Debates of May 26th, 2020

This is page numbers 767 - 824 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

Oral Questions
Members Present
Prayer
May-June 2020 Sessional Statement
COVID-19 Public Health Response
Recognition of 90th Birthday of Alex Morin
Pandemic Lessons Learned
Reflections on COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic Overview
Reflections on COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Reflections on COVID-19 Pandemic
Condolences on Passing of Community Members
Recognition of Passing of Community Members
Eulogy for Robin Mercer-Sproule
Helping Businesses Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
Lessons Learned to Date
Frank Channel Bridge
COVID-19 Testing
Mandate Letters for Ministers
Public Availability of Mandate Letters
Data Used by Epidemiologists
Distance Learning for Post-Secondary Students
Number of Visitors in Hospital
Status of Personal Protection Equipment on Hand
Staffing at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre
Written Question 12-19(2): Virtual care
Return to Written Question 4-19(2): Action Plan on Core Housing Need
Return to Written Question 5-19(2): Tlicho All-Season Road Project Contracts
Return to Written Question 6-19(2): Educational Facilities
Return to Written Question 7-19(2): Virtual Health Care
Return to Written Question 8-19(2): Repatriation of Northwest Territories Residents with Disabilities
Return to Written Question 9-19(2): Contracts for Work Related to the Slave Geological Province Road
Return to Written Question 10-19(2): Pointed Mountain Gas Field Compliance and Reclamation
Return to Written Question 11-19(2): Commissioner's Land Act Security Deposit
Ms. Martselos' Reply
Tabled Document 64-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 104-19(2): Closing the Municipal Funding Gap Tabled Document 65-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 113-19(2): Sexual Abuse in Sports Tabled Document 66-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 161-19(2): Building Standards Act
Tabled Document 67-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 110-19(2): Addressing Drug Use in Northwest Territories Communities Tabled Document 68-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 128-19(2): Mental Health and Wellness of Seniors in Long-Term Care Tabled Document 69-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 141-19(2): Oral Health Report Tabled Document 70-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 144-19(2): Full-Time Psychologist for Children and Youth for Treatment Centre Tabled Document 71-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 145-19(2): Traditional Counselling Models Tabled Document 72-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 150-19(2): Oral Health Care Tabled Document 73-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 169-19(2): Fort Providence Health Centre Tabled Document 74-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 175-19(2): Home and Community Care Review Tabled Document 75-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 203-19(2): COVID-19 and the Timeliness of Updates
Tabled Document 76-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 12-19(2): Fort Smith Airport Infrastructure Tabled Document 77-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 23-19(2): Economy of the Northwest Territories Tabled Document 78-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 116-19(2): Tlicho All-Season Road Contract Tabled Document 79-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 159-19(2): Yellowknife Motor Vehicle Office Hours Tabled Document 80-19(2): Businesses Participating in the TASR Project Tabled Document 81-19(2): Slave Geological Province Corridor Contracts List September 1, 2015-March 31,2020
Tabled Document 82-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 117-19(2): Response to Affirmative Action Policy Tabled Document 83-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 171-19(2): Daylight Savings Time Tabled Document 84-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 190-19(2): Lack of Enforcement in Illegal Drug Trade
Tabled Document 85-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 56-19(2): Cantung Mine Surface Lease Tabled Document 86-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 70-19(2): Thaidene Nene Status Tabled Document 87-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 90-19(2): Northwest Territories Power Corporation Use of Limiters and Oral Question 211-19(2): Line Repairs and Power Limiters in Nunakput during COVID-19 Pandemic Tabled Document 88-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 96-19(2): Cameron Hills Oil and Gas Field Environmental Liabilities
Tabled Document 89-19(2): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Summary of Program Initiatives 2015-2019 Tabled Document 90-19(2): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Action Plan 2019-2022
Tabled Document 91-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 34-19(2): Income Security Client Banking Issues Tabled Document 92-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 62-19(2): Improving Income Assistance Administration Tabled Document 93-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 97-19(2): Income Assistance Tabled Document 94-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 111-19(2): Mental Health and Suicide Resources for Students Tabled Document 95-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 147-19(2): Day Care at Ecole J. H. Sissons Tabled Document 96-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 156-19(2): Women in Trades Tabled Document 97-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 170-19(2): Income Assistance Tabled Document 98-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 177-19(2): Support for Trades Employment Tabled Document 99-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 207-19(2): Succession Planning for Interpreters Training
Bill 6: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Report Of The Committee Of The Whole
Orders Of The Day

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to contracts, have you looked at the ones or identified the ones that we know can be done by northern contractors versus southern contractors? Have those projects been given priority? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will ask Dr. Dragon to answer that. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Dr. Dragon?

