This is page numbers 6559 – 6620 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 know.

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 1:31 p.m.

---Prayer

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

The 2014-2015 Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects Annual Report published in June 2015 is both a retrospective of what the Government of the NWT has achieved since annual reporting first began and an overview of important changes we have made to support this work going forward.

During the life of the 17th Legislative Assembly,

finding energy solutions and focusing on energy conservation and technology have become an integral part of how government operates. Since the first biomass project in 2007, we have worked to set targets, create guidelines and develop both outward and inward energy strategies. We are now entering into a “new normal” of how government operates.

In the five years since the Department of Public Works and Services first started reporting on its energy conservation activities, the GNWT has progressively improved its energy performance in a number of important areas, including:

generating cumulative operational savings of $8

million;

reducing GNWT energy usage in major assets

such as schools by up to 15 percent and overall energy usage in government assets by 5 percent;

reducing our dependence on fossil fuel for

heating buildings by 3.5 million litres annually, which is equivalent to 9,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions;

the installation of 18 large commercial biomass

boiler systems, nine in the last year alone,

increasing our wood pellet usage by 86 percent in a single year;

establishing the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund

Program which now produces over $1.7 million in annual operational savings as the program is quickly becoming self-sufficient in funding future energy projects; and

incorporating opportunities for alternative and

renewable energy as part of the planning for all new building projects coming forward for consideration

in

the

GNWT’s

annual

Infrastructure Acquisition Plan.

Operationally, this means a new set of practices, procedures and considerations which prioritize energy efficiency and conservation in the design, construction and operation of all new government buildings have become standardized over the course of this government.

The 17th Legislative Assembly has also taken steps

to ensure the GNWT is positioned to build upon the successes of the past several years by bringing our energy programs together and creating a focal point for energy policy, initiatives and management within our government.

On April 1, 2015, the new energy activity of PWS was established, bringing together energy expertise from across

government.

Combining

the

project

management, planning, fuel services and building operations expertise of PWS with those areas of government focused on policy development and promotion of renewable energy solutions means the GNWT is better positioned to respond to future opportunities in the planning and management of our energy needs.

Mr. Speaker, with a flat revenue outlook and a need to take a hard look at how we are spending our money in coming years, operating effectively and efficiently is more important than ever. Continuing energy conservation efforts will be an important part of that. At the same time, our newly consolidated energy activity can contribute to government work in addressing the high cost of living through continued public

education

and

information

sharing,

identification

of

energy

options

and

policy

development.

Going forward, the 18th Legislative Assembly will be

better positioned than ever to support energy

conservation and efficiency efforts and to assist the public in benefitting from what we have learned as a government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to report positive results and trends from this government’s investments and initiatives in the NWT tourism sector.

The official tourism statistics for the last fiscal year will be available in late October but the preliminary results are promising. We are seeing a broad spectrum of interest in the tourism activities available in the Northwest Territories. In particular, the segment of visitors from China, who are commonly associated with aurora viewing, are exploring well beyond this sector.

For example, this past summer, 50 Chinese tourists travelled the Dempster Highway to Inuvik. There they participated in numerous events and activities, including a community feast and drum dance. It was, they say, an unforgettable experience

– and still

more evidence of the unique and spectacular tourism product that is available to those who choose the NWT as a destination for their holidays and business travel.

Since January 2014, the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre in Yellowknife has received close to 7,000 visitors from China, a number that represents an incredible growth in this target market. Only four years ago the number of Chinese visitors to our territory was in the low hundreds.

The growth in the Chinese market is not an accident. It has been strategically advanced by our government’s trade missions to China; supported by investments, made through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, into the operators and businesses that make up the tourism sector, and enhanced by new marketing funds approved by this Assembly for NWT Tourism.

