Masi. Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure by working to secure funding to advance the Tlicho all-season road. Mr. Speaker, according to the Tlicho chief, Alfonz Nitsiza of Whati, the project will provide culture strength to the Tlicho people aside from economic benefits. This project is not only a source of future prosperity but is also a source of pride for the region. The road has been discussed by the Tlicho government as far back as 1980s, and their support is evident through the critical role they have played in advancing this project progress. The Tlicho government worked in collaboration with the Government of the Northwest Territories to complete the project description report which has been submitted on March 31stto the Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board for review and permitting. This partnership will continue to be critical to the swift success of the project as both parties await a decision on the next steps in the process. In the meantime, the funding for the project is being sought under the P3 Canada program. The department has built a strong case for investment by citing the many social and economic benefits of building this road.

Transportation affects the cost of every component of the household expenditure, meaning that any improvements to transportation system will help reduce the cost of living. A year-round connection to Whati and an increased access for the communities of Gameti and Wekweeti will provide efficiencies, including lower travel time and shipping costs which will support resupply operations and businesses in the region. During mobilization and construction and demobilization, many good-paying jobs will become available to the residents. These jobs will provide skills and training that are transferable to other industries, helping to develop a strong northern workforce.

Mr. Speaker, the project will have benefits beyond just Whati. For the NWT as a whole, increased access will result in new opportunities to continue developing the region's economic potential. An all-season road would reduce the exploration and development costs for industry and attracting further investment that supports a strong NWT economy. More importantly, the road will reduce the cost of living for the residents of Whati. The construction of the road to Whati will also increase the length of the operating season for the winter roads serving the communities of Gameti and Wekweeti. Replacing the southern end of the existing winter road will help us deal with challenges arising from changing temperatures and precipitation. This will contribute to a reliable access throughout the region and help support the department's priority for a more resilient transportation system in the face of climate change.

Mr. Speaker, for all these reasons, we believe our business case for the federal investment in the construction of the Tlicho all-season road is strong. In February 2016, investment in this project was included among the recommendations made in the final report of Canada's Transportation Act review. The federal government is engaging with key stakeholders and governments and the public across Canada to discuss the report this summer. During this engagement process, our government will stress the importance of implementing all recommendations for the investment in an NWT transportation system, including the Tlicho all-season road. As we move on to the next steps of this significant project, the GNWT is pleased to have the continued partnership of the people of the Tlicho region to advance our shared visions of creating strong, prosperous, and vibrant communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories commits to improving care for our people through the integration of a health and social services system. We are working towards building a unified health and social services system that will deliver the best possible care to our residents. We have made significant investment in this work through our system transformation, and I'm pleased to announce that we are now reaching some important milestones.

We have announced to the members of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services leadership council as well as regional wellness councils for this new system. With this important step completed, I would like to remind us all of the vision that brought us to this point and provide an update on how this work will progress leading up to the August 1stimplementation date.

Health and social services system transformation is a change in governance that is designed to reorganize the way we manage and administer our system. This new governance model is a foundational piece from which future changes and innovations in our system will flow. The new system will see regional knowledge brought to the Territorial Leadership Council table through participation by the chairs of the regional wellness councils. This approach was designed based on broad stakeholder engagement. We heard through our public engagement that many changes were needed to the access, consistency, and cultural appropriateness of care and services in our system. Come August 1st, we will be looking at a new structure that will help us address these issues and break down systemic barriers.

On August 1st, we'll put in place the territorial authority with an excellent leadership team that can start to focus on making changes and keep the priority areas, including child and family services, mental health and addictions, and quality and safety. We will also have the opportunity to consolidate finance and procurement, setting the stage to achieve immediate efficiencies and improve our ability to track and maintain costs. Over the next three years, we will see each of these areas addressed and changes made to help improve care and service delivery and make our system more efficient.

As we find efficiencies in the system, such as shared procurement and contracting, we will be able to streamline how these services are delivered. While I continue to emphasize that this isn't a cost-cutting exercise, it is clear that, in order to deal with increasing pressures, we must find ways to contain costs. In communities and regional authorities across the Territories, there are programs and teams of individuals who are doing great work in innovating and provide the best care and services possible. Under our current system, we don't have a formalized mechanism to take those lessons and best practices and implement them across the regions. The new territorial authority supported by the leadership council and the regional wellness councils will change this. On August 1st, our ability to apply these lessons and best practices consistently throughout the Territories will increase for the benefit of all residents. We are aware that change doesn't happen overnight. System transformation is a process, and it will take time for us to see improvements in health outcomes. I am confident that through these changes we will build a health and social services system that provides for the best outcomes possible for all NWT residents. As we come closer to the implementation date, we will continue to work with current health and social services authorities to communicate with all staff in the system about the upcoming changes. We will also be working with the Tlicho Community Services Agency and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority to ensure that we carry strong partnerships forward as the new authority comes online.

