This is page numbers 39 - 60 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.

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Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Those jobs are being given to an Inuvik company. There is nothing in regard to that bridge, which they stopped work on, so I want the Premier to identify which companies are working in my riding. That's the first I heard of a hospital being built. There are no hospitals being built. Give me clarification. All I am asking is what's happening in the short term. All the government jobs are taken in our communities. Nothing is going on. That is why we have such a big income support problem that we have going on, because there is nothing going on.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

It's a good thing we have Ministers all around us talking to things. I believe the Member had mentioned not only his riding but the Sahtu in his statement. The health centre is going into Tulita at this point. Inuvik is having a long-term care facility built at this time. To have a whole list of every project and every contractor, that, I do not have. It probably is something that he should give notice of so that we can compile that information. However, I will commit to getting a list of every major project -- not every small project; that is too cumbersome -- every major infrastructure project going on in the riding and, the list of those contractors, I will supply.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Madam Premier, you brought up a 48-bed facility going up in Inuvik, which takes our elders out of our community. I need help in regard to keeping our elders home, because we want to take care of our own elders. We don't need them just shipped off to Inuvik, where my people, the people who I represent, can't go see their loved ones. The only time they are going to go see them is if they are on medical or somewhere, because cost of travel is too high, and then when they bring them home for a funeral. That is the problem. I need help in regard to getting a long-term facility in Ulukhaktok, so would the Premier commit to that instead of putting 48 beds, which we already have 25 in Inuvik, taking elders out of our community?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I believe it is almost two sets of questions, but I will reply to you on the question. I am not going to stand here and commit that I will have a long-term facility in every single community. I would love to see that, again, just as I would love to have a house for every person. In honesty, I would probably put the house first: Maslow's hierarchy; food, clothing, and shelter. Our seniors are important. Our elders are important. We recognize that. We have a shortage of health professionals; we know that. We need to look at a recruitment program; we know that.

I can't stand here and say that, within this government, I would guarantee that there would be a long-term care facility in every community. What I can say is that this government is committed to looking at whatever policies we can do, that we can change, so that we can make it better for elders to stay in our homes. Because we do know that the most humane thing that we can do for our elders is to keep them close to their families and their friends as long as possible, but there are situations, times, when elders have to be shipped from homes because the care is not there in the communities.

Again, I wish we could do better, but at this point, in this economy, I think that we have to be realistic and honest and say that we don't have the staffing, and we don't have the funding at this time, so we are willing to look at whatever we can do in the meantime.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All I am asking is for the government, I guess, to relook at the 48 beds in Inuvik. They have 25 beds. We have a need in our smaller communities, such as Paulatuk, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. Ulukhaktok is a priority. I have elders sitting in a long-term care facility who are not seeing family, and it is hard on them. Too much hardship going on, all the time. Everything is fly in, fly out, on the coastal communities.

The people of Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk, and Sachs Harbour need to have something to grasp on instead of taking them and pulling our elders out. I'm just urging the Premier and the Cabinet to relook at that Inuvik facility. They have 25 beds. They don't need another 48. That's 200 more jobs they have to try to fill, which is good for Inuvik, but not for my riding of Nunakput. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Unfortunately, I can't commit to saying that I would stop the project in Inuvik. I mean, it would be very inappropriate for a Premier to stand here and make a commitment when there has been no research or assessment on the need, so I will not make a commitment to stop a project without the research done.

Like I said, there is not a Cabinet Member here who wants to take seniors or elders out of our communities. Every single Cabinet Member understands the needs of our community, our seniors, and our elders, but we have limited resources. Resources, not only money, but also capacity of staffing and qualifications. We have to look at all of those as a holistic view before we make decisions on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, honourable Premier. Tabling of documents. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following documents: a letter dated January 16, 2020, to the Honourable Premier from Chief Wilbert Kochon of Behdzi Ahda First Nation of Colville Lake, regarding problems in current self-government negotiations; and, in addition, a letter dated January 17, 2020, to the Honourable Premier from the president of Nihtat Gwich'in Council, Jozef Carnogursky, regarding implementation of UNDRIP.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, motions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you. Item 17, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Item 21, report of Committee of the Whole. Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

Page 49

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Orders of the day for Monday, February 10, 2020, at 1:30 p.m.:

  1. Prayer
  2. Ministers' Statements
  3. Members' Statements
  4. Returns to Oral Questions
  5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Oral Questions
  8. Written Questions
  9. Returns to Written Questions
  10. Replies to the Commissioner's Address
  11. Petitions
  12. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
  13. Reports of Standing and Special Committees
  14. Tabling of Documents
  15. Notices of Motion
  16. Motions
  17. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
  18. First Reading of Bills
  19. Second Reading of Bills
  20. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
  21. Report of Committee of the Whole
  22. Third Reading of Bills
  23. Orders of the Day

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

Page 49

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

This House stands adjourned until Monday, February 10, 2020, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 11:58 a.m.