Minsters' statements. Minister responsible for Justice.

Mr. Speaker, the new Corrections Act came into force on October 29, 2021. The new act modernizes the Northwest Territories' corrections legislation to incorporate modern practices and approaches, shifting the focus of the legislation to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of people in the corrections system through a supportive environment.

The new Corrections Act strengthens our commitment to improving outcomes for the individuals we work with. To give people the best chance at success, the Department of Justice has been shifting our practices and the ways we work with people who come into our care. To implement this new act, we have updated the associated regulations, policies, and operating procedures for the corrections service and are ensuring staff are equipped with the necessary training to better support inmates, and to be leaders in the corrections service.

Mr. Speaker, the new Corrections Act recognizes the unique cultural background, historic legacy, and experiences of the people we serve in the NWT, and sets the framework for incorporating these elements into the rehabilitation process in the corrections system. Many individuals in correctional centres have experienced significant trauma and violence and are living with addiction and mental health needs. Our corrections officers are being trained to use trauma-informed practices that emphasize physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone.

A key change to the act provides for the establishment of community advisory boards for each correctional facility, which will allow for greater community involvement in corrections. The community advisory boards will be able to review and make recommendations on the administration of the act and will help to ensure the needs of inmates in the NWT are being appropriately met.

The new Corrections Act introduces procedural safeguards to ensure decisions are made in a fair and transparent manner and provides offenders with a complaints process to ensure their rights are respected. It provides for independent decision-making in disciplinary matters through the use of adjudicators and establishes clear processes for the handling of complaints and appeals.

Mr. Speaker, the new Corrections Act also establishes the investigation and standards office. This office provides independent oversight of the NWT corrections service. It carries out investigations and inspections, and can review complaints from inmates or people on probation while they are under the care of the corrections service. In addition, the investigations and standards office can make recommendations regarding policies, procedures, and correctional practices.

We have renewed our focus on rehabilitation, and are committed to taking new and innovative approaches to address the root causes of violence and substance use.

The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre's long-awaited transformation to a therapeutic community model is now complete. The therapeutic community model combines work, counseling, and around-the-clock behavioural modelling to address the root causes of addiction and gives residents a chance at a new beginning.

Mr. Speaker, the model is based on the principle of individuals having a role in each other's recovery. Similar programs have been shown to reduce both rates of recontact with the justice system and rates of substance use in participants. This made-in-the-north therapeutic community model utilizes established best practices and incorporates Indigenous cultural teachings. This is an exciting initiative, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the lives of our residents.

We are moving in the right direction, but there is much work to be done as we adopt and implement new approaches.

Mr. Speaker, I have to thank the dedicated staff of the NWT corrections service who will be doing the heavy lifting that is required to adopt and implement these new approaches. They provide a valuable service to our territory 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I look forward to working with them and supporting them as we work together for the benefit of all our people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merry Christmas, Mr. Speaker, I'll be the first one to say it today. I just want to thank all my leadership back home, my mayors, my community corp. chairs, all the frontline staff, especially the nursing stations in the communities, thank you for your hard work. For our leadership with the GTC, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Duane Smith, and all the Inuvialuit staff that's working up, Merry Christmas to everybody, especially to my elders and to my youth. And I just wish everybody a really Merry Christmas and a better 2022, and I look forward to that. And I just want to tell all my colleagues Merry Christmas to all of you and have a blessed time with your family back home this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, this is Member's statement for Health and Social Services on alcohol and drug addictions. So the NWT is in crisis situation with alcoholism and drug addictions, and we need to do a better job of supporting our people to be sober and healthy and well. Every one of us in this room has been affected by alcoholism or drug addiction. Some of our family, our own family members are struggling with this. Alcohol and drugs destroy lives and entire families. It robs people of their dreams, especially young people who still have so much life ahead of them. This is not a way for anyone to live or go through life. Youth are in their prime. They should be enjoying life - going to school, being on the land, hunting and trapping.

Mr. Speaker, I know that young people as young as 12 years old are experimenting with drugs. Parents are doing their best to work with their children but everyone needs to keep our young people safe from alcohol and drugs. They are our future leaders.

Mr. Speaker, at one time there was no alcohol or drugs in our communities. Now we see them everywhere. Crack cocaine, fentanyl, and other hard drugs are in most of our small communities.

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned for our people that don't have control over their drinking and drugging. We know that people with heavy addictions usually end up in jail and or their lives are cut short. Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait any longer. Our people need actions from the government to support those in the grips of alcoholism and drug addictions. The government needs to be more effective and work with people in the regions and communities, not just in Yellowknife.

I am aware that 5 percent of the government operational budget is to address addictions but, Mr. Speaker, that is not enough. Mr. Speaker, the government needs to start investing in programs that respond to the needs of regions, communities, and work directly with the people where they are at. What I mean is that the government needs to meet people in their home communities and in the stage of their addictions and recovery. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services after. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been a challenging year, not only for this government but more so for the people and businesses of the NWT. Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has created uncertainty, it has created apprehension, it has created division, it has exposed gaps in the way this government provides services to residents of the NWT. We need to acknowledge and not lose sight of those gaps if we expect to close them.

