Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2017

This is page numbers 1951 – 2010 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 going.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Update On Early Childhood Development Plan: Education, Culture And Employment Milestone Statement

Enbridge Pipeline Erosion Control Measures

Support For Terrax Minerals Inc.

Improving Consumer Protection

Hay River Rental Accommodation Challenges

Benefits Of Public Service Growth In The Sahtu Region

Yellowknife Rental Accommodation Costs

Resident Mental Health Worker For Tsiigehtchic

Sugar Tax Best Practices

Modern Treaty Implementation

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Emergency Situation Communication Protocols

Yellowknife And Peripheral Area Land Use Management Plan

GNWT Land Use Monitoring Capacity

Sugar Tax Best Practices

Improving Consumer Protection

Rental Office Workload Challenges

Rental Accommodation Subsidies

Land Lease Assessments

Residential Mental Health Worker For Tsiigehtchic

Social Housing Policy Adjustments

Written Question 21-18(2): Complaints Of Sexual Assault Classified By RCMP As Unfounded

Tabled Document 302-18(2): Workers’ Safety And Compensation Commission 2015-2017 Strategic Plan

Extended Adjournment Of The House To February 28, 2017

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matter

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Operations Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Lands

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Justice, Deferral Of Community Justice And Policing Activity

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 64-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Lands, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matter

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister?

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Yes, thank you. As the Members will know, we extended the current contract so that there would be no gaps in services. Of course, there was the report on the New Day program, and based on that, we will be going forward with a request for proposals, and hopefully, we will be starting up the program again in July. So again, there will be no gaps between the present contract and the next contract. That is our wish and our belief. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate that response. Can the Minister tell us how the request for proposals for the new service provider will differ from the request for proposals for the previous or the current service provider? What are the major differences that are being contemplated for the next round? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe that we were looking for a program that might have more flexibility. There was a fairly significant drop-out rate, and, hopefully, the request for proposals will contain within it provisions that will require the provider of the service to provide a perhaps more flexible program. Perhaps the deputy minister could add something to that. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Goldney.

Goldney

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That really will be the key difference going forward, is a more flexible and adaptive approach. We can't get into too many of the details until the request for proposal is out. The goal is certainly to take the lessons learned from the pilot project, and what we learned quite clearly was that the program should be adapted to make it more accessible for those who want to take advantage of it. One of the things that we noted, the retention rates for participants was not as high as we prefer, suggesting that we needed to have more flexibility in the number of sessions offered and greater frequency in the sessions offered. We also expect to make changes to make the administration of the program a little easier for the contractors and the facilitators delivering the curriculum. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate that answer. Some of the issues raised in the evaluation address administration and clinical supervision as areas of weakness in the current program. How will those weaknesses be addressed going forward? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do recognize that as an issue. We are looking at ways in the request for proposals so that, administration and clerical functions, we want to be sure that they don't impede the delivery of the program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

February 23rd, 2017

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I find that answer a bit opaque. I wonder if the Minister could elaborate? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Well, we are still working on the request for proposals. I think that what we wish to do is move some of the administrative and clerical functions away from the party who actually contracts with us. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Okay. So what are the choices, then, if you are going to move the administration and clerical functions away? Would they then become part of the department, or would there been another service provider who provides the clinical and administrative oversight? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

I think one of the possibilities we are looking at is to make the clerical and organizational functions part of the department, that is delivered by the government. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am interested to hear that. That seems like an expensive remedy to the weakness that was found in the current service provider. Are there any other alternatives for ensuring that this program remains a community-based program? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Mr. Chair, we are not anticipating any increase in costs, and we simply felt that some of the problems with the program in the past, if there were such problems, were at that level, so we thought that we could streamline the program by having those clerical type, organizational type, functions within the government and allow those that were responding to the request for proposals deliver what they do best, that is the actual program, itself. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2017

Topics

Help us improve OpenNWT