This is page numbers 4935 - 4980 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. View the webstream of the day's session.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. They concern the discovery of the health records in the Fort Simpson dump, a discovery that caught the attention of my constituents, as well. I am aware that there is work going on behind the scenes to investigate how they got there, but let's turn to the people whose information has been compromised. Has the department been able to contact everyone whose file was found there? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the breach was incredibly troubling. We take it very seriously. We have been working very closely with the Information and Privacy Commissioner, who actually has possession of those files that were found. We have attempted to reach out to all of the clients, but the records are quite old and some of the contact information on those records is not current, so we are trying to track down some individuals. As of February 21st, 69 individuals have been notified by the authority, by mail. As I said, the documents, some of them, are very old, so we have not been able to get contact information from everybody. We will keep reaching out until we have reached everybody.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the files are old, but I am interested in knowing what efforts specifically the department is making to reach out to the other half of that group whose records were found.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Some of the individuals no longer reside in the Northwest Territories. Some have passed away. We are trying to reach out to family where appropriate. We are also reviewing our own records to see if we could find current locations, current addresses, for those individuals. We will take all mechanisms, all means, to try to find current location, current contact information. We are still at it. We have not stopped. We will keep going until we have reached everybody.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the detail the Minister was able to provide. I understand that the department appointed two people to investigate, and the investigate is ongoing. Are there any early results that the department is going to act on immediately?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We are always looking for opportunities to strengthen our response to these types of breaches, to make sure that they do not happen again. This one is very complex. There is lots of information out there, lots of conflicting information, and I think it's too early to presume we know what the findings are going to be. We are working closely with the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Information and Privacy Commissioner, will likely be making a report on this, as well, and I look forward to discussing those findings with the Information and Privacy Commissioner, with committee, to make sure that we find ways to ensure this does not happen again.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The analogy here is that sometimes the transportation safety board will issue an early report on an accident because the findings are of such importance that they cannot wait for the year that it takes to do a full review. My final question is: when will the public learn why this data breach happened and how another can be avoided?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We are certainly not waiting a year. We are anticipating we will get a report back by the end of March, barring any unforeseen circumstances or other challenges. We will need to get that report, review it, have discussions with committee and other stakeholders, and then we will be releasing what we can. Some of the information we may not be able to release as a result of privacy concerns, but, where possible, we need to be able to discuss what happened, how it happened, and what we are planning to do to make sure it does not happen again. We want to do that as soon as possible, but we have got to get the report first. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Thank you. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Justice.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 564-18(3): Expanding Legal Aid Outreach"; "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 569-18(3): Sexual Assault Reporting"' and "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 571-18(3): Impact of Alcohol Spectrum Disorder on the Justice System." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "2018 Annual Report, Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following five documents entitled "Yukon Quartz Mining Land Use Approval LQ00253b for Mactung Property dated February 4, 2016"; "Application for Class 4 Quartz Mining Land Use Approval by GNWT for Mactung Advanced Exploration dated December 20, 2018"; "Mactung Advanced Exploration - Project Proposal, by Terra Tech Canada Inc. dated December 2018"; "Responses to Information Requests dated February 6 and February 13, 2019"; and lastly, a CBC News story, "Federal and N.W.T. governments team up to sell Cantung Mine and Mactung Deposit, CBC News dated February 14, 2019." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 4944

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Monday, February 25, 2019, I will move that Bill 38, Protected Areas Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 4944

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

February 21st, 2019

Page 4944

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I give notice that, on Monday, February 25, 2019, I will move that Bill 39, Environmental Rights Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 4944

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 36, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Resource Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Thank you. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 36 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 37, An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 37 has first reading. First reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Minister's Statement 131-18(3), Sessional Statement; Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, with the Member for Mackenzie Delta in the chair.