Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, programs focused on both teacher and student wellness are foundational to education renewal. Mental wellness is essential for everyone involved in teaching and learning, and we have acted to address this need.

In response to the critical need for mental health supports for schools and in communities, the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services are partnering with education bodies and health and social services authorities to provide counselling services for children and youth within schools and in the community. We are using a four-year phased-in approach that began in 2018.

Counselling services will be provided by child and youth care counsellors who live in the community or by a travelling team of counsellors. These counsellors will be part of a larger continuum of mental health and wellness services for children and youth. Counsellors will have strong, integrated relationships with education staff and other community staff, including social workers, nurses, doctors, community counsellors, and youth centre staff.

Mr. Speaker, schools with fewer than 75 students will receive mental health counselling services from a travelling team, who will provide three separate week-long visits per community each year, as well as services via technology. Schools with 75 to 250 students will have a full-time counsellor; those with 251 to 500 students will have two full-time counsellors; and schools with more than 500 students will have three full-time counsellors.

For the 2018-2019 school year, the Deh Cho and Tlicho services are in place and running. All the counsellor positions except one have been filled. The travelling team visits from September to December have all been completed and the winter visits are scheduled. They will return for a third time in the spring.

The Sahtu and Beaufort Delta regions will be set up in the 2019-2020 school year, followed by the Yellowknife region in 2020-2021 and the South Slave Region in 2021-2022.

Mr. Speaker, teacher wellness is also an important focus of the department. Starling Minds, an online mental health support platform for teachers, was made available to all Northwest Territories teachers through a collaborative initiative between Education, Culture and Employment and the NWT Teachers' Association. Now in its third year, this support stemmed from a memorandum of understanding on mental health in the workplace in the most recent collective agreement with the Teachers' Association.

As well, following the implementation of the 2017-2018 three-year pilot of the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practice, we have received positive feedback on the time that educators now have to plan, collaborate, and participate in professional development.

The Northwest Territories Teachers' Association surveyed its membership in November 2017 and assessed the impact the extra time provided to educators across the North. They received numerous comments and observations. The feedback from educators was incredibly positive. As an example, one educator said: "STIP changed my life. I normally have to write exams, mark exams, write report card comments, and contact parents outside of the school day. I have my life back and my wellness has improved dramatically. STIP is a game changer for wellness in the teaching profession."

Mr. Speaker, Child and Youth Care Counsellors, travelling mental health teams, access for teachers to the Starling Minds platform, and Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practice are innovative ways of improving educational outcomes by addressing issues of mental wellness in schools and communities across the NWT.

Research, investment, and piloting have also been important in getting these initiatives off the ground, but none of them could have been implemented without our partners in education. We can all be proud of the collaboration among Government of the Northwest Territories departments, education and health authorities, and the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association that has led to strong programs supporting the well-being and success of school children, youth, and teachers. All of our communities will reap the benefits of these programs for many years to come. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring Northwest Territories highways are a safe place for all road users is a top priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories. The challenges we face in regard to road safety are constantly evolving, and these challenges must often be met with unique and innovative solutions. In addition to the work undertaken each year to maintain and upgrade the engineering component of our highways, the Department of Infrastructure is also committed to staying up to date on policy and legislative initiatives aimed at making our roads safer. This afternoon I would like to share with Members a few of the initiatives that the Department of Infrastructure is leading on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

With the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018, drug impaired driving has become a top road safety concern for all jurisdictions. To get a better understanding of the issue of impaired driving among the general population of drivers in the Northwest Territories, the Department of Infrastructure conducted a drug and alcohol roadside survey in Yellowknife in September 2018.

The purpose of conducting this survey was to collect data that will allow us to compare the number of drivers under the influence of cannabis before legalization and after legalization. It will also serve as a guide as we develop more targeted drug impaired driving awareness campaigns. This data will be made available to the public later this year as part of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators' national report, which will provide a cross-jurisdictional comparison of drug impaired driving.

Mr. Speaker, on the same day that recreational cannabis use was legalized, the Government of the Northwest Territories implemented strict drug impaired driving laws under the Motor Vehicles Act. In order to send a clear message to our young and new drivers that impaired driving will not be tolerated in the Northwest Territories, we have implemented zero-tolerance laws and driver's licence suspensions for drugs and alcohol for drivers aged 21 and under and novice drivers. We have also extended this zero tolerance to drivers of certain commercial vehicles.

In addition, any driver found to be impaired by drugs who fails a standardized field sobriety test or an evaluation by a drug recognition expert will have their driver's licence suspended for a significant amount of time.

Mr. Speaker, distracted driving is another form of impaired driving that continues to challenge policymakers and enforcement officials. In addition to significant fines, the Northwest Territories was one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to suspend drivers for using a restricted electronic device while driving. However, the problem persists. You can see it for yourself while you're waiting at a red light, passing drivers on their cell phones. The Government of the Northwest Territories, RCMP, and other partners continue to monitor this issue to determine what additional steps must be taken to deter drivers from this preventable dangerous activity.

Mr. Speaker, as technology evolves, so does our ability to use it to our advantage. Another road safety initiative that the Department of Infrastructure is implementing includes a five-year plan for the enhancement of Intelligent Transportation Systems. Intelligent Transportation Systems is the use of communication, computer, and system technologies to make transportation safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

$3.5 million has been allocated from existing funds over the next five years towards Intelligent Transportation Systems projects. This investment will support the installation of a network of traffic counters and web cameras, improve ferry tracking services, and increase the overall capacity of our road weather information system.

