This is page numbers 3035 - 3094 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 know.

Topics

Nursing Communication
Members' Statements

Page 3038

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Eulogy for Wesley Grossetete
Members' Statements

Page 3038

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Wesley Jordon Grossetete was a young man filled with many talents. We were blessed with his kind spirit who loved to joke and make everyone around him feel loved, special, and ending every conversation with a smile.

He was born on April 26th, 1985 to loving parents Alex and Ann and was the brother of Camille. He had one niece - Mackenzie. He loved her dearly.

Wesley loved his parents dearly and will always be known to others as "his roommates". Wesley was the second child of Alex and Ann. He shared many fun times with his brother as they grew up in Fort Simpson. Fond memories such as "eating lots of carrots" as Ann mentioned to her son Wesley, so as they got older he could read to her by candlelight.

He always said to his dad in secret code because, man to man, we do not always say 'I love you' so instead he would tell his dad to go to sleep where his words were telling his dad he loved him so much.

Wesley was the person that showed Star Wars to his friends and family. In his teens he would mimic different characters from the original trilogy so when the prequel trilogy came out, he watched those ones and man, he hated Jar Jar Binks, which a lot of people have. Pretty sure everybody hated him.

He always used to make sound effects of things like chopper noises, bullets going by, and of course light sabers.

Wesley loved music. He played the guitar throughout his life and would love to jam from time to time.

Unfortunately, Wesley passed away on August 9th. We cannot think of this as a loss but rather a celebration of his life. We must remember how blessed we were to have known Wesley, for his amazing laugh and the contagious love he had for each and every one of us.

May the love of family and friends surround him and provide guidance on his new journey. He will be sadly missed by all. As the parting words we said to him, say 'hello to all of your friends and family for us'. God bless.

Eulogy for Wesley Grossetete
Members' Statements

Page 3038

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, every time we sit in this House, we start our meetings off with a prayer. Then we sit down and commence to divide people. We are talking about people's lives here, something that must not be lost when we're debating. So I'd ask the Minister, can the Minister confirm if this CBC news article is correct, and if so, why are we not differentiating at this time and instead providing alternate means of compliance for all employees. Thank you.

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. So I'm sorry my -- the idea of why we're not providing alternative means of compliance for all employees, the simple fact, Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear about the policy.

It is mandatory that all employees by November 30th are being asking to provide proof of compliance of the vaccine. If they have not provided proof of compliance, then the fallback option for them is to submit to regular testing and to PPE as is appropriate to their individual workplace. If they are not willing to comply with that, they will put on leave without pay. And that's the policy. That has been the policy since it was expanded to be all employees.

And Mr. Speaker, just, I do want to say quickly, perhaps some of the confusion that I'm sensing is still out there, this is an idea that started in August, late August, at which time there was no proof of vaccine here in the Northwest Territories yet. That wasn't even on our public radar. We then expanded very quickly from being only an essential services policy to being to -- to apply -- a policy that would apply to all staff. All in the meanwhile, rolling out the policy before even knowing entirely how we'd be able to make it work. It's important because vaccines are important. We want staff to get their vaccines. We want people to be protected. The policy's going to continue to apply, and it's going to continue to evolve as the pandemic has evolved and as our response has involved.

So I'm glad there's questions coming today. I want staff to understand it, and I want the public that we serve to understand it. Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member's statement that costs are a concern. Some people aren't happy that, you know, there's going to be a cost associated and this government would be picking up -- pick it up.

But I would ask the Minister who will be responsible for the costs of these tests and PPE. Will it be the responsibility for this government or the federal government or a combination thereof. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This, Mr. Speaker, too was one of the items when we were said we want a policy and we want something in place, I did not know what the costs might be, and to be frank, I still don't because I don't know how many individuals would this necessarily apply to.

Fortunately and knowing that, we did go the federal government. We were able to procure tests that we estimate based on, you know, given what the current vaccination rates for the territories is. We're estimating that we have enough tests to last two months. I'm hoping we'll get good news, that, in fact more of the public service are vaccinated than what we'd be anticipating as a cautionary approach, and if that's so, then those tests will last longer.

If the numbers come in November 30th and it suggests that, in fact, we have a high rate of individuals who are going to need these tests, then we're going to run through those tests more quickly, then there's likely to be changes to the policy sooner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've asked the Minister -- she mentioned two months. How long do we realistically expect this testing to go on. Is it only two months, or are we actually going to be looking at a longer period of time. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have 24,000 tests. So in terms of knowing how long we have the tests that are procured from the federal government, so at no cost to us, it's 24,000 tests. There's still the cost of distributing them, which is not insignificant. So there are those costs there.

As for how long, I don't know how long COVID will last. But I'm certainly committed to ensuring that our staff are kept safe, that their colleagues are kept safe, and that the public we serve are kept safe. So as long as the mandatory vaccine policies exist elsewhere and to other locations, then the public service should expect that they will be under the same policy. 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, I'd ask the Minister, this testing's process that's going to take place, you know, what is it and what impact will it have on workers getting back to work and restarting the economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. That actually speaks to some of the reasoning and concerns around why, in fact, when the policy was put in place, we were ensuring that there was, unlike -- and I'm quite well-aware that when the federal government came out with their policy eventually, that it is stricter, that there are less -- there's less ability to adapt or mitigate if someone is choosing not to comply, unlike our option for testing and PPE. We want to strike a balance between not being in a situation as some of the other provinces were where they were being asked to roll their policies back for fear of running out of essential workers or frontline workers. That's not a situation we wanted to be in, didn't want to in a situation where perhaps one small community was facing less significant loss of income coming at critical junctures.

