This is page numbers 2951 - 2988 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 public.

Topics

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Ten? Ten was not the number I was looking for. But that is okay for now, you know. Because what we're looking for -- like, I said, Tlicho region is in housing crisis and ten is not enough to -- and then we have 200 people on the waitlist and so that was the reason why. And then now the government is committed to retrofit some houses and those houses, it's not going to help reduce our waiting list. So therefore I'm just asking the Minister, will they commit to giving up the houses that are too costly to repair so that they can build more houses. Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just, you know, throughout the term of my time as Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, I want to reiterate that this is the largest housing delivery that we have had in a number of years, with 90 units coming to the Northwest Territories, and also the Housing Corporation submitting another federal application for an additional 14, which brings us to 108. We will meet the mandate requirement of a hundred units throughout the Northwest Territories.

And also I just wanted to highlight that the Housing Corporation works with each of the communities to develop a housing plan and that is initiated at the community level as well too. And just throughout the Northwest Territories to date, the Housing Corporation has retrofitted 324 housing units throughout the territory as well too, and looking at the home ownership programs as well.

And also the engagement with the Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories by the federal government with those conversations going forward, there is going to be a significant amount of money coming to the territory that will be allocated to the Indigenous groups to help us with the housing crisis throughout the territory and a portion of that is going to the Tlicho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on October 19, 2021, the Department of Finance amended liquor regulations to allow liquor deliveries to people's homes. Can the Minister tell us if this was a directive from the Chief Public Health Officer or was this decision made by Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my role as the Minister of Finance I have had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Public Health Officer and the Premier and the Minister of Health regularly throughout this pandemic. It came to my attention during one of the recent outbreaks that began as of August that one of the challenges that was being faced was that individuals were leaving self-isolation in order to go out and access alcohol services. When that information came to me, the decision does come to me whether or not to amend regulations on Liquor Act and with that information and that knowledge, knowing the situation we were in, that was under my decision. It was not a direction of the Chief Public Health Officer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if she is aware of any problems that have occurred under this temporary regulatory change since it was instituted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not right now aware of any challenges or difficulties or any new types of charges or any of the sort. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I'm aware in fact that it's been very minimally used, in fact almost not used at all and really I'd say that that's hopefully good news. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if there are any future plans to make this temporary liquor regulation into a permanent regulation for the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, certainly not in the fashion that this one came about. This came about very responsively to situations that were coming to our information in regards to managing the outbreak of COVID-19. This is certainly not how I would intend to generally manage liquor regulations or to make any amendments to them. I would note that there is, of course, the much bigger review happening of the Liquor Act and the management of alcohol in the Northwest Territories and certainly under that context, it may well be reviewed generally and whether or not this is something the people of the territories want to see changed in some fashion could occur. But that's the only way that anything permanent would come into play, is in the course of a proceeding of that nature. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, December for many people is the Christmas season, which is a special time for family and togetherness. Would the Minister consider ending this temporary liquor regulation earlier than December 31st, 2021. If so, how about November 30th, 2021, or sooner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the original impetus behind the change arose, if I recall correctly, when the outbreaks were, at that point, still in Yellowknife. There's been something of rolling outbreaks it seems, unfortunately, over the last few months. So I think I would say that I have been fairly reactive to the liquor regulations over the last couple of years with COVID-19 and quite quick to make amendments, where appropriate, to respond. So I will certainly go back and look and consider whether or not that is feasible in the circumstances. I am cognizant that there's still something of an outbreak in the Beaufort Delta right now so I would want to consider if the original reasons for making this decision have changed and if they have, then I'd certainly reconsider that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know the importance of air travel for the delivery of goods, passengers, medical travel, and workers around the NWT. From what I heard yesterday, the reason for terminating unvaccinated staff was because of not being allowed on aircraft.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister of Finance what discussions, if any, has the government had with the federal government to address the importance of air travel and our need to keep staff employed through accommodation measures when air travel is required. As I understand it, testing and PPE may be an option when flying to remote communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, this is one of those occasions where there's of course more than one department working together and in collaboration. So it's in cooperation with the Premier's office but also, of course, the Department of Infrastructure responsible for airports that we're putting some information together in this arena. At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, airports, airport management, airport control, that is the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. And many of discussions have indeed been had to ensure that where there is an emergency need, in the nature of medical need, that individuals will have leeway and will be able to access medical services. But in so far as otherwise, at that point, Mr. Speaker, the choice of the federal government was to put in place a mandate that was fairly strict, that is quite strict indeed, and if in fact it is a job requirement of someone who is a member of the GNWT's public service that they need to travel, then their job requirements would now no longer line up with what is available to them.

