This is page numbers 6621 – 6658 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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a follow-

up to my Member’s statement, I will have

questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. As I indicated, and the Minister has indicated in the past that they are working to link with HR, has the Minister had any success in linking and contacting students with jobs that we potentially have in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We have made some changes to our SFA application guideline

s, and having a student’s

consent was a barrier over the past several years now to linking the students with the employers and working with HR. So now we have the opportunity. We have the students’ consent to move forward, working very closely with employers and also the Human Resources department. There is also a Facebook page that allows employers to advertise jobs and work with our department to create opportunities for our students.

Again, in partnership with Human Resources, there is information sharing and some employment through

the

Northwest

Territories

about

employment opportunities. These are the changes we’ve made. We have heard from Members in the

past and now we are moving forward on that. It is making progress within our application guidelines. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Can I clarify a question with the Minister? So, now we have the checkmark in the application, currently we have the ability to contact those students when we have job positions from HR? We can contact the students that these are the positions we currently have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

That’s correct. We

didn’t have the checkmark prior to making those changes. Now we do have the students’ consent to allow them to explore opportunities in the Northwest Territories and creating opportunities for them through the employers. So, yes, we are making progress in that respect. We want to attract those students who return to the Northwest Territories, whether it’s an apprenticeship or other professional areas, and provide opportunities for them. That’s our overall priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Sounds great, Mr. Speaker. Has the department made those contacts with HR? Have we started to make the links of linking those students with potential positions in the future, linking up what the students are currently taking with what we have in our inventory of positions in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

That’s exactly what

is happening between our two departments. Also keep in mind that there is the employer aspect that we need to work with. We are dealing with upwards of 1,600 students and we need to identify who is graduating when, what kind of positions should be available to them in the Northwest Territories. Not just the GNWT, but other prospects and partnership opportunities within the Northwest Territories. There is also Skills for Success, improving employment success in the Northwest Territories. That’s another initiative on the go that involves integrated departments to work together to improve those successes. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m

just wondering if the Minister can give me more information or indicate to me whether we are linked to all other departments in the NWT, Justice, HR, Housing, some of those positions where we know we need a certain skill set that we want, not just for highly educated people but also for tradespeople. Are we linked to all the sectors and all the private sectors? Can the private sector come to us and say we would like to put this job out to the students of the Northwest Territories? Are we able to take that information and pass it on to our students? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Since we got the consent from the students, now we have the dialogue with the interdepartmental discussion we are having, whether it’s the Housing Corporation, the housing maintainers or any other positions within

departments

and

also

outside

the

Government of the Northwest Territories, private agencies and public agencies as well. So those are discussions we are currently having since we got consent from the students. Yes, we are having the dialogue with the respective parties within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Without question, the recent announcement of the draft Protected Areas Strategy caught the resource industry by surprise with clear word from the resource industry that the Northwest Territories was no longer safe to do business with. My questions today are for the Premier.

Can the Premier indicate how does this recent unchecked announcement from the Premier’s Cabinet as a goal to conserve 40 percent of the NWT’s land mass support his vision of a strong and prosperous territory? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a Member, he’s been around a long time and should know we have had a Protected Areas Strategy that was developed in the 1990s. When devolution occurred, we devolved and evolved and we’ve taken that Protected Areas Strategy and reviewed it and served our northern priorities. It is a draft document and those have been put out for discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

The Pre

mier is quoted, “We need

a solid framework on which to build this potential. The

Mineral Development Strategy is that

framework.”

So, to the Premier: How is limiting up to 40 percent of land going to support an increase in mineral exploration? Thank you.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

The appropriate term is “balanced development.” We’ve always said that we would have development while protecting the land and environment at the same time. With the draft Conservation Strategy, it allows for up to 80 percent for development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

The Premier is also quoted in the Mineral Development Strategy: “The new strategy represents a commitment. The NWT is serious

about addressing our investment challenges and unlocking the mineral potential of the t

erritory.”

Can the Premier share with the House, how does this draft Protected Areas Strategy not conflict with our ability to unlock dismal mineral exploration numbers? Thank you.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We have quite a number of strategies. We finished the Economic Opportunities Strategy, Mineral Development Strategy that the Member is referring to. We also have a Land Use Strategy Framework, and the Member knows that the lack of investment or the downward turn in mineral exploration is something that’s happened across the world. It’s an international problem.

I have said many times that we will have balanced development. A priority is to settle land claims, and there will be up to 80 percent of land available to development when it is all said and done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The recent draft Protected Areas Strategy has been deemed by some as a clear indication of this government: we are closed for business. If indeed some truth, Mr. Speaker, what is the Premier prepared to do within our limited time in the 17th Assembly to correct this characterization of his government? Thank you.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We have been working with a very large group in developing this draft plan, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anybody. We’ve reached out and had a number of meetings with the Chamber of Mines, Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. Also, we have to keep in mind that settling the land claims is very important. We want to do it as quickly as possible. There are 144,000 square kilometres of land as part of the interim land withdrawal, and once those land claims are settled, there’ll be additional land available. As I said, it’s a draft document and it’ll be a transition document and it will be dealt with in the 18th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement wherein I spoke about Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte residents accessing health services in Fort Nelson, BC. I just wanted to speak with the Minister of Health and Social Services with regards to that.

He was travelling in my constituency in May. He heard from the residents about the type of care that they do get from Fort Nelson. Part of the barrier there is that they’re not being referred there. They’re going there and they have been using it for decades, but their travel costs aren’t being covered to go there to access that health care. So, I’d like to ask, the Minister had agreed at that time to review it, to work with his officials, to see what can be done about accessing the health services in northern BC.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.