This is page numbers 1843 - 1902 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 going.

Topics

Members Present

Hon. Diane Archie, Hon. Frederick Blake Jr., Mr. Bonnetrouge, Hon. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Cleveland, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Hon. Julie Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Martselos, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. Norn, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek

The House met at 1:33 p.m.

---Prayer

Prayer
Prayer

Page 1843

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon. Today, I am going to provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the Northwest Territories. As Members are aware, the NWT started delivering the COVID-19 vaccine to priority residents on December 31, 2020. Rollout began only a week after Health Canada approved the use of the Moderna vaccine in Canada and only three days after the territory received its first shipment.

Since the beginning, the GNWT's approach to delivering the COVID-19 vaccine has been grounded in five core values: equity, cultural competency, evidence-based decision-making, flexibility, and trust. These values are outlined in detail in Immunity for our Communities: The Northwest Territories COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy, which was released last month. Department of Health and Social Services and Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority staff have worked alongside local healthcare staff and community members to bring vaccines to residents across the North.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share that the NWT has delivered 12,833 first doses and fully vaccinated 299 residents against COVID-19. I also want to highlight that our vaccine teams visited all 33 communities in just under a month. Given the significant logistical and geographical challenges of this rollout, not to mention the cold chain requirements of the vaccine, this is an incredible achievement. Throughout this process, the GNWT has made every effort to translate our vaccine communications into all 11 official languages, through informative handouts, videos, or audio on local community radio stations. Local interpreters, knowledge keepers, and community leaders have been offered to be champions of the vaccine campaign and encourage its uptake.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to meet with Indigenous and community governments on a regular basis to keep them informed of our progress with vaccine delivery and listen to the needs of their communities. In line with our reporting to the Public Health Agency of Canada, vaccine dose data continues to be updated weekly on the GNWT COVID-19 website. Helpful information and resources can also be found there, including videos, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions about the vaccine.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Cabinet, I would like to take this opportunity to thank local health care staff, travelling vaccine teams, communities, and residents for making our vaccine delivery so successful to date. One of three NWT adults has already received their first dose. With every dose given in the NWT, we boost our territory's defense against COVID-19. The NWT is, in fact, leading the country with our ambitious delivery of first doses and has recently been commended by the federal Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Howard Njoo, who stated: "Given the geography and the challenges of our winter weather, it is a credit to everyone involved in the vaccine rollout that it is progressing well and on track." We would also like to express our gratitude to the federal government for their generous allotment of vaccine we have received to date.

Despite the recent announcement of the temporary delay of Moderna shipments to Canada, the NWT remains well positioned to receive enough vaccine for 75 percent of the adult population by the end of March 2021. We knew that the allotment and delivery of doses were both outside of our control, which is why our team built a flexible vaccine delivery schedule to account for shipment delays, weather, or other logistical challenges.

Mr. Speaker, we want to reassure residents that we have a plan in place to optimize our vaccine supply over the coming weeks. We have received our third shipment of 4,700 vaccines, and we are waiting for an update about the fourth shipment. With that information in hand, we will announce any changes to our plan going forward. I remain committed to keeping the public informed through scheduled media briefings as well as communications channels online, on the radio, and through on-the-ground staff in person. It is important to remember that the public health measures and surveillance system that have protected NWT residents from COVID-19 so far are still in place and working extremely well.

We will continue to use every possible tool to protect our territory from COVID-19, including public health orders, effective wastewater testing, point-of-care testing, self-isolation, and vaccine delivery. Together, we can keep COVID-19 from jeopardizing our well-being and move toward loosening restrictions when conditions are right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Strengthening the government's leadership and authority on climate change, ensuring climate change impacts are specifically considered when making government decisions, and increasing the use of alternative and renewable energy are mandate priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly.

Climate change continues to be a critical issue facing us today and is affecting the Northwest Territories in many ways. That is why the Government of the Northwest Territories is taking real action to address climate change through implementing the NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework 2019-2023 Action Plan. One of the commitments the Government of the Northwest Territories made to strengthen our leadership and authority on climate change is to establish the NWT Climate Change Council. I am pleased to say that we have made progress on that commitment with the finalizing of the council's terms of reference.

Mr. Speaker, the Climate Change Council will be a forum for information sharing, collaboration, and engagement between representatives of Indigenous governments and organizations, community governments, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. It will provide guidance and advice to inform Government of the Northwest Territories' climate change and environment programs. The council and the Government of the Northwest Territories will also be advised by industry, non-government organizations, co-management bodies, and academia.

