Debates of May 31st, 2018
This is page numbers 4103 - 4182 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.
Topics
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 83-18(3): National Housing Strategy
- Minister's Statement 84-18(3): NWT Airport Improvements
- Minister's Statement 85-18(3): 2018 Education Hall of Fame
- Minister's Statement 86-18(3): Premier Absent from the House
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Rental Office Staffing and Backlog
- Educating Healthcare Professionals in the NWT
- Nahendeh Graduates
- Arctic Maritime Shipping
- Clean Energy and Net Metering
- Upgrade to Kakisa Dock
- Housing Policies for Families
- Sahtu Regional Housing Conference
- Giant Mine Remediation Socio-Economic Benefits
- Mackenzie Delta Graduates
- Acknowledgement 10-18(3): Brian Jaffray - Education Hall of Fame Inductee and Retirement
- Question 334-18(3): Arctic Marine Shipping
- Question 335-18(3): Giant Mine Remediation Project Socio-economic Benefits
- Question 336-18(3): Indigenous Government Consultations on Land Leases
- Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
- Question 338-18(3): Educating Healthcare Professionals in the NWT
- Question 339-18(3): Rental Office Backlog
- Question 340-18(3): South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Therapeutic Model
- Question 341-18(3): Sahtu Regional Housing Conference
- Question 342-18(3): Aklavik Transitional Housing
- Question 343-18(3): Net Metering
- Question 344-18(3): Upgrade to Kakisa Dock
- Committee Report 8-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories
- Motion that Committee Report 8-18(3) Be Deemed Read and Printed in Hansard in its Entirety, Carried
- Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories
- Motion to Receive Committee Report 8-18(3) and Move into Committee of the Whole, Carried
- Tabled Document 202-18(3): 2017 Annual Report - Office of the Fire Marshal
- Tabled Document 203-18(3): NWT On the Land Collaborative 2018 Report
- Tabled Document 204-18(3): Northwest Territories Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations Annual Report 2017-2018
- Tabled Document 205-18(3): Letter dated May 24, 2018 from Giant Mine Oversight Board to Honourable Carolyn Bennett and Honourable Wally Schumann regarding the Giant Mine Remediation Socio Economic Strategy Tabled Document 206-18(3): Bill C-262, An Act to Ensure that the Laws of Canada are in Harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Tabled Document 207-18(3): Letter dated May 28, 2018 from President of Union of Northern Workers to Honourable Wally Schumann and Honourable Robert McLeod regarding Dominion Diamonds - Lay offs and Contracting Out
- Tabled Document 208-18(3): Discussion Paper - Temporary Special Measures to Increase Representation of Women in the NWT Legislative Assembly
- Motion 17-18(3): Review of Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway Project, Defeated
- Recorded Vote
- Motion 18-18(3): Appointment of Members to the NWT Honours Advisory Council, Carried
- Bill 20: Ombudsperson Act
- Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act
- Bill 22: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act
- Bill 22: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructures Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 59-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A, Clause 5 - Addition of Subsection 5(1), Defeated
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 60-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A, Clause 5 - Addition of Subsection 5(1), Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 61-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A, Clause 5 - Addition of Subsection 6.1 after subsection 5(6), Defeated
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 62-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A, Section 11 - Addition After subsection (2) DEFEATED
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 63-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A, Addition of Section 19.1, Defeated
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 64-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Amendment to Schedule A - Addition of paragraph 71(j.1), Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Committee Motion 65-18(3): Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act - Substitution of subclause 1(4) of Bill 6, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 22: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Recorded Vote
- Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019
- Recorded Vote
- Orders Of The Day
Question 336-18(3): Indigenous Government Consultations on Land Leases
Oral Questions
Page 4114

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, but unfortunately, I didn't get an answer. I heard a reduction of 5 per cent, you know, but it didn't say if that was in there, this reduction. I guess, the Minister of Finance, maybe I should be asking him the questions on that, but I'll worry about that later on. So my last question: with the huge increases to NWT lease fees, can the Minister please advise the House what the residents will see when it comes to the service being offered by the GNWT? Are they enhancing the services? Are they doing anything, including for these people out there who have cabins out in the bush? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 336-18(3): Indigenous Government Consultations on Land Leases
Oral Questions
Page 4114

