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.

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Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Monfwi on February 28, 2020, regarding the Tlicho All-Season Road project contracts.

The Member asked for a breakdown or details of all the contractors and sub-contractors involved in the Tlicho All-Season Road construction, including addresses for these contracts and the length of the contracts. The Member also asked for details of the operations and maintenance contracts after the construction is completed in 2022.

Mr. Speaker, in response to the Member's first question, later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the list of the businesses currently involved in the Tlicho All-Season Road Project. I am unable to provide addresses and the length of the contracts, as this type of information is related to contracts between parties and is ultimately confidential.

Regarding the Member's second question, I can advise that North Star Infrastructure will operate and maintain the road for 25 years after the construction is completed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh on March 3, 2020, regarding education facilities.

There are two tools commonly used by the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and Infrastructure (INF) to assess the degree to which a physical structure supports actual use and/or functional alignment where function means activities programs, services teaching methods, et cetera.

These two tools are:

  • functional assessments or audits; and
  • post-occupancy evaluations

When new schools are built, a "functional program" is produced. A functional program describes, in relatively high-level technical language, what a physical structure needs to include to support a list of identified functions. Examples of functions in schools include:

  • teaching and learning, including contemporary pedagogical practice;
  • learning support;
  • recreation;
  • administration;
  • counselling and/or mental health services; and
  • medical treatment

ECE and INF can take this approach and, where requested or required, produce a report that looks at the functions currently being delivered at an existing school and compare that with the type and quantity of space available to support those functions. The report would identify how well an existing building supports the various functions.

Post-occupancy evaluations are geared to actual use. After a major project is complete and some time has passed, ECE and INF will conduct a post-occupancy evaluation of the building. This report looks at how well the new space is supporting actual daily use by occupants. A post-occupancy report was recently completed on the East Three School in Inuvik. The other objective of this report is to assess whether the design elements developed during the project and reflected in the building were appropriate; a lessons-learned section to inform future projects.

The departments have a third tool that assesses school space called a technical status evaluation (TSE) which exclusively examines the physical and technical condition of the building and does not consider program suitability. TSEs are not discussed further in this response.

ECE has not conducted an audit of the existing learning space at Kalemi Dene School. ECE does not regularly conduct functional audits of existing schools. ECE would consider performing a functional audit, in partnership with INF, if a divisional education council (DEC) or district education authority (DEA) identified a serious functional issue with the existing space.

When ECE discusses the design of physical spaces and their capacity to support contemporary pedagogical practice, it is important to consider that how well spaces support practice is a spectrum. Most physical spaces, including older schools in the Northwest Territories (NWT) can, to a greater or lesser degree, facilitate contemporary teaching and learning practices. Major renovations or rebuilds are opportunities to increase the degree of alignment between space and practice. For example, newer schools make greater use of breakout space to facilitate group work. All schools can use existing spaces to do group work, however newer schools with purpose-built breakout areas can facilitate group work better. Another example is storage space for outdoor equipment. Older schools can find storage for outdoor equipment to support outdoor learning activities or programs, but newer schools might have a purpose-built space, the new Ecole J.H. Sissons School design has dedicated space for this purpose.

If there are minor misalignments, ECE considers funding smaller, more focused renovations via its annual capital allocation, though these must be balanced by needs that are assessed as a higher priority such as safety issues, human rights issues, or changes required by regulations, among others.

With respect to Kalemi Dene, the school was built in 2009, making it one of the youngest and most modern facilities in the NWT. The existing space is capable of supporting current educational priorities and teaching methods. To ECE's knowledge, the community values and supports Kalemi Dene School, including its design.

ECE is not in a position to speak for the community government of Ndilo or the Yellowknives Dene First Nation on the issue of whether the existing learning space meets the community's view of educational priorities. ECE believes that Kalemi Dene is fully capable of supporting the delivery of the core educational program to students of the school.

The ability to tailor the delivery (the form), and some content, of the core educational program to account for local concerns is one of the primary functions of DEAs. ECE relies on DECs and DEAs to work with their schools to ensure the education program reflects the needs and wants of the community, within the bounds of available resources.

ECE is aware of use restrictions being experienced due to high enrolments and lack of free space. These issues are generally addressed in the department's Capital Needs Assessment during corporate capital planning, however, there is no guarantee funding will commence in any particular fiscal year.