Residents will be able to make more informed travel decisions by providing near real-time information on road and weather conditions, including images and current weather available on Infrastructure's public website. The public will also have access to up-to-date statuses of ferry and ice crossings and imminent road closures due to incidences, poor weather, and wildfires. Industry will benefit from real-time information on weight restrictions on highways, winter roads, and ice crossings, and on restricted hours of operation on winter roads. The increased data will also allow the Government of the Northwest Territories to make better-informed decisions regarding operations and maintenance of our transportation infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, one final road safety initiative that I would like to highlight is part of a national dialogue. Mandatory entry-level training for commercial truck drivers is being considered across Canada as a measure to increase road safety for both commercial truck drivers and the public. By the spring of 2019, three provinces will have implemented this mandatory training.

In order to better understand the concerns and positions of the Northwest Territories' residents and businesses in regard to implementation in our jurisdiction, last month the Department of Infrastructure completed several community engagement sessions on the topic. The feedback received will help inform the government's decision as to whether mandatory training should be implemented here in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, new road safety challenges emerge across Canada every day. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to work with our partners to make road safety a priority for the benefit of all users of the Northwest Territories highway system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Our neighbours in Yukon are piloting a new approach to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in jails. The Department of Justice there is funding a three-year pilot program to train people to write what are called Gladue reports. A Gladue report provides detailed information about the offender's background, including any time spent in residential schools or in the care of child welfare, family and community history, as well as struggles with mental health and addictions. The reports are named after a Supreme Court of Canada decision given 20 years ago, which asked judges to consider these issues when sentencing Indigenous offenders.

A Gladue report is described as one tool in a toolkit for judges to consider when sentencing the offender. The intention is to encourage judges to consider restorative approaches to sentencing, other than jail time. During the first year of Yukon's pilot program, Gladue writers have produced 37 reports for use in the courts.

Mr. Speaker, what is new here is that the Yukon has formalized production of the reports. Instead of someone doing them off the side of their desk, there is now a roster of trained staff available for the task. Further, the reports have been standardized so that the same kind of information is available to the courts.

Mr. Speaker, there are some important pieces to the Yukon pilot project. First, it is collaborative. It includes both the Yukon Legal Services Society and the Council of Yukon First Nations. Second, there has been a focus on training Indigenous people as report writers because of their innate understanding of the context of the accused. Third, the cost of the pilot project is $530,000 over three years. This is a reasonable investment, considering the cost of jailing offenders.

Mr. Speaker, there is no equivalent to the Gladue reports in the Northwest Territories. Pre-sentence reports are written by probation officers and focus on risk and risk management. In short, they serve a different purpose.

Mr. Speaker, we are facing the same overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system as the Yukon is. While it is too early to tell the difference that the pilot program is making, it is providing essential information to the courts with which they can provide restorative justice. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak on the GNWT's Business Incentive Program, otherwise known as BIP, and the NWT Manufactured Products Policy. These programs at their core are great concepts, keeping government money in the territory, stimulating well-paying local jobs and spinoff benefits into our economy. Yet, as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details.

Current guidelines to qualify to be placed on the NWT Manufactured Products List require that "the manufactured product must be a product specific and is an item that is regularly stocked or parts of a catalogue of items." I am, like several manufacturers in my riding of Kam Lake, confused as to why such specificity is required.

To further quote from the department's website, in order to benefit from the NWT Manufactured Products Policy, your product must be recognized as an approved NWT-manufactured product. This administrative front-heavy demand seems mundane on paper, but the real cost to some businesses is prohibitive. Product listing of all possible goods with unique dimensions seems to me that the GNWT is prioritizing paperwork over keeping jobs and money in the territory.

Northern manufacturing companies maintain a degree of flexibility. They must, to ensure that they can continue to adapt to ever-changing market conditions, but it seems that some companies are required to specify their products to a greater extent than others. Using BIP to buy a winch truck? No specificity required. Buying standard traffic signs? No specificity required. Signs for parks and interpretation? No specificity required. Buying handrails? Specificity required. Bear-proof garbage cans? You need dimensions and details, more specificity. Metal roofing, siding, flashing, and trim? No specificity. Mr. Speaker, all of the items I have just listed have the probability of being fully customized by northern manufactures to meet the requirements of the buyer, whomever they may be. I am at a loss as to why some companies seem to be required to submit painstaking details, down to the millimetre, that they could possibly modify while others seem to be merely left to vaguely describe the degree to which they can customize a product.

Mr. Speaker, we need to be empowering northern manufacturers and businesses to thrive and grow here in the NWT. Instead, they seem to be arbitrarily burdened with unnecessary and unevenly applied red tape. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for procurement later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the federal programs that came about in response to the recommendations made through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program.

Through this program, residential school survivors and their families are able to access mental health counselling as delivered by professionals, Health Canada-approved counsellors, at no cost. Of course, any of the approved counsellors are in Yellowknife and my constituents have to travel for these appointments, which Health Canada also pays for.

Where it becomes complicated, Mr. Speaker, is if you are a GNWT employee trying to access these needed services. Our leave provisions, while generous, do not really accommodate anyone trying to access health services that are being paid for by outside parties. In order to access more than one day of casual leave for a medical appointment, a GNWT employee has to apply for medical travel assistance for up to three days of casual leave. Otherwise, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT employee would have to use annual leave, lieu, or sick leave to attend appointments. For our employees who do not have these credits available, what recourse do we have to access this critical service?

It seems rather strange, Mr. Speaker, that, even though the GNWT is not responsible for any costs related to the travel, accommodations, per diem, or counsellor, our employee has to apply for and get approval for medical travel when this is not a medical-travel situation.