The value of these efforts was confirmed when the Premier and I had the opportunity to host His Excellency Luo Zhaohui, Ambassador of China to Canada, on his first visit to the Northwest Territories earlier this

month. A visit from China’s highest

ranking official in Canada was a great opportunity to show off the tremendous tourism offerings in this region as well as in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. During his visit, Ambassador Luo remarked on the natural beauty of this territory and our well-developed infrastructure. He also spoke publicly about his interest in doing more to support and promote NWT tourism at home in China.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, tour operators in the North Slave and Sahtu regions are reporting an excellent

summer season; demand for river adventures in the Mackenzie Mountains west of Norman Wells was at record levels, and tour operators on Great Slave Lake worked virtually without a break throughout the summer.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the number of campground permits issued this season is up by 14 percent over last summer. Satisfaction with our parks amenities and services remains high, and public response to the Cultural Interpretive Program offered this past summer, especially in the Beaufort- Delta parks system, was overwhelmingly positive.

The strength of an increased tourism demand is evidenced in the new capital investments we are witness to in Yellowknife’s accommodation sector and the investments that communities across the NWT are advancing to improve the appeal of their local tourism infrastructure and product.

Communities such as Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic, Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson, Deline, Fort McPherson, and Lutselk’e have all partnered with the GNWT this year to invest in trails, signage, visitor centres, and other improvements with a view to attract and retain visitors and improve their travel experience in the NWT.

We know that the awareness and recognition for our territory’s existing attractions and infrastructures is also growing, as evidenced, earlier this year, by Explore Magazine, which named Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park near Fort Smith as one of the Top 25 Campsites in Canada.

Through training and skills development, we have supported our capital spending with investments in the men and women who make up our tourism sector. With a full suite of training and skills development workshops, ITI has worked with the NWT tourism industry to advance the safety, hospitality and the business savvy of our many and varying operators and business owners.

We have also seen considerable growth in the Aboriginal tourism sector, with a number of Aboriginal-owned and operated tourism businesses growing and thriving over the life of this government.

Since 2014-15, we have leveraged over $1 million in federal investment to match GNWT investments in tourism

businesses,

skills

development

and

Aboriginal community tourism, a reflection of the shared commitment that exists at all levels of government to developing a healthy tourism economy.

I am also pleased to report that the NWT’s new Convention Bureau, still in the first full year of operation, has confirmed five events. Another six are in the offing. They represent an estimated $1.8 million in future conference revenues, not to mention spinoff

benefits

for

transportation

suppliers,

restaurants,

artisans

and

tourism

operators

throughout the territory.

At a time when our economy is challenged by a downturn in resource exploration and development, a weak dollar and the impacts of a worldwide recession, our tourism sector has remained strong and shown signs of vibrancy and growth.

Annual visitors’ spending in 2013-14 was $132.5 million. Despite the fires that impacted travellers in the summer of 2014, we are recognizing modest increases for 2014-15 and we are expecting these numbers to rise even higher based on the strength of this year’s summer tourism season.

Supporting promising and successful sectors like tourism is an important part of our effort to foster the kind of economic growth this territory needs to build a prosperous future and ensure our government has the resources it needs to deliver programs and services to our residents.

Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry that we recognize in our territory today is strong and growing. It is a testament to the wisdom of this Assembly’s decision- making, in the face of tough economic conditions, to invest in a sector that is growing, bringing new dollars into our economy and creating jobs and opportunity throughout the territory. I would like to thank this Assembly for its support for our territory’s tourism and parks sector, the results of which I am able to share today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 3, Members’ statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

On Tuesday I voiced my concerns about the impact of the Finance Minister’s fiscal restraint measures on the morale of the public se

rvice. Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, I don’t

understand the mixed messages being sent by this government to the people of the NWT that we serve, especially to people who serve us each and every day by doing the job diligently and conscientiously and keeping the government programs running and ticking along each and every day.

The Premier and Ministers of this Cabinet finally say to this House, our employees are our most valuable assets. I happen to agree with that statement, but what is the point of this government repeating this tired phrase when its actions go along with the platitudes from these Ministers?

This government has a Population Strategy meant to tempt 2,000 new residents to the NWT to make their home here by 2019 as a way to increase their federal transfer dollars. The GNWT remains one of the NWT’s biggest employers, so it must be prepared to hire these new residents. Why would anyone take a

job with the GNWT and move their families here if they risk losing their job in the next Assembly’s collateral damage because of fiscal restraint?

