minister… I think there is a willingness on the part of the Minister and department to certainly look at child and family services committees and removing them from the act. I want to urge the Minister to do that. There are other ways and there are different jurisdictions in Canada but also different jurisdictions in the world that have different ways of doing the same sort of thing that a child and family services committee would do. Sometimes they’re called Family Group Conferences, which would be, I think, similar to a child and family services committee but it would involve people that are directly related to the child as opposed to another member of the community. So, I urge the department to look at that. I don’t think we need to have it in legislation to employ that sort of an approach to dealing with a child in a particular situation, or a family in a situation.

Lastly, I’d like to just comment, as well, on the collaboration that committee and the department had on this particular bill. It was very similar to Bill 44 yesterday. We went back and forth. We tried to understand where each side was coming from and we then put forward a number of amendments, most of which were agreed to and I think, like a lot of the bills that we’ve reported on in this sitting in the last number of days and weeks, these bills have been made better for the fact that we collaborated and that we worked together to make a better bill. As I said yesterday, I hope that this is something that continues, that it’s sort of a mindset that is going to set in and is going to continue as we deal with bills going forward. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Continuing on with questions and general comments I have Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank certainly the committee and the Minister and his staff for pulling this legislation together late in our term, but it’s getting done. I guess my first comment would be that there have been some really unconscionable delays in this work. This is the result of, finally, the third or a combination of three reports over the years. I was involved in the second report and it made a strong impression on me, touring across the Northwest Territories, as I know it did the Minister who was with us at the time as a Regular Member. So, it’s very good to see this finally happening to the degree that it is.

It is an important recognition of the need to act and hopefully it is the beginning. I know the Minister has been working on putting things in place. There is so much to be done and so much effort that he has attempted that has not been done yet. A simple example of that is the software. We had child and family service workers screaming for help with the software program which simply did not recognize the structure of families in the Northwest Territories and was so slow, and I assume it’s that way today. This is years and years ago. So, you know, severe issues in terms of our ability to deliver what we want to deliver, and seemingly simple solutions that are proving insurmountable, at least in a timely way.

Of course, there’s a very long-standing complete injustice to the 17 to 19-year-olds, and sometimes older. These children are coming from very challenged backgrounds, and not surprisingly, they need support. I have a lot of relatives and, my gosh, they certainly wouldn’t turn away from the support they received right up through their early and mid-twenties, and neither would I. So, how could we have possibly thought for so long that we could dump these people out of the support system onto the street at the age of 17?

So, again, that simple act alone is huge for me, and I really appreciate that getting done. And I hope that it’s not just on paper now. So, lots of kudos there.

I think the committee has done a sterling job at recognizing a complete rewrite is required. Again, that’s consistent with some of the earlier work that was done. What stands out for me is the need to embed or imbue the legislation with the mediation alternative dispute resolution approach. I think it is best exemplified by BC, although I am not on top of the legislation now for other jurisdictions.

Also, a recognition that we need to really improve how we extend support to those extended family members who are called upon or willing to play a role in supporting children in need when the event occurs. I know we have done some work on that, and I appreciate that, but there still seems to be, as the committee has stressed here, a need and an opportunity to do some more work in that area.

I want to leave it at that. This is a very, very serious issue. We have hundreds of people and hundreds of children in care, and by a very large margin, Aboriginal children. Where there is need is clear and I think the issues are clear, and it is now up to us to respond to that clarity with similar efforts on both the legislative and the delivery end of things. This is the legislative end of things. I am very pleased to see this start and I hope this is profiled in our transition to the 18th Assembly, as recommended by the committee, and that we could also urge translation of this legislation into actual activity on the ground, similarly effectively. I will leave it at that, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Continuing on with general comments I have Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it’s a very great day in terms of the child and family services system. As you heard from my colleagues, it has been a very long process getting to where we are today with the amendments that we made and some of the motions that we’re bringing forth after listening to our residents in the Northwest Territories.

I think what really sparked a lot of us moving forward but also work from our Regular Members and not just the standing committee was that the OAG report and all the findings that were in there that were very hard to, I guess you could say hard to take in or swallow. We needed to do something and that for too long supports were not there for our families, not there for our children and even supports where not there for folks who were providing support. I think we need to really address those gaps in services.

