This is page numbers 1055 - 1110 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

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Honourable Premier. The Chief Public Health Officer's sole concern when issuing orders is public safety. At the start of the pandemic, her experience in exercising her powers was invaluable. However, as the pandemic wears on, government must balance the interests of the immediate public safety with the longer-term interests of continued education and economic recovery. What I would like to know is: how will the GNWT balance these issues with the CPHO's powers as this pandemic wears on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was trying to remember the name of the framework that we just provided to standing committee less than a month ago, I believe, although my time is running into each other. We identified early on, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, that we were facing not only a public health crisis, but people were saying an economic crisis, and I saw a social crisis coming, as well. So we had businesses that were closing. We had people who needed places to live. We had addiction issues, mental health issues, serious issues going on, and so right away we said, "What are we going to do about it?" So we presented to committee and we said we were going to do a framework. We're going to have a team of MLAs with Ministers feeding into it from special committees, feeding into it from the business sector, the social sector, and the Indigenous governments, so that we can actually have all of the opinions from all of the sectors and come out with a plan that addresses all the social and the economic and the health needs of residents of the territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

I'm wondering if the Premier can speak to the process that Cabinet follows in order to kind of negotiate and discuss the orders that are coming out from the Chief Public Health Officer's office.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

We've asked to meet with the Chief Public Health Officer, but we're really conscious that we can't have any political influence on her. The act stipulates that it is her responsibility once the Minister assigns her that title. How we work is that, often, the orders come out. Before they come out, hopefully, she will meet with us, and then we try to figure out what we need to do to implement those orders. She is in charge of making the orders herself. She is in charge of the enforcement herself, but there are issues that need to be addressed, such as the borders. That isn't her concern; that's the government's concern. The isolation centres, how we're going to house people, the services we're going to provide to people, the community services, all of those things are the GNWT. So, once an order comes out, or there is a hint of an order, like we know that there might be one coming out at the end of this week, we sit behind closed doors and we talk about how we're going to implement those, and what it's going to take on our side and what resources we need to pull up to be able to enact those orders.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

A lot of Northerners like to travel south during the summer. It's what we do. Sometimes, it's to visit family. Sometimes, people just need to get away for a little bit. I'm wondering if it's the intent of this government to encourage as many NWT residents as possible to stay in the NWT for the summer in order to reduce people's exposure to COVID-19 in southern Canada and, if so, what the GNWT is doing to encourage NWT residents to stay home.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Actually, at the Cabinet table, we never actually said, "Do we want people to stay or not?" That wasn't the question, but the reality is, with the Ministers and myself included, it makes sense for us to limit our travel outside the Northwest Territories this summer. The numbers of COVID-19 infections in the South are still rising. We haven't flattened that curve, yet, so I think, at this point, my personal opinion is that it would make sense for as many people to travel in the North as possible. What we're doing about it is we have Spectacular NWT; we're talking about it now. Our Minister of tourism is actively meeting with the tourists' associations, talking about what we can do.

We have beautiful, beautiful sceneries in the Northwest Territories, and one of the privileges of being elected in this House -- well, before COVID-19; I apologize to all the Ministers now -- we did get to travel, and it really emphasized to myself personally that every region, every community, is different and every one is beautiful in its own way. So we need to advertise that. We need to promote that as much as possible so that we can keep people here. The North has a lot to offer, and I don't think a lot of Northerners who are from here have been to all of the communities, so I would, right now, like to say that all Northerners should travel north and see the beautiful land that we have in the Northwest Territories this summer, and every summer.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I absolutely agree with the Premier that the North is beautiful and has a lot to offer. I also wonder how many Southerners might feel the same way, especially considering we don't have any active cases of COVID-19. Now that we've discussed that people can come into our borders, it sounds like what we will be expected to do is to advise people to self-isolate within our four self-isolations zones.