ECE has not produced, nor does it possess, detailed project planning documents including architectural drawings, scopes of work, project descriptions, or technical reports for future expansions of a classroom addition or gymnasium at Kalemi Dene in Ndilo. ECE had a brief description of the scope of the project in its 2020-2021, 20-Year Capital Needs Assessment and this project was considered, but ultimately not selected, during the most recent capital planning process. ECE is aware of the general scope of the project but until planning study funds are allocated as part of corporate capital planning, ECE cannot retain the required design support to produce detailed documents or plans.

ECE is aware that the Yellowknives Dene First Nation has been looking at this project. A January 21, 2019 letter to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment identifies a motion and work being undertaken with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. If there are detailed plans produced by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, ECE is not currently in possession of them.

As background, projects like an addition to Kalemi Dene would not have detailed planning documents produced until after a project has been approved and funding allocated to a planning study.

ECE is not in a position to expand the minority language education rights established in section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) beyond the Francophone community in the NWT. Implementing such a model on a territorial-wide basis would be exceptionally costly, complex, and it is unclear if it would improve educational outcomes. There are several possible unintended consequences of implementing such a model.

The Charter-protected language rights model would require a physically separate school building for each individual language. Operations are conducted exclusively in that language requiring all students, staff, teachers, and administrators be sufficiently fluent to function in the target language, including day-to-day conversation, documentation ranging from routine letters to parents and classroom materials, textbooks, worksheets and homework. Every school would be overseen by a DEA separate from all other languages and expected to operate exclusively in the target language, in both verbal and written forms.

This would require multiple schools in a single community where the number of minority language speakers warrant, however 'where the numbers warrant' is not expressly defined. For a community like Yellowknife, there could be between seven and 11 separate JK-12 schools. For Inuvik, there could be at least three, maybe five, separate JK-12 schools. Each community would need to be regularly assessed to determine if a new separate school for an un-served language was needed.

The infrastructure costs associated with building multiple separate schools, and operation and maintenance costs for running them, for each linguistic minority community in every municipality would be significant. There are many other impediments to implementing the Charter protected language rights model to the NWT education system:

  • Creating separate schools fractures the student population into smaller, but more numerous, groups. This results in many small schools with fewer resources to offer more and different programs than larger schools;
  • The system itself gets more complex because each linguistic community needs its own education authority. This results in the complexity of authorities needing to interact with each other as students enter, leave, and transfer between them, more reporting requirements, more trustee elections, and so on;
  • The need for all members of school administration, teachers, and staff to speak the minority language presents substantial staffing issues. More fluent teachers would be needed to implement such a system. The NWT is reliant on teachers trained in the rest of Canada who will not have the language skills needed for such a system; and
  • It is unclear if all minority languages are in a state where they can deliver the full curriculum. Translating the full JK-12 curriculum into all nine Indigenous languages would prove a tremendous challenge.

One of ECE's objectives is to promote Indigenous language revitalization. The department recognizes that schools have a role to play which is why the Indigenous Languages and Education Policy, and its associated financial resources, was developed and implemented in 2018.

The policy provides dedicated Indigenous language resources for schools, including designated language positions. This policy replaces the previous Ministerial Directive on Aboriginal Language and Culture-Based Education.

Beyond the education system, the Indigenous Languages and Education Secretariat supports Indigenous governments as they design and deliver revitalization programs for their languages. The department's position, and one that is consistent with Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 14, is that this work is best done by the language speakers themselves.

ECE is always open to observations and ideas on how well Indigenous language revitalization efforts are working, how to improve programs, and how the department can better support revitalization objectives. ECE will continue to engage with district education authorities, which are comprised of locally elected community members, to see how Indigenous languages can be supported in the school environment and how well existing programs are being received. ECE has, and is using, a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the effectiveness of the new policy but since it is relatively new, more data will be required before it can be evaluated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Kam Lake on March 10, 2020, regarding virtual healthcare.

In the Northwest Territories, virtual care is one of the ways that health care providers have been treating residents from a distance. Virtual care also allows for enhanced physical distancing, which is a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. By offering virtual care options to our patients we can reduce the in-person interactions they have within our health system in waiting rooms, with our clinic staff, and with their healthcare providers.