As you heard from my colleagues here, the history of the bill goes way back. I made mention 1977 there was a report and some of those recommendations that we are seeing out of that report way back than we are seeing today. I am glad that we have a government here and a Minister who is willing to make those changes and stand up with his staff.

I just want to highlight a few things that we heard while we were on the road. First of all, just the complexity of the voluntary service agreements, and that goes to the parenting skills and family and the social place that a family is in to actually make those kinds of agreements.

As we have heard, working with extended family and grandparents, kinship care was a big discussion in some of the communities. Really what we needed – and we have heard about it in the media – is our grandparents taking, I won’t say custody, but taking the responsibility to take care of our most vulnerable and not getting the financial services that they need to do that. Or even the essential services such as extra food or even clothing for the children. It does put a financial burden on our grandparents, some who are on pension or, in some cases, don’t even have a pension.

I won’t get into mediation. You’ve heard a little bit about that before. Temporary custody, some of the research behind the days for temporary custody I think served well, and we had a lot of really good response from our residents.

One big thing that we heard, especially in some of the smaller communities, was our approach to apprehensions, or our approach to foster care and that. As a government we really need to work with some of our Aboriginal groups to what they call as Dene law. Look at our cultural approaches, our traditions, and looking at the values. When you look at the values, it was discussed from one of our former chiefs talking about putting love into it, caring and sharing, Aboriginal values that have gone for so long. Rather than just apprehension we have to look at doing that not only for our children but our families as well.

Other issues that were brought up that weren’t really addressed in the bill but I think need to be taken into consideration were some of these frivolous complaints or allegations against foster families without proper investigations. Some foster families feel that they were targeted and really needed to be able to express their side of the story without having probably the best interest of the child at hand. The plan of care agreements was very important, that we needed those in place moving forward and I think that will be addressed in our new bill.

Also, just the supports for alternative options, which is in the new bill here as well. But when you go into communities like Deline, we heard that they don’t have the supports. They don’t have the counselling or the addictions support for families or for anybody who might be going through the system. As a result, one thing that is really evident is keeping the child not only in the home but in the community. If you don’t have those supports in the community then it really reflects hard on our families, especially the ones that want to continue to promote our culture, our traditions and our languages, and that was focused on.

We also heard that the Child and Family Services Act should also work very strongly with our Mental Health Action Plan. We got that from and I think this department has been very strong in creating some of these new initiatives in the course of this government and making sure that they work collaboratively together to see some very positive outcomes for our families, our residents and our communities across the Northwest Territories.

As I mentioned earlier, I think that we need to focus on keeping the child in the community and providing the supports for our families.

One really unique thing that was brought up was a foster kids’ support group. We have a lot of kids in foster care and I know that they go through a lot of difficult times, especially with mental health issues, and to have that kind of support group with like-minded people in the same state and same circumstance will be able to provide strong support for one another.

There was also talk about victim services coordinators’ support, not only support from them but supporting the victim service coordinator.

When we went and talked with the Tlicho Community Services Agency, we asked them about what services they had. They mentioned that they actually hired three new staff to address the needs that were in the Tlicho communities. They know what’s going on. They know that they need more resources. They know that there are barriers there and that they really needed to address those, and they did hire three new staff which, in my case, was a very proactive role.

Discussions about foster families, inspections, training, those need to be held in place. We did hear from some foster families who said their houses were never inspected. They never went through any training and they were very scared about if that’s the case, what’s happening with families who might be out there that aren’t as compassionate as they are.

I just want to share a quote from somebody we heard in one of the small communities. “We need a lot of help in the communities. The programs right now do not work. There is no support and there is no training.”

Further to that I would like to share another quote from one of the elders: “Child and family services is a very big responsibility for very important decisions that need to be made. It’s good to sit and talk together and we need to find answers together to make sure this works.”

I made a statement in the House last week that deals with respite care for children. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. We don’t want to put more stress on some of our foster families or even just our families. Outreach workers, transitional housing and the amount of caseload that workers have was very big. There was emphasis that the Department of Health and Social Services should work closely with our Education, Culture and Employment department to look at creating community school and community counsellors and looking at those. Also, a focus on the special needs of children, the special needs of families, creating safe houses. Also, putting a focus on parenting skills was another one that came to mind.