Finally, I'd like to recognize the great work of all those in the current system, including CEOs, board members and chairs, administrators, and all of the staff working to provide the best care and services for our residents. I know many of these individuals will continue on in the new system in new roles on the regional wellness councils and Territorial Leadership Council, and I look forward to working with all these individuals. I will provide further updates on this work as it progresses, and I look forward to August 1st, when our new authority comes into force. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Deputy Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend the address to Parliament by President Obama in Ottawa, Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to speak about an organization in Fort Simpson that has a huge impact in the arts, culture, and entertainment community across the North. I've had the opportunity to witness this organization grow from its first breath some 16 years ago to where it is today. Open Sky Society has a long history in Fort Simpson in Nahendeh. Open Sky will be hosting its 16thAnnual Open Sky Festival this July. This event brings multiple benefits to the village of Fort Simpson and the businesses in the region. The festival is a tourist draw and creates economic opportunities for local businesses. The festival also provides local, regional, and territorial artists with a venue to sell their arts and crafts and to demonstrate the traditional workmanship that Nahendeh is well known for. The Fort Simpson residents, including myself, look forward to the festival every year and its lineup of musical performers and arts workshops.

Open Sky also runs other popular events throughout the year, including workshops, coffee houses, gallery events, and musical performances. The society is also an important supporter of the performances that the Northern Arts and Culture Centre brings to Fort Simpson. Mr. Speaker, throughout all of its work, Open Sky is dedicated to promoting local artists in art and culture traditions in the region. Open Sky employs local artists as workshop facilitators and demonstrators and offer them free space, free of charge, to sell their artwork through the OSC gallery. The continuation of the traditional art form in Nahendeh is important, and Open Sky is very supportive of this.

I've been informed by the Open Sky's executive director that the arts organization operating fund contribution program has recently been unveiled by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. I'd like to thank the department and Minister Moses for coming up with this great program that will help societies like Open Sky receive operation support to ensure these societies can continue to offer its valuable performances in support of the arts and artists across the NWT. In closing, the festival has become a summertime tradition in Fort Simpson. Residents look forward to the long weekend event and eagerly await the announcement of the upcoming participants, participating musicians, performers, and artists. Every year, Open Sky devotes considerable energy to draw a wide range of NWT performers to Fort Simpson. I would like to thank this society for all their hard work in putting Fort Simpson and Nahendeh on the entertainment and arts map. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the last day of this session, I want to take this opportunity to speak about the work we've done together over the past five weeks. It has not always been an easy time for Members on either side of the House, Mr. Speaker. There have been challenges for all of us to try to find common ground, to sit through competing priorities and find areas where we can work together. But, overall, Mr. Speaker, I feel that we have had more good days than not, more days of constructive work and cooperation than times of indifference. We've gone through a number of steps to get here today. We came together to develop and adopt our mandate. We learned how to work together at the committee level. We reviewed and evaluated departmental business plans and then, finally, over the last six weeks we have discussed and debated the main estimates here in the House. Mr. Speaker, to be frank, when we started, I don't think we were quite seeing eye to eye. We clearly had matters and issues between Cabinet and Regular Members that polarized us somewhat. Ultimately, through collaboration and meaningful compromise and, most importantly, respect, we found ways to lessen the gaps and bring us back to a certain level of agreement.

On this final day, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues on both sides for their hard work and effort. It can be difficult at times to move forward, but it's important to recognize that you might not get everything you want from the process. That said, I think, collectively, we demonstrated the conviction and hard work that's needed to find common ground that was acceptable to all and ultimately a balanced approach that serves the common good of the Northwest Territories and its people. On another note, I'd like to extend a special thank you to all the Pages who have helped us during the sitting. We simply cannot get through session without you, so thank you very much. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing the work together on our next steps, the business plan reviews and the capital budgets in the fall. I hope everyone travels safe and enjoys the summer break. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Nunakput region with its communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok may be remote, but our communities are close-knit. Because we are close to our families, friends, and neighbours, Mr. Speaker, I know that many are struggling with matters of mental health. When we gathered in the House in February, I spoke about the terrible impacts of suicide on communities in my region. More broadly, Mr. Speaker, mental health needs in our communities continues to demand our attention.