The residents of the NWT are looking for leadership, this government has less than two years to deliver, and we must not disappoint. We need to set up, step up, and be a can-do government.

Mr. Speaker, as politicians we must listen to the people as they impart their needs, wants, and dreams to each of us. It is then up to us to make it reality. Residents have expectations of us. To deliver on those expectations, it takes work and persistence. We want success for all residents and for them to have that success, we must lay the groundwork and provide the tools they require to achieve it.

Mr. Speaker, some residents have found themselves unemployed, some are working reduced hours, and there are those who are required to work beyond normal hours to meet the health needs of NWT residents - all struggling in their own way, trying to keep food on the table, trying to keep a roof over their head, trying to maintain their mental and physical well-being. We must acknowledge and respect that adversity and provide support wherever and whenever necessary.

Mr. Speaker, the businesses of the NWT have stood strong over the last two years. They have cooperated with this government throughout the pandemic. Some had to close their doors, some barely survived and are still struggling, while others flourished. During it all, these businesses continued to support their employees and residents of the NWT.

The pandemic required the government to ask a lot from northern businesses, and they met that challenge. Now is the time for all of us to show our gratitude by providing that same level of compassion through supporting their businesses now and throughout the year.

Mr. Speaker, I wish all the residents of Hay River, and those throughout the NWT, good health, safe travel, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all the best in 2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Speaker. Merry Christmas to my colleagues in the House. I also would like to extend a Merry Christmas to all the staff who provide valuable services to us throughout the year, each and every day, and also Merry Christmas extended to the interpretation team that provide valuable services also.

Mr. Speaker, as this is the last day of the House sitting before Christmas and the New Year, I would like to extend appreciation to my residents of my riding Deh Cho. The Deh Cho riding communities of Katlodeeche, Kakisa, Enterprise, and Fort Providence have all stood behind me, as I have for them as the representative at the Legislative Assembly.

This past year has been especially hard on all of the communities due to outbreaks of COVID and communities isolating. This is especially true for Katlodeeche, and I am glad they were able to pull through. I extend a huge mashi cho to all the leadership in the Deh Cho riding for the diligence and caring and providing assistance to the residents during this difficult time. Your leadership has guided safeguards to preventing serious harm due to COVID. Although we may not always get what we want for our communities, we have persevered and made due with what we have. Using our own resources, whether they be people, volunteers, in-kind services, food banks, and what have you, the residents should be proud how they held themselves up to the challenges they have faced. I am proud to say I represent you as your MLA, and you have made my time here an enjoyable experience, one I will cherish heading in to the new year.

Christmas is usually hard on the most vulnerable residents of our community, and we should try our best to share and open our doors to help out. Christmas is a time for spending with family and friends, and to rid ourselves of all the stresses of everyday life and enjoy life to its fullest. On behalf of myself and my family, I extend a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all. Have a good day. Mashi.

Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we conclude a busy session, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my colleagues, including you, Mr. Speaker, and all staff of the Assembly, a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I wish everyone, including all the people of the NWT, a safe and restful winter break. A special thanks, as well, to my amazing constituents of Thebacha. It continues to be an honour serving the amazing community of Fort Smith. I also want to wish a Merry Christmas to my special community team. They know who they are. I thank my family for bearing with me while I am away. Thank you to my husband Peter, my son Mickey, and my dog Rambo, a really wild one. Have a great Christmas, everyone, and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to give my colleagues on the other side an early Christmas gift with no statements or no prepared statement and no questions today.

I just wanted to take this moment to wish you a Merry Christmas, to wish my constituency assistant Colleen O'Connor a Merry Christmas, the residents of Great Slave, and everybody in the Northwest Territories. I thank the staff for all of the work that they have done for us in helping to educate me on this side of the House. I do want to wish everyone a safe Christmas and to ask the people guard their mental health, that they take care of themselves, they take time for themselves, and not being hard on themselves if they are finding themselves not in that Christmas spirit. I think of all of those that are not with us for this Christmas, including my own mom, and I just want to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas, a safe Christmas, and thank MLA Martselos for my beautiful earrings today. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In writing this statement, apparently I missed the memo that it was Christmas day. But what I would like to see for Christmas, Mr. Speaker, is some paid sick days for the working poor, Mr. Speaker. People shouldn't have to pick between staying home while they are sick or being able to afford rent and groceries. In fact, we know presenteeism is one of the reasons COVID is spread in workplaces throughout this pandemic. The feds have recently introduced changes to the Canada Labor Code that guarantees 10 days of paid sick leave to all workers in federally regulated areas. The Ontario government introduced three paid sick leave for the period of the pandemic and have now extended that to July 2022. Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba all introduced paid sick leave as well during the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. BC recently passed legislation that will mandate a minimum of five permanent paid sick leave days that comes into effect January 1st, Mr. Speaker. BC consulted with workers and employers and found that, in general, folks take about zero to five sick days of leave a year, Mr. Speaker. I don't believe we have those stats in the NWT but I would like to see them.