As with Bill 44, when we went into the communities outside the scope of this bill, we did hear a lot of concerns that dealt with justice, that dealt with health, housing and, of course, within the Department of Health and Social Services that showed that even though we focused on the two bills, there was a lot more that needed to be addressed in our communities. A lot of members of the communities were very happy that we made the time and sat down, and even the discussions after the meetings were done, sidebar discussions that we had with our residents that are affected by these two bills.

In closing, I would just like to thank all stakeholders, community members who came out and gave their input into this bill. Of course, I’d like to thank the department, their staff for all the hard work that they did not only into Bill 47 but Bill 44 as well. I think we’ve come a long way in the consensus style government in looking at creating concurrent to the motions that the standing committee brought forward shows that the department is willing to make the best bill possible.

Lastly, I would just like to thank committee. Taking two significant bills on the road was a challenge, but the effort and commitment and dedication that we had towards that, you guys all did a great job. Specifically, to our staff researcher and our clerks, our Law Clerks’ and our staff clerks’ behind-the-scenes work to make sure that this went smoothly. Once again, to all Members who helped us get these bills and public hearings together in the communities, I appreciate your work.

As I said, as we have been working in the past, Bill 44, 47, all the amendments, all the collaborative work we’ve been doing, we look forward to making future bills the best bills they can be; and I know the Minister knows what I’m referring to, and that’s the Mental Health Act. With that, I’d just like to thank the Minister.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Next on the list for general comments on Bill 47, Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too would like to welcome the Minister and the department here today. At the sake of not echoing the very same sentiments of my colleagues here, a lot of passion has gone into this bill. The Minister would definitely know that. The Minister himself, as a Regular Member, travelled to these very same communities in the 16th Assembly and took part in one of the major reports that is mentioned in the report and some of the compass headings that this committee has to use to navigate through what was pretty trying times for a number of our residents in the Northwest Territories.

I want to take just a brief note to point out that nowhere in this report that we did earlier is there mention, I believe, of the Auditor General report that was recently done, and there is probably a reason for that, because I believe we need to differentiate the Auditor General report on child and family services and the report that we refer to in our report as the 2010 report, which was done by the previous Assembly. There’s a reason for that.

The Auditor General of Canada report was more to do with the compliance with the act, in our humble opinion. This was about the fact that we weren’t following the law of the day, and a lot of the recommendations in there had to do with the government adhering and following the very legislation that it was compelled to follow. That’s a very distinct difference to what we refer to as a lot of the recommendations we saw in the 2010 report which talked about improvement to the process, improvement to services, improvement to the so-called different levels of activity which makes us a better tool, so to speak, with dealing with the most vulnerable in society, the ones that are in our care. I want to make that clear distinction between the two, is that even after we do this act and hopefully pass this act, the onus is still on the department to be in compliance with this new act, and that’s the challenge that I’m still going to be watching. As a Member, and I’m sure Members here as well, is that just because we’ve updated legislation, we still need to make sure that the department and everyone involved from the Minister all the way down to that caseworker at the ground level, we’ve got to follow this act. This is not an optional program. I want to make that perfectly clear.

Let’s talk a bit about why we’re here. We’re talking about Bill 47, and a lot of the changes that we have before us are procedural changes. We’re tightening up some of the processes. It’s interesting that just recently in the media the Truth and Reconciliation Committee with Justice Murray Sinclair announced a very compelling statement the other day about the fact that this was cultural genocide, and it did make reference to the residential school effects of many of our Northerners affecting us and across Canada. But importantly, they talked about the foster plan and foster care across Canada, which we also are a part of. When I see and hear those types of compelling words, cultural genocide, it does make me think that whatever we do here has a significant impact for many of our children, and many of the children that are in care are First Nations. We’ve got to be very, very careful that we do not get lumped into this area because, by de facto, we are. So, everything we do, we have to, I guess, that degree of acumen we’ve got to bring to the table to make sure that we are improving that so that we are moving forward as a society against some of the atrocities that governments have done in the past which affected even some of the people in this room. I just wanted to make that also clear.