In the past, the Minister of Health and Social Services highlighted the various activities in Nunakput, including workshops, sharing circles, mental health first aid training, and work to raise awareness about the link between substance abuse and suicide risks. I commend this important work, Mr. Speaker, and I want it to continue. Life in the far north brings many benefits. We are able to live our traditional lifestyles, to pass on our cultural history and knowledge, and to enjoy our beautiful land each day. Yet, we are also faced with unique challenges, for example when people in my region don't always have access to health services you would further south. Social workers, doctors, and counsellors are often based in another community, usually in Inuvik, and this can make it hard for residents to access the help they need or to build relationships with care workers. If you are part of a vulnerable group, Mr. Speaker, like children and youth or women who have experienced domestic violence, it only gets harder.

Mr. Speaker, if anyone listening today has questions about mental health or would like to talk, the NWT Help Line could be called at 1-800-661-0844. You can also reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or an elder, or talk to a healthcare or social worker or an RCMP officer. I know that at times it feels hard, even impossible, in our regions where they are so remote and alone. We are all in this together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is time to mine the 2015 Environmental Audit for some issues to bring before this House. Members will recall that this audit is the legitimate, legally mandated way to improve integrated resource management systems for the Mackenzie Valley as established in constitutionally entrenched agreements. Today, it is another one of my favourite topics, participant funding. Canadians south of 60 degrees are entitled to participant funding in federal environmental assessment processes. If you live north of 60, you are treated as a second-class citizen. I appeared before a House of Commons committee in 1997 during its review of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and raised the issue of participant funding that Canadians south of 60 were entitled to, but the message fell on deaf ears at that time. Almost 20 years later, the same issue has been raised in successive environmental audits. Participant funding has been offered only three times for large environmental assessments: the Mackenzie Gas Project, Giant Mine, and Snap Lake.

Here are a few nuggets from the 2015 Environmental Audit: "The MVRMA is based on a system of public participation and engagement. Participant funding is not steady or readily available. Participant funding was not addressed during the devolution process. Where the capacity does exist, Aboriginal groups and other participants indicated that simultaneous requests and regulated timelines and comment windows set by Boards impede their ability to provide meaningful input." That is the end of the quote, Mr. Speaker. The audit recommended that “Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and GNWT should assess public participation/consultation requirements and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada should make a long-term funding commitment, including stress funding, to Aboriginal governments and organizations and other participants in the MVRMA regulatory processes.”

We seem to be at an impasse, as shown by the response to the audit. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada says participant funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis for future environmental assessments in the Northwest Territories. GNWT says that participant funding remains a federal responsibility. If we want people to have confidence in resource management decisions, they have to have the capacity and resources to participate. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands on the issue of participant funding for Northwest Territories residents to get involved and have confidence in environmental assessments in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, residents of Fort McPherson are paying astronomical water bills as the hamlet tries to correct a difficult financial situation on the backs of homeowners. Mr. Speaker, I heard a number of concerns this week from constituents whose water services are being reduced to once a week. People were aware of the hamlet's financial problem and how that impacts their bills, but now they are in arrears, Mr. Speaker. People who make an honest effort to make payments on time and provide clean and healthy homes for their families. Mr. Speaker, these people do not live in subsidized housing. Many of them are doing all they can to save water and be resourceful in the community where the cost of living is already high.

My constituents believe that the situation is not the homeowners' fault, nor their responsibility to get the hamlet out of its millions of dollars of debt. Mr. Speaker, the homeowners of Fort McPherson are hit the hardest, paying the high price for the inaction of government. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs should have intervened in the hamlet's mishandling of funds before the situation got completely out of control. Homeowners don't understand how reducing water delivery to their homes is going to pay down the hamlet's debt or why they should be forced into arrears themselves as the hamlet struggles to recover financially. Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder people fall into arrears when their water bills are easily $250 to $300 per month or more. Add to that heating fuel and firewood, groceries, gasoline, and caring for elders and children. People are borrowing from family members to pay their water bills, Mr. Speaker. Even when they have paid in full, some of them are still waiting for days to get water. Mr. Speaker, I urge the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to look into the situation as soon as possible and work with the department and the community to find a solution before many more water tanks run dry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have learned since becoming an MLA is that if you want to judge the quality of the GNWT's fiscal performance, you have to be tenacious. Even then, the answers may be elusive. Mr. Speaker, it doesn't have to be that way.

In the 2014-15 Budget Address, the Minister of Finance of that day said, "Our fiscal strategy is built on our commitment to adhering to our Fiscal Responsibility Policy and achieving the operating surpluses necessary to fund at least half of our planned capital investment." He said the government would generate an operating surplus which would be used to fund multimillion-dollar capital investment programs. To follow the intention of the budget address and main estimates, we could then turn to the public accounts for that year. They are, of course, the government's financial statements. Mr. Speaker, the public accounts are written by accountants for accountants. They are dense and difficult to understand, but they are also a key mechanism of government accountability.

