Debates of Aug. 12th, 2019
This is page numbers 5877 - 5944 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 report.
Topics
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 212-18(3): Sessional Statement
- State of Downtown Yellowknife
- Child Care Funding
- Health Care System in Hay River
- Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
- Strengthening Democratic Institutions in the Northwest Territories
- Programs and Services in the Sahtu Region
- Affirmative Action Policy
- Tuktoyaktuk Shoreline Erosion Mitigation Project
- Housing Issues in the Northwest Territories
- Eulogy for Phillip Gargan
- Eulogy for Rene Fumoleau
- Return to Oral Question 771-18(3): NWT Carbon Tax Implementation Plan
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Question 785-18(3): Bed Bugs in Fort Simpson
- Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
- Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
- Question 788-18(3): Shoreline Erosion in Tuktoyaktuk
- Question 789-18(3): State of Health Care System in Hay River
- Question 790-18(3): Affirmative Action Policy
- Question 791-18(3): Cremation Regulations
- Return to Written Question 17-18(3): Strategic Oil and Gas Ltd. Holdings in the NWT
- Return to Written Question 18-18(3): Giant Mine Long-Term Funding Study
- Return to Written Question 19-18(3): Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Fees and Compensation
- Bill 25: An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act Bill 36: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Resources Act Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act
- Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act
- Bill 42: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Tax Act Bill 43: An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act
- Bill 36: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Resources Act
- Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act
- Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act
- Bill 54: Standard Interest Rate Statutes Amendment Act
- Bill 34: Mineral Resources Act
- Bill 46: Public Land Act
- Bill 45: Corrections Act
- Bill 57: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act
- Bill 58: Justice Administration Statutes Amendment Act
- Committee Report 20-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2017-2018 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report
- Motion that Committee Report 20-18(3) be Deemed Read and Printed in Hansard in its Entirety, Carried
- Committee Report 21-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 Annual Reports for the Office of the Languages Commissioner for the Northwest territories
- Motion that Committee Report 22-18(3) be Deemed Read and Printed in Hansard in its Entirety, Carried
- Committee Report 22-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 Annual Reports of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
- Motion to have Committee Report 22-18(3) moved to Committee of the Whole for Further Consideration, Carried
- Committee Report 24-18(3): Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act
- Motion to have Committee Report 22-18(3) moved to Committee of the Whole for Further Consideration, Carried
- Committee Report 25-18(3): Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act
- Motion to have Committee Report 24-18(3) moved to Committee of the Whole for Further Consideration, Carried
- Tabled Document 468-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 720-18(3): Environmental Assessment following Hay River Highrise Fire Tabled Document 469-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 721-18(3): Recruitment of Physicians in Hay River Tabled Document 470-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 722-18(3): Fort Providence Seniors' Facility Tabled Document 471-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 737-18(3): Mental Health Services for Youth Tabled Document 472-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 744-18(3): Foster Family Recognition Tabled Document 473-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 775-18(3): Mental Health and Addictions Plan
- Tabled Document 474-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 718-18(3): Nutrition North and Cost of Living in Nunakput Tabled Document 475-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 730-18(3): Northwest Territories-Nunavut Bilateral Meeting on Transboundary Caribou Tabled Document 476-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 738-18(3): Affirmative Action Policy
- Tabled Document 477-18(3): Petroleum Interests Held in the NWT by Strategic Oil and Gas Ltd. Tabled Document 478-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 705-18(3): Fort Simpson Ferry Service Tabled Document 479-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 710-18(3): Mackenzie Valley Highway Environmental Assessment Working Group Tabled Document 480-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 732-18(3): Dredging the Hay River
- Tabled Document 481-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 773-18(3): Third Party Sexual Assault Reporting
- Tabled Document 482-18(3): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 13-18(3): Report on the Review of Bill 31: Northwest Territories 911 Act Tabled Document 483-18(3): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 632-18(3): Community Government Funding Gaps
- Tabled Document 484-18(3): Unsigned Letter to Prime Minister from Conservative Premiers of Canada
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 157-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapor Products Control Act - Expansion of "No Smoking" Areas, Carried
- Committee Motion 158-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapor Products Control Act - Raising Minimum Age, Carried
- Committee Motion 159-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapor Products Control Act - Smoking Cessation Aids, Carried
- Committee Motion 160-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act - Public Education and Awareness, Carried
- Committee Motion 161-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 40: Smoking Control and Reduction Act and Bill 41: Tobacco and Vapor Products Control Act - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Orders Of The Day
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
Mr. Speaker, outside of break-up or freeze-up, we are scheduled to have a nurse into the community of Tsiigehtchic one day a week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta
I was actually looking for 16 to 20, but that's close. Can the Minister tell me how many of those days were full days, and how many were partial days, due to commuting back from Inuvik?
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
The employee is scheduled for a full day, but in the community itself, a portion of that time is spent driving to and from the community, as the Member has already indicated. I can get the exact numbers from the department on how many hours per day the RN was able to spend in the community during those periods of time. The nurse does work a full day; only a portion of those hours are actually spent in the community, as the Member previously indicated in his statement.
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta
Will the Minister commit to having the nurse spend a full day in the community during each visit?
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
The Member and I actually had a conversation on this when he brought it to my attention that the RNs aren't spending a full day. I have already committed to the Member, and I will commit to the Member in this House, that I have directed the department to work with the authority to make sure that our RNs are spending the full hours in the community, either seven-and-a-half or eight. We have to work out some details on that. It may require a little bit of overtime. It may require the RN staying overnight so that they can provide certain hours on one day and certain hours on another day, but I am committed to the Member, to the community, to the region, to make sure that that community is getting the hours promised.
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. As the Minister is aware, we do have housing available if the nurse wanted to stay, come in the day before. The community is always willing to help anywhere they can. I would like to thank the Minister for that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 786-18(3): Nursing Services in Tsiigehtchic
Oral Questions
Page 5887