It’s unfortunate that it’s taken five years from the 2010 report from the previous Assembly that has now brought a lot of these amendments to Bill 47, and really, yes, we did strengthen a lot of areas up. It’s not all doom and gloom. We did tighten up a lot of the processes. But what we’ve heard many times on the ground in a lot of the communities that we serviced, and one of the quotes that we had here in our report and if I may just for a second indulge, is that one long-time foster parent said, “When I look around at what services are available, I see nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.” Four times. I wish I could say that was the only time we heard that comment, but it wasn’t. We heard this time and time again. A lot of our communities do not have enough caseworkers. We don’t have enough social workers. I think that we really have to put a lot of thought behind when we’re doing our business plans, our operational business plan, and I know the Minister of Finance is listening here. We’ve got to think about this. This is something to which we’ve heard time and time again. We need more boots on the ground; we need more help in the smaller communities; and I think we definitely need to hear the people, because they were telling us loud and clear.

Now, you did hear the concept of kinship care. Relatively, probably, a new term, but really the principles are very simple. Keep children in the family. Keep children in the community. That’s the definition, and do so in a way that really, a lot of the areas around the temporary service agreements where you need to get consent of the parents involved tend to be problematic. We want to get these children in a safe environment as soon as we can, and so there is opportunity here. We heard that. Not part of the scope of this bill but, quite frankly, something that we can do and we should do, and we should not wait five years to do it. We’re going to challenge the department to come up with ways to work within the temporary service agreement, de facto to which we can get these children into custody and care within the family as soon as we can. But more importantly, let’s make sure that these grandparents, these grand-uncles and aunts are able to get the same type of financial help at the same time. We can’t expect these people to do it for nothing. We’re partners in this. We’re part of that triangle of care, and if we can’t do that then there’s a problem. It’s just the wish and will of committee to bring that forward to the department and say, “We’ve got to fix it.”

I do want to comment, though, the fact that we’re extending the youth services to age 23. I think that was well received by many people and I want to commend it.

You also heard the issue of the mediation. Now, I can understand the fact of mandatory mediation or trying to get that type or level of mediation in all communities. I recognize there is a huge cost involved. I understand wholeheartedly. However, we heard time and time again, we need to look at improving that. I don’t have the magic bullet, but I know you’ve got a department. Through you, Mr. Chair, I know that the Minister has a department of able-bodied, very smart people in these departments. We’ve got to figure out a way. We’ve got to find a hybrid.

Last, but not least, I want to talk about the foster families themselves. These are the people who open up their homes across the Northwest Territories. We had the opportunity to speak to numerous foster families that came forward and shared their stories and shared their hardships and shared some of the struggles they have, but more importantly, one common theme that I heard time and time again is that, “We need help. We need a break.” “I’ve got a family of my own,” someone said, “but you know what? I’m looking after two or three foster kids, but we need a break. Mom and Dad need a break.” We have no tools for Mom and Dad to have a break. There are no respite-type programs. I echo that loud and clear. We need to figure out a way to help out these foster families.

Some of the recommendations and suggestions are that we have an annual summer camp and some of them are scattered throughout the Northwest Territories. One of them here is just north of Yellowknife, and that summer camp is a great program. These children get together; they build bonds; they build relationships; they’ve got caring circles. I’ve attended some of their engagements and these are some great kids, but we do that once a year, once a summer. Why can’t we do it at Christmastime? Why can’t we do it at Easter break? Why can’t we do it other times of the year? Let’s give these foster families some respite care. Let’s give them a little bit of a break so they can tend maybe to their own children or, better yet, so that they can tend to themselves. Foster families need vacations too. They need a break. We owe it to them. We’re partners in this.

So I do want to commend the department. We did make some huge strides in child and family services, but as I said and I started off at the beginning, this does not talk about the compliance to the act, which the Auditor General of Canada has clearly pointed out. We need to do better in compliance. I know in my own heart that the department is listening, and I know the Minister is committed to making sure that compliance is on the radar and will be followed to the letter. I’m hoping that’s indeed the case.

