Masi. Motion is on the floor. To the principle of the bill. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of Bill 16, including its provision to reduce instructional hours in the classroom. I know this has become a bit of a lightning rod in local media recently. However, I believe there are logical reasons that this is a good step forward for our education system. The change in hours will bring NWT schools more in line with the Canadian average. That will make the teaching job more sustainable for teachers who love teaching in the North. It will also make the job more attractive to new teachers considering moving here. We know how important it is to attract and retain the best teachers in order to improve our students' success.

We should also recognize that, despite recent comments, fewer class hours does not mean a smaller workload. Class time with students is important, but preparation is the key to maximizing those classroom hours. Many aspects of teaching happen outside classroom time: planning lessons; assessing student work; extra time with students who need help; communicating with parents; collaboration with other teachers; creating student support plans; report cards; et cetera. The list goes on. All of these extras cannot take place during class time, and they are a crucial part of doing a good job as a teacher.

Successful student achievement is complex and involves many factors, both in and out of schools. To suggest that more class time equals better student success is just not true. Similarly, reducing class hours will not necessarily result in poorer student achievement. For those reasons, Mr. Speaker, I speak in favour of this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 16 has had its second reading. It is now referred to the standing committee. Masi. Second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 7, Bill 13, Committee Report 6-18(2), Tabled Document 261-18(2), with the Member for Hay River North in the chair. Prior to that, by the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 18-18(2), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House.

I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 261-18(2), NWT Main Estimates, 2017-2018. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

We will take a short recess and resume with the consideration of the document. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 261-18(2), Main Estimates, 2017-2018. Does the Minister of the Department of Health and Social Services have any opening comments?

I do, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2017-2018 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. The total proposed budget for the department is $423,457,000. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $9.2 million, which is an increase of 2 per cent over the 2016-2017 Main Estimates.

These estimates continue to support the GNWT's objective of ensuring a strong, sustainable future for the government and its programs by managing expenditures due to limited revenue growth.

Highlights of proposed budget include:

● forced growth of $16.17 million;

● sunsets and other adjustments of $10 million;

● funding for initiatives totalling $2 million; and

● reductions of just under $1.6 million.

The 2017-2018 Main Estimates include an increase of $8.6 million from the 2017-2018 business plan reviewed by standing committee in September. This additional funding includes allocations to staff to operationalize the new Hay River health centre and the Norman Wells health and social services long-term care centre. The new positions for these facilities in the 2017-2018 total 24: one in Hay River, 23 in Norman Wells.

Increased funding has been included to continue to work to move all health and social services authorities to operating on common information platforms supported by the TSC. The budget also includes $750,000 in new funding to address the needs of the homeless population by expanding hours of the day shelter and establishing a sober incentive program in Yellowknife.

The department's proposed spending for 2017-2018 continues to support the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly. To support seniors and elders to remain in their communities, $877,000 has been allocated for the operation of the new Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home in Behchoko, which includes funding for four new positions. The budget also includes $331,000 in new funding for two positions to meet our regulatory obligations as a result of devolution. That concludes my opening remarks.

Thank you, Minister. Do you have any witnesses you would like to bring into the House.

I do.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on my right is Debbie DeLancey, the deputy minister of Health and Social Services. On my left is Jeannie Mathison, who is the director of finance with Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Minister. I would just like to remind everyone to conclude your statements with a "thank you, Mr. Chair," or some phrase like that, just so our tech team knows to switch the microphones.

I will now open the floor to general comments. First of all, welcome to the witnesses. I will now open the floor to general comments. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, when we are looking at this budget, I am looking at the stuff we are missing right now and why the rationale. We need this in there. I guess our first initiative we talked about was youth-in-crisis. Unfortunately, we have seen a lot of crisis and a lot of deaths in our ridings lately. I think we need to be spending more time on the prevention, intervention, that is needed. I am not just talking about youth, but I am talking about the whole generation. People are passing life through crisis and that. I am looking at the department to put in initiatives and put more funding into it.

The second challenge I find is the anti-poverty funding. I have been to two of the last two anti-poverty conferences as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and I have attended previously as part of my job. I understand the department is doing some really good work. Unfortunately, I find the funding is limited. We only get to spend little bits of money across the board. I have heard the department talk about the importance of an avenue for them to leverage other money from other agencies and other organizations out there. However, I think we need to put a little bit more money into it. I honestly do.