During the review of the public accounts, the current Minister was asked if the department had met the commitment for a budget surplus. It was difficult to get a straight answer from the Department of Finance. After more probing, the committee learned that the GNWT achieved an operating surplus, but less than the amount projected. In the same budget, infrastructure spending for that fiscal year, which should have been based on the Fiscal Responsibility Policy, in fact came in higher than that of the amount projected. This means that the GNWT overspent by millions on infrastructure in the fiscal year 2014-2015, and it exceeded its commitment to fund half of this from operating surpluses.

There are two problems here, Mr. Speaker. The first is that it seems the government did not adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Policy, one of the cornerstones of this government. Second, compounding that problem is the fact that this reality is not revealed in any plain way through the government's financial statements. It has to be unearthed with effort. Mr. Speaker, this is not acceptable. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, like my previous colleague, would like to recap what was done and accomplished over the last seven months here. In particular I think we, as newcomers, have participated in our first publication of this Assembly's budget, and it has certainly been a learning process during the seven months. We look forward to moving ahead for the remaining term.

In light of what we have achieved over the last several months, if we were to summarize and analyze each department, starting with the left-hand side. If we look at ECE… I might miss or not mention a few, but there have been a number of accomplishments over the last several months, including the publication of the Skills 4 Success, Mr. Speaker, and also the K to 12 document strategy. You have the housing federal support that have come in and housing strategy in place. It is a problematic department trying to keep everybody happy and the high operating costs of this part of the country. You have Health and Social Services there getting ready to initiate this new legislative authority, which I think would better cover the previous Assembly's challenges in supporting and implementing the higher standard of healthcare. Then you have ITI, which has undertaken several initiatives on regulatory reform and analyzing the challenges that we need in preparation for implementing devoluted responsibilities. Then you have Finance, and Finance completed a challenging reduced budget to try and maintain satisfactory challenges for this side of the House, Members that represent high operating remote areas. Then you have Transportation with the many challenges, again, in a high operating cost area, having to build a road which would probably take double the cost compared to the same length dimensional road in, say, the province of British Columbia or Saskatchewan.

Member for Sahtu, your time for Member’s statements has expired.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The Department of Justice has a new department, or this whole government has a new department, with the Public Transparency, which we hope would ease some comfort in the outstanding land claims and the outstanding self-government initiatives. I think I tried to summarize the various departments and the challenges we have, and I look forward in moving ahead. I will look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting down to business, so we can be mindful of the 60 to 70, 80 per cent unemployment, which I assure you we do have in these smaller communities. Faced with the reductions undertaken by this Assembly, I am quite certain we can probably satisfactorily say it is better to achieve supporting and creating two employment positions versus ten, although our target is for ten. But we are trying our best, Mr. Speaker. I thank everybody here today. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Dana Edjericon, Archer Collinson, and Chinelle Besarra, who are Pages from our Range Lake riding. You do a wonderful job, and we are really appreciative of the service you provide to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to welcome my aunt, Eileen Ruben, from Paulatuk; my daughter, Madeleine Nakimayak, from London; and my mom, Helen Nakimayak. Welcome. It is good to have you here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, thank you for being here within our Chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to have an audience in the gallery. Masi. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I would like to ask the Minister: how have MACA and the hamlet communicated Fort McPherson's financial issues and the next steps to correct them to the residents of the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we work with the community. We explain to them the situation that was in the community and some of the changes that had to be made, that we made some adjustment to some of the rates in the community. I can be glad to say that the financial situation in the community has improved. We are looking at reinstating the council and mayor in the fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, with earlier discussions with the Minister, I know that we are awaiting the audit to get things back to the way it used to be. I would like to ask the Minister what is being done to stabilize local water rates and other municipal services in the community.

Mr. Speaker, we are not interested in getting things back to the way they used to be because the way things used to be was they had a huge deficit in the community, and we are not interested in getting back into that situation. The adjustments that were made to the water rates in the community reflected the cost of doing business in the community. We had heard, when we had made the adjustment, that there was some concern with the elders' rates, so we adjusted that. My understanding was the rates were adjusted again on April 1st. I think they may have even come down. But I will confirm that.

What I meant to say was the actual water rates that people paid before. Mr. Speaker, people in the community are paying twice as much as any other community in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister agree to look into the most recent issues and help Fort McPherson manage its water services in a way that is affordable and adequate for the residents?