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. More of a comment to the Minister and Executive. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement today, I spoke about the ways in which life is better downtown because of the new services offered to the population of intoxicated or homeless people who are there. Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, more can be done, starting with addressing the concerns of the neighbours of the sobering centre and the day shelter. During the last session, the Minister said he hoped he would have a good neighbour agreement in place by the end of June. I would appreciate an update. Mahsi.
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5887
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, the good neighbour agreement was not done by the end of June. We are still committed to getting this work done. We have hired a contractor to help us facilitate the process. It does take all the stakeholders. It does take the GNWT, the RCMP, the contract provider, as well as the neighbours to make this a reality. We did share a draft good neighbour agreement with the partners on the 24th, and we are hoping to reconvene here in August to work out the details and finalize that good neighbour agreement. We can propose. We can work with our neighbours. We can't make people sign this agreement, but we think there is value in having this agreement. We are committed to trying to get it done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5887

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
I appreciate that update. Is part of the problem also that there are commitments that the neighbours want that the government can't sign off on?
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5888

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
It is a negotiation. Some of the neighbours have put forward some principles or concepts that, obviously, some of the partners are having some difficulty with. We are committed to working with our partners to make this happen. Yes. There has been a negotiation. There is room to get this agreement in place.
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5888

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you to the Minister for that. I understand that the Minister recently initiated a foot patrol program around the centre. Can the Minister tell us about that program and share any early results of it?
Question 787-18(3): New Services in Downtown Yellowknife
Oral Questions
Page 5888

Glen Abernethy Great Slave
Since we put the sobering centre day shelter in its current location, we have had a lot of concerns raised. We have been working to improve those services to make sure that we have appropriate outreach. It is continuing to evolve. One of the things that we have done recently with our current provider is to put in place a day and sobering centre safety patrol.
These are individuals who walk around a set path around the neighbourhood. They wear identifiable clothing. They are trained in dealing with individuals in crisis, providing them with the information where they can get different supports, but also just being a person out on the street, talking to people, trying to encourage them to control behaviour and types of things that some people might have some difficulty with. It went live on July 22nd. I haven't received an update on progress or how it is working. I will follow up with the department to get the Member with a current update on how that program is going.
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