Residents in smaller communities may lack on-the-ground health services and providers such as physicians, physiotherapists, and mental health workers. However, virtual care can enable patients to see these health care providers between community visits, and on a more immediate basis. A second benefit is that patients can continue to be cared for by the same provider virtually between the in-person visits.

Virtual care enables relationship-based care, which is foundational to culturally safe and effective primary care. It can decrease medical travel, both within the territory and to Alberta based consultants. When a patient receives care virtually in their home community from a remote provider, it means decreased inconvenience to the patient, decreased cost related to the patient being away from work and family for the duration of medical travel, and decreased cost to the system.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority has set up a COVID-19 virtual care initiative, which is broken into three phases. Phase 1 is the immediate deployment of virtual care capacity to meet the urgent needs of the pandemic and limit an initial viral outbreak. This included setting up virtual visits by phone and expansion of videoconferencing, as well as remote access to the Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Phase 2 is currently being planned and will add secure messaging between health care providers and patients, and potentially between the Northwest Territories and Alberta. A future Phase 3, post-COVID-19, will align longer term investments, policy, and care delivery to support virtual care longer term, using the COVID-19 virtual care response to inform and guide future direction.

More broadly speaking, both during and after COVID-19, Virtual care is valuable and benefits patients because it can improve equity, timeliness, safety, and access to care.

Virtual care also limits the necessity for patient and provider travel, thereby decreasing the potential for viral spread. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Kam Lake on March 11, 2020, regarding repatriating Northwest Territories residents with disabilities.

As of December 31, 2019, there were 109 clients receiving Out of Territory Specialized Residential Services. The 2020-2021 total budget for these services is $26,570,000.

The Supported Living Review will help us understand what supports and services will be required to bring our residents back to the Northwest Territories, but it is clear they will be wide-ranging.

Northerners who are receiving Out of Territory Specialized Residential Services have many complex challenges, including developmental and physical disabilities, concurrent diagnoses of mental health and addictions, psychiatric illnesses, and acquired brain injuries.

These individuals have also often experienced trauma and abuse, and some have complex behaviours that can put their safety and that of others at risk. They may require high levels of specialized support and supervision in order to have healthy outcomes.

Additionally, these individuals need services and supports from multiple government departments and community organizations related to housing, health and social services, justice, income, employment, and social inclusion. It is important to understand that, even with collaboration between services and investments by this government to improve Supported Living Services, we may not be able to support all these needs in the Northwest Territories.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority already has plans for individual repatriation where they can, but often the service options that these individuals require do not exist. The Supported Living Review is targeted for completion by the end of March 2021. We expect planning for Northwest Territories support services and repatriation based on the accepted recommendations from the Review will begin in 2021-2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Frame Lake on March 16, 2020, regarding contracts for work related to Slave Geological Province Corridor.

The Member asked for details of all the contracts entered into by the Government of the Northwest Territories for work related to the Slave Geological Province Corridor from September 1, 2015, to present, indicating whether any of the contractors were or are registered under the Business Incentive Policy. The Member also asked about future actions planned to maximize northern employment, training, and business opportunities in future contracts related to the Slave Geological Province Corridor.

Mr. Speaker, in response to the Member's first two questions, later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the detailed list of the contracts entered into by the Government of the Northwest Territories for work related to the Slave Geological Province Corridor project, including whether the contractors were or are registered under the Business Incentive Policy.

Regarding the Member's third question, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to maximizing northern business and labour wherever possible, and that commitment remains especially important as we look to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 across the territory.

Through the public procurement process, the Government of the Northwest Territories supports Northwest Territories and local content through the application of the Business Incentive Policy. Through the Mandate of Government of the Northwest Territories, we have committed to reviewing and strengthening our procurement policies and practices.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring benefits flow to NWT residents and businesses through the ongoing work to develop the Slave Geological Province Corridor will be an important consideration as we advance the project. The construction and operations of the Corridor will provide training, employment, and business opportunities for Indigenous, local and Northwest Territories residents and businesses.

It will be several years before this project acquires the necessary regulatory permits and is able to proceed to construction. In the meantime, the Government of the Northwest Territories will be undertaking numerous studies, completing other planning work required to advance the project, and holding public community engagement sessions to ensure that Northwest Territories residents and businesses can receive maximum benefit from this project. Throughout the planning and environmental review processes, steps will be taken to ensure that GNWT contracting processes are followed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by Member for Frame Lake on March 16, 2020, regarding Pointed Mountain gas field compliance and reclamation.

