This is page numbers 229 - 294 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

Ministerial Responsibility
Members' Statements

Page 232

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about an event that will be taking place very soon within my riding in the community of Detah. This event is part of a week-long list of festivities taking place in the Yellowknife area titled "Naka Festival," which is an aurora-themed event that celebrates the northern lights and highlights the Dene culture for the region. For clarity, Naka means "northern lights" in the Wiilideh dialect.

The concluding event of this week-long festival will be the Indigenous Cultural Gala taking place in Detah on Saturday, March 7, 2020, in the evening at the Chief Drygeese Hall of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. This festival, Mr. Speaker, is a collaborative effort with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, GNWT, and NWT Tourism.

This will be the second consecutive cultural gala taking place in Detah, and I must say I am very excited to be attending this event once again. Last year's inaugural gala was a wonderful event that showcased northern art and creativity at its finest. For me, the highlight of that event last year was seeing the fiddler Wesley Hardisty and William Greenland on flute. It was an electric atmosphere. My daughters took part in modelling down the runway. I was so proud, and it was such a wonderful atmosphere to be in. I encourage any Members and any member of the public to go see this event, because it is a wonderful event.

Again, going back to what I was saying, Mr. Speaker, if this year's event will be anything like last year's, people can expect to see creations of all sorts being modelled on a runway, very much akin to a fashion show. Last year's event featured dozens of items on display, from handmade earrings, necklaces, traditional vests, to dresses, hats, mitts, gloves, and other attire.

Mr. Speaker, this cultural gala will feature a whole host of Indigenous clothing designers, makeup artists, hair stylists, musicians, and others, all under one roof. It is events like these, Mr. Speaker, which demonstrate the great importance of the arts and of one's culture and identity. I would argue that, among the many hallmark features of identity, chiefly among them is the value of art, music, clothing, furs, and fashion ingenuity.

I could go on and on about the positive effects that events like these bring into our smaller communities. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

In conclusion, I can see that it brings the best out of us in a truly collaborative fashion, no pun intended. I hope to see that this event continues to achieve great access into the future and continues seeing partnerships being built and collaboration being achieved among the Yellowknives Dene and the City of Yellowknife. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, I raised my concerns on the GNWT managing the board of the Power Corporation. Today, I am raising concerns on the NTPC and how it treats its customers in the communities.

The Power Corporation has a 60-page document available on the website on terms and conditions of service to customers. The policy of the document gives NTPC the authority to disconnect service to the customer who does not pay their power bill within 28 days after the billing date. It also says NTPC can refuse to reconnect a customer until arrears are paid in full, late payment charges are paid up, and a security deposit is provided for a reconnection fee. The NTPC policy provides the corporation with its sole discretion to limit the electricity to customers as an alternative to disconnection.

Mr. Speaker, in the winter months, this is unacceptable. This is done with a technology called a current-limiting device. I heard this from constituents as a subject that, with this technology, someone in Hay River could just flip the switch and your power is cut off or you are given 10 minutes at a time. At 50 below, Mr. Speaker, that is unacceptable. The customer in Ulukhaktok and Tuktoyaktuk and Sachs Harbour, then without power, is flicked back on for 10 minutes. You could imagine that, when you are trying to run a household and you have little children occupied by the TV or trying to make dinner, flick goes off the power, no warning. Then it comes back on 10 minutes later, when the "Wizard of Oz" in Hay River grants the 10-minute window of power to finish cooking your meal or flick the TV back on and get to feed the family in the dark, probably. Now, 50 below outside, blizzard going on, no worries about that because every pipe is freezing up in your house, unacceptable.

The use of technology given by the mighty wizard may feel benevolent, but nothing kind in it. I have said I am hopeful that the government will know more and show more compassion to the people that it serves. It should absolutely be prohibited in terminating or interrupting power during the winter months. Life is hard enough in our small communities. Lack of heat, it's life threatening, especially in our smaller communities.

