This is page numbers 3165 - 3220 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 indigenous.

Topics

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, this is a question for the NWT Housing Corporation. I want to ask her why none of the ten units being built in Behchoko -- not in Behchoko but I meant to say Tlicho region is designated for homeownership program. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are on -- doing a -- distributing a federal delivery this year of 90 public housing units. Presently, right now, we are able to concentrate on homeownership. So the public housing units that are single and detached, they are up for sale. To date, we have had 104 applications that have been received, and we are working with those clients to educate them and to support them through the homeownership process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Well, that was the question for yesterday. So -- so would the Minister commit some of those ten units to be designated for homeownership.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not as generous as the Minister of MACA. Unfortunately, no, they won't be as -- they won't be up for sale. This is to replenish our public housing stock. We do have a deteriorated housing stock. We are almost reaching our 50 years.

But for the Tlicho region, it's a very unique Indigenous government and Indigenous group where we do hold partnerships with them. We are in the process right now working with the Tlicho housing working group in transferring ten of our market housing units and also supporting them through that process as well too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Mahsi. Would the Minister commit to selling units at a price that reflects their commercial value and take into consideration the amount of rent already paid and future maintenance costs? Masi.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can provide the Member with further information on how our homeownership program is working and the eligibility and the criteria for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Mahsi. There are many barriers to the subsidy programs for homeownership assistance with the NWT Housing Corporation. What types of debt forgiveness does the NWT Housing Corporation have?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the debts that have been accumulated with our tenants within the Housing Corporation, we do have to work within the Financial Management Act as well too, on how we are going to work with those clients in trying to eliminate the debts that they do carry over. But this is a lengthy process, and we have been successful in working with clients throughout the Northwest Territories. 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 question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. Every time the office of the DMV changes their hours, it makes news. First they allowed walk-ins. Then they only went by appointment. And just recently they added two more hours to allow walk-ins. I'm pretty excited that maybe the DMV will one day get back to regular appointments.

My question, though, is looking forward at the operations of the Yellowknife DMV, is the Minister of Infrastructure willing to have the office be open evenings or weekends, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And here we go again. So, you know, we did look at our operations and did extend it. I'm kind of hoping the Member would be a little bit more happier, but wanting more, that's okay.

We are not currently considering the adjustment of hours or days in operation at the Yellowknife motor vehicle issuing office due to the significant financial costs it would require. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

No further questions on that.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance and the Minister responsible for Human Resources.

Further to my statement today, I'm wondering if the Department of Finance has a clear policy of who can apply and cannot apply for education leave and supports from the GNWT? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caroline Wowzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, employees need to have three years of service in order to be eligible for education leave and then beyond that, the more specific conditions are within the collective agreement. So it is done at a departmental level, and anyone who is considering applying should be speaking directly to their supervisor just to confirm that they're eligible and to go through that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if there is an appeals process for those that are denied education leave by their direct supervisors. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's not an appeals process specific to this benefit for employees. Certainly, given that it is certainly part of the collective agreement, if an employee is concerned that it's not being abided by they are encouraged to go and speak to their union representative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes going to the union can cause a little bit more friction than people are looking for right off the bat. And so I'm hoping that together we can find an alternate solution for staff who want questions and further clarifications. But often the current process means that frontline staff receive far less opportunity for professional development from their colleagues that work in headquarters departments. This is required for nurses who want to gain the experience and the certifications required to work in small remote nursing stations and potentially return to their home communities.

So how does the Department of Finance ensure that outlying factors like nursing shortages in other units or nursing levels in remote health centres are considered within an all-of-government approach to education supports? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly was listening when the Member spoke earlier and gave her Member's statement. I have had my own constituents come to me wanting to do more, wanting to improve their education level, and continue to contribute as public servants. So while it is -- departments that have to be the ones defining their own needs and defining where they expect to see growth within their own departments and divisions, certainly the Department of Finance can take a role in terms of coordinating what is needed across the government.

So I'll certainly commit to going back to the department and seeing what more we can do to make sure that we are actually doing that to the best of our possible ability.

It comes at a good time, Mr. Speaker. I'm just going to give an extremely brief plug.

The Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework is an opportunity for us to ensure that we are succession planning and succession planning in a way that is made for the North and in the North to ensure that we are having a representative work force. So I actually see some of these questions as dovetailing back into the work that's happening on that front. 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

Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that commitment from the Minister. I think there are multiple opportunities here for the government to look at this as a whole rather than silos of divisions within departments within the government so that, really, we can look at how we can work together to accomplish the priorities of not only the 19th Assembly but every Assembly afterwards as a unit. And so I'm wondering if part of that work will be not solely on the Indigenous recruitment framework but also just on GNWT policies as a whole looking at more of a department-wide or even GNWT-wide education leave and funding policy to support all hard-to-fill positions across the entire GNWT. Thank you.