At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, the process needs to be adjusted for easy access for employees and for the GNWT to administer. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge two constituents of mine from Deline who recently retired from the Deline Housing Association.

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Phebie Kenny started as a manager of the Deline Housing Association in 1986 and, after taking various periods away from the role to pursue her education and other career opportunities, returned to the housing association and retired after 30 years as a manager in January 2019. Mrs. Kenny and her family are long-time residents of Deline and are dedicated to serving their community. In addition to her hard work as the manager, Mrs. Kenny also worked for the Deline Got'ine Government and the Sahtu Secretariat. She has five children and two grandchildren.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge David Modeste, another long-term resident of Deline who also retired in January 2019. Mr. Modeste was a maintenance foreman and had been with the Deline Housing Association since 1985, a span of more than 33 years. Mr. Modeste is a respected and active member of his community, providing professional and spiritual guidance to the members, and he served on the board of the Lands Corporation. Mr. Modeste is a father of five children, grandfather to 13 grandchildren, and great-grandfather to twins recently born. Mr. Modeste is an avid hunter and fisherman who often shares his catch with elders of his community.

Mr. Speaker, both Mrs. Kenny and Mr. Modeste were valued assets to the housing association for their community. They will be greatly missed. They were both very hard-working individuals who always thought about the tenants first. They have both given excellent guidance and insight to their colleagues over the recent years and prior, while working for the betterment of the community. We all wish them well in their future endeavours. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the transboundary water protections in the NWT, specifically in regard to the large area encompassing the Mackenzie River watershed. The Mackenzie River watershed is one of the largest river basins in North America. It spans across six provinces and territories; contains tens of thousands of lakes, rivers, and deltas; and covers nearly 20 percent of our country. This watershed is the world's most pristine freshwater ecosystem.

Mr. Speaker, given the rich biodiversity inhabiting this region, it's paramount that the ecological integrity remains intact. Thankfully, that sentiment is mutual across all affected jurisdictions, as evidenced by the creation of the interjurisdictional transboundary water agreement between the governments of Canada, the NWT, Yukon, Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan. Following inception of the master agreement, there was a creation of the Mackenzie River Basin Board, along with the various bilateral agreements signed between these six jurisdictions.

Admittedly, Mr. Speaker, these actions are indeed positive steps in the right direction. However, I believe they have not gone far enough to effectively safeguard this watershed. For example, despite better interjurisdictional coordination and collaboration from these agreements, the basin continues to experience pressures from a number of threats.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some functional weaknesses pertaining to the basin board. For example, due to a lack of baseline data in the Mackenzie River basin, there are limitations in the board's ability to track long-term changes in environmental conditions. Moreover, the board has been operating on a yearly budget of $280,000, which has not increased since 1997. This funding's limitation has resulted in delays in annual reports and original research being short-handed. The board has few or no procedures on dispute resolution.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this transboundary agreement is lacking and is in need of serious updates. I credit the GNWT above all other jurisdictions because of its willingness to partner with Indigenous governments in land management of the Mackenzie River basin. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

However, we must continue to remain vigilant of the health of the great Mackenzie River basin. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our elders in the Mackenzie Delta are growing old gracefully. There is a high number of elders in our region, many of whom still live in their own communities. I would like nothing more than to have our elders reside at home in their elderly age, be taken care of, and have homecare when needed.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that there is a waiting list at the Inuvik long-term care. I can name many, many of our people who have gone there and suffered loneliness. Being away from their own home takes a toll on life. We need to have our own elders' care facilities in our communities. We have our Aurora College, which graduated many nursing students as well as homecare.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure, once we have our community set up with elders' homecare facilities, staffing won't be a problem. Think about us as we get older into the elderly category. Wouldn't my colleagues want to stay in their own home or in their community in an elders' home where staff can take care of you if needed? We need dollars put aside to start planning for homes in each of our communities. This is one of the priorities for my riding.

Mr. Speaker, I do believe we have a high number of elders in the Mackenzie Delta. Numbers are high because they are still at home because they are smothered with love by their family, and more importantly, in familiar surroundings. We need long-term care facilities for our elders, and not only in our regional centres. There's nothing more than giving them the best care since they are the ones who paved the way for our territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'll have questions later today.

Masi Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT Business Development Corporation, an investment corporation known as BDIC, was established to support the economic objectives of the GNWT in a manner that benefits the people and the economy of the Northwest Territories by encouraging the creation and development of business enterprises, providing financial assistance, investing in businesses, and providing information to businesses. That's according to the legislation that establishes the corporation. Those are laudable goals. It's clear that this organization was intended to be a powerful tool to help invigorate and diversity our economy and support small businesses.

Well, Mr. Speaker, given that this Legislative Assembly and the GNWT have proclaimed that economic diversification is a priority, and given that we're in the midst of an economic downturn, now is the time that we would expect BDIC to shine. However, I've been hearing from a growing number of small businesses that, while the corporation is willing to lend money, that's where the support ends. There seems to be a lack of recognition by BDIC about the role they are supposed to play in our economy. Instead of supporting the economic objectives of the government and encouraging the creating and development of business, it seems that BDIC has devolved into just another traditional lender.

When companies that have accessed BDIC loans run into financial difficulties, which is becoming more common these days, we would expect BDIC to work with those companies to help weather the storm. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm not talking about handing out free money here. I'm talking about BDIC using their statutory power to try to help keep businesses afloat. There are provisions in the act that allow them to do things like adjust the terms of a contract, defer payment to the principal, or adjust interest rates. Those provisions were put there for a reason. However, from what I hear, they are averse to using these options, and it almost seems like they would rather see companies put out of business than work with them.