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has shown how important it is for everyone to have paid sick leave. I believe we owe it to the working poor to mandate some paid sick leave. I would like to know actually how many people don't have paid sick leave. I know all the GNWT workers do, Mr. Speaker, so let's give it to everyone else. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merry Christmas, Mr. Speaker. While 2021 has been a difficult year for our residents in the Northwest Territories and we have faced many challenges over the last year, I can't help but to be optimistic about what 2022 will bring us. While we will enter the new year with many of the challenges we faced this year, like the housing needs, the social issues, the economic issues, and many other issues, I know by working together that we can overcome those challenges, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, I am optimistic about what the new year will bring and I think that we have taken steps over this last year to find solutions to issues that so many of our residents face on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish all my constituents, my CA Loretta Rogers and her family, which is probably half of the Delta, the staff of the Legislative Assembly, my colleagues here today, and the people of the Northwest Territories, a joyful safe Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I hope that you all spend time with family and friends and surround yourself with the warmth that they bring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. Bah humbug. Sorry, no, honestly I am not Scrooge but there are some more things that I got to talk about.

On April 17, 2020 the federal government announced $1.72 billion in financial assistance for remediation of orphan and inactive oil and gas wells in western Canada as part of Canada's Economic Response Plan for COVID-19. On May 28, October 14, 2020 and February 10, 2021, I made statements in this House about the potential for the NWT to access similar funding, working in partnership with Yukon and Nunavut. As I understand it, the requests from our government keep getting pitched as bailouts for the mining or petroleum sectors, or letting operators off the hook for current liabilities. Clearly this approach is not working as no federal investment has materialized after more than a year and a half.

Despite our fumbling, there are success stories, such as the work done by the Sahtu Secretariat with the federal government on the governance agreement for the Great Bear Lake Remediation Project announced in February 2021. I will keep pushing our government to focus our proposals on an accelerated remediation program for northern contaminated sites, not a bail-out for the resource sector.

To repeat what I've said, the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory shows 1,661 sites in the Northwest Territories with an estimated remediation cost at $12.375 billion, about six times our total annual budget. The GNWT 2019-20 public accounts show a total of 278 sites under our jurisdiction that may require remediation with a cost of $75 million. This work should be speeded up under a regional accelerated remediation program for the North.

Apart from the potential infusion of federal cash, there are the added benefits of environmental protection and capacity building for other work like Norman Wells and the Polytechnic University. In other words, building a remediation economy. I have offered several times to help Cabinet pitch an accelerated contaminated sites remediation program to the federal government but there's been no uptake. Later today I will have questions for the Minister of ITI on why there has been no visible progress on securing federal investment in an accelerated contaminated sites remediation program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to revive a discussion started in the 14th Assembly about creating a child and youth advocate for the Northwest Territories.

Children and youth need our special attention and support, particularly when they are being cared for by people other than their immediate families. Since the NWT started discussing this issue in 2003, Yukon has created an advocate office and so has Nunavut. In fact, we are the only of two jurisdictions in Canada without an office dedicated to protecting the rights of children on both an individual and systemic basis as well as providing public awareness about those rights.

Mr. Speaker, Yukon has had a child and youth advocate office since 2010. The mission of the advocate in Yukon is to provide services for children and youth up to 18 years of age by protecting and asserting their rights and ensuring their voices are heard in a safe and supported way. The office advocates for children who are receiving, or who are eligible to receive, government services, including help with mental health and addictions, education, and justice. The advocate is also involved in all aspects of child and family services.

In Nunavut, the representative for children and youth was appointed in 2014. This office supports young Nunavummiut by giving voice to concerns and ensures the government protects and advances their rights and interests. And elders council helps guide the work.

Mr. Speaker, I have done my own research since this statement was written in 2019, and I have found that in the last 30 years, politicians have mentioned "child and youth advocate" over 880 times in this House. In addition, the child and youth advocate for the Yukon reported that roughly 20 percent of children and youth who access their services are NWT residents. But Mr. Speaker, I am reassured by the fact that the original author of this statement is now the Minister of Health and Social Services. From this side of the House, the Minister stated "it's time for the GNWT to provide better services to children and youth. Creating a child and youth advocate is a good place to start."

I agree. We do need to ensure that NWT children and youth need our attention and support at a time when child and family services, corrections, and education are transitioning, youth focused care and legislation, it is time for the NWT to define child advocacy in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

And while I did not wish a Merry Christmas, I hope everyone has a good opportunity to spend time over the holidays with a child of the Northwest Territories. If anybody needs an extra one, I have got some.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.