This response has been prepared with input from the Department of Lands, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations.

The Department of Lands has not taken any enforcement action in relation to the June 5, 2019 compliance letter that was issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with regard to the Waters Act. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed that the June 5, 2019 compliance letter directed the proponent to apply for a water licence. The proponent responded on June 12, 2019 that it would be starting the engagement process over the summer to apply for a water licence. The proponent submitted a water licence application to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board on January 2, 2020. The Board then directed the proponent to provide further information, which will be available for public review as part of the Board's process.

  1. Under land use permit MV2014X0011, the Department of Lands holds $400,000 in securities for the Pointed Mountain site, in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit. There is no active water licence for the Pointed Mountain site.
  2. The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board approved Paramount's Final Remediation Plan, Version 3, on an interim basis in July 2019 and directed Paramount to submit Version 4 as part of a future water licence application. The status of that application is discussed below.

The Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations (OROGO) advises that all the wells in this field have been abandoned in accordance with the requirements of the Oil and Gas Operations Act (OGOA) and its regulations, and that any associated OGOA-regulated infrastructure has been decommissioned. In other words, the wells have been permanently plugged, cut, and capped in a manner that is protective of the environment. OROGO further confirms that there is no OROGO-regulated infrastructure or activity remaining on the site.

There is no current cost estimate for the full and final closure and reclamation of the site. As noted above, in January 2020, Paramount applied to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board for a water licence for reclamation activities at the site. The Board then asked Paramount to provide further information, including a Final Remediation Plan and a closure cost estimate. Once these and other materials are provided, the Board will initiate a public review of the application and all associated materials. The GNWT will participate actively in the public review and will make recommendations to the Board which will include a security estimate based on the available evidence. The GNWT's submissions will be available on the Board's public registry.

  1. The GNWT will continue to fulfill all its requirements related to the management of the site, including participating fully in the Land and Water Board water licence public review process.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by Member for Frame Lake on March 16, 2020, regarding Commissioner's Land Act security deposit.

Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a list of commercial and industrial leases issued for Commissioner's land since February 15, 2011, including the amount and form of security posted.

One lease was exempted from the requirement to post security under Section 3.1(3) of the Commissioner's Land Act as the calculated security does not exceed one thousand dollars. In addition, security is not required for one of the listed leases because the application for that lease was accepted prior to the February 2011 coming-into-force date of the security provisions of the Commissioner's Land Act.

The amount of security required for commercial or industrial leases on Commissioner's land is calculated using a worksheet which appears on the Commercial/Industrial Lease Application Form. This calculation applies set restoration rates to the total area of land to be developed, the number and type of structures to be placed on the land, the amount of land used for the storage of fuel and the presence or absence of spill mitigating features. Additional multipliers are applied based on the lessee's previous performance and the potential for elevated environmental risk.

Security is not required for leases to municipalities or government agencies.

Commissioner's land securities are received by the regional Lands Officer or headquarters staff, reviewed and taken to the Department of Finance as soon as they are deemed acceptable. Securities are tracked at headquarters. A lease's security calculation is reviewed every five years to account for inflation and to ensure the amount of security held is still appropriate given the use of the land.

Security for lease CL-1600022T, in the amount of $23,883.30, was returned on August 24, 2018, following the sale of the lot in fee simple. No other securities held under the Commissioner's Land Act have been returned. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Returns to written questions. Item 12, replies to the Commissioner's address. Member for Thebacha.

Ms. Martselos' Reply
Replies To The Commissioner's Address

Page 793

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is my home. I was born here. I am Dene. I lived, worked, and invested in the NWT all of my life. Since the start of this 19th Legislative Assembly, I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to deliver my response to the Commissioner's opening address, which was delivered by Commissioner Margaret Thom on February 5, 2020.

What the Commissioner outlined was a mandate of the 19th Assembly. While I may not agree with all of the priorities that were listed, there are a number of them that I do support. In addition, I will outline my priorities that I would like to see completed during the remaining three-and-a-half years of this Assembly. I will also address my thoughts on the Government of the Northwest Territories' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, our goal as a true consensus government will only be reached if the quality of life is matched across the board for the entire territory, regardless of community, ethnicity, gender, or age.