Mr. Speaker, BDIC seems to have forgotten what the "D" in the name stands for. When the CEO appeared before standing committee, he touted the benefits of developmental lending, and I agree with him. He talked about how it can be used to help residents receive training, get people in the job market, and diversify the economy. However, when questioned on how BDIC practised developmental lending, he admitted that they didn't really do it.

Mr. Speaker, the last round of reviews of BDIC suggested that, based on the performance of the corporation, the government should consider dissolving it. You would think that that would spur BDIC to up its game and work to fulfill its mandate, but I haven't seen proof of that. It still has the potential to be a powerful tool, and I have questions for the Minister about what he is doing to realize that potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. A lot has taken place on the renewal of post-secondary education since last year. Following the May 2018 release of the Aurora College Foundational Review, the Minister released her response to the report in October. That response endorsed the review's recommendation to transform Aurora College into a polytechnic university.

The City of Yellowknife was also quick to pursue the opportunities from the creation of a polytechnic university. A University/Post-Secondary Advisory Committee was created. Many prominent Yellowknifers volunteered to serve on this committee, representing independent research organizations, Indigenous governments, and the general public. A post-secondary education feasibility study was commissioned and released in January. It contains many valuable insights, going far beyond the foundational review in examining detailed issues of polytechnic composition, services, partnerships, and resourcing.

The report sees opportunities to specialize in areas where the NWT can be an educational leader, including programming aligned with NWT labour market needs. An expanded Yellowknife campus is necessary, with strong emphasis on marketing to attract the student population necessary for a university, and develop a distinctive research faculty.

Overall, the report envisages a polytechnic university as a driver of economic diversification, business incubation, and as a stabilizing economic presence as customer and service provider. I am also pleased to note that the City of Yellowknife has reached out to the towns of Fort Smith and Inuvik and jointly issued a news release on January 11^th calling on our government to establish a clear vision for post-secondary education, specifically a polytechnic university in the Northwest Territories.

I am long on record in supporting the creation of a knowledge economy, and a northern university. I support the City of Yellowknife's efforts to pursue these opportunities for creation of an international-calibre university here in the Northwest Territories. I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to recognize a high school teacher from Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Michelle Tomasino is a high school teacher in Tuktoyaktuk. She has taken 20 student to Europe, actually tomorrow. The 20 students from Mangilaluk School have raised $80,000 in two years, Mr. Speaker, so two years in the making of planning and fundraising as teenagers is actually quite a big step. They will be travelling to Frankfurt, Germany; to Paris, France; and they're also going to tour Monaco and Italy.

The students' fundraising in small communities is sometimes tough, as money gets recycled and sometimes you have to do what you can. The students sold raffle tickets. They held bake sales. They catered events in Tuktoyaktuk. They've become masters at recycling. They've hosted breakfasts at music festivals and jamborees, and they've even hosted events for diplomats who have travelled to Tuktoyaktuk from around the world, Mr. Speaker, and also hosted summits in the community.

Mr. Speaker, my message to the spring break coming up next week, something like this is the underlying message, that building young leaders in communities, and I really believe that, whether you're from a small community or a major centre where there's a lot of money, if you can dream, I guess this is just a sign that you can accomplish anything that you might set your mind to.

I'd just like to commend Michelle Tomasino and the students from Mangilaluk School for all their fundraising efforts, and I hope that they continue some more exciting trips in the coming year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Renata Bullock and Grace Berikoff attending our session here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of Pages from Inuvik Twin Lakes. We've got Angelina Jerome, who has been here with us all week, as well as Joyce-Rowena Conley. I'd like to thank them and all the Pages in the Assembly for all the work they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, thanks for being here with us. It's always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings. Masi. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I talked about in my Member's statement, concerns have been brought to my attention by employees of the GNWT regarding what type of leave they may access while travelling and attending their counselling sessions to the federally funded Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program. Can the Minister of Finance please provide or confirm what type of leave is available to GNWT employees when accessing this vital service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT, we fully support our employees in their efforts to access support services, so they can safely address the broad spectrum of mental wellness issues related to the impacts of residential school, but by doing so, we are bound by the lead provisions in our collective agreement. For example, for employees accessing counselling services in Yellowknife, they may access up to two hours of casual leave with pay to attend the counselling session. When accessing a recurring counselling session, there is a possibility of accessing up to a maximum of a one day of casual leave with pay. However, a maximum of one day may be insufficient for many employees, depending on the required travel time and schedule to and from their home community to Yellowknife. Where that is the case, we also have the ability to grant up to three days of leave with pay, which is not charged to any leave bank where an employee applies who qualifies for medical travel assistance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I understand it, the federal government covers the cost associated with the counselling services, including the cost of travel, accommodations, and meals. They are costs normally covered by medical travel assistance, making this different than most other travel associated with medical appointments. I am concerned that some employees may end up unnecessarily using their annual leave time when having to go through this medical travel process, which seems unnecessary. Can the Minister please explain why most employees who require more than one day of leave go through the medical travel process?

I do take the Member's point and acknowledge that having to apply for medical leave assistance when the costs associated are covered by the federal government in order to access up to three days of leave of absence with pay may be an unnecessary burden to some employees. However, we do have to apply the terms of the collective agreement in providing access to this leave. I have asked my officials to reach out to the unions to discuss whether we could agree to a different process for employees attending counselling sessions through this federally funded program.