If somebody comes to the Northwest Territories and wants to go visit Jackie in Tuktoyaktuk, they need to self-isolate in Yellowknife first, before they can do that. They have already arranged to go stay with Jackie and his family in Tuktoyaktuk, so who pays for the hotel when they stay in Yellowknife and self-isolate in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, we're in phase 1 of the Emerging Wisely, and we have kind of limited the amount of travel. Phase 2 is going to be coming out this Friday. The Chief Public Health Officer will be announcing those orders. Hopefully tomorrow and Thursday I'll be getting more information on them, as well. Again, I'm very cautious about what I ask her for. I do not want her to think that I am imposing my will on her. It's a very delicate line. We will be talking about those issues as we talk to her. At this point, we have been paying for the isolation units. As we open up phase 2, those are conversations we still need to have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the parks being announced to be open this weekend, can we ensure that residents can still go to the campground in my community and around my community without having to use the online system of securing the site? I don't think I've ever recalled anyone, ever, using the site outside of, especially at Gwich'in campground, kilometre 240, and Caribou Creek, which is at kilometre 221. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have just recently been aware that not everybody in the territory likes to use the online system. It was just recently brought to my attention that, perhaps in Inuvik and around that region, people aren't using the system. I've raised this already with the department now, and we will look into how do we accommodate those that don't want to use the online system. I will say, no, your park will not be closed this weekend just because the online system may not be utilized properly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you to the Minister. We're going to have some happy campers this weekend. Since we've been going on this discussion, we're learning that tourists may come in and they may be staying in our isolation centres. We don't know who is paying for it. Can the Minister commit to waiving all fees associated with the use of our campgrounds for our NWT residents as part of our opening our parks for the season since we are encouraged to have vacations?

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

That sort of decision would actually have to come to the financial management board as, surprisingly, we do collect a significant amount of fees from the parks. I do want to state that it's my understanding that the fees are not super high, perhaps about $15 for a tent platform. I believe the highest price is $32 for Fred Hennie at a powered site, but I can commit to getting the exact numbers on those. What we have done is we are doing a "buy five nights, get your sixth night free coupon." When you register on the online system -- which I'm assuming I'm going to have to adapt to Inuvik. However, we are promoting and giving an extra night free for the next time that people would book on the system. I have asked the department to look into how can we accommodate lower income residents in order to enjoy the parks. Perhaps, we could work with NGOs to identify families who would like to go camping. I commit to coming back to the Member. While I can't waive the fees at this moment and just say yes, I was looking at options so that we can help those who maybe can't afford to use our parks to better access them.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Just to the Minister's comments, the five nights, most of the people in my region, in my community, who go out camping, go out camping Friday night, Saturday night, and come home Sunday because a majority of them are out on the weekend to camp. That system will not benefit, and we don't have a very long camping season, as I mentioned. With the number of campers that we have in our region, would the Minister commit to waiving the fees in the Inuvik region, or the supplies, the wood, whatever that they can actually give to the campers since they want to stay and they want to camp?

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

If I waive the fees for only the Member's region, I will have the other Members coming to me to ask for the same thing. I already have another Member who is actively pursuing the waiving of fees, as well, so I can't show preference. I will take that away and have a conversation with the department. I did just want to clarify that the gatehouse at the Inuvik parks will be manned this weekend, and they will take cash.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that we seem to have media and everything who jump the gun, but I'd really like the department to get on top of it in my community and get some advertising out locally. There are local people who do a lot of local advertising, just so that they are aware that they need to bring the money and that they can go camping. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I commit to the Member to doing an Inuvik or Beaufort Delta specific release with information regarding the differences with the online system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice. I believe there is much work to be done in reforming our criminal justice system. One of the places that is easy to start is the increasing use of alternative measures; that is, not necessarily going through the court system and sentencing people to jail sentences but using healing circles and all sorts of other alternative measures. My question for the Minister of Justice is: during this life of this Assembly, will we increase the use of alternative measures?

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Justice.