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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister responsible, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, we have an obligation to ensure that the 18th Assembly is provided with the best

transition information as possible as to our fiscal situation so that they can make decisions based on the challenges and opportunities that are before them.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The Finance Minister, in his fiscal update just two days ago, said the revenue is flat and, in essence, by the year ’19-20 he had said that we will be down to what we estimate is a $10 million surplus that will fund things like capital, and of course, it will be the short-term cash deficit.

Can the Minister of Human Resources elaborate as to what this government is doing to ensure that we don’t face that type of financial crash in our cash position, so we must be looking at layoffs, as I’ve heard repeatedly in multiple departments? Can he elaborate as to their strategy and details that they’re going through in those exercises and initiatives?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

The only budget that we’re

dealing with for the rest of this sitting will be a capital budget. The government of the future will be discussing other budget items. This government will evaluate the cost of human resources. The

government does want to give the incoming government an opportunity to contemplate all of their options, and part of the options is looking at the cost of human resources.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I can never say enough, but jobs are important, and I know how important they are to not only Yellowknife but to the small communities. They have a major impact on our economy. In the publication we call 20/20: A Brilliant North, NWT Public Service Strategic Plan, we talk about growing the public service. We often hear the Finance Minister directly talking about trying to attract 2,000 new people to the Northwest Territories. Lastly, I’ll say even from the Mini

ster’s fiscal update, he talks

about the importance of our flat population growth as the main source of revenue as it begins to decline, noting that only 19 percent of total revenues are ones of our own source. I don’t know how we’re going to do it by cutting, slashing and laying off.

How do layoffs, in comparison to those concerns that I’ve been raising, balance out with the objectives under the 20/20: A Brilliant North strategy to build the public service? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

This government will not be laying any of the public service off, but we do provide the best information possible, as I indicated, for the next government to look at and for the next government to have all of the information necessary through the complete costs of human resources, the current vacancy rates of human resources. If the next government was to look at the vacancy rates then that would be presented, if they wanted to look at the costs of the public service, how many casuals we’re carrying in the public service, they would look at our workforce planning strategies. We have the Building 20/20 as a recruitment and retention and development of talent strategies. Those are all of the things that we will provide to the next government so they can make those informed decisions. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister clearly articulate how many positions they’ve evaluated for potential layoffs as a recommendation to the next government? This work is going on right now. They have said repeatedly it’s not their hand on the rope, but I can tell you they’re giving the next government the nudge and all the material that they need. So I want to understand the valuation and evaluation that they’ve looked at, at this particular second,

that they’re billing department

by department by department. No one can dodge that question because it’s the responsibility of this Cabinet. That information falls on your shoulders. So, I hope the Minister of Human Resources can answer that question. Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you. Any of this type of work with human resources will include talking about the 900 vacancies that we’re currently carrying

in the books. We

don’t have the number of positions

that we are evaluating for layoff because I haven’t seen any such plan to lay off certain people who are currently in the public service at this time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in follow up to my statement yesterday on the need for hearing aids for all young children in the Northwest Territories for the Minister of Health. Currently, not all NWT children are able to access any programs to cover the costs of the hearing aids crucial to their development. Although the GNWT sees fit to support the early identification of children with hearing loss, they do not provide all children with the intervention they require in order to succeed.

I’d like to ask the Minister, what is the status of action to address this gap? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for raising this particular issue. The Member did raise this issue in July and at that point I was able to read the report that the Member has referred to, and the report suggested that we can support this small number of children who are affected here in the Northwest Territories with a very small sum of money.

I have since directed the department to move forward to find the money from within to provide hearing aids to young children that the Member is describing. Th

ey’re in the middle of that process

now. I was going to wait until a little bit later until I actually had something to announce as far as a completed policy, but I have directed the department to do that and it’s underway now. We anticipate that we’ll be in a position to start providing those hearing aids to those affected children in the next couple of months. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister. That’s

great news, great news indeed, and I hope the word can get out to families that this is relevant to very soon.

The estimate for the annual cost in 2012, as the Minister knows, was pretty modest. Has he had a chance to update that and is there an explanation of the differences that are anticipated? Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Because we have such a small population here in the Northwest Territories and everybody who’s going to need a hearing aid does have to go through the audiology unit at the Stanton Medical Clinic, we know the individuals who are going to be coming through and how many chil

dren are going to be affected. It’s been a very

small number over the last number of years. We anticipate that the cost in 2012 was around $22,000. The technology prices haven’t radically changed. We believe it’s going to be about the same amount of money. But as I said, once I have more details I will absolutely be sharing it with the Member and with committee. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

This is a small number of people, and to those involved, it’s extremely important, as the Minister knows.

This week I had a communication with an audiology professional, one of our staff, who said “In the grand scheme of things, it seems so insignificant, but when you are working with these parents and having to look them in the eyes and tell them their child has a hearing

impairment and it’s going to cost $2,465, the

cost of a pair of hearing aids and ear molds, to give them access to sound, well, it’s a difficult place to be in as a professional and I imagine as a family too. And there is simply no reason why we aren’t sup

porting these babies and kids.”

So again, I really appreciate the Minister’s action on this and I would ask how soon will you be able to let the front-

line staff know that there’s hope on the

immediate horizon and they can start talking to families. Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you. They probably just heard with the Member’s comments and my commitment to making this happen, but I will have the department work with Stanton and the Stanton Clinic to ensure that the practitioners know that we’re working on this and that the solution is on its way. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn’t

doubt they are listening, and the most important question will be, when will this happen? When will this be in place? Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We do have to write some policies; we do have to make sure that we have the ability to provide the actual physical hearing aids. I will get more information for the Member. I will get back to you on when we anticipate to go live. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Hawkins.

Bill 54: An Act To Amend The Forest Management Act
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

September 30th, 2015

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure has reviewed Bill 54, An Act to Amend the Forest Management Act. The standing committee wishes to report that Bill 54 is not ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole and that the bill not be further proceeded with. Thank you.

Bill 54: An Act To Amend The Forest Management Act
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Cabinet Operational Guidelines During a Transition Period.”

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.