I would like to thank the Minister for that commitment. I very much hope a less cumbersome process can be arranged. Could I also receive a commitment that both the current and any new process be consistently applied across all the departments and regions?

Our officials will ensure that the process is clearly and consistently communicated across all the GNWT departments and all regions of the NWT.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I greatly appreciate the Minister's answers. I have one last question here, however. I am currently dealing with a number of situations where constituents have been advised that they still need to take sick leave to attend these appointments, including one day. I have been advised that employees approved access to federal residential school survivor programs and counselling services in Yellowknife, they may seek approval for sick leave, provided the person has a medical note. This seems to be contrary to what I am understanding the process to be. Will the Minister have his staff reach out to the regional staff to ensure the process we discuss here today is followed properly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Here in the Northwest Territories, we fully understand and respect the effects that residential schools have had on a number of our people in the Northwest Territories, and we try to work with them. I can commit to the Member that we will reach out, we will work with people, and if the Member or Members have any specific cases where folks are having trouble navigating through the system, I would encourage them to bring that to my attention so we can deal with it in a fair and timely manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You never know what will capture the nation's attention. Unfortunately, this week, it was outhouses. The questions I asked two days ago about the state of the GNWT-owned outhouses at the border have generated more comments on social media and more news articles than anything I have ever said in this House before. I have even had an interview request from a national news program, so because of that, it is time for round number two of questions.

From all the comments I have seen on social media, two things have become clear: first, I owe an apology to truckers. I don't blame truckers for the state of the bathroom. The problem is obviously a lack of maintenance during a spike in usage, but I see how people could have taken my statements that way, so I apologize.

Second, residents are not happy with this issue coming up year after year with no resolution, so I have some questions for the Minister of ITI. The first question is: was that state of that outhouse acceptable to the Minister? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I like how the Member is trying to spin his Facebook problems back on to the department, but the answer is no.

I agree 100 percent. Everyone agrees that is not acceptable, so because the Minister has admitted it is not acceptable, can I get a guarantee from the Minister that this is the last winter where we are going to see toilet paper breaking the plane of that toilet during the winter months? Can I get a guarantee that we are never going to see this outhouse in this state of repair ever again?

No, I can't guarantee that. As I said in the House the other day when the Member asked me these questions, this is a very challenging situation for us, and I might not even be the Minister of ITI after September 1^st. Who knows who is going to be here trying to deal with this situation, but I said we are doing our winter strategy review and we are having to look at the situation and trying to come up with a solution to deal with this. As I said before, if the Members across the House want to get behind me and they ask for more money for this initiative, please do so.

I recall that the Minister the other day said that the Member should get behind him and request some more money. The Minister knows full well that the Members on this side of the House don't control the money. It is the Cabinet that controls the money and Cabinet has to put forward money bills, so I am sure that we can get Members on this side of the House behind the Minister if he puts forward a supplementary appropriation to take care of this problem this winter. Will the Minister put forward a supplementary appropriation to take care of this problem once and for all?

I think the Member is getting a little ahead of himself here. As I have said, we are trying to find a solution to this. Money is not just going to clean up the border, I will tell you that. I told this House there is no power out there. That is the first big challenge around this whole issue in the middle of winter. We are looking for solutions and we will continue to work with that and, if Members want to work closely with me on this issue, I will be glad to take their input.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this is a challenging issue. There is no power out there, but this isn't a new issue. People have gone to the bathroom since the beginning of time. It has been winter, you know, every year for us since the beginning of time, so there must be a solution out there. I am not even sure what else I can ask the Minister. He is unwilling to put money forward. He is unwilling to commit to anything. Will the Minister commit to this, then? Will he commit to coming back at the next sitting with a concrete plan to get this issue dealt with once and for all? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have said, we are having a look at this. There are a number of options that are available on the table and, if the Member has any solution besides just throwing money at this, I would gladly ask him to come down to my office and give me some solutions that will work on this, and any Member on the other side of the House. This is not an easy problem to solve. Sure, we may kind of make a laugh and a joke about it in the House, but this is a situation, as the Member said, that has been going on for a long time. It is going to take some money and some ingenuity and some innovation to figure out how we are going to solve this problem, and we will continue to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement earlier today I spoke about some of our procurement policies, in particular, the Manufactured Products Policy. I would like to ask the Minister responsible why some of these products are proved in general terms, like winch truck, which has no specifications for what is required in that definition, while others require exact specifications, such as steel garbage recycling containers, 52 inches by 54 inches by 71 inches, bear-proof top. These distinctions seem arbitrary and are applied inconsistently. At least, that is the perspective of my constituents, who are not procurement experts. I am hoping that someone who is an expert in procurement can answer some of those questions for my constituents and help us understand why some products have no requirements and others have very exacting requirements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be honest with you, I can't answer that exact question, because this policy goes all the way back to the 1990s when the manufacturing policy was brought forward. That is exactly why this government has decided to come up with a new strategy and sit down with the Manufacturers' Association to have the discussion around how we can make our strategy and how we can make this policy better. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am not getting into that policy, which is not before the House at this time, and the Minister has already told us that. Is that an area that they looked at when they were developing it? Was one of their policy objectives to correct this inconsistency between product classifications?

There were a number of issues that were raised by the Northern Manufacturers' Association, and I believe that this is one of them that we are looking at and trying to figure out a way to address it.

Thank you to the Minister. That is good news, and I look forward to reviewing that strategy. Looking to the manufactured products application form, it calls for "competitive pricing for the same product or products named above from a southern vendor." Why is it up to small businesses to do market research for the BIP bureau? Is this not something that the bureau could do themselves and then use that to inform the registration of these products? Can the Minister commit to at least changing that part of the application process?