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, the water rates in the community reflect the cost of delivering water in the community. For a long time the community had very low water rates that were never adjusted and there was a bit of a sticker shock when they were adjusted, but I commend the community of McPherson. They stepped up to the plate and they realized that they were doing their part. We can review the whole thing, but to go back to the water rates that they had before would probably just put them back into the position that they were in before.

Masi. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know in the community meeting that was held this spring the department said that they would look into possibly getting water from the Peel River which would bring down the cost of delivering water in the community. Is the department looking at that for this coming fall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we will work with the new council and mayor once they're elected if that is a priority of the community to change their water source and then we will look at that. We've had a number of communities across the Northwest Territories take advantage of the water treatment plant program and we can work with the community if it's a desire of theirs. Because I take the Member's point and I think I've heard from the community as well that I think there is a distance to drive to get water to the community, so we'll explore that option with the new mayor and council when they get sworn in, and if it is a priority of theirs then we'll try and advance it.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard the Minister of Transportation speak about saving $2 million on a contract in my riding. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please tell us if he actually spoke to the two companies about the cost of them operating this contract as a negotiated contract? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The short answer is no, as this was put out as a tendered process and it goes through procurement and they do their business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, if the Minister of the department hasn't spoken to these companies I'm not sure how we saved $2 million by going to a public tender process. To me, if it's a negotiated contract you work out a price, but he didn't do that so we can't really say that we saved $2 million. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how we saved $2 million with this project going out to a public tender?

What I can do is I will commit to the Member that I can pull together that information on how we came up to that number and supply that to the Member.

Again I thank the Minister for his answer. They'll be a lot of stuff coming from his office or his department in the future I hope, and I thank him for that. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding as part of the BIP process, southern companies make commitments to have a certain percentage of northern content. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how the department ensures that that percentage of the bid is adhered to?

The procurement process allows for the BIP that's supplied on to contracts in the Northwest Territories, and that is supplied through the Public Works and Services when it's put out to tender and that's how the bids are adjusted accordingly. Southern bidders do not qualify for northern content or the BIP process and the northern people do.

Masi. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the education about the BIP process. I totally understand the BIP process; what I'm asking for the Minister to explain how the department guarantees, when Southern company says they're going to put 60 per cent of the cost to Northerners so the money is vested back into the communities, how does the department guarantee as part of the bid or contract when they sign it, because that's what they bid on, is adhered to? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I've said, the Public Works put out the tender; there's a BIP process that's applied to all tenders of these bids. If the southern contractor states that they're going to have 60 per cent that the Member has alluded to in part of their bidding contract that has nothing to do with the BIP process of this contract. We can follow up with the Member and have a discussion on the number that he's talking about, but Public Works and Services applies the numbers to the tender process.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about mental health in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. My first question, Mr. Speaker, is: can the Minister provide an update on the activities supporting mental health that will take place in our small communities across the NWT, including the Nunakput region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member in his statement actually identified a significant amount of the work that's actually taking place in the communities. We do have the NWT Help Line which is available free of charge to all NWT residents, and, as the Member said, it is confidential and anonymous and is available 24/7.

The department continues to support health and social services authorities to offer different courses and different services in the community such as the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training which is often referred to as ASIST, and the Mental Health First Aid courses. Those are delivered in every region twice per year, and I know that in Nunakput we're just finalizing some contracts to make sure that those programs can be delivered this fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, We also have the Community Counselling Program that offers free counselling for mental health and addictions to all residents of the NWT. In Nunakput we have those in three communities. We don't have a position in Sachs Harbour, but those services are provided either out of Ulukhaktok or Inuvik depending on staffing levels.

Mr. Speaker, we can't do all these on our own. Health and Social Services is one part of the solution but we do need assistance. The Department of Health and Social Services has been working very closely with Education, Culture and Employment to offer "Talking about Mental Illness," which is often referred to as TAMI, which is a program for grade eight students. I think we're happy to say that we should be able to bring those to the schools in Nunakput this year, to their schools. We also work closely with Aboriginal governments to deliver on-the-land healing programs. We have $1.23 million in the budget. We make $125,000 available to every region so that they can deliver tailor-made on-the-land programs in their communities. I know that in Nunakput the IRC is delivering Project Jewel, which is a phenomenal program. We will continue to work with communities to develop their wellness plan. Every Aboriginal community in the Northwest Territories has a wellness plan tailored to meet their needs, delivered by each community, and we flow $5 million to the communities to support their individual wellness plans. It's a partnership, Mr. Speaker. There's multiple things happening. We're working on an updated framework on mental health and addictions that will help us expand in those areas as well. There's lots happening, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my second question is: earlier this year the Minister spoke about Nunakput women's group to set up to address mental health and stressors within the relationships. Can the Minister update the House on the status of the work of this group?