Louis Sebert Thebacha
We had thought for some time that in no way did the lease fees cover the types of costs of administering such a huge area. So we thought there had to be an increase in any case, but apart from that, of course, there are certain things that lessees receive. One of those things is exclusive right to use the land with legal certainty. So we feel that that alone is worth quite a bit, and of course there are issues that Lands is going be having to deal with in the future, such as unauthorized occupancy. So yes, there were increases, and we feel they were justified. Thank you.
Question 336-18(3): Indigenous Government Consultations on Land Leases
Oral Questions
Page 4114
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation and responsible for Homelessness. Is the Minister satisfied that having six people in a bachelor apartment with a hot plate and a bar fridge is appropriate housing for them, and not a priority case for the Housing Authority? Thank you.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, I'm not. I don't think anybody in this House would feel that way, or even agree to that. I think that, as a government, we try our best to house individuals in the situations that were mentioned. We have a homelessness working group that we're working with to address these issues.
In terms of anybody who is in a situation, as the Member had mentioned in her statement, the NWT Housing Corporation has formed a new partnership, called the NGO Rental Partnership Program, also referred to as rapid re-housing, to support the YWCA, the Yellowknife Women's Society, with housing stability for residents who they serve. This support is very flexible and can be used for such things as damage deposits, rent supplements, or rapid re-housing. This partnership is designed to support households, like I said, throughout the NWT, as we had mentioned.
Now, Mr. Speaker, there is a reality. There is a reality that we do have long waiting lists on housing throughout the Northwest Territories, specifically in our regional centres, and here in Yellowknife is our biggest. We try our best, we try to address it, and I do want to affirm that staff at the NWT Housing Corporation works diligently, they work hard, they try their best to house any individual in any circumstances, as well as our staff at the local housing organizations, as well as our regional offices. We've developed partnerships with NGOs, we've worked with community governments, Indigenous governments, to address homelessness and housing issues.
Mr. Speaker, there are realities out there, and I just want to let the Member know that my staff are working very hard to try to address these issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
What I take from that answer is there's no shortage of programs, but somehow there's a disconnect where this family, who is living in inadequate circumstances, is not being hooked up with a variety of programs that they may be eligible for as a low-income family. It's important to note, Mr. Speaker, they're a working family. They are not on income assistance. So they are trying to make it on their own initiative, and somehow there is this gap between what they need and what is on offer. How can the Minister bridge that gap?
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
First of all, we have done of few things. We have done a Housing Engagement Survey in 2017, and we're going to do another one in January of 2019. With that, we're developing these community housing plans for all 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and through that survey, what we've developed is we're doing a strategic renewal within the NWT Housing Corporation. We're going to be reviewing all of our NWT Housing Corporation programs, and we're going to be reviewing them for potential improvements, as well as looking at improvements in our homelessness programs. We continue to do compassionate training for our staff at the LHO, so they know the clientele that they're working with, so that they can help them in the circumstances that they are in. Anybody in that situation, as long as they get on the waiting list for the NWT Housing Corporation, then they can apply for income assistance to help them with market rent.
Unfortunately, here in Yellowknife, another issue, too, is the market availability, as well as in some of our regional centres. So we're doing a strategic renewal, and hopefully that will address that. Income threshold is something that we might want to take a look at, as well, something that was done with income assistance.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
I need the Minister to come down to the level of the client. A strategic renewal is not something this family is going to participate in, is going to directly benefit from. What they need is more appropriate housing. The Minister is telling me with endless lists that there is this, that, and the other program, and my question is: how are people on the waiting list made aware of these programs which may resolve their problems?
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
I want to say, again, that the staff at the LHO offices, local housing organizations, the regional offices, are getting out into the communities. I've instructed them to go out into the communities, let them know what programs are available to them, and make sure that any clients who come in are aware of programs such as the Homelessness Assistance Fund, subsidized rent programs. We also have, as I mentioned, the NGO rental partnership program that will help individuals in such cases. It is on a case-by-case basis, however, and I encourage any families, anyone who is in a situation where they're looking for housing, to go and speak to their LHO officers to make sure that they're informed of all the programs, all the services, that they're entitled to.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4115
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4116

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has suggested at one point that the family apply for income assistance, and that's in spite of the fact that one parent is working full-time and making the effort to provide for his family. We keep saying in this House, "A good job is a social program." Is that really the best suggestion the Minister has, to facilitate more spending of government money rather than addressing the problem at hand? I still don't understand how this family is going to access suitable housing. Thank you.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4116

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
One thing that this government does is it does provide a lot of social supports to residents of the Northwest Territories. It was only an option. I didn't say to go and do it. It is an option for anybody who finds themselves in that situation or needs a little bit of extra help. We do have the Rent Supplement Program, as I mentioned, to help supplement the living costs that are associated with staying in your own unit, or a market unit, and that's something I would encourage.
We're here to help, as a government, whether it's through income assistance, through the programs we have at Housing, or any other programs that we have initiated or developed during the life of this government. We will continue to do that. It was an option, and I'm just throwing options out there in terms of anybody who is listening who might need a little bit of extra help, and that is what this government is here to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 337-18(3): Housing Policy for Families
Oral Questions
Page 4116
Question 338-18(3): Educating Healthcare Professionals in the NWT
Oral Questions
May 31st, 2018
Page 4116

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during my Member's statement I talked about my desire to see the old Stanton Hospital being used as a nursing school. I would like to ask the Minister of Education some questions on that.
Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Health released a statement on the use of the existing Stanton Hospital as an extended care, long-term care, primary care, outpatient rehabilitation services facility. I would like to ask the Minister of Education if, in spite of that statement, the door would still be open for this government to use the old Stanton Hospital as a school. Thank you.
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