As I have said, we are looking at a number of things. The strategy is in front of committee, and if the Member would like to make a comment on that when committee makes their recommendations back to us, I strongly recommend that he have a strong look at that section, but we are looking at this complete strategy to try to figure out how to bring more economic opportunities to the manufacturers of the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is always hard to wait for another strategy, but this one is with committee, so I will do my due diligence on that side. I would like assurances from the Minister that he is going to implement the decisions in that strategy, the specific actions, before the end of this government, and that it is not put off for another government to put on the shelf somewhere. Will he implement the strategy within the life of this government? Thank you.

We will be tabling this strategy before the end of this Assembly, and I strongly believe in what we are doing in working hand-in-hand with the northern manufacturers to make this a better document for them with more clarity and figure out a way, as I have said, to bring economic opportunities to the eleven manufacturers that we have in the Northwest Territories and hopefully grow that.

There are a number of meaningful ideas that have been put forward in this strategy to help them realize these opportunities. We have worked very closely with the Northern Manufacturers' Association and, as I said in the House the other day when we were talking about this, we had a couple of committee members who actually participated in that. This document is in front of committee right now, and I am sure that they are going to be making some strong recommendations based on what their feedback is as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice. As I said in my statement, the Yukon government is piloting a program to train people to write Gladue reports. The purpose of these reports is to inform the court of the Indigenous offender's background so that the judge can take this information into consideration for sentencing. My question is: has the Minister given any thought to funding a report-writing program like the one in the Yukon here in the NWT?

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Section 718.2(e) of the criminal code requires courts in sentencing to consider all available sanctions other than imprisonment and additionally to pay particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.

Now, the Supreme Court, in the case of Gladue from about 20 years ago, directed sentencing judges to undertake the sentencing of Aboriginal offenders individually, but also to consider the unique circumstances by examining some factors, including the unique systemic or background factors, which may have played a part in bringing in the particular Aboriginal offender before the courts and the types of sentencing procedures and sanctions which may be appropriate because the offenders are of Aboriginal heritage and connection.

For the judge to get that information, generally case-specific information is required from counsel and also a pre-sentence report. In our jurisdiction, these reports are done by probation officers, and I am confident that they are getting the information that is needed before the courts. Thank you.

I appreciate that the Minister has done his homework on this. However, it is my information that pre-sentence reports are written with a different focus than Gladue reports, and so my question, again, is whether the Minister has thought about funding a writing program like the one that they have in the Yukon to produce Gladue reports.

I know that in our jurisdiction there is a specific section of a pre-sentence report that refers to factors related to the accused as an Indigenous offender, including the legacy of residential schools and other contributing circumstances. That information, which is important, is actually a section within the pre-sentence report. The attention of the maker of the report, the probation officer, should be drawn to that section if it is applicable. Obviously, we are always looking for better ideas, and I understand that the project in the Yukon, which is a pilot project, has been going on for approximately one year. We are interested in progress. Certainly, we could look at ways of improving. We are always interested in that in the courts.

I am delighted that the Minister is interested in better ideas. I think that there it is, right next door in the Yukon. Among the benefits of the Yukon program is the collaboration between the Council of Yukon First Nations, Legal Aid, and the government. Does he see a way that this kind of collaboration could be replicated in the Northwest Territories for the production of these Gladue reports?

Obviously, the lawyers who appear before the courts and the probation officers are well aware of the issues and the necessity, in certain cases, of Gladue principles being brought before the courts. Again, we can always improve, and certainly I could be looking at ways in which our systems could be improved and would be looking at new and innovative manners of proceeding.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the government is interested in another of the benefits of the Yukon program, which is that it trains Indigenous people to be Gladue report writers. Could the Minister get behind that kind of an approach here in the NWT and not wait for the Yukon pilot to finish in two years in order to start it? Thank you.

As I say, we are always interested in what is going on in other jurisdictions to see if we can improve our methods. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the probation reports here are prepared by probation officers, many of whom are Aboriginal themselves. I don't know whether it's most; it could well be. Again, we are always looking at ways of improving, and we will be looking at the Yukon pilot project. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Now that Phebie and David are retired here, Mr. Speaker, using innovation and current community inventory and low-energy efficiency programs would result in improving our community market with renovated homes. My first question to the Minister: if we have units sitting idle in our communities, would the Minister support a pilot project to single out a unit in Fort Good Hope, Tulita, and Deline to develop the necessary applications to various sources, renovate, and showcase a low-cost home in these communities?

Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation definitely is committed to using energy efficiency when we are looking at building new homes or even with renovations that are being done in the communities. One of the big things that I have talked in this House, and I will say it again, is we are going to be looking at these community housing plans, and we are willing to sit down with the leadership. One initiative that we really need to get out there and let people know about is the community housing support initiative. That can have an impact on some of the statements that the Member has said. In terms of the pilot projects, I think we will have to sit down with leadership to see what we can do to address this. It is a concern not only in the communities that the Member has mentioned, but also communities across the Northwest Territories. I also just want to really quickly commend the Member on his Member's statement and for appreciating the work that our staff has done for the people of the Sahtu.

Thanks to the Minister for that reply. My next question is: would the Minister support directing his staff to set up a working group to undertake this pilot initiative, with me as a volunteer adviser to the group, to single out these units and develop a renovation plan?