I am going to highlight 10 priorities that I support. The first item is food security. I support Indigenous and community governments locally producing goods through greenhouses, gardens, and traditional food harvesting.

Secondly, I support increasing the availability of mental health and addiction programs for those in recovery, especially an aftercare transition house located in Fort Smith. We can no longer ignore the impact of addictions in the NWT, one of the highest in the country, and as a government, we must address this.

Thirdly, I support developing a universal childcare strategy across the NWT. Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to ensure their basic needs are provided for in every community of the Northwest Territories.

The fourth priority I support is expanding the availability of distance learning capacity in all communities of the Northwest Territories; modernizing the Education Act and funding framework; and the piloting of a classroom assistant program. It is important to continue the transition of Aurora College into a polytechnic university with a strong, impartial board, with representation from every region across the NWT. All primary and secondary students need to have access to the same level of education across the Northwest Territories and to be able to access post-secondary programs in the Northwest Territories.

The fifth priority that I support is about increasing economic diversification and employment in all communities. We need to improve upon the number of journeymen and apprentices in the small communities and regional centres, expand the knowledge economy, expand tourism in all regions of the NWT, and allow home businesses to operate in public housing units. We need to support small- and medium-sized businesses to expand all sectors of our economy wherever possible. We must be more innovative, creative, and have an open mind and neutral approach to new business ideas, so that our economy can recover and be profitable.

The sixth priority I support is about reducing red tape and easing some regulations in an effort to help small businesses. This includes strengthening procurement policies, like the Business Incentive Policy, BIP; the Northern Manufactured Products Policy; and the government's approach to public-private partnerships. Each of these areas helps to spur on economic growth and helps to retain more of the wealth that is generated here in the Northwest Territories.

The seventh priority I support is promoting local competition. There needs to be an increased awareness of Northwest Territories' contracting opportunities. We need to actively encourage Northwest Territories businesses to apply for BIP status, with a less complicated process, and develop a singular yet comprehensive website where vendors can shop online.

The eighth priority that I support is ensuring that this government collaborates with Indigenous governments to develop and implement regional mineral strategies, increase resource exploration and development, increase funding for mining incentive programs, and explore the feasibility of the exportation of liquefied natural gas. I am a firm supporter of increased resource exploration and development, as this funds our social programs and infrastructure projects.

The ninth priority I support is settling and implementing land, resource, and self-government agreements with Indigenous governments. We must settle the major outstanding and ongoing land claim negotiations that have been ongoing for many years, decades even for some. Only then will the NWT become a more attractive location to do business and gain investments.

Finally, the tenth priority I support is investing in vital infrastructure projects across the NWT. This includes:

  • the Taltson Hydro Expansion;
  • the Mackenzie Valley Highway;
  • the Slave Geological Corridor; and
  • expanding Internet services in all communities.

These major infrastructure projects have great potential to increase development and encourage economic activity for the Northwest Territories.

My Priorities for the 19th Assembly

Mr. Speaker, here is my list of my priorities I would like to see achieved for the constituents of Thebacha, the South Slave Region, and the Northwest Territories as a whole. I want to make clear that no one priority is more important than the other, so I am listing these items in no particular order.

Number one is to fix, improve, and update the Fort Smith Regional Airport. During the last Assembly, actions were taken to diminish our airport without proper consultation with the people of Fort Smith. No Indigenous leadership was consulted and neither were the businesses who were directly impacted by the government's unilateral decision. What the Government of the Northwest Territories did has resulted in a lesser, lower-quality airport than before, putting the community at risk. What needs to happen to reconcile the error that was made by the Government of the Northwest Territories and do right by the constituents of Thebacha is the following:

  • a new and improved terminal to be built;
  • the runway to be restored to its original width;
  • all LED lights to be properly reinstalled and in working order; and
  • ensure the stakeholders of the Town of Fort Smith to be properly involved and consulted during the entire process.

Number two is building a new territorial fire centre for the Northwest Territories to replace the existing fire centre in Fort Smith. It must be state-of-the-art and contain the highest degree of technology and equipment, including fibre optics, in order to be on par with national fire centres. Geographically, the South Slave is the northernmost part of the boreal forest, making us the most vulnerable to wildfires. The territorial fire centre not only serves all of the NWT, but has agreements with assisting national and international fire centres.

