The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

MS. NOKLEBY: Mr. Speaker, I'm tired. It's been a very long and exhausting week with serious debates in the House that have taken a lot out of me and my colleagues. Last night, after an extended sitting in the Ledge, I was looking forward to heading home, snuggling in with my cats, and putting on some escapist TV to help myself unwind. However this is not how my evenings seem to go these days. Rather, my evenings are spent speaking with constituents and residents over the impending staffing crisis at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

This week in the House, I have tried to ask questions of the Health Minister as to how we've found ourselves in this situation, referencing questions I sent her in the spring asking what the department was doing to address the increasing burnout of nursing staff I was hearing about. Fast forward seven months, and those concerns and the warning I raised have now come to fruition.

The Minister indicated this was something that could not have been prevented, citing high wages and requests for vacation as the reason our OBS ward was being shut down, disrupting numerous families across the territory.

I ask, how could this be a surprise, or not preventable, given healthcare staffing was something we discussed over two years ago and felt was an important enough issue to include it in our priorities as an Assembly.

Healthcare workers have told me of survey fatigue and a lack of faith that any further surveys will have any effect on their working conditions. Conditions that include an increased workload due to COVID, that they no longer have the opportunity to take any breaks while on shift, or even have time to take a sip of water. An issue I may add is further compounded by the ridiculous requirement that the containers used meet a certain specification. I have to ask myself, with my knowledge of cronyism in the North, is someone's relative out there who sells these bottles and they are getting a cut? Or Otherwise I can't see any rationale for treating our professional staff like children.

Issues at Stanton have been long in the making, transferring right along with the staff into the new building - preferential treatment of locums, a toxic workplace and management, and inadequate staffing long predate COVID which is a favourite excuse for this Cabinet when they fail to perform.

Now is the time for this government to take action and do what is right by our healthcare staff and for the people of this territory, and stop making excuses for their inaction. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of HR as I am hoping that I will actually get some answers today.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Critical minerals are essential components of many new technologies, from low-greenhouse gas energy sources to electric vehicles to advances in sectors such as medicines, electronics, aerospace and defence. Canada and the NWT possess reserves of critical minerals.

I participated in a critical minerals workshop held by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment on November 9, 2021. This was a virtual workshop with about 60 participants, most of whom were GNWT employees or mining industry representatives. No civil society organizations appear to have been invited. The stated purpose of the workshop was to advance critical minerals.

Canada released a list of critical minerals on March 29, 2021 and the NWT has deposits of about half of those minerals. Several projects are in advanced stages of development, including Nechalacho, Prairie Creek, and the NICO deposit. The NWT has a good reputation from the ESG perspective. ESG means environment, social and governance factors that help identify material risks and growth opportunities for investors.

There was a lot of discussion around communications and public perceptions, marketing and potential partnerships. Objectives can conflict, though, as well. For example, economic development versus reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Nechalacho may serve as a good example but we also need to admit the mistakes of the past. A number of other themes were raised including:

• Whether we can mine our way out of the climate crisis;
• The need for a more inclusive process with other stakeholders and interests at the table;
• The duty to consult and free, prior and informed consent as required in the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• Issues of equity around women's participation in mining;
• Working with neighboring regions; and,
• How the NWT can better compete and attract investment.

Although it was requested, it is not clear whether there will be a workshop report. Further public engagement needs to be clarified. I'll have questions for the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I look back into my past Members' statements and one of the things when I was campaigning and one of the things that I stand for is to assist in the hiring and practices of and increasing our healthcare providers. It actually became one of our 19 priorities in this House.

I'm going to read one of my statements from June 3rd. Mr. Speaker, the nurses are core to our NWT healthcare system. Without nurses, we would have no one in the communities, no one to care for our patients in our hospitals, no one to provide nursing care for our Elders, no one to assist our new mothers, no one to provide health education to our youth in many communities, as well as many other things they do. Unfortunately, that they are not treated the same. There is a nursing shortage in the country, and yes, it's hard to attract people to the North due to the cost of living. Nurses are essential. What does this mean, Mr. Speaker? It means that when there a pandemic and the entire territory gets to stay home, they have to continue to work. Nothing has changed for them. It means that if working in a hospital in the NWT and they wish to request time off, if there's no one to cover their shifts, they do not get time off. Mr. Speaker, we absolutely could not function in our healthcare system without them.

On May 29th, 2020, I also talked about the crisis of the healthcare hiring practices, and I directed those to the Minister of Finance with HR questions. You know, at this point we're two years into it. I've been raising the issue. I fought hard to make sure that that became a priority and here we are today, now, with this closure of the obstetrics.

We don't know -- the Minister said yesterday that there is no further closures but how do we know that? With the crisis that we're in and the nurses that are leaving, the nurses that have reached out to myself and said they're just on the edge of leaving and changing careers, this is a crisis. Our people are at risk in the Northwest Territories if we don't deal with this issue now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Raymond Deneyoua was born on November 17th, 1955 and passed away on August 21st, 2021 after a long battle with his illness. Raymond was 65 years old.

Raymond was one of eleven children to Denise and Baptiste Deneyoua. Even though Raymond never married, he was a forever loving brother, uncle, and cousin. He was about adventure, travel and work, but he still had unconditional love for all his family and friends.

Raymond was a caring, passionate, loving, good spirited, patient, great worker, and an outstanding person.

Raymond had a great respect for the land and knew about the traditional ways to use the land and hunt. Even with his sickness, you could see him outdoors and always saying this is the best, this so great to be outside. It would help his spirit and body.

Raymond will be greatly missed and will be remembered by his family, friends, and many people who knew him. He left us with priceless memories which we will cherish in our hearts.

The family would like to express their gratitude for all the community's kindness and generosity at their time of grief. Special thanks to Father McLean for his spiritual leadership and guidance during this difficult time. As well, thank you to the Fort Simpson medical staff for all their help during this difficult time. He will be sadly missed, Mr. 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 Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister tell us when the Department of Infrastructure received Transport Canada's new TP312 Aerodromes Standards and Recommended Practices. And once received, how long did it take for the decision to be made to shorten the width of the Fort Smith airport runway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department regularly reviews our airport infrastructure received Transport Canada's new TP312 aerodromes standards and recommendations.

The department regularly reviews our airport infrastructure and sizes -- infrastructure to meet our current and future regulatory and operational needs. When the departments submitted the application for the lighting replacement funding, it considered the process to determine the appropriate size of the runway infrastructure along with other changes to meet current and future needs using the new standards which came out in September 2015.

Included in this was the engagement with Northwestern Air Lease, WestJet, First Air, NAV Canada, Department of National Defence, Northern Air Transportation. So this process required approximately ten months of review, engagement, and planning. So narrowing the width of the runway has not changed the level of service at the airport in which continue to meet federal regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if any other NWT airports were changed or altered because of Transport Canada's new Aerodrome Standards and Recommendations Practices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.