We have set up working groups in some communities, which have been working well to address some of the housing issues. This is something that we can look at speaking with the leadership and the Member about to address some of the housing concerns in the Sahtu region. As I mentioned, we are going to be holding a Northern Housing Summit up in Inuvik, and these are the kinds of discussions that we want to have with our leadership, with our administration, with our stakeholders, and with people who we have invited to the table, so definitely. I know that, when we do have this Northern Housing Summit, perhaps we can look at having a sidebar conversation with some of the leadership in the Sahtu region on what the Member is asking.

The Minister must be a mind reader. My next question was to take advantage of the opportunity while the leadership is at the Inuvik summit to single out these three communities that we mentioned, have a sidebar meeting with the leadership. So would the Minister make an appointment to meet the leadership in these three identified communities to discuss a pilot?

We could even do better than that. We can get our staff to reach out to the leadership right now. I know we have had some of our staff go into the community of Deline. We have met with Fort Good Hope leadership, as well, in terms of their housing plans. They are doing a good job. We have seen what was on the news recently in Colville Lake, and we want to support that. We want to let the leadership and community members know about the programs and services that we do provide and that they can access. We will commit to that, and we will actually reach out to the leadership ahead of the summit and start those discussions right away.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for that reply. I have taken photographs already of the inventory. They are sitting idle, waiting for the assessment here to begin. I look forward to the summit engagements there, with the leadership in Inuvik. Thank you.

I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. This issue is between many departments, and I think that it's time that we put all of our resources under one department. My constituents want to know why we can't have long-term care facilities in our smaller communities like we did in Aklavik at the old Joe Greenland Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear the Member's concerns, and I hear those concerns from his constituents. I have heard them across the Northwest Territories. It's been asked several times. The answer is still the same. When it comes to long-term care, we are looking at level 3, 4, 5 acuity, individuals who actually have some high, complex needs, and, when we build long-term care facilities, we need to build them in close proximity where a greater range of services are available, things like doctors and other professionals who can provide support to those high-need patients. When it comes to levels 1 and 2, those are the types of things that the Housing Corporation has already moved forward with in building independent living units for seniors across the Northwest Territories. We have worked really closely with the Housing Corporation on that, and they have actually created space in these new independent living units where we, Health and Social Services, can offer programming out of to make sure that elders and seniors throughout the community can benefit from those facilities, not just the individuals living there.

Once again, I hear the Member's frustration. I hear the Member's concerns from constituents across the territories, but, when it comes to levels 3 and 4, we must provide safe services. They have to have a certain level of care able to be provided, and that can be provided in regional centres, where there are doctors and a greater range of services, as opposed to smaller communities, where in fact we could be putting people at greater degrees of risk with those facilities.

Will the Minister work with the housing Minister to hire staff to work in our elders' homes as a start?

We do have homecare workers throughout the Northwest Territories. In his riding, I believe we have three or four, I will confirm the numbers, who are providing supports to individuals who are staying in their communities and who want to age in place. Those home-support workers can go into those independent living units, where they exist, and I know there is one in Aklavik. I know that, hopefully soon, we will have one done in Fort McPherson, as well. We already are working with the Housing Corporation and, more importantly, we are working with the residents who are referred to these services to make sure that they get the services when they can.

That's good news. We are also looking forward to the opening of the elders' home in Fort McPherson, but we need a commitment. Will the Minister cost share with both ECE and Housing to ensure that we have a level of care on a daily basis in our elders' homes?

I do hear the Member. We do not provide homecare just because an individual is old. All homecare needs to be referred based on needs of an individual, and there is a range of services that we can provide through our home support, which does include activities of daily living support as well as some food preparation. So there is a wide range of services, but they do need to be referred out, so I would not be prepared to commit to providing home-support workers to the independent living units because some of those individuals might be independent enough and not actually want or need those services. However, I am committed to working with the Member. I am committed to working with all Members. We are doing a homecare review right now. It will help us articulate the actual amount of resources we need to provide this service well in the Northwest Territories. We are exploring the paid community family caregivers. We are about to roll out some pilots on that. When those things are done, we will be in a really good place to develop a business case to seek additional resources to provide the support that I hear Members and residents across this territory saying they want. We need to make sure that we do it in an evidence-based, logical way.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment regarding the next steps in the development of an NWT polytechnic university. Any future development of the university must be carried out in close cooperation with stakeholders, particularly municipal governments. Can the Minister tell us what formal and informal mechanisms the department has established on this specific file to ensure close collaboration with municipal governments? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I try to learn from my mistakes, so I am not going to try to pronounce a big word, but we don't have a formal MOU with any of the cities. In fairness, what we have been saying all along is three strong communities, three strong campuses, and 21 strong community learning centres. We can't ensure that we have three strong communities if we don't work closely with community governments.

I have met twice with each of the three communities while we were doing the review. When we were doing the government response, I went into all three of the communities myself. I have met formally twice with each community government during those meetings. I have also met with Indigenous governments during those meetings, as well. My commitment to them has been that we need to work together. To make the polytechnic university a success, it cannot be made in isolation by the Government of the Northwest Territories. We need the community governments along with us to make this successful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for those remarks. I participated in one of the events that she held here in Yellowknife, so I will vouch for what she says. The Minister has probably by now had a chance to review the City of Yellowknife's University Feasibility and Benefits Study. Can the Minister say how this report will be taken into account in future work toward the establishment of a polytechnic university for the Northwest Territories?