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Dr. Dragon

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, in terms of looking at all of our infrastructure projects, as the Minister mentioned, we have that scale where we're looking at not only the projects that we manage within Infrastructure, but within Infrastructure we manage about 65 contracts, capital projects that go on. For line departments, we do another 87. What we're trying to do there is make sure that we have all the information out on kind of a litmus test of where projects are at.

As the Minister had mentioned, we've sent already over 100 emails to contractors since COVID hit to make sure that they have the supports that they need. We've been dealing with a lot of companies worried about what is the process of getting into communities, so we've been working very effectively with the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer in looking at ways of trying to get into communities. So far, what all that work has told us is that we actually are on track with the majority of our projects. We do have some that are not going to be progressing, and some of those are having to do with budget issues, not necessarily having to do with COVID issues. We haven't seen any so far that we have felt that is in relation to COVID that it's not going on. We continue to monitor it every two weeks to try and make sure that we are on top of it and we're communicating very regularly on any best practices that we are getting from other jurisdictions on capital projects, and we've seen some of that in projects now. Just for example, the TASR, where they're coming on board, they've taken a lot of the lessons learned from other jurisdictions that they're applying to that.

Finally, I would say, when we have communities that are looking at maybe not so much having the ability or wanting southern contractors to come into their community, what we're doing is looking at very specific points where we get into issues of timing with the projects. Right now, we're looking at timing, and those haven't been an issue to date. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Dr. Dragon. Member for Hay River South.

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. One last question. You mentioned that you sent emails to contractors. What type of response have you received from those contractors, and has there been any follow-up with telephone calls to them or meetings with them? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been lots of back and forth. I'm going to guess though there has been some where, perhaps, they haven't had that follow up. Again, I don't have the metrics of how many have actually responded and came back, but I do understand from my department that there has been a lot of back and forth with our contractors. I know myself, personally, I've had a lot of contractors reaching out to me and had conversations with them, some from your region. I guess, again, I will just ask Dr. Dragon if he actually has any sort of numbers or data around the results.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Dr. Dragon.

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Dr. Dragon

Thank you, Madam Chair. In terms of the communication that we go through, I don't have metrics on how many have been going back and forth, other than the fact that the group, I've asked them to keep track of how many emails that they're sending out to contractors. We do have 100 so far that have been sent directly to contractors. Talking about active projects that we currently have on, I wanted also to let the committee know that, when we're going out and we're talking to contractors, one of the things that we're doing is also providing them with website links, any contact information as well for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, WSCC, and also the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer so that they get the information directly in terms of what are some of the constraints for their employees if they are southern or if they are northern. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Are there any further questions in regard to general comments? If not, I'll move into the details contained in the tabled document. Agreed?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with asset management, starting on page 226, with information items on page 229. Questions to asset management? Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are a number of projects expected under asset management: highway projects; there are schools, Sissons; a school in Tuktoyaktuk, Behchoko, Colville Lake. I am also looking at the line here, design and technical services of $3,800,000. Would the Minister be able to give me a sense of what proportion of that design and technical services went to BIP businesses? Would the Minister have that? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I have to apologize. I am missing a section in my binder. I don't have page 226. I wonder if I have two 226s. Sorry. My apologies. Okay. Two-twenty-eight is my next number, Joe. Thank you. If the committee would give me a second, I am going to pull up my e-binder. I apologize. If that would be okay?

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

I just stopped the time.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I will have Joe answer this question. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Okay. Dr. Dragon.

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Dr. Dragon

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe the question was looking at how much of that was BIP-related. Anything that we are looking into our contracts that we provide, that is the first opportunity that we do in terms of the BIP. I don't have a percentage on that in terms of how many contracts, but I have asked in terms of the department. We will get that back for you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Dr. Dragon. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that. I recognize I don't need it necessarily for this specific issue. Glancing at the list, I just know offhand that a number of these went over tender and they never actually were awarded to northern businesses. I think there is this disconnect in that I know BIP is in ITI, and I know much of the procurement is in Finance and then some of it is in Infrastructure.

At the end of the day, I would like if the Minister could give me a sense of, in this Infrastructure project, the contracts we are actually putting out at the end of the day that actually go to BIP businesses, if I could get a breakdown of that figure. I know the policy exists and it's a good policy, but there seems to be a disconnect of contracts actually being awarded to BIP businesses at the end of the day. So if I could get that commitment from the Minister, that would be appreciated. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I would commit to that, but my deputy is also indicating over there that he actually has the answer, so I will pass it over to Dr. Dragon. Thank you.