So I'm trying very hard to ensure that we strike the balance between maintaining having a workforce that is able, ready, and willing to attend their workplaces, to do so safely, ideally to do so when vaccinated, but for now, at least, until I know those numbers, until we know what we're dealing with, there is right now in the policy the ability to mitigate if they don't want to have proof of vaccine, and for now, we will be supporting by providing those tests to them and providing their PPE and ensuring that they know how to use those tests. They'll be using it on their own time. These are the self-administered tests that are being used for the school screening program and then reporting that in to their supervisors.

So as we know where we're at on November the 30th, I will be very immediately to know what we're facing, and we'll be re-evaluating where we're at at that point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance. As part of this Assembly's priority, a dedicated Health and Social Services recruitment team was established. How is the GNWT measuring the success of this newly implemented team. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are all operating under the same mandate so I'm well aware that this initially was set up in order to achieve the mandate item of having additional health care workers recruited. And interestingly, there actually had been some positive successes in that regard notwithstanding the discussions around what is happening with the obstetrics unit.

The vacancy rate for the health recruitment positions actually decreased 1.5 percent, an additional 14 positions, but they are not, of course, being filled necessarily in all the same places at all the same rates.

So on one side, I could say that was a success. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we are all very alive to what's happening at Stanton. I also have quite a number of constituents we are there. We are all alive to what's happening.

So what do we do to measure this going forward, Mr. Speaker? Obviously, there has to be a continued effort between the Department of Health and between the Department of Finance to make sure that we measure the success across all the departments that are existing in the Health and Social Services field. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I will acknowledge that the Department of Health was waiting Alberta's doors when Alberta started laying off nurses and that is appreciated.

My second question is what are the recruitment and retention initiatives that the Department of Finance has implemented in the recruitment of new nurses. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the Member's already mentioned one of them, is making sure that there was a wide information available across this country of what sorts of services -- what sort of needs we had here in the territory, being ready to take advantage of opportunities when there are other places, where there may be people looking to come north.

Right now, the work that's happening in the Department of Finance really is on that recruitment side. So there's already detailed marketing that has been done. There has already been significant engagement taking place with Aurora College, ensuring -- and in fact, I'm told that in 2021 every qualified graduate who accepted an offer has in fact been hired and is now in a permanent role in Stanton. So they're working closely across departments.

Mr. Speaker, there's, you know simply put there's been an unfortunate decrease in the number of applicants applying so that is certainly perhaps being reflected in the situation that we are seeing right now this week here in Yellowknife. But, again, it's not for lack of trying. Again, updating all that investigation and getting the information out there and they have to certainly continue to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that's even more powerful than a great photo and a great newspaper or a magazine is the words of mouth of somebody that you trust. And acknowledging this, in 1999 the Government of the Northwest Territories and the UNW implemented a temporary market supplement for nurses to recruit NWT nurses.

As a result, the public service was able to recruit 65 full-time nurses in spite of a national nursing shortage. So will the Minister of Finance provide a ministerial directive to provide a temporary market supplement for nurses. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more with word of mouth. And right now, we're the second highest paid jurisdiction for nurses in all of Canada. So I do hope that message gets out.

I do realize that other jurisdictions are starting to increase and make available some sorts of signing bonuses or increase in a temporary market measure. And I'm aware of that because we are looking at what options we have both in the Department of Finance and the Department of Health, long before this week had already begun to say what can we do? We know that the health care profession needs more people.

The fact of morale in the public service generally, and in the health care sector specifically, have been certainly front of mind for me now throughout COVID but particularly in the last few months. I have also heard increasing comments about it.

As far as a directive to say that there's going to be a temporary market supplement, Mr. Speaker, that is not something I can do without going back to the union, without discussing that with the union and ensuring that what we do remains on side with the collective agreement, remains on side with our bargaining. And we can certainly do that. So I can certainly commit to having that conversation. I am sure they also want their Members to feel protected and safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that. I've not heard of a single union that's negotiated for less money for any of their membership so I'm sure the union would welcome that conversation. I'm wondering if the Minister knows when that conversation might occur. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, it's so much easier to just stand up and say 'yes'. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, I don't know. Again, I do want to assure not only the Member and the other Members of this House but the public that I know are often listening.

The Minister of Health and I had already started this conversation before what started happening this week in obstetrics. We had already started to look at what can we do. We know that health workers and frontline workers were particularly affected by the lockdown this fall. We know that they were particularly affected by the fact of the outbreaks, and we were looking at what options we had, financially and otherwise. And sometimes it takes a bit of time for an idea to actually be fleshed out to be something that can be implemented, and it certainly takes more time to go through the processes necessary to attach money to it.

So I wish it could have all happened yesterday. It didn't, but the conversations are being had and things are being worked on. I was listening carefully when I heard someone say they had solutions because we certainly want to find them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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