In all honesty, as soon as the City of Yellowknife's University Feasibility and Benefits Study was produced, I wanted it right away. I wanted to see what it said so that I could be defended if I needed to. I was really, actually, quite happy to read it. It backed up a lot of what we had found in the review. Not only did it back it up, it actually expanded on some of the areas in justifying why we need to move into a polytechnic university. Yes, I have looked at the feasibility study. I know that the City of Yellowknife took that initiative. I am not telling other communities what to do, but it would be wonderful if the other communities actually did it, as well, because there are strengths that are unique to not only all three communities, but all regions within the Northwest Territories. Having that paper that identifies the strengths is a bonus for the City of Yellowknife, and we need to be cognitive as we move forward that we also look at the strengths and benefits that other communities have, as well.

I want to thank the Minister for that. She has probably opened the door for the towns of Fort Smith and Inuvik to come and knock on her door for some funding to help with their own work, but I think it is a great idea. In both the government's response to the Aurora College Foundational Review and the city's report and presentation to the standing committee, the need for a vision for post-secondary education was loud and clear. Can the Minister tell us how the visioning for post-secondary education renewal is being pursued, including a mandate for the new associate deputy minister, and how the stakeholders, including municipal governments, are going to be involved in setting that vision?

Our visioning exercise is happening now. I just want to put that out to the whole public. I am supporting for every individual within the Northwest Territories to take the time out to answer the survey. It is available on our Education, Culture and Employment website. You can go into an Education, Culture and Employment service centre in your communities or a government service office, or you can access it online through our website at ECE. It is important that all voices be heard, so I am again urging everyone to do that.

Within that survey, there is a spot where people can also put their feedback in as an organization. Not only the municipalities, but also organizations, such as Chamber of Commerce might want to; the Chamber of Mines might want to; the arts community might want to. There might be a lot of organizations. We are hearing that, as well, but again, you have the opportunity. You can put it forward as an organization, or you can put it forward as an individual. I believe that, the more people who fill out that survey, the better it will come. How does that relate? Once that survey is done, all of that information will be assessed, looking at the strengths of where we should be focusing our post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories. From that work, once we develop our territory-wide vision statement, then the polytechnic university will take that piece and develop a visioning exercise for the polytechnic university itself.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Certainly it is exciting times here in the North for post-secondary education. I know that the Minister is also setting up a series of seven talks in various communities, and I want to commend her for that, because there are some really interesting topics. Unfortunately, we are stuck here for some of them, but I know that I have been working with her office to get some public broadcasting of that done, as well.

I want to get back this issue of how the Minister sees herself and the department working more formally with municipal governments. What kind of mechanisms has she started to think about in that regard, about how the department should work with municipal governments? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

As stated publicly, in this House, behind closed doors, I have constantly said throughout this that it is important that we work with the community governments to make this right. I do want to commend the Member for actually saying that we have made a lot of progress on our polytechnic university. We have been talking about this for 15, 20 years. I am really honoured, as the Minister, to be able to, as one older politician told me, "get 'er done." It is time that we move forward with this, and it is not only time that we move forward in isolation with the Government of the Northwest Territories; we need to work with the communities.

Communities have a stake. Students do not just stay on campus. They expand throughout all of the community when they are accessing training or services education. We need to work closely with them. We have a commitment to meet regularly. We sit on the City of Yellowknife's education committee; I am not sure what it is called. We have committed to including them when we develop the strategic plan, the implementation plan. All three communities will be involved in that work.

It is important, whether I am in this chair next Assembly or not, that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment work very closely with all three communities to make sure that we get this right, so that the best services within the campus and in the communities as a whole are provided to students of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement I talked about the Transboundary Water Agreements. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources questions. My first question is: I know that the GNWT has signed bilateral agreements with all affected jurisdictions, with the exception of Saskatchewan. Can the Minister provide us with a timeline of when this bilateral agreement may be signed? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Negotiations towards the establishment of a bilateral water agreement currently are under way with Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is conducting a legal review of the intention document, and that review is ongoing. Negotiations will continue once that review is complete. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Under the master agreement, environment Ministers from their respective jurisdictions are not obligated to present reports from the Mackenzie River Basin Board. My question is: would our Minister commit to providing this House regular updates as the work is done within the board?

The work of the board is to provide a state of aquatic environment report every five years, and they get the funding to do that work. My understanding is that the next version of the report is coming out in 2020. I would have to follow up to see if there are yearly reports that are put out. I was on the board's website to see if there was an opportunity to find a yearly update, but I can look at that. The report is due in 2020.

Considering the master agreement has not received any funding increase since it was created in 1997, would the Minister commit to advocating for a funding increase?

I believe that there is adequate funding for the Mackenzie River Basin Board, and I think Members would expect me to say nothing less. They have $280,000 in annual contributions from all parties, $40,000 from the jurisdictions, and $8,000 from Canada. If they feel that there is a need for more resources, I am sure they will approach the appropriate ministers in the jurisdictions to make a case for more funding. Again, that is another one that I would have to follow up on, and I have not seen any requests from board representatives for our department to increase the funding.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if there are monitoring requirements. I am referring to maybe something a little technical, the monitoring requirements of the water within the Mackenzie River basin.

I believe we are always monitoring the quality of the water, especially with some of the projects that are going on in the southern jurisdictions. We have the Mackenzie data stream project, and I believe we have monitoring stations in almost 22 communities, as far as the work of the Northwest Territories. I would encourage Members to go on I believe there is a website, the Mackenzie data stream website. We have a lot of monitoring stations on the Mackenzie, down the valley. As they propose to do some work in the southern jurisdictions, I think the importance of the water monitoring on our part of the border is critically important so that we can see if there is any effect of some of the projects that they are doing in the southern jurisdiction. If we feel there is, then we need to raise those with the appropriate ministers in the southern jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.