This is page numbers 3443 – 3488 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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.

Question 165-18(3): Land Tenure Engagement Sessions
Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have the details of the Sahtu bilateral before me, but I could certainly get back to the Minister with respect to that question.

Question 165-18(3): Land Tenure Engagement Sessions
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Question 165-18(3): Land Tenure Engagement Sessions
Oral Questions

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that reply and will follow up. My last question is: will the Sahtu see another round of engagements regarding the proposed multiple amendments to the NWT Lands Act as well as the Commissioner's Lands Act? They're related to the previous questions on that similar note. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 165-18(3): Land Tenure Engagement Sessions
Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

I understand there has been an extensive engagement with the communities with respect to these two pieces of legislation which are being updated. I don't think we were contemplating another round of engagements, but, if we are, I will certainly inform the Member opposite. Thank you.

Question 165-18(3): Land Tenure Engagement Sessions
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I talked about the early results of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project. Some of the comments from people in the program: "It's given me back my independence," "I don't feel backed into a corner," "If I want to eat, I can afford to buy something instead of going to a food bank or soup kitchen." These are the kind of progressive policies that are moving the working poor forward in the province of Ontario. Will the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment speak to any analysis that his department has done on a guaranteed basic income pilot for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are aware of the pilot program that's currently going on in Ontario. I believe it started up in June of 2017. The department is closely looking at that pilot program. In the meantime, we continue to make enhancements to our income assistance programs here, in the Northwest Territories. We want to make sure that all of our families, Northerners, do have the basic food and clothing, help them with rent and other expenses. As we are reviewing this pilot project, we're continuing to support our clients who are on an income assistance.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

The issue is not: do we support those experiencing poverty through these programs. The nature of these programs are, as one of my honourable friends mentioned, a poverty trap. Once you get in this system, you can't get out. The Minister is clearly looking at this, but does he have any plans to move forward on a guaranteed income pilot project for the Northwest Territories?

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

As I mentioned, I can't make any commitments until we see the review of these results with the pilot project going on in Ontario. I did look over the program, though, but some of the things that they're doing are things that we do right across the departments with Health and Social Services, with Justice, within my department. One of the programs that we also have, that is similar to what they're doing in Ontario, is with our productive choices program that we have with our income assistance clients. I can't commit to any kind of guaranteed income pilot until we see what's happening in Ontario.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario pilot project is just one of many that is taking place in the world. We've had them happen in Canada before. I'll ask the Minister. He mentioned the productive choices. How is that similar to a basic income pilot? How is that achieving the same results?

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Some of our productive choices are trying to help people come out of poverty, so education, counselling, volunteering, where we're encouraging our income assistance clients to participate in a productive choice as they receive income from the GNWT in my department, but we're also trying to help them get out of poverty by getting the counselling that they need, looking at also getting the skills and training that they need, their education, and volunteering in their community.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One thing we're learning from these pilot projects, this basic guaranteed income, is that the best way to help someone get out of poverty is to ensure that their cost of living is taken care of without a lot of strings attached or government oversight. It allows them to get a job. It allows them to pay for food. Right now, we're clawing back a lot of income. I just don't understand what the hold-up is. Can we take a sample size of recipients of income support and start modelling this kind of effort, even on a temporary basis so it's a low-cost approach that still gets better results than we're currently experiencing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Our client service officers do a great job of meeting with our clients to ensure that they're up-to-date on their productive choices but also make sure that they're actively seeking to get employment and getting the services that they need as well as counselling that they need. I believe we're already doing some of that work with our income assistance programs. We're going to wait until this pilot project is complete with Ontario, but we are closely monitoring to see how that is impacting residents in Ontario and if that's something we can possibly look at here, in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 166-18(3): Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Project
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, in my language, I spoke about how last week on February 21, 2018 marked eight years of sobriety for me, so I wanted to take the moment --

---APPLAUSE

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, colleagues. I wanted to take the moment just to extend my appreciation and gratitude for the many professionals that have come across my path who weren't judgmental and were basically just professional and compassionate in believing in the service that they provide to the public. My heart is wholeheartedly felt to those people that go beyond the call of duty and provide a service to society in general. Mahsi to all of them.

My questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services in terms of taking a step of sobering up. What kind of health does the department provide in terms of programming services for people who could be ready to help themselves to sober up and change their lives? Mahsi.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

February 25th, 2018

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a result of the mental health and addictions program that was held a number of years ago, what we heard clearly from the people across the Northwest Territories is that they want options, so we're trying to provide as many options and many alternatives for individuals to begin that healing journey as possible. At a community level in most of our communities, we have mental health and addictions counsellors or other counsellors who are available through NGOs and other partners. Thank goodness, they're out there. We have treatment facilities that are available to us in southern Canada that provide a wide-ranging program that could never be delivered in one facility. I think we need to be really proud of the fact that we're working with our Indigenous governments across the Northwest Territories for the delivery of on-the-land programming that is designed by the Aboriginal governments for their people. We also provide wellness dollars to every community in the Northwest Territories, who design their own wellness plans. Many of them are focusing on healing opportunities for the residents. We are working to provide as many options as we can. We always need to do more. We are coming forward with the new action plan. We are looking for some feedback from committee. I know the committee is putting something together for us, so we're looking forward to seeing that so that we can make more enhancements and improvements as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

The Minister did state that there are ongoing initiatives in terms of working with Indigenous governments, and I'd like to commend the Minister for taking those steps to working with all of our communities in terms of placing, in all far reaches of the NWT, on-the-land programs and initiatives. My question is, understanding that the on-the-land programs, what was called for from previous assessments is that people wanted options, and that's one option, whether and how traditional beliefs of Dene are reflected on on-the-land programs? Mahsi.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, we heard clearly from many people across the Northwest Territories that on-the-land and traditional healing is incredibly important to them, and it is certainly, for many people, part of the process that they are going to go through as they proceed down their healing journey. There are a lot of questions about on-the-land healing programs. There really hasn't been an evaluation mechanism, but we have worked with our Indigenous partners here, in the Northwest Territories, to start the development of an evaluation framework so that we can see and try to assess some of the value.

Obviously, we hear many great and important things about the on-the-land programs that are out there. I will say that every one of the programs is different because they are designed by a regional Aboriginal government. We, as a government, don't tell people how to design these programs. I feel like we're the wrong people to tell the Indigenous governments how to design the programs because they are from the people, for the people. We do make our staff available if asked. We want to be partners. We want to help. We continue to work with our Aboriginal partners to make sure that they have the resources to do this important work.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

One observation that I have is, back in the day, we had in every community alcohol and drug workers as they call them. My understanding, their approach was in addressing the root of the alcohol issues. They treated the whole issue of alcohol as a disease. Now, we have mental health workers who more likely take almost an approach that every person that deals with alcohol has some trauma in their background. Besides that, how has the philosophy of treating alcoholism changed over the years with the department?

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I think the whole treatment methodology around addictions has continued to evolve over the years. Many years ago, it was believed that basically the 12-step program was one of the best sources, but we're starting to hear a lot more that there are other new approaches, more scientific, more medical-based systems that we need to be exploring. We're hoping and intending to explore this as we move forward with the next addictions recovery action plan. A number of years ago, the Member was correct, we had addiction counsellors in the community. Before my time, and certainly before the Member's time, I do believe this changed, where we brought in mental health and addictions counsellors instead, recognizing that some of the individuals who were struggling with addictions may have had mental health issues. That doesn't suggest that everybody who has an addictions issue has a mental health issue, but we wanted to make sure, rather the system wanted to make sure, that we were providing a full range of services to individuals who were struggling, whether it was a mental health issue or an addiction issue, or in some cases both. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 167-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Programs And Services
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.