Number three is Aurora College and the future of the polytechnic university. Fort Smith has developed and earned the reputation of being the education centre of the Northwest Territories through staffing incredible, competent people. Aurora College is an extremely important part of the fabric of Fort Smith and has been since 1968. Over the decades, employees have come from various backgrounds and many places around the country to make Fort Smith their home. There are also employees from the North who are Aurora College graduates themselves. In addition to providing advanced education to all northern students through trades and degree programs, Aurora College continues to meet the needs and benefits of all northern communities. The economy of Fort Smith is dependent on the college, and the new polytechnic university headquarters must remain in Fort Smith.

Number four is the Taltson Hydro Expansion. This major infrastructure project has been discussed at length in the NWT for several years. It is a priority item for this Assembly. Given the economic fallout that COVID-19 has induced, the Government of the Northwest Territories must pursue this project to lay the groundwork for economic growth and ultimately reduce power rates for the people of the Northwest Territories.

Number five is the implementation of the Salt River Claim, signed June 22, 2002. It's been 18 years since the Salt River claim, yet the implementation of the claim has not occurred. The Government of the Northwest Territories is a signatory to that claim and has a responsibility to ensure the federal government follows through with this implementation. My support for the NWT Metis claim is also a priority as these are my constituents. The work to complete this claim must be honoured, supported, and done as soon as possible. Any claim that is settled always has positive effects on the entire community, economically and socially. I want to support the leaders and the people of these two claims to ensure that these agreements are completed immediately.

Number six is to have the Fort Smith Correctional Complex that houses both male and female offenders resume the rehabilitation focus. This facility had a rehabilitation component in the past. The majority of these offenders are Indigenous and are products of multi-generational impacts of residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) provided Calls to Action outlining the need for rehabilitation as a key part of correctional programming. Part of the rehabilitation process includes an educational component, and we have the unique opportunity in Fort Smith for offenders to attend Aurora College and to return to home communities with new skills and certifications.

Pandemic Response.

Mr. Speaker, now that I have outlined each of my priorities, I would like to address our government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into consideration the global recession that this pandemic has caused, our approach in recovering from this pandemic along with our shift into regular governance must have foresight for the long-term. It's very important that our government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and oversight. We must make decisions with proper checks and balances.

As a result of the damages inflicted by this pandemic, we're now faced with the daunting task of initiating our economic recovery. We must keep moving forward and work to rebuild our stagnant economy. We must be innovative and compassionate. We must be willing to think outside of the box from how things have normally been done. We cannot only operate on policies driven by bureaucracy, and we cannot lose sight of the people we are here to serve. We must also have open minds, open hearts, and be open for change, as we were elected here to do.

I want to make something clear. For the most part, I am largely happy with how our government has handled the health response of this crisis. Our Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Kandola, took strong measures, closing our borders and restricting all travel in and out of the territory. We acted fast and it has paid off well, as the NWT had only five cases, fully recovered, and we've not had any community spread, either. These are all very good indicators of our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to address some of the gaps in our response. First of all, given the amount of money that was spent on the new Stanton Hospital, the Northwest Territories should have been in a better position for having stockpiled supplies of essential medical goods like ventilators, N95 masks, PPE, and other vital supplies needed during this pandemic. However, it's not only the capital that needs to be well-stocked with all relevant medical supplies. Each community health centre needs to be equipped with at least one ventilator, if not more, depending on its population, along with necessary supplies.

It's also important that all regional centres continue to conduct regular medical services for people, especially in times of emergency. This has resulted in the reduction of essential medical services ranging from lab services to cancer screening. Removing these essential services only weakens communities, which is detrimental to the regional population and is not the goal of this Assembly.

Similarly, our government must stop downsizing community health centres. This is not okay. I believe this reduction of services and lack of essential equipment contribute to our lack of preparedness in response to COVID-19. You must keep in mind that, whenever the next pandemic occurs, or when a second wave of the current pandemic hits, we need to be better prepared all across the board. That means that our government, including Ministers, support staff, and senior bureaucrats, must all be open to hearing constructive criticism, and be willing to compromise and be flexible with policy directions for departments.