I think the work that the department and these NGOs is doing is greatly needed. They are doing a really good job. My struggle, though, is that we are only putting $500 or half a million dollars into it. There are over a million, a million and a half, requests. That, to me, is a challenge. I honestly believe that more money needs to be put in there because I think that would help the NGOs do their job, but also the department to continue to do their good work. It is kind of a catch-22.

I understand what the government and the department are saying, but I also firmly believe in my heart, if we want to help these people, this is what we need to do. We need to help these organizations to grow and do better work that they are out there doing right now. To me, it's their nickeling-and-diming. That is where they are. They are pinching pennies to get it. It's sad to hear that this is the direction. I am not blaming the department because you put a half a million dollars in there, but I think we need a little bit more.

My other concern I want to talk about is the homecare services, and I understand that the department is working on the ability to put a plan together and they're working on that. I appreciate the government for the work they're doing and they're not trying to rush in, but at the same time we need this money, I think, for our homecare. However, if there's no agreement from the department because they're working on it, then I'm looking at the department to make a commitment that if they're successful in doing the work that they're doing and they're able to get it done before our budget year is done they will be committed to try and get a supplement back into this government, so we're able to implement the great ideas in the work that they're doing for our respected seniors and our elders in the communities, because they are very important to me and everyone here, including my colleagues from Cabinet, and I understand that, and the department.

If the plan is done, I'm hoping that the Minister can make the commitment to actually implement this. Besides that, I have to congratulate the department on the work they’ve done. I've been very happy overall. I've been able to, with the opportunity with the Minister, to have some discussions with the deputy minister on some ideas I've had to help benefit the youth and the seniors and people in the territory, and I appreciate that opportunity.

As the Minister says, sometimes we may not agree to agree and we might have difference of opinions, but we're trying to work on the same direction towards that, so I thank the department for that, and I thank the committee and everybody here allowing me to first. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Do I have any further opening comments? Mr. McNeely.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to going through this department here knowing the fact that one of our buildings is going to be coming on-stream for this fiscal year, the Regional Health Centre in Norman Wells. I look forward to a budget and transitional accounting that's in the book to ensure that there's allowances there for the coverage of unforeseen costs or preparatory costs for when the building opens up and then we kind of know and have a good understanding that there is funding for O and M and unforeseen potential costs prior to the building opening up for services, including the staffing as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. I will allow everyone's general comments and then I will allow the Minister to respond. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments to the budget. You know, I was hoping to see, once again, staffing for nursing in this budget. I haven't seen that yet, but I know the department is doing a good job in that department. I'll just mention the community at Tsiigehtchic really appreciates when we do have the nurse during freeze-up and break-up. Really, the community comes together and welcomes whoever comes to the community.

One thing: during my last constituency meeting someone brought up a great idea which I will be doing a statement later during session on, but, you know what, they recommended that we have someone in our hospitals similar to a counsellor but more there to help the patients, to help communicate, whether it's the doctors or the nurses. You know, a lot of patients really have a challenge to communicate, whether they're elders or even middle-aged people in the communities have a hard time to communicate with strangers, and I think that that's something we really seriously need to look at in the future. You know, someone solely dedicated, whether it's in our regional offices or in our community offices.

Even a pilot project was what they were thinking of doing, and I'll have a little more information on that later during session, but I think that's a great idea. Also, more supports. You know, Members brought this up a number of times over the last few months, is many of our smaller communities have been really hit hard by suicides, mostly our young people. We really need more supports in that area. Just recently over the holidays we had one in my riding. You know, it's very difficult for the families. Two years back we had the same thing happen in our family and you know there needs to be -- whether it's a help line, or who knows. A lot more supports in this field. You know, even today it's surprising that we're still having these sort of things happen in our communities, but we do need to make sure we support those in need.

Ambulance services. I know it has been sort of put aside to MACA, but I think it should be a joint working relationship between departments. I know they are working with the community at Tsiigehtchic with a pilot project there, and I look forward to the outcome or the beginning of that. That's about it for now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Any further general comments? Mr. O'Reilly.