Mr. Speaker, not only has the Government of the Northwest Territories worked to establish the Climate Change Council, we have also released our first progress reports on our territory-wide approach to climate change in January. Environment and Natural Resources, the lead department for climate change, along with the Departments of Infrastructure and Finance, jointly released four reports:

  • ENR's NWT Climate Change Action Plan Annual Report;
  • Infrastructure's NWT Energy Initiatives Report;
  • Finance's NWT Carbon Tax Report; and
  • ENR's Plain Language Overview Report summarizing our government and partners' activities to address climate change.

The reports will collectively help keep our residents informed on the progress we are making on this important issue. We are making progress. Almost all actions under the Climate Change Action Plan are underway, and we are well-positioned to continue to transition to a low-carbon economy, improve knowledge of climate change impacts, and build resilience and adapt to climate change.

Mr. Speaker, another mandate commitment our government has made significant progress on is ensuring that climate change impacts are specifically considered when making government decisions. The Executive Council and Financial Management Board decision-making instruments have been updated to ensure climate change factors are considered and documented, as applicable, in decisions moving forward. This is a substantial milestone as the Northwest Territories is one of the few jurisdictions in Canada to include climate change considerations in its government's decision-making processes. This means that, moving forward, Cabinet and Financial Management Board decision papers, submissions, and legislative proposals will include climate-change factors for consideration. Integrating climate change considerations will improve accountability in the Government of the Northwest Territories' decision-making process.

Mr. Speaker, Northwest Territories residents are profoundly impacted by climate change, and the Government of the Northwest Territories must show leadership in addressing its impacts and opportunities. By working together both within our departments and with our partners, we can transition to a low-carbon economy, strengthening our understanding of the effects of climate change, and build resilience and adapt to a changing climate now and for future generations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Midwifery Program
Members' Statements

Page 1844

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Midwifery Program in the NWT was first started in Fort Smith in 1993. Soon after, midwifery services also began to be an option in Hay River with a goal to one day service every community in the NWT. Unfortunately, this goal was never fulfilled, and Fort Smith and Hay River remain the only two NWT communities that offer midwifery services.

I support the expansion of the NWT Midwifery Program. I support midwifery to the fullest extent. I appreciate the fact that it offers a culturally relevant birthing option for people who want it. Not everybody wants their newborn delivered in a hospital many kilometres outside of their home communities. I know families who would much prefer to deliver their newborns within their own communities rather than a regional hospital.

In 2017, the Government of the Northwest Territories released a report titled "NWT Midwifery Stakeholder Engagement," which provided 10 recommendations for how the government could improve midwifery expansion in the Northwest Territories. Following this report, the Government of the Northwest Territories accepted all 10 recommendations, which include strengthening the Hay River and Fort Smith programs and establishing a territory-wide program to service Yellowknife as well as the Tlicho and Sahtu regions. Since then, two new positions were funded in 2019 to start up the territorial program in Yellowknife, but only one of them has been filled. An additional part-time position has been funded for Hay River, but no further support has been provided to the Fort Smith program.

Midwifery services have been a long time coming for most communities in the NWT. There is a growing interest among people all across the NWT who would like to utilize midwifery services. Therefore, I certainly hope our government will get a handle on developing the territory-wide program and have it operational as soon as possible. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Midwifery Program
Members' Statements

Page 1844

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Minimum Wage and Top-Up Program
Members' Statements

February 9th, 2021

Page 1844

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. The federal government introduced a wage top-up funding program on April 1, and that has been extended a few times, now to February 28, 2021. In most jurisdictions, the top-ups were restricted to the essential service sector. In the NWT, no such restrictions were applied and it is available to all employees who get less than $18 per hour, even if their employer doesn't want to enroll. As of November 3, 2020, 83 businesses are participating; 1,943 individuals have benefited; and the total cost for the program is about $1,700,000. That means the wage top-up program has been taken up by about 9 percent of the total NWT labour force, using numbers from the Bureau of Statistics.

The federal government is covering 75 percent of the cost of the wage top-up program. I support this program as it can support many of our service-sector workers who provide key programs and services, and it will assist with economic recovery. However, the need for this program is the clearest sign that our minimum wage is too low, far too low. $13.46 per hour is not enough to get by on. That's no surprise to many Northerners. In March 2019, Alternatives North released research reports that calculated each parent in a family of four would have to earn $23.95 hourly in Yellowknife, $24.75 in Hay River, and $23.78 in Inuvik for a basic standard of living.

In the NWT, the effective minimum wage has been $18 an hour, even though the official minimum wage was set at $13.46 an hour on April 1, 2018. Apparently, there is a mysterious Minimum Wage Committee that has been in place since 2013. It convenes every couple of years to review the minimum wage and make recommendations to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. There is virtually no information on any GNWT website about this committee, who sits on it, and what they look at. Even the reports seem to be secret as they are not on the ECE website and have not been tabled in this House.