Mr. Speaker, I've made a number of announcements in the House so I'm not exactly sure which one the Member is referring to. The Member could be referring to a camp that was held as part of the IRC's land program, Project Jewel which I mentioned in my previous statement. If so, two of those camps were offered for women in February 2016. In August 2016, the IRC is expanding this program and intending to provide follow-up to the women and their families. In addition, the IRC is determined that this women's camp will actually be a permanent part of their programming. However, the Member could also be referring to a women's group in Tuktoyaktuk that is in partnership with the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Community Counselling Program, the local women's shelter, and victim services. The group was set to start in June 2016, but has unfortunately experienced some delays so they're looking for an executive director. Once they hire an executive director they'll be able to move forward with that pilot as well. The focus of this group will be on building knowledge and support for women; the importance of strong connection to culture and resources and relationships within the community. That one has been delayed; they're looking for an executive director. Should they get hired, they will be able to move forward, and the IRC is moving forward with their Project Jewel Program.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the response from the Minister and getting back to what IRC is doing. They have some programs for women out on the land and those are very effective programs, and I hope that we can continue to work with the GNWT to promote these programs and encourage participation by women across the NWT and in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, my final question: how do the department's mental health activities and programming work and respond with communities' cultural needs?

Mr. Speaker, one of the ways that we obviously engage in this way is through communities and regional governments with the on-the-land programming and things like that. Specifically in-House, the Community Counselling Program is a community-based service that is made up of counsellors as well as wellness workers. Having counsellors based in the communities means that they have the opportunity to engage and become more immersed in the culture of the communities where they happen to be living. In the Department of Health and Social Services we are also working on cultural competencies that all staff will be required to take at the front line so that they are aware of the different cultures in the Northwest Territories and they're aware of the cultures and differences in the communities they live.

Wellness workers, Mr. Speaker, are often local individuals from the communities who already know the people and the culture and they're a great resource for professionals who do have to come in from other communities or other locations in Canada. Our work with Aboriginal governments around the delivery of the on-the-land healing programs, I think, is another great example of how we're trying to incorporate culture. With those on-the-land healing programs, Mr. Speaker, we don't dictate how they will be run. We accept and recognize without question that the best people to design and deliver these programs are the people who are living in the communities, the people who have on the land experience. There's a number of different things that we're doing. When we roll into one single authority, we're looking at putting together an Indigenous committee to help us identify traditional healing practices that we can incorporate across the whole system, including places like Stanton. This is an area that we take very seriously and we're going to continue to move forward to make improvements.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last five years complaints were made to the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP about NWT officers. Most of these grievances filed were for alleged excessive use of force. Investigations into many of these incidents revealed that the officers in question had faced assaults on their own by complainants and none of the officers were found to have been in violation of excessive use of force. These reports show us that there's a troubling number of RCMP members who go through a very difficult job. What is the Minister of Justice doing with our government's resources to support our police officers in the field here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, of course 70 per cent of the RCMP budget is actually paid for by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The individual programs dealing with these types of issues of course are those of the RCMP. I believe they receive training, extensive training, at Regina. Our resources go into supporting the RCMP. In that way; however, they devise the programs that they feel are most appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe to clarify, some of the RCMP officers reported that they were physically assaulted consistently on the job, verbally assaulted even more so, and one example where excrement was involved. This is unseemly treatment and it's entirely unjustifiable. The role of the RCMP is very important in our communities and we have community justice committees. Are these community justice committees being used to build strong partnerships where RCMP members have the ability to express these concerns to local leadership and make a real difference in the community in terms of their treatment as police officers who are keeping us safe?

Yes, the RCMP of course do have relationships and agreements with all of the communities in the Northwest Territories. Although I'm not sure what is discussed at the meetings, I know that there are meetings on an ongoing basis. Certainly, I cannot comment on any individual cases, but I think the story the Member opposite is referring to shows some of the risks and dangers our RCMP members face on a daily basis. I would hope that those concerns are brought forward to community meetings, and, as I say, the RCMP do have community meetings with all of the communities in which they have detachments, and even the ones they don't have detachments there are agreements with those smaller communities.

The RCMP are not the only peace officers working here in the Northwest Territories to keep Northerners safe, we also have many territorial police officers, including sheriff's officers and the Department of Justice. Can the Minister explain if there's a similar complaint process in the Department of Justice for sheriff's officers, and how many complaints were received in the last year?