So again, in closing, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this. I want to thank my colleagues as well. It was a very trying couple of weeks on the road. Most of my colleagues were ill. Some of them had to suffer through colds, flus, and they persevered, through snow storms and everything, uphill both ways, wearing their rubber boots. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, department.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Committee, we’re on general comments on Bill 47. General comments. I’ll go to the Minister and allow him to make some comments. Minister Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Members’ comments and suggestions. I know that they’ve worked hard on this and I know a couple of the Members were around in the 16th Assembly when that review was done. So they’ve been involved in this, as I have, for an extended period of time.

I do agree with Member Bisaro that working together, the work we’ve done to find a way to make this bill a better bill than when we brought it forward for first and second reading has been rewarding, and I really appreciate the amount of effort and time put in by committee.

The committee and Members have talked about a number of things. Mediation, as one example, has come up in almost everybody’s opening comments, and this is something that we’re absolutely committed to within the new delivery of child and family services. In fact, we want everybody to go through alternative measures, which can and often will actually include mediation. We don’t want our families going to court if we can in any way, shape or form avoid that from happening.

The suggestions around kinship care are something that is the premise of Building Stronger Families. We want to support families because we recognize that children do their best and are in a better place if we can help them stay within their families. That’s the whole premise for Building Stronger Families. I’ve got to say there have been a lot of suggestions of things that may be missing from the bill, but we’ve got to remember that the bill is only part of the move to improve child and family services here in the Northwest Territories. We have Building Stronger Families, which is our action plan, which is a fundamental change in approach in how we provide child and family services. The ultimate goal of Building Stronger Families is to keep children and families together and build upon the strengths to support families to raise their children in healthy, loving environments. I’ll say it again, the bill itself is an important piece of making the improvements, but it’s not alone.

I just want to be clear that we’re also… It’s not like we’re not doing anything and we’re waiting for the bill. Within Building Stronger Families there are basically three pillars that we’re working on. That’s program and administration management, which goes to some of the points that the Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny, brought up, risk and management quality assurance, but there’s also service delivery. We’ve made significant progress in the last 18 months. I’ve been the Minister for 18 months, and when I came into the department I talked to the department and one of the priorities that I brought forward with me, based on my experiences with committee and the 16th Assembly, was we’ve got to start making improvements in this particular area.

So, under Building Stronger Families we’ve got program administration management. We’ve already made huge changes. The assistant directors have been delegating in seven health and social service authorities. They have monthly teleconferences between the director of social programs and the directors of child and family services, and they continue to provide a forum for continuous communication on activities associated with the action plan. Bill 47 is before you, and thank you so much for your input on that.

The Child Welfare League…and this goes to Mr. Dolynny’s point about do we have enough people on the front line working. The Child Welfare League of Canada has completed the workload management study as of March 31st and this report provides initial insight to the factors that the authority staff feel impact their workload and will be used to help all of us, together, identify next steps in workload management, and we’re happy to bring that report and hopefully some Members of the Child Welfare League of Canada to committee to go through that information.

Risk management and quality assurance… The quality reporting tool and process has been fully implemented as of April 1, 2015. The annual audit cycle of child and family services files at the authority level began in April 2015.

Audit teams have developed and implemented common audit tools and reporting templates so that we can get the information we all need to make informed decisions.

We’ve updated different sections in the procedures manual. In fact, the procedures manual is pretty much done and is going to be going live early this month and we will begin training with our front-line professionals. We’ve done a jurisdictional scan of child protection supervisor training so that we can ensure that our people are getting the best training on this new model, this fundamentally changed model of families first.

With respect to service delivery and the child protection practice, the adaptation teams for the first three structured decision-making tools have moved forward and we’ve got co-chairs by the authorities and directors of social programs. We’re moving forward with the complete adaptation of those structured decision-making models and we’re making good progress.

This will take some time to do this process and we have been through that with committee, but all of these together are going to make a system that is fundamentally different, which brings us to the concern that Ms. Bisaro raised, which I think is absolutely valid and we’ve seen it everywhere we go. There’s a heck of a lot of scepticism out there. The history is not good. I heard the scepticism myself. I’ve heard a lot of people talking about this. Our past practices around child and family services have been leaving the same kind of legacy that residential school has done. Unfortunately, this is real and we need to find some way to break down the stigma that has been created around child and family services, recognizing this new approach that we’re taking with the focus on the families and helping families where they need it so that they can raise their children the way that I think we all want to raise our children.