It would be unbelievable, if not completely unfair, if the effective minimum wage in the NWT is rolled back from anything less than $18 an hour, which is what people have been getting for the last 10 months. COVID hasn't changed the cost of living either, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about where we are going with the NWT minimum wage and whether he intends to roll it back. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Minimum Wage and Top-Up Program
Members' Statements

Page 1844

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

It has been almost five years since the 18th Assembly Minister responsible for the NTPC replaced the public board of governors with a board made up of GNWT deputy ministers. At the time, the public was told that this was done to save $1 million. The GNWT also committed to undertake a review of governance structure. Members on this side of the House have pointed out that this is not best practice according to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Its report reviewing governance frameworks for Crown corporations pointed out that board of directors in Crown corporations should function independently of management. It has now been one year since asked the former Minister responsible in this Assembly to update the House on a plan for the NTPC board. Minister Thompson advised this House that the board of DMs had been instructed to come back with a governance model and that he would share with Members any progress made since 2016.

Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to be patient, but the GNWT is showing absolutely no progress on this work in five years. This makes me doubt their commitment in getting it done. I am also concerned that the deputy ministers may not have the necessary skills or technical expertise to tackle the governance of a highly specialized public utility. I am also concerned that they are doing this on the sides of their desk which we know that the government did not want that for those who are providing the work of the now COVID secretariat. The Power Corporation plays a vital role in the lives of all NWT residents. How it is governed and managed is something I care about on behalf of my constituents as it could help in lowering the cost of living. I am going to continue to press this government and the current Minister responsible to make progress on this important work with no further delays. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Diabetes Programs in Small Communities
Members' Statements

Page 1844

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to bring to the attention of the health minister the need for an effective diabetes program to be offered at our small health centres. The First Nations people are known to be high risk for diabetes, and we have many scattered First Nations communities throughout the territory. Some are not accessible by highway and are completely isolated. It makes one wonder how do you manage without an effective diabetes program in place, even in my community of Fort Providence.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you about my experience being part of such a program during my employment in Hay River. The regional health centre has a dedicated diabetes team made up of three staff. Every three months, they notify you to have blood work to determine your A1C level and most times for the kidney check. A week later, they call you in with a group of about four to five diabetics. You are weighed, measured for girth and height, and everything is documented in the passport log booklet, including other info required as a diabetic.

Through this system, you can upgrade or have refill prescriptions prescribed. They also have healthy, sugarless snacks and food available to sample. The goal is to ensure your sugar intake is kept to a very bare minimum, if at all possible. You have to remember that diabetes is an ongoing chronic disease. If left unmanaged, this can lead to serious complications with one's health. This is a very well-run diabetes program and, sadly, not offered in the smaller health centres in the small communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the health Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

Diabetes Programs in Small Communities
Members' Statements

Page 1844

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Social Problems within Nunakput
Members' Statements

Page 1844

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today's weather, Mr. Speaker, it reminds me of home, drifting snow out here in the capital. Here in the capital, life is pretty good. You forget how life is like in our small communities back home. They have very little infrastructure. We have no luxury homes or houses. Our houses are small, overcrowded, and cold. There's not too much to do. No fine dining. No shopping malls. Even if there were places to spend money, Mr. Speaker, our communities, we have no money because we've got no jobs. There's nothing happening up in our riding. Many people depend on our government and this House to feed their families, Mr. Speaker. Right now, we can't even enjoy gathering, our sports events, our feasts, our celebrations of life because of COVID-19 pandemic, and social problems are even worse because of the restrictions.

I have been an MLA a little over nine years, Mr. Speaker. I'm saying this, the same things, some of these things over and over the past nine years. We need to help our people. We need change. Our government needs to do more to get our residents through this pandemic. We need to give your kids something to get them through and graduate from high school. We must ensure the needs of our elders are met. We need to support our families, especially ones that are really struggling.

Our government, we can find money. In 2016, they found $30 million to subsidize the Power Corporation. This past government this year, we have found $87 million for the COVID secretariat, which is needed, but using that fund to try to help some of the programs I am asking for. The people living in our communities don't want a lot, Mr. Speaker. Their needs are simple. The political will, is there political will to help them? Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for Madam Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Social Problems within Nunakput
Members' Statements

Page 1845

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Social Problems within Nunakput
Members' Statements

Page 1845

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I'm caught. Can you go with somebody else?

