This is page numbers 2163 - 2198 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 services.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just looking at the program detail, homecare and support services, it's very obvious we have gone from, in the 2020-2021, $11 million, and then it increased to $20 million, and it is remaining status quo. I know that they were talking about putting more home support workers, more hours into home support workers in the communities. Is that what that money is, or what is in that extra $10 million?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes. Thank you. Yes, the Member is correct. The biggest portion of this increase, $8.4 million, comes from the First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care funding from the federal government, and it's reflected in various categories through this budget. One million dollars is for staff to pay for unfunded elements of the collective agreement in this area. We also have a very innovative program going with Aurora College where we are doing some workforce planning with them to train people to work in long-term care as personal support workers and nurses, and so we are collaborating with Aurora College and providing some funding for that. We are also addressing again a staff funding shortfall at Avens, so that comes out to $11.3 million. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Within that homecare and support services, and I see that there is long-term care and supported living, the Minister has said that there is training with the college. Within the department, is there staff looking at addressing the issue with the job descriptions where a lot of Aboriginal people who are taking Aurora College are finding they are hitting a barrier when they do not have the one year of experience as to entering after they have just finished taking the personal support worker and have been working in their practicum within these facilities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to refer this question to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Deputy Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Cooper

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, there is work happening to address the job design. Job designs are in the process of being reviewed to ensure that we can look at those barriers. There has actually been some recent experience in the Beaufort-Delta where there are certainly some lessons learned and some amendments made in a couple of cases to positions on scope of practice particularly to ensure that this was adequately being addressed. We are taking lessons learned from that experience and looking at job design and job descriptions to ensure we get it right. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes. Thank you. Also looking at long-term care and supported living, my colleague and I, we had discussed this, and we have heard the stories over the past year. I addressed it, I think it was in the fall time, and I addressed it in the spring time sitting, that a lot of our elders are in long-term care. I know we have opened it up so some of them can have one visitor and things like that. Within this fund, within this budget, is there extra funding in there or are there COVID dollars that the Minister is accessing to try to get extra community staff or support so that some of the elders who are in our long-term care are not being left alone? Because we have heard the stories of the families. I have seen the pictures of people visiting outside the window. We are lucky in Inuvik that it's ground level, and they could stand outside the window. That is not the case for most long-term cares, so I am just wondering if there is, in this budget here, because it is ongoing. We are losing our elders, and our elders are lonely in these facilities. Is there money in this budget for extra staffing or some safety mechanisms to try to have them be able to see more family and visit or things like that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes. Thank you. This is really a heartbreaking situation for elders. They tend to have a smaller social circle as they age, and COVID, of course, has made that even smaller. This is really not a budgetary issue. This is an issue of public health, and what I have heard the Chief Public Health Officer say is that, when most of the population has received a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, it will be possible to relax internal restrictions, internal in the NWT, and that may include things like visiting long-term care centres. Right now, that does not happen because it is considered to be too risky. That is why there is only one designated person who goes in. In terms of this budget generally, this budget does not provide for spending related to COVID because we do not have any money that is related to COVID that goes beyond the end of this fiscal year. However, if the situation drags on and it looks like finances are an issue, I think that we would certainly revisit this area.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Member.

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. No, I just wanted to make sure. We look at and see the homecare. We see long-term care. When you're in a community the size of mine, you see people working in long-term care, going from house to house. They would have different jobs. They have different circles, and then they have family circles. They take precaution to go in. I get that the CPHO has put these rules in place to protect our most vulnerable elders, but on the other hand, I also think there's some mechanism in there for maybe some extra support for that so that people are able to do the things that the staff are doing to go in and visit and have that. It's almost been a year, Mr. Chair, and I'm looking at this budget. I don't know if that's going to have anything to do with it, but if there's money in there for extra PPE or anything like that for family members and maybe some, if they want to have more family to see them, a space where people can go in and meet individually so that it's more regularly, if that's going to cost more? I don't know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. I think for me, I'm really waiting to get to the point where most people have had their second shot, and we have a better understanding of not only of our immunity, but whether the vaccine is effective in stopping the transmission of COVID so that we can return to life as normal, in so many ways, and especially in this way. What I can say is that, while nothing is planned now, this time last year, nothing was planned either. We can change our minds and come back and meet the needs that we see through a supplementary appropriation. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you to the Minister for that, and this is more just, the last is just a comment. We've heard really good success of uptake of vaccine in our small communities, which is great. We don't have that for our regional centres, and that's where our long-term cares are. That just extends that time. Being in the regional centre, I do know a lot of people that are hesitant to even get the first or second, like to even get vaccinated. I think that poses the issue, and that's why I'm raising it because our small communities are getting vaccinated at high rates than our regional centres. Thank you. It's more of a comment. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Minister, would you like to comment?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Sure. The month of March is going to be a very big month for first doses, if required; second doses, for sure. There will be vaccines available in just about every community in the NWT. I'm really hoping that, by the end of March, we will have good uptake in the regional centres. I know that there are various people and organizations, like Hotii ts'eeda, even the NWT Association of Communities, who are really promoting getting vaccinated, and I appreciate those efforts. I think that all of us who are working from an evidence-based decision-making point of view need to encourage vaccination. It is the single best thing that the person can do for themselves, even the Queen said so. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

No further questions. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Ms. Nokleby.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to start by saying I'm glad to see the increase in funding to the seniors fund. I think that's always worthwhile and just hope that there's also a mandate for a push alongside of that to ensure that the services are expanding out into the communities and are not just Yellowknife-focused, especially with additional money. I did notice that the respite fund -- maybe I could just first ask: there's a bit of a bounce around in numbers there, and perhaps, maybe the Minister of the department can speak to why the actuals were so low in 2019-2020 versus the revised estimates for last year and then, of course, the proposed estimates? Thank you.