This government also has a Human Resources Workforce Planning Strategy, a multi-pronged effort to maintain the GNWT as an employer of choice and to maximize recruitment and certainly retention of employees. How about the efforts of the Department of Human Resources to operate the multi-year strategy along with the Finance Minister’s transition plan in exercising design, in his own words, to make sure revenues and expenditures on an ongoing basis stay the same and plan for what has been determined to be a flat economy with revenues going down.

Frankly, I must point out that the GNWT increased its workforce by 260 new employees and positions in the devolution process. How can this government possibly be considering lay-offs as a fiscal restraint measure less than a scant 18 months after devolution?

The GNWT has known for a long time by considering many options by trying to strategize itself for revenue growth and we’ve known it’s very limited, but controlling the cost by cutting away jobs is certainly not the way to attract employees or strengthen morale. We must find a different way.

I will be asking questions of the Minister of Human Resources about the impact of this fiscal restraint on our Human Resource Strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have stated goals and initiatives of this government. For example, educating people. To that end, we boast the best SFA, student financial assistance, system in the country.

We have a stated goal of increasing the population of the NWT by 2,000 people. These are well-known goals and strategies that we work and expend resources to advance. However, every day we hear of anomalies, contradictions and decisions based on policy that fly in the face of these goals. I believe in rules and transparencies, but sometimes our policies lack discretion and common sense in applying these policies in real life situations.

This week in the House, my colleague from Hay River North shared the story of a constituent, born, raised and educated in the NWT, moving south for a period of time and upon return to enroll in northern post-secondary program with support of SFA is required to re-establish residency for a whole year

with no regard for their lifelong residency in the North. The message is don’t come home, don’t pursue higher education.

It’s well known that young people often decide to work or travel between high school and post- secondary education. Could there not be some accommodation for that reality?

Then there’s the single parent in public housing who goes south to educational opportunities to improve their life. They come home for the summer no longer eligible for any housing support because technically doesn’t conform to the residency requirement. Why come home?

Then there’s the single parent in social housing who proudly sends their child off to university and when the student returns home to work for the summer to make money to go back to school, they land a job and mom’s rent goes up to reflect that temporary increase in household income and then mom has no choice but to get their son or daughter to take those needed earnings to contribute to pay for the increased rent. Welcome home, Mr. Speaker.

Then there’s the income support client with a disability who gets financial support and contributes to the expense of the family that cares for them. The disabled client gets a GIC cheque and fails to disclose it, interrupting the benefit that they received. Those same benefits that help their family support them in their private accommodation, probably avoiding a very expensive care and support that would otherwise be provided to government service and agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I know we need rules. I know the staff on the front-line positions managing these programs are only doing their jobs in compliance with those rules and implementing too much discretionary latitude can also be a slippery slope.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Implementing too much discretionary latitude can also be a slippery slope, as we know. But surely we, as a government, committed to our goals and stated priorities, could find a way to expeditiously deal with these situations that arise. I know it sounds like the job of an ombudsman, but for now it remains the domain of MLAs advocating for constituents and Ministers and their staff using their time to consider these things on a case-by-case basis sometimes with positive outcomes, but often with unnecessary stress to everyone concerned. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Shortage Of Long-Term Care Facilities For Seniors
Members’ Statements

September 30th, 2015

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, for some time many have warned that the crisis of too few available beds at the Aven Centre here in Yellowknife is coming fast. I rise yet again to remind us all that this catastrophe is not only looming, it’s here. We must address the shortfall promptly.

The problem has been studied to death by all concerned, who say with one voice,

“We need more

beds.” With a 200 percent growth in Yellowknife seniors over the next 16 years and a 125 percent increase across the NWT, we need several hundred new beds territory-wide. Yet, time is passing with little apparent progress.

We still do not have a single palliative care facility in the NWT. Avens is in need of major renovations and the waiting list grows longer. Our state of preparedness to serve our elders in need of beds is deplorable.