Social Problems within Nunakput
Members' Statements

Page 1845

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today, speaking of education, I would like to say that Behchoko, Edzo, and Chief Jimmy Bruneau School, it's been built 50 years ago, and the last renovation that was done in 1995. It has never been brought up or did any work on it. For so long, it's been an issue, and it is an ongoing issue. All the parents and students are worried, and we would like to see a new school built in Behchoko. Much later on today, I would speak further. [Translation ends]

The Chief Jimmy Bruneau School was built over 50 years ago. It is my age, Mr. Speaker. It was a retrofit back in 1995. It has been well over 26 years since the last retrofit of the building. Mr. Speaker, there have been a couple of meetings with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the Minister, and also my Tlicho leadership on the replacement of Chief Jimmy Bruneau School. I believe we are making some progress. It is time that we move the project forward.

Mr. Speaker, there was a discussion on where the new school is going to be built, either in Edzo or in Rae. My understanding is that it is still undecided. That decision shall lie with the Tlicho general public in Behchoko on where the new school should be built. They are the ones who will live with this decision. The students of Behchoko, the students and their parents, have a message for the Minister of education. They do not want their school to be patched up yet again. They want a new school that their children need and deserve. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time. Masi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Integrated Case Management
Members' Statements

Page 1845

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I introduced Avery, a real NWT resident with a fictional name. Avery is a parent facing eviction from public housing who struggles with substance abuse, mental health, and family violence in the home. Like Avery, many people in the NWT are dealing with similar issues. For this reason, the GNWT needs to provide better client-focused service. NWT residents who need the help of two or more GNWT departments can be referred to ICM, or integrated case management, a highly successful and compassionate team of pathfinders tasked with supporting vulnerable residents through the GNWT system.

Avery was involved with Justice, ECE, Health and Social Services, and housing. Facing eviction, Avery had 12 meetings and one phone call with representatives of those four departments. Despite this, Avery did not get a referral to ICM until a 14th meeting was held with me there as Avery's MLA. For Avery, getting on the list meant finding the right public servant at the right time. It shouldn't be so hard, Mr. Speaker. Asking for help is hard. Asking for help 14 times in one emotionally exhausting week is cruel. The GNWT needs to be empowered and organized to provide a way forward for vulnerable residents, not dead ends. Avery finally got into ICM, where the client focused service was a breath of fresh air. I cannot speak highly enough about their incredible staff, but client-focused service cannot be reserved for only a few of our residents.

Mr. Speaker, today, I will be asking the Minister of Justice to create a process for residents where they can self-refer to ICM and to create a process to refer residents to other support networks when they don't fit in ICM. Avery tried to self-refer and was advised of the department-only referral policy. There was no connection to additional support. No matter their story, every person wants fair and equitable access to programs to help them achieve the same success as their family, friends, and neighbours. For some, it is a matter of survival, and that's what makes it so important that the GNWT act quickly to respond to the needs of these clients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Integrated Case Management
Members' Statements

Page 1845

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Access to Lands
Members' Statements

Page 1845

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our job in this House is to get answers for our constituents and then, sometimes, when the same question is being asked over and over again, it's to get a department to move to actually solve an underlying issue. I would like to give a brief history of the Ingraham Trail and some of the answers I would like to leave this House from the Department of Lands.

Firstly, a history of land title. In the early 1960s and 1970s, anyone who went up to the trail, and in many parts of the NWT, and surveyed a piece of land could get that land in fee simple. This is one of the holdovers we have from the federal government. Additionally, in the Cassidy Point area, we handed out a number of equity leases. I believe 41 were given out in that area to provide people with title, and the department has another 180 to go. I have constituents all the time who have their neighbours who have title, and they ask: when can I get title? Despite numerous promises from different departmental officials over decades, they still don't have an answer to that question. I would like to leave this House with an answer to that question, Mr. Speaker.

I recently tried to figure out where the school board taxes go for residents on the Ingraham Trail. This took me through a journey to the Department of MACA, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Lands, and I am still unclear whether those taxes actually end up in a specific school board or whether they are just lost in general revenue. I would like to leave this House with an answer to that question.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents on the trail grow frustrated with how their properties are assessed. Some are a holdover of devolution, which have a different tax rate and a different assessment value. Some are recreational leases with yet another, different tax rate. I would like to have coherence to the taxing system to provide my constituents with an answer for why things are the way they are, before I leave this House.

Lastly, many people live on the Ingraham Trail in violation of their leases. They live in recreational leases that do not allow them to live full-time in those houses. They do not allow them to work from home, something that has been extremely difficult during COVID. The Department of Lands knows this. It acknowledges it, yet it never does anything about it. It never provides an option to convert to residential leases. I would like to give an answer to my constituents about that. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands about when I can get these answers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Access to Lands
Members' Statements

Page 1845

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.