I think we’re all going to have to work together to start breaking down the stigma that the government is trying to do what it’s doing, but I’m going to count on MLAs to work with us, as well, to help break down the stigma and talk about some of the positive things we’re doing around Building Stronger Families in the new approaches.

I’ll continue for at least as long as I’m around to work with leaders to engage them and help them understand this new fundamental approach that we’re taking with child and family services. Hopefully, together, we can break down the stigma and help people have some faith, competence and trust in the system so that we can work with them so that they can be the families they – I know the families that are struggling – truly want to be.

In our new approach, we are absolutely incorporating cultural approaches and values. It won’t work if we don’t. I hear committee, and their suggestion I saw in the report to remove the child and family services committees in committee when we did our public review the other day, I committed to doing that if that was the wish of committee. So here today I’ll say that we are directing the department to begin the work to remove those committees from the legislation. But on top of that, we want to make sure there is something in there that allows us to have a relationship with Aboriginal governments and bodies. So we will explore, as committee has suggested, other alternatives and we will certainly be looking for committee’s suggestions. I have heard a number of them today, so we truly appreciate that.

I will also say, with respect some of the history on this, we are happy to receive a copy of the Truth and Reconciliation Report and the department did review a number of recommendations that were included in that report around child welfare. We found that the recommendations within that report around child welfare are quite consistent with the new direction that we’re taking with child and family services, so we will be able to build upon that as another piece of evidence that we truly have to change the direction in which we are providing child and family services.

In closing, I don’t know if I have hit all your points, but I do appreciate your comments. We are moving forward. This act is just a part of the change in direction. Building Stronger Families is the big piece and we are moving forward with it with a new way of doing business here, recognizing the realities that we face here in the Northwest Territories.

I’ll just close with a little bit more on foster families, which is related but not specifically within this legislation. I do appreciate the Members Dolynny and Moses who suggested respite and a foster kids’ support group. Those are interesting ideas and I am going to ask the department to explore those a little bit further to see what options or how we can actually find a way to do some of these things. It is truly an interesting idea. But also at the same time, I want to highlight a couple of the things that we have done in the last little while that I think are really going to help foster families. I want to really applaud Minister R.C. McLeod and the Housing Corporation for their review of how they calculate income and the fact that they are no longer going to include foster care payments as income, which I think is massive. It is absolutely a huge improvement and it is going to help those families that are going above and beyond to foster. I think we all owe them a big round of applause for that one. I think it was a great move and I am excited that they have done that.

The other thing that I think is huge for the foster families that we are just getting really close to finalizing is we are almost ready to implement liability insurance for foster families, which I think is absolutely huge as well. I think it is something that the foster families have been asking for. We are this close. I believe we are going to have that done shortly and I am excited by that. Between the housing and this particular liability, I think we have addressed a number of the issues.

We have a challenge, and I am not sure whether it is as a result of this scepticism or the stigma that exists around child and family services, but we do have a problem getting people in as foster parents. We already have a process and there has been a lot of talk that we need to make sure that grandparents or family members can get some resources. They can. They can become foster parents. We have an expedited process. We can help them become foster parents so that we can keep the kids in there and they can be compensated. They do have to go through the system. The children have to be accessing the system, whether it is voluntary or involuntary. But we can already do it. We just need to make sure that people understand how.

So, we are moving in the right direction. I think there are huge improvements coming over the next couple of years as we go through this differential sort of response process and create a real focus on families. The staff are excited by this as well. I have to say that I have talked to a number of staff and they actually are really excited about this new differential response. I’ve seen people, who I met six years ago when we were doing the review and were pretty pessimistic, who are now quite positive and happy and excited by this new direction.

So, I am going to stop. I believe I’ve answered all the questions and I am happy to answer any questions as we go clause by clause.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Committee is agreed we are finished general comments and we will go clause by clause to the bill?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Is committee agreed that we will look at the clauses in groups of five?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

I will defer the bill number and title until we consider the clauses. This bill has a schedule. We’ll defer the consideration of clauses and deal with the schedule first. Turn to page 14, schedule. Agreed?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Now we’ll consider the clauses. Turn to page 1. Clauses 1 to 5. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to make a comment here about a change that committee wanted to bring forward. I wanted to just explain that this amendment did not change the bill, and what it was that committee wished to highlight.