To humanize this situation, let’s look at one real life example of the many, to help imagine the human toll this neglect is exacting.

Annette Lemay, 93, moved to Yellowknife in 1951 to marry Aurel Lemay. Together they lived in their small house, which they moved from the Negus mine site, until Aurel passed away at 95 last July. Aurel retired in 1983 and he and Annette were determined to remain in Yellowknife. They had no children and no blood relations in the NWT, but Yellowknife has always been their home and their family. They were only able to make living independently work because they were together, with their respective abilities in cooking, mobility, corresponding and advocating care complementing each other.

They knew that the day would come when one of them would go, leaving the other needing comprehensive care, so an application was made in 2013 to place Annette on the waiting list for long-term care. Sadly, that day came on July 8, 2015. Annette immediately found herself alone and in urgent need of care.

While she currently has respite until October, she is sixth on the waiting list for placement in long-term care. She remains scared, worried and confused, and is seeking safety and comfort in the community of seniors for the last of her years.

Annette Lemay is the face of the seniors this government is failing. As lifelong founders and pillars of our society today, she and our many elders like her throughout the Northwest Territories deserve better. In Yellowknife, with half of our territorial population served by a facility with a meagre 29 beds needing mid-

life retrofit, our seniors’ plight is well

known and has been obvious for some time.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

As I was saying, in Yellowknife, with half of our territorial population served by a facility with a meagre 29 beds needing mid-life retrofit, our seniors’ plight is well known and has been obvious for some time. How can we still be waiting for action?

We have the responsibility and the power. So I say, colleagues, Minister, executive, our Cabinet, out of respect for our elders like Annette, let’s get it done. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is focusing on elders’ care and the need for elders’ housing. I’d like to mention that on September 14, 2015, I was in Aklavik for the Gwich’in Annual Assembly. At this time we welcomed and celebrated the opening of the new Joe Greenland Centre. This building will indeed house many elders and will have positive feedback from residents of Aklavik.

This past summer the construction of a new elders home in Fort McPherson was halted due to problems that were occurring during building of the pilings.

This is very important to the elders of Fort McPherson, for the completion of this building. A lot of elders look forward to a new residence and a place to gather and call home.

As we speak on the elders home in Fort McPherson, the location was another issue for some middle-aged and current elders. The majority of the people would like to see the location moved to a scenic and quiet neighbourhood. For example, a place down along the Peel River banks, close to the church and walking distance to offices and the store and also a great view of our Richardson Mountains.

I will have questions for the Minister later today.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Great Slave Lake Fishery
Members’ Statements

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise on one of my favourite topics, Great Slave Lake fish. Over the last four years, I’ve made many Member’s statements on Great Slave Lake fish. We know it’s a great product. We know there are a lot of hardworking people out there. It’s a great industry, it’s a renewable industry, and it’s one that we haven’t seen the full capacity of. We know we’re not even

over half our quota that we can catch on a productive renewable basis.

We’ve made some progress. We now have a business plan in place for those fishermen through ITI. We know that we’ve gotten some capital money to do a fish plant. We know this spring the Department of ITI insisted on giving a subsidy, and the fishermen have responded over the summer. Over the summer we’re seeing anywhere from a 30 percent to 40 percent increase in production. We’re seeing just about a million pounds in production if those numbers work out correctly.

I also forgot to mention the fact that we have a new logo, we have a new marketing plan, and we’re going forward. We’re pushing this project forward. The fishermen need dredging, as well, but that project is not moving forward anytime soon, but the rest of the project is moving forward.

Som

e of the questions I’m going to have today are

for the Minister of ITI. Where we have, again, a roadblock, the federal government, the Conservative federal government right now, and hopefully, we’ll see what all our candidates have to say about this over t

he next little while where we’re going to go with

the Hay River fish plant. We have $1.5 million allocated. We’re looking for federal assistance to help us complete the project. We need assistance. This is a great renewable resource. We need to capitalize on it.