Since NTPC is run by a bunch of deputy ministers, it seems to me the Minister has the power, no pun intended, to direct them to change the policies, bring back the end of the use of the current-limiting device, and allow people to pay their bills in full, but they are stuck with expensive bills, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, this is so important for our small communities. Legislation should change, that they are unable to cut power off like this until, say, August or November till April. Because small communities' housing houses don't have wood stoves, it goes on and on, has a rippling effect to the people who we represent. Thank you. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Homelessness
Members' Statements

Page 232

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last August, CBC North and True North Rotary partnered to host Yellowknife's Friendship Breakfast to break down barriers and misunderstandings for homeless people in our city; people who largely feel invisible.

My children and I ate breakfast with a man from Fort Resolution who told us about bush adventures, moving to Hay River, and about his first and only trip out of the Northwest Territories. He spoke wide-eyed and excited as he recounted his trip to Calgary, where he stood at the top of the Calgary Tower. His eyes grew weary as he explained to my children just how high the tower was and how he and his friends took a taxi for 45 minutes to get there. He then told my children about how addiction took control of his days and of his eventual move to the streets of Yellowknife. This concept was lost on my younger children, but my oldest son's eyes told me he felt the weight of the importance of where this conversation was going.

As a child growing up in Yellowknife, we did have a handful of people who lived on our streets. We knew them all by name, and the most infamous were "Charlie" and "Archie." By a 2018 count, roughly 338 people are now experiencing homelessness on Yellowknife streets. Ninety percent of these people are Indigenous, and only 16 percent come from Yellowknife.

Discussions found the top three NWT communities people migrate to Yellowknife from are Behchoko, Hay River, and Fort Smith. The most common reasons reported for becoming homeless were inability to pay rent, addiction and substance use, partner conflict, and job loss.

For months following the friendship breakfast, change from couch cushions and piggy banks instantly became a coffee or a soup for their friend and weekend drives were largely spent driving until we delivered it. In December, our luck ran out and we no longer spotted our friend on drives around town. Eventually, the kids stopped asking, but, this past weekend, we walked into a coffee shop and immediately I heard, "Well, there's my friend with the little, blue eyes." I turned to see a familiar face, and my boy's eyes lit up as he found his friend once again.

I am thankful to the efforts of CBC North and True North Rotary to break down barriers and forge relationships within our community. People need to feel love. People need to be seen. People need to be remembered. I am thankful we live in a community that gave my children the opportunity to learn that, along with a friend whose name they will never forget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Homelessness
Members' Statements

Page 232

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Aurora College
Members' Statements

Page 233

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to make a statement regarding Aurora College. We do not really know exactly the reason why this person was let go. We are saying this because we have questions and concerns from the community that are coming in, and that is our statement. [Translation ends].

I asked the Premier to tell us where the power to fire the president of Aurora College came from. I quote her response from unedited Hansard. The Premier said: "Hiring and firing the employment contracts is separate than appointments," and, further, she said, "Just because a statutory appointment might be part of a person's job, it does not mean that the applicable Minister who made the appointment is responsible for governing the employment relationship."

Mr. Speaker, the Premier has confused her powers under the Public Service Act with the Minister of Education's powers under the Aurora College Act. In her confusion, I believe she has misled this House and overstepped her authority, in fact breaking the law.

The Public Service Act permitted the Premier to fire Dr. Weegar in his role as associate deputy minister of postsecondary education renewal, but her powers under that act did not apply to Dr. Weegar in his dual capacity as president of Aurora College. Under the Aurora College Act, that power rests plainly with the Minister.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education's power to hire and fire are one and the same by virtue of section 18 of the Interpretation Act, which states explicitly that the power to appoint a public officer also includes the power to terminate the appointment and remove the public officer from employment in the territorial government. Read together with the Interpretation Act, the Aurora College Act makes it clear, Mr. Speaker, that the only person with the authority to remove someone's appointment as college president is the Minister of Education, and this termination would bring to an end the president's employment.

If these statutory realities aren't enough to convince the Premier of the errors of her ways, the Aurora College Act offers one other bit of guidance that should have told her she was exceeding her powers. For added clarity, section 19(3) of the Aurora College Act states that, for greater certainty, the Minister's authority to appoint the president "operates notwithstanding the Public Service Act."

