This is page numbers 4981 - 5026 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.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, I agree with the Member's statement. The Government of the Northwest Territories released its 2030 Energy Strategy in 2018, and that will help address the cost of living by increasing support for energy efficiency and conservation, including a goal of increasing residential energy efficiency by 15 percent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Another item for cost of living, according to me, anyway, is affordable daycare. Does the Premier support all efforts of creating affordable daycare?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Affordable childcare is important for families. I support responsible policy and program development that supports the Government of the Northwest Territories' mandate item of making childcare available and affordable for families.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Staying with daycare, can the Premier tell the House what progress has been made from the beginning of this government until now on moving toward affordable daycare?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I think our government has done a lot in this area, especially with junior kindergarten. I think it has certainly made it a lot better for a lot of families, and other initiatives that have been undertaken by this government. We all recognize that, with daycare, more people can work and also make it easier for the family. Also, we are increasing training for licensees that provide daycare as well.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Affordable daycare would give an opportunity for people to find work, and there are not many jobs in the small communities. Does the Premier agree that job creation should be one of the GNWT's highest priorities in reducing poverty? Thank you.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

In all the speeches that I make, job creation is a number one priority. I think that we have been saying that for many years. Some people have said that creating jobs is the best social program going. I also say that we ask our children to stay in school and complete their education. As a government, we have to keep our end of the bargain so that, when they graduate, there are good jobs and good business opportunities for them. Recently, we have had some concerns with our NWT economy. I think that job creation has to be our top priority and that we have to keep focusing on creating jobs and opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. We spoke earlier in this sitting about the need for an adult day program in Yellowknife, and he said that his officials were meeting on February 21st to discuss this issue and he would be able to outline the concrete directions being taken following that meeting. Today I am calling on him to do just that. Mahsi.

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. On February 21st, that meeting did take place. From this meeting, it is clear that there is a shared interest between parties to work together to build a model of care that really meets the inclusion and care needs of seniors in Yellowknife, while also filling some of the service gaps by building on the capacity that already exist within the city. There is a lot of capacity within the city. I am pleased that the meeting resulted in the formation of a steering committee to support the development of a concrete program development plan. This plan will see the authority and the department working to identify some social inclusion needs of individual seniors and the development of options for program enhancement that are required to meet the needs of these seniors and their families. Through this process, it is expected that we will identify seniors, individuals who with some extra support will be able to get the supports they need to attend different functions, different mechanisms, different events around town, and get that social inclusion that they're looking for in a safe and reliable way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the response from the Minister. Can the Minister tell us who is going to deliver the program to the adults who need it?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I think it will be a wide variety of stakeholders. Some of the events that already occur that these individuals can't get to will continue, so they will be working to find ways to get them to those events. We haven't absolutely 100 percent articulated who will be the individuals or the group who get those people to those events, and that's something that we're working on the detail with our stakeholders right now.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

It sounds like the program is busing seniors around to different places in Yellowknife, which I find a little confusing. As the Minister knows, there are roughly two groups of seniors who need this program; people who are frail but cognitively intact, and people who are cognitively frail but may otherwise be fine. I'm a little unclear about not having a central place that is a base for providing these services. Is there, in fact, going to be that?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I don't see this as being a bus ride. That is not the intent. That's not what the Members and I discussed when we met late last year. What we're talking about is having an opportunity to provide a client-centred approach that really builds upon the existing organizational strength and moves us away from more of an institutional model. There was a lot of discussion about not having a model which is a place to plunk somebody, take somebody, and get support just there, but to find ways to get them engaged in community. Find them a way to be supported. It doesn't necessarily absolutely mean that we won't have a go to location, but some of those things are the things that we're looking to finalize and build into our model as we go forward.

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. I apologize to the Minister. I'm still a little confused about how this is going to work. Previously, the Minister had issued two RFPs for a service provider, and there was no uptake. It was my understanding that there was not a non-profit in Yellowknife that was able to deliver this service. I'm still a little confused about who is delivering this service, and when this service is going to be delivered.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

When I met with the Yellowknife MLAs, and then we followed up and met with stakeholders, it was clear that there are a lot of stakeholders who want to be involved. A lot of stakeholders have something they can add to the idea of supporting our seniors who are either cognitively or physically impaired to engage and have socialization, getting to the community. There are a number of stakeholders who want to be involved. There are lots of opportunities to figure out how to get that engagement to occur. What we're looking at right now is how to work with those partners. The GNWT is clearly going to have a role, but we want to have the steering committee to actually help us quantify exactly what role each of us as parties would play. Recognizing that this has taken a long time and recognizing that the stakeholders recognize that this is important, they will be meeting in March, early March, to start putting together those pieces. I will keep the Member and all Yellowknife Members up to date on that work. I recognize how important it is, and we want to get it right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on questions asked by my honourable friend from Nahendeh, can the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission tell us what class and subclasses apply to the Government of the Northwest Territories toward the WSCC's rate structure? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker R.J. Simpson

Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to apologize. I didn't hear the end of the question there, but I will get the information in terms of the classes and subclasses for all Members in terms of work that WSCC does. As Members are aware, the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission does provide and promote workplace health and safety. I think that is foremost what we should be focussing on. I can get that information about what the Member just asked, and I will get that information for him, and the previous Member who asked the questions, and provide that information to all Members of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

I think we're well aware of the purpose of the commission. The Minister in response to the previous questions mentioned the GNWT rate which is about 93 cents. I just wonder if that applies across the board to all GNWT employees, all GNWT departments, regardless of the actual work being done? Is there only one rate for the Government of the Northwest Territories?

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

In response to the previous questions from another Member, we do pay about 88 cents per $100. As I mentioned, as an employer for the GNWT, one employer for all the departments, we are classified under a single industry code, that code being class 81. In the previous question that the Member asked, we will take a look into it, but as I mentioned, it would fluctuate if we decided to look at doing different departments. As the questions that were asked earlier, such departments as Infrastructure, Health and Social Services, Justice, when you compare it to our administrators and people who work in the administration staff, it would be different. It would go up for some. It might go down for others. As I mentioned, we do follow one single industry code, and that is being class 81.