The amendment that committee brought forward was to allow for the court to order mediation. It would have a family or someone could apply to the court for an order directing that mediation or some other mechanism could occur. The amendment also directed that the costs of the mediation or the mechanism would be paid by the director of child and family services.

Committee didn’t wish to bring this motion to the floor. I think committee kind of understood where the department was coming from, but I felt it important to mention that we felt strongly enough to make an amendment. We felt strongly enough about mediation and the need for it to make an amendment in our clause-by-clause review. I can understand the department’s position. Generally, by the time it gets to court, mediation has already been offered and maybe refused, and their position was that you can’t make somebody mediate if they’re not willing to. There was a concern on the part of the department about the costs that would be involved, unanticipated costs that they hadn’t considered when they were developing the bill. A motion was made to amend it and it was not concurred with by the Minister, so that part of the bill did not change.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We’re on clauses 1 to 5.

---Clauses 1 through 5 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Clauses 6 to 10.

---Clauses 6 through 10 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Clauses 11 to 15.

---Clauses 11 through 15 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Clauses 16 to 20.

---Clauses 16 through 20 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Clauses 21 to 23.

---Clauses 21 through 23 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

To the bill as a whole.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Does committee agree that Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, is now ready for third reading?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Bill 47 is now deemed ready for third reading.

Next I’ll go to Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a committee motion. I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just for clarity, the committee motion that I am bringing in today, we did read in our report into the House earlier, got it read for Committee of the Whole, and we haven’t dealt with that report yet but I just wanted to bring the committee motion forward now to address that committee would like a response in 120 days to that report.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Moses. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Thank you, witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.

I’ll go to Ms. Bisaro. What is the wish of the committee?

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

I will now rise and report progress. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 21, report of Committee of the Whole. Mr. Bouchard.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Committee Report 17-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 44: An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act; Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; Committee Report 18-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; and would like to report progress with two motions being adopted and that Committee Reports 17-17(5) and 18-17(5) are concluded and that Bill 47 is ready for third reading. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Do I have a seconder? Mr. Lafferty. To the motion.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

Some Hon. Members

Question.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question is being called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 37, Financial Administration Act, be read for the third time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Bill 37, Financial Administration Act, has had third reading.

---Carried

Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 67, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, be read for the third time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Bill 67, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, has had third reading.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Question has been called. Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, has had third reading.

---Carried

Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders of the Day
Orders of the Day

Deputy Clerk Of The House Deputy Clerk Of The House

Mr. Speaker, there will be a meeting of the Priorities and Planning committee at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.

Orders of the day for Thursday, June 4, 2015, at 1:30 p.m.:

1. Prayer

2. Ministers’ Statements

3. Members’ Statements

4. Reports of Standing and Special Committees

5. Returns to Oral Questions

6. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

7. Acknowledgements

8. Oral Questions

9. Written Questions

10. Returns to Written Questions

11. Replies to Opening Address

12. Petitions

13. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

14. Tabling of Documents

15. Notices of Motion

16. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

17. Motions

• Motion 44-17(5), Comprehensive Public Review of Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing

• Motion 45-17(5), Plebiscite on Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northwest Territories

• Motion 46-17(5), Appointment of Members to the NWT Honours Advisory Council

• Motion 47-17(5), Extended Adjournment of the House to September 29, 2015

18. First Reading of Bills

• Bill 48, An Act to Amend the Mental Health Act

19. Second Reading of Bills

• Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act

• Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, No. 2

• Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Public Airports Act

• Bill 62, An Act to Amend the Coroners Act

• Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act

• Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Co-operative Associations Act

• Bill 65, An Act to Amend the Safety Act

20. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

• Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act

• Committee Report 16-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 Public Accounts

21. Report of Committee of the Whole

22. Third Reading of Bills

• Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act

23. Orders of the Day

Orders of the Day
Orders of the Day

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, June 4th, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 3:48 p.m.