It is unfortunate. There has been, I think, a fairly long period of time within which hopefully folks have had an opportunity to consider their options, consider their choices, but at this point, unless the federal government makes a change to their arrangements, I'm not in a position to force them to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our airports, marine transportation services, and ferry services and correction services all have a connection to federal legislation. While the federal government is requiring some federal employees to be vaccinated and allowing accommodation for others, I ask the Minister what impact will this have on GNWT staff and contractors in areas that are subject to federal legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT very specifically ensured that our policy did allow accommodations so that individuals had the opportunity to be accommodated should they choose not to provide proof of vaccination. To the extent, however, that an GNWT employee is under a federally regulated field then they are subject to the jurisdiction of the federally regulated field and to the federal regulations and as such they would have to comply with those laws just as much as anybody else would. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, after yesterday's questions and answers on COVID vaccine and accommodation, it's still not clear to me what departments or divisions would require employees to be vaccinated or which ones allow for accommodation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister which departments or divisions will require employees to be fully vaccinated prior to coming to work or, if not required to be vaccinated, which department or divisions have accommodation provisions. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all GNWT public servants are going to be subject to the mandatory vaccination policy that we have in place. They are being asked, everyone is being asked to provide their proof of vaccination by November 30th. If an individual does not provide proof of vaccination by that point, then they will be subject to the option of PPE and testing. Or if they still wish to not avail themselves of that accommodation, they can take leave without pay.

Now, there are some divisions or rather entities that I know people are sometimes not clear about, Mr. Speaker, so for example, MTS, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority and NTPC are not members covered by this policy. They are not under the GNWT's public service. Similarly YK1, YCS staff are not. But other than that, I would think there's the other sort of typical or usual expectations of who is a public servant would apply. But certainly if anyone is not clear if the policy does in fact apply to them, they should be speaking to a supervisor to confirm if they are indeed a GNWT public servant because they do have seven days now in which now to provide their proof of vaccination. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a stressful time for, you know, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated employees, knowing that, you know, they may not have a job come December 1st. So, you know, we don't want to be losing long-term employers, long-term Northerners, putting them out on the street, you know, possibly seeing them lose their homes, not being able to put food on the table.

So I'd ask the Minister if she would commit to sitting down with her federal counterparts and coming up with a solution to save jobs in the North. We may not be able to save all of the jobs but if we can save some jobs through accommodation, you know, it would be better than nothing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know there are some voices that are very loud about their belief about not being vaccinated or not informing the government, essentially, of their choices around vaccines.

The policy and the approach of the government has always, from the early days of the pandemic, been one about education, trying to provide information, trying to educate people about the best way to keep themselves safe, to keep members of the public safe, members of their community safe, and vaccination is a critical element in that.

So quite simply, Mr. Speaker, I would expect that I certainly can speak, and I do speak regularly with the CPHO. I anticipate, given that the federal government's regulations are even stricter that they too view vaccines as being an essential part of keeping their people safe as well as keeping the public safe that they serve.

So I am hopeful that over the next seven days, we see a high uptake in terms of the number of proof of vaccines that come in. I am hopeful that if people continue to have uncertainties or questions that they will speak to their health care provider. They don't need to come to the government, they don't need to look to the government for that information, they can go and speak to someone they trust in the health care profession. They should be getting that information from those professionals who can hopefully answer their questions, provide them the assurances they need, and it is certainly my hope that we will not be losing a great deal of jobs here in the Northwest Territories over that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.