Great Slave Lake Fishery
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will table a draft act to establish an office of the ombudsman. You and all Members will know that I have been pursuing the issue since I was first elected eight years ago. It’s not a new issue by any means. MLAs have been talking about establishing an ombudsman office since 1992, five Assemblies ago. The general public has been looking for such an office long before that.

There have been numerous motions passed in this House recommending the establishment of an ombudsman office. The Standing Committee on Government Operations was mandated by the House to review the question. Their very thorough and comprehensive report recognized the need in the NWT and recommended establishing an office. That was over a year ago now, yet we still have no action by this government to develop legislation to establish an ombudsman act.

Too expensive, Cabinet says. Too time consuming to write the legislation, they said. Well, that second argument has been quashed. With the help of our very capable Legislative Assembly research staff, I have a draft ombudsman act all ready to go. It may

not be perfect. It may not reflect precisely how an NWT ombudsman office would operate, but the groundwork has been done. The document can be handed to the Justice department legislative drafters for language adjustment and final tweaking.

It can be, with political will, presented for the first reading during the winter 2016 sitting of the 18th Legislative Assembly.

At the risk of being repetitive, I want to list some of the many reasons why the NWT needs an ombudsman office:

The office is an avenue of last resort for the

public, one that is impartial, free and accessible.

It’s an avenue of last resort for landlord tenant issues that are outside the jurisdiction of the rental officer.

It’s an avenue of last resort for housing or income support issues where an appeal has been denied.

It’s an avenue of last resort for administrative decisions by officials in hospitals and other medical facilities.

It’s an avenue of last resort for residents to ensure fairness in the delivery of government services and programs.

At the appropriate time, I will table this draft legislation. My fervent hope is that the 18th Assembly

will make the passage of an ombudsman act one of their priorities and that an ombudsman act is one of the first priorities that they can check off the to-do list as completed.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hearing Mr. Bouchard’s Member’s statement sure makes me happy.

During my Sahtu community tours, I found there is a population of young people we have listened to and spoken to and these young people want to work. There’s a huge population of my young people in the Sahtu who want to work. We do not want to rely on government assistance and income support over and over and over. We want to work. We finished school, we’ve gone to post-secondary, we did the trades training and we want to work. We want to make a contribution to our family. We want to buy things for our family, for our children, take vacations. We do not like getting the income support system. So when they told me that, I ask them what are some of the barriers, and one of the barriers they have said is that we do not have a child care centre in Norman Wells or in Colville Lake. That stops us. We either have to rely on babysitters in the community, and

sometimes they’re not very reliable, or we have to stay at home. They pay a price either way. They said, “If we had a child care centre where we can leave our children to be brought up in a safe environment, it would go a long way.

” Some of these are single

parents who want to go into the workforce or go to school.

Our young people are hungry to work, are hungry to go to school and hungry to make a living. They do not like to sit idle. They want to get off their keisters and go to work. It’s a simple plain fact for them. I’ll ask questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment why we need daycare centres in Norman Wells and Colville Lake. Thank you.

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. Today I wanted to talk about the repair and renovation programs offered by the NWT Housing Corporation. Over the past few years, I’ve had elders, seniors on pension and those with disabilities contacting me that part of the programming that the Housing Corporation offers comes with a co-pay portion and the minimum co-

pay portion is about $500. It’s very,

very difficult for those on pension and low income to even come up with that type of co-pay portion.

As an example, in Wrigley there was an elder who needs their water tank replaced. Typically in Yellowknife it would be about $1,500, but with the labour involved it adds up to about $5,000 in Wrigley alone and the co-pay portion is about $1,200. They’re living in a remote community with a high cost of living and they cannot make this co-pay portion. It is actually a burden on them and, as well, anybody with disabilities.

Just perusing the NWT Housing Corporation website, they say co-pay may be required, depending on household income, but the program that’s being offered is co-pay is necessary. So that’s a far cry from the guidelines that are listed on our website.

At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation about how do we best serve our seniors and our elders and those with disabilities in accessing our NWT Housing Corporation home and repair program. Mahsi cho.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.