Put simply, section 19(3) of the Aurora College Act provides that the Public Service Act, and the various processes it sets out for making appointments, has no role in the appointment and termination of the college's president.

It should be troubling to this House that the Premier would play so free and easy with something as sanctified as the duly enacted statutes of this House. It makes one wonder where else she might choose to exceed her authority as a Premier. I believe her misconduct warrants an apology to this House and a pledge to us that this will never happen again. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Aurora College
Members' Statements

Page 233

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 233

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, I am pleased to recognize two groups of Legislature interns visiting us from Ontario and Manitoba. They are here this week to learn more about our consensus form of government. With us today from Ontario are Misha Powell, Eric Osbourne, Marian Bayseez, Vanessa Groobs, Jennifer Hann, Jeremy Istead, Meagan Irons, Kira Lawler, Claire McDonald, and program manager, Alyssa McAterelly. Also joining us from Manitoba are Mariah George, Chelsea Rapstead, Sinoman Ray, sorry if I got that wrong, Franklin Moldin, Shishiba McGroobay, hope I got that right, Bailey Palekir. Please join me in welcoming them to our proceedings. Also with us today is probably the longest-serving constituency assistant in this house, Elizabeth Wright. Also with us from Tsiigehtchic are Britney Kendo and Dale Cole. They are Pages with us. Mahsi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Monfwi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 233

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to thank Mary Rose for coming back. She has been interpreting for many, many years, and she is interpreting all of our words. I'd like just to thank her. Masi.[Translation ends.]

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 233

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, replies to the budget address. Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Question 88-19(2): Alcohol Strategy
Oral Questions

February 26th, 2020

Page 233

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken several times in this House about the harm that alcohol does to the people of the Northwest Territories. We spend a fortune on the effects of alcohol abuse without ever addressing the elephant in the room, which is alcohol itself. Alcohol touches every part of our lives, whether we drink or not. With this in mind, I was delighted to discover that the Department of Health and Social Services has started preliminary work on an alcohol strategy. My question for the Minister is: what does she want an alcohol strategy to accomplish? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister for Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry, things are dropping all around here. The Member has asked about the alcohol strategy, and our department has put a tender out for the development of a territorial alcohol strategy. This is basically preliminary research on a procurement of shared services to develop a territorial alcohol strategy, and presumably it would fit within it. We're trying to get a background on information that would help us develop a strategy. We are right now in the process doing the tender process.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I recognize that the Minister had a flurry of action around her when I asked my question, and I don't think she heard what I said. I am asking a much more general question, which is: what does she want an alcohol strategy to accomplish?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The overall approach from the department is to be able to have a scan of what are some of the alcohol, you know, the department realizes that we need to reduce the prevalence and impacts of addiction in the Northwest Territories. That is one of the things we would like to have a look at. Also, the territorial government had a territorial committee on problematic substance abuse, and this was just established in January. The mandate is to develop a comprehensive response to the ongoing issues related to substance in the Northwest Territories. That's why the department is looking at an alcohol strategy.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. My next question is about how the strategy is going to be created, and who will be involved in the work to create this. Is this a multi-party drafting proposition, or is the department going to draft the whole thing itself?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The territorial committee on problematic substance abuse allows the GNWT to address harms of alcohol abuse, as well as other substances. The territorial committee on problematic substance abuse will report to the deputy ministers, given the interdepartmental structure. The membership of the territorial committee will consist of representatives from the Department of Health and Social Services; the Department of Justice; the Department of Education, Culture and Employment; the Department of Finance; the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority; the Tlicho Service Agency; the Office of the Chief Coroner; the RCMP; the Workers Safety Compensation Commission; and the NWT Association of Communities.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not having much luck today, but I'm going to press on. The preliminary work on the alcohol strategy is going to be finished, and I'm not totally sure who is going to create the alcohol strategy proper. My last question is really about timing. When does the Minister expect to have the alcohol strategy completed?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

I can get back to the Member with the timelines. We have a tender currently out in RFP, so I can get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.