I'm not aware of any complaints that have been received. If there are, I will certainly look into that and get back to the Member with that information. I'm not certain also whether there is a complaints process specifically dealing with peace officers that are not RCMP officers so, again, I will look into that and get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's imperative that the public has confidence in our security services, including sheriff's officers. I would strongly recommend the Minister to be aware of those processes and, furthermore, to meet with peace officers, in particular the sheriff's department, and get firsthand information about what they go through on a daily basis. Will the Minister commit to meeting with the sheriff's office and seeing if their experience is similar to what RCMP members have gone through in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There may be similar issues with the sheriff's office that are clearly issues with the RCMP. I will have the department contact the sheriff's office to see if there can be a discussion on these issues that have been raised by the Member opposite.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my statement today, it is very challenging to follow the government's spending intentions from the budget address to the main estimates to the public accounts. My question for the Minister of Finance is whether he'll commit to find a way of reporting on the GNWT's fiscal performance using plain language so that the results are available to all of us? Mahsi.

Mahsi. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, also in the statement there was a comment that the Minister of Finance was unable to explain the public accounts, well which makes perfect sense because I was not at that briefing. It was a technical briefing given by the officials of the department, so I just wanted to make that point. To the Member's questions, I take her point, it is a very taxing document to read. I will make the commitment to work with my officials to have it available in a plainer language that's easier for us to understand.

I certainly take the Minister's point on that, that he had his officials there, which is the case. In committing to providing the plain language version of this reporting, could the Minister give us an idea of how this plain language version may be made known to the public?

The public accounts, I believe, is a tabled document. If we are going to put together a plain language summary, then we would also make that as a tabled document, put it on our website and let people that are interested in a plainer version of the public account document to be able to access it, and hopefully we can understand it a bit better.

I'm going to move on to the other component of my statement, which is that it is my understanding, after reviewing the public accounts, that in fact the government did not meet its own requirements in its Fiscal Responsibility Policy, meaning that it didn't raise enough of a surplus to meet its spending criteria. When that happens, which is what happened in 2014-15, what are the consequences? I guess the government has to borrow more money, but what are the consequences if the government fails to meet its own requirements of its Fiscal Responsibility Policy?

I would have to sit down and have a conversation with the Member and try to explain how this works. You know, the cash that's generated from our operations in 2014-15 was about $175 million, as was reported in the public documents. We were able to generate this level of cash from our operations because of the $95 million surplus achieved in 2014-15, which included about $80 million for non-cash items like amortization expense and all the GNWT needs to account for. Again, as I said before, it is a very difficult document to read without properly understanding it, and I would be glad to sit down with the Member and we can go over the document together.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that offer. On that same page that the Minister is quoting from it says that the cash used for capital transactions was $236 million, in round numbers, and so the math just doesn't add up; even I can appreciate that. I guess I'm back to my original question of what the consequences are when the government has not abided by its own fiscal policy? Thank you.

I'm not sure what the consequences are, maybe there's an empty seat here, I don't know. I will have a conversation with my officials, I'm sure we've met the requirements to the Fiscal Responsibility Policy, because I'm sure if we hadn't then we'd be called onto the carpet for that, but I will confirm that and I will have a conversation with my officials.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke about the divergence in views between the federal and our territorial governments regarding participant funding for environmental assessment in the Northwest Territories as found in the 2015 Environmental Audit. This issue's been around for over 20 years and it's time to solve this problem. Can the Minister of Lands tell this House whether the issue of participant funding was raised during the devolution negotiations, who raised it, and what the response was? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding was that funding was not addressed in any detail during the devolution negotiations as legislative responsibility for the MVRMA or its boards remain with the Government of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm a bit disappointed to hear that GNWT didn't use the devolution negotiations as an opportunity, we're always on about capturing opportunities, to try to resolve this situation when we had some leverage. I spoke earlier this week about the recently announced federal review of environmental assessment processes, the federal government wants to rebuild public confidence in resource decisions; I think that's a good thing. Although the North was left out of this process, we should perhaps capture that opportunity to push the federal government to treat us the same as other Canadians. Will the Minister commit to writing the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change and ask that the issue of participant funding be considered in the context of a review of environmental assessment processes?

GNWT Ministers are going to be meeting with the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change next month, and I can assure the Member that this issue will be raised at that time.

I appreciate the commitment from the Minister and I look forward to hearing back from him about his discussions with the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change. I mentioned how residents of Northwest Territories along with residents of Yukon and Nunavut do not have access to participant funding for federal environmental assessment except in very limited circumstances, and these are usually at the discretion of Ottawa. Truly, we're treated as second-class citizens in this country. Can the Minister of Lands tell this House whether he would be willing to work with our northern neighbours to attempt to resolve this injustice of no participant funding for Northerners?