Another aspect of our response that I am strongly against is the dial-a-bottle for delivery. The Indigenous leaders were very much opposed to this, as were the smaller communities, which is why almost none of them are participating in it. Only the capital implemented it so far. It also directly contravenes many of the regulations that were followed at the beginning of the pandemic to decrease the impact of alcohol in our communities. That says something about us that's not pretty. Many people claim to be fighting for the well-being of the peoples of the Northwest Territories, which is good to hear, but that's just it. It's just good words to hear. We, as a government, sound more and more hypocritical when we do things that will actually bring further harm to our people, like that of dial-a-bottle.

Mr. Speaker, one other issue that I want to mention is the senior management that work under the Ministers, along with the broader Government of the Northwest Territories. It is vital that all staff remain unbiased, apolitical, and impartial at all times. We as MLAs are the ones to be giving direction, because that is what we were elected here to do. The directions come from the elected officials.

The majority of Indigenous population of the Northwest Territories live outside of Yellowknife, so, if we truly want to create a more equal future for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, then smaller communities in regional centres cannot continue to fall by the wayside and be unheard in policy. We must be able to think clearly in all of the best interests of the Northwest Territories. That means that we must cater to the needs of people outside the capital and provide them with the same lifestyle. How are we going to do this? Our government must be proactive, not only reactive, regarding all the issues that most affect us.

Mr. Speaker, I'm standing here for the people who are not heard, for the people who don't have a voice at the table. Are we really a consensus government when a majority of all our budgetary funds go to the capital? The centralizing of a consensus-style government is to allow all people at the table to have a voice on every issue that arises. When only a small number of people in that circle are making the decisions, we are failing the people of the Northwest Territories because the people they elected to represent them are not been given the right to speak on their behalf. As I stated in the beginning of my address, my goal as a true consensus government will only be reached if the quality of life is matched across-the-board for the entire territory, regardless of community, ethnicity, gender or age.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to be serving the constituents of Thebacha and the amazing people of Fort Smith. I will serve to the very best of my ability, and always in the best interests of the people of Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. Martselos' Reply
Replies To The Commissioner's Address

Page 796

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Replies to Commissioner's address. Item 13, petitions. Item 14, tabling of documents. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 104-19(2): Closing the Municipal Funding Gap"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 113-19(2): Sexual Abuse in Sports"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 161-19(2): Building Standards Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following nine documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 110-19(2): Addressing Drug Use in Northwest Territories Communities"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 128-19(2): Mental Health and Wellness of Seniors in Long-Term Care"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 141-19(2): Oral Health Report"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 144-19(2): Full-Time Psychologist for Children and Youth for Treatment Centre"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 145-19(2): Traditional Counselling Models"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 150-19(2): Oral Health Care"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 169-19(2): Fort Providence Health Centre"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 175-19(2): Home and Community Care Review"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 203-19(2): COVID-19 and the Timeliness of Updates." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following six documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 12-19(2): Fort Smith Airport Infrastructure"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 23-19(2): Economy of the Northwest Territories"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 116-19(2): Tlicho All-Season Road Contract"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 159-19(2): Yellowknife Motor Vehicle Office Hours"; "Businesses Participating in the TASR Project," additional information for return to written question 5-19(2); and "Slave Geological Province Corridor Contracts List September 1, 2015-March 31, 2020," additional information for return to written question 9-19(2). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 117-19(2): Response to Affirmative Action Policy"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 171-19(2): Daylight Savings Time"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 190-19(2): Lack of Enforcement in Illegal Drug Trade." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Lands.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following four documents "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 56-19(2), Cantung Mine Surface Lease"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 70-19(2), Thaidene Nene Status"; "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"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 96-19(2), Cameron Hills Oil and Gas Field Environmental Liabilities." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents and additional information "Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Summary of Program Initiatives 2015-2019"; and "Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Action Plan 2019-2022." Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following nine documents "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 34-19(2), Income Security Client Banking Issues;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 62-19(2), Improving Income Assistance Administration;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 97-19(2), Income Assistance;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 111-19(2), Mental Health and Suicide Resources for Students;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 147-19(2), Day Care at Ecole J. H. Sissons;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 156-19(2), Women in Trades;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 170-19(2), Income Assistance;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 177-19(2), Support for Trades Employment;" and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 207-19(2), Succession Planning for Interpreters Training." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 6: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 799

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, May 28, 2020, I will move that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the first time.