We're not interested in being second-class citizens in our own land anymore, and I will commit to having conversations with my counterpart in our sister territories and see how we can work as a unit to try and address this issue.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the commitment by the Minister to work with our neighbours in Yukon and Nunavut. I've been on record talking about the need to build confidence in our resource management decisions and that people have to have the ability to participate in these processes. Larger projects often involve technical expertise in their evidence-based processes to help level the playing field and ensure we retain the benefits of resource development. Participant funding is essential. I understand the Minister is prepared to work with our northern neighbours, but would he be prepared to look at signing perhaps even a joint letter with our neighbours in Yukon and Nunavut to push this issue with or federal government? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

We as well would like our public to have confidence in our ability to deal with any type of development in the land that we look after. I will have conversations with my counterparts. We have a meeting coming up with the federal Minister. We can raise the issue at the time and see what the feedback is from the federal government, and we'll use that as a go-forward basis. If we have to partner up with our neighbours, then we will do that. Again, as I said, we do want the public to have confidence in our ability to deal with any issues concerning the land.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm just going to carry on with the points that I was making earlier. The Fiscal Responsibility Policy says that there was a requirement for financing infrastructure with 50 per cent of the operating surplus. In the public accounts which we examined for the fiscal year 2014-2015, their operating surplus was in round numbers, $95 million, and the infrastructure expense was in round numbers, $236 million. Using those numbers, it's clear in fact that the infrastructure was not funded 50 per cent from operating surpluses, but many millions less. The point of this is: what are the consequences if the Fiscal Responsibility Policy is not followed? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to take that question as notice.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the NWTAC 50thAnnual General Meeting, the staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources did a presentation and a question and answer session. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise the House if they are encountering any challenges in implanting the GNWT’s Electronics Recycling Program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We rolled this program out earlier this year and to date, we haven’t had any issues with the recycling program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that answer and it’s good to hear that. Mr. Speaker, in speaking with some of the residents and youths that recycle bottles because they receive a refund from the deposit they make during the purchase of the items, can the Speaker advise if the department has any plans in the future to provide any refunds for recycling electronics?

Yes, the Speaker can advise the Minister. The question for the Minister.

Upon implementing the recycling of electronics earlier this year, we have an advisory group that’s going to sit down within the one-year period of this implementation. They will be reviewing the policy and bringing recommendations back to the department, which we can share with the Members.

I won’t try to ask you the question this time. I’ll ask the question to the Minister responsible for ENR. I thank the Minister for that answer and I’m very happy to hear that there is a committee. Can the Minister actually advise the committee that there is some of these issues out there that people are looking at, the electronics that has, you know, getting a refund, so we can get all the electronics out of our dumps and into a proper recycling process? This will be my final question.

As I said, we have a committee that will be reviewing the process and see if it’s working effectively to keep electronics out of our dumps in the Northwest Territories. Upon that review, we can have those discussions and if the Member would like, he can have input probably in that discussion as well with the committee.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just have a couple questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I just got a memo here that, you know, there will be reduced nursing services in Aklavik between June 30thand July 9th. I’d just like to ask the Minister, what’s the reasoning behind this? Is it due to holidays? Or just what’s the reasoning for this? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member’s nailed it exactly on the head. It’s as a result of holidays and some staff changes and turnover. We will do our best to have some locums come in to fill over these transition periods, some locums will be coming in this summer. Unfortunately, the timing hasn’t lined up, so we do have to go to reduced services for a short period of time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when the Minister says reduced services, what does that entail? Is it a full closure or just limited services?

Mr. Speaker, I can’t recall the exact situation in Aklavik when you go to reduced services, it might mean that we have to reduce and only provide emergency services, so accidents, injuries that need immediate response, and not deliver any of our clinics, like Well Man or Well Woman, but I will confirm. I’m pretty sure we’re going to reduce services, which means we’re providing emergency services, but no clinical services for that short period of time. I will get that detail and confirm with the Member.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to ask the Minister, this wouldn’t affect any medical travel or anything that’s already booked that may happen during this time?

No, Mr. Speaker. Any services that the clients or the residents in Aklavik have, that they require to leave the community to go to either Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Edmonton, those things are still scheduled, still appropriate and medical travel will still occur.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to leave for the summer, I just want to ask the Minister of Housing a couple of questions here. You know, we were supposed to get a couple units barged on the Mackenzie River. I just want to make sure that, you know, I know all the buoys should be in place by now and so I’m going to make sure that everything’s on track and will these mobile homes actually be shipped down the river over the summer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.