This is page numbers 2493 - 2524 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 care.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I am not sure what is possible in terms of having public health on call to a greater extent than they are now, but that is certainly something I can enquire about and get back to the Member with. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to assure the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment that I was not dozing off, and he did have my attention when he announced the minimum-wage increase today. However, I want to ask him: I raised this issue about the Minimum Wage Committee in a previous Member's statement. I think he received some kind of report. Is he willing to make that report public? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to give the same answer I gave last time with this question, that this report was prepared as advice for Cabinet, and it was prepared by people who were assured that it would be kept confidential. I am not prepared to go back on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I want to thank the Minister for that response, but all we have is the Minister's statement and news release about on what basis the Minister made this very important decision. Can the Minister not at least talk about what the recommendations were from the committee and share those recommendations with the public?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

The committee made three recommendations, as was asked for. One of the recommendations is always the status quo; one of the recommendations was also increasing it to $15.20.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I guess I have to guess what the third recommendation was, but I am not going to try to do any math on my feet here. Actually, I will. We have the Wage Top-Up program ending on August 31st, as I understand it, so $18 an hour. The very next day, people are going to see their hourly wages drop to $15.20. It just does not seem to make any sense, so can the Minister explain to the public, the people, the 9 percent of our workforce that is now accessing the Wage Top-Up program, why he chose $15.20, and can he explain why their wages are going to drop from $18 an hour one day to $15.20 the next?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Their wages will drop because currently there is a Wage Top-Up program in place, and that runs until August 31st. The next day, the Wage Top-Up program will no longer be operational, and people who are making minimum wage will start receiving $15.20 an hour from their employer without that additional top-up. I just want to point out that the minimum wage is just that. It's a minimum wage. I think less than a thousand people in the territory make minimum wage. Most of them are between 15 and 24. Most of them are living at home, and perhaps a higher wage will help them get out of that house sooner. The fact is: this is not a demographic of people who are counting on a minimum wage to raise a family for the most part. A lot of those positions, as well, come with gratuities, so a number of those people making minimum wage also make tips on top of it.

I appreciate what the Member is saying. I was very happy to see that the wage top-up was extended because I do want to make sure that we are providing for our residents. However, we can't expect our businesses to absorb such a great increase in cost over the course of one summer from the $13.46 to something like $18 an hour. It's just not feasible. It's not the way businesses are structured right now. However, that being said, we have the second highest minimum wage in Canada. We will on September 1st. I think that's something to be celebrated. I don't think we've ever been in that position before. The only one with the higher minimum wage is Nunavut where the cost of living is much higher, as well, so it's appropriate for what we have in the territory.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm looking actually at the Department of Finance website. The number of individuals that have accessed the Wage Top-Up program as of March 10th is 2,360, not the 1,000 that the Minister just kind of mentioned, 96 participating businesses. Look, this is a very significant portion of our workforce.

They're going to see their wages drop in one day. It's just not fair, Mr. Speaker. I've tried a number of different avenues here to try to get the Minister to recognize this is a real problem and issue. What other solutions does the Minister have? He doesn't seem to agree with the idea of a guaranteed basic income. What are the Minister's solutions to trying to help people make ends meet, the 2,360 people who are already accessing the Wage Top-Up program? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

There may be 2,360 people accessing the Wage Top-Up program. That doesn't mean there're 2,360 people making minimum wage once that program goes away.

Those are two different numbers. One is $18, and one is right now $13.46; there's a difference there. What do we have in place, Mr. Speaker? That's why I work so hard on education. That's why we're working hard on making investments in early childhood. That's why we're trying to expand the number of early childhood spaces there are for children so that they can get in there and get an enriched environment starting at the beginning of their life.

That's why we're reviewing the curriculum, Mr. Speaker, to make sure it's a curriculum the kids want so that they want to go to school and so that it helps them grow and it helps them learn. It could help them get to that next level and get those jobs. That's why we're looking at our SFA program. That's why we have the best SFA program in Canada, Mr. Speaker. We have the most generous Student Financial Assistance program in Canada to help students get that post-secondary education. That is the biggest contributor to improving your wages, getting a post-secondary education. That's where we need to focus our efforts, Mr. Speaker, not putting this on the backs of businesses. This is on us, and this is what we are doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents: "Projected Demand for Long-Term Care Beds in the NWT, NWT Bureau of Statistics, August 2020;" and "Department of Health and Social Services Response to Long-Term Care Bed Projections." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, motions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Friday, March 12, 2021, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 29, 2021;

AND FURTHER, that, any time prior to March 29, 2021, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Motion is in order. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Motions. Item 17, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Minister of Infrastructure.

Bill 24-19(2): An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
Notices Of Motion For The First Reading Of Bills

Page 2500

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2021, I will move that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Revolving Fund Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 24-19(2): An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
Notices Of Motion For The First Reading Of Bills

Page 2500

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Bill 25-19(2): An Act to Amend the Education Act
Notices Of Motion For The First Reading Of Bills

Page 2500

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2021, I will move that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 25-19(2): An Act to Amend the Education Act
Notices Of Motion For The First Reading Of Bills

Page 2500

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Public Utilities Act to:

  • prohibit a public utility from disconnecting a residential customer's electricity service during the period of October 1 to April 30 or when the temperature is forecast to be below 0 degrees Celsius because an amount payable is overdue;
  • require a public utility to reconnect a residential customer's service, which was disconnected during the period of May 1 to September 30 because an amount payable was overdue, by October 1 or as soon as practicable;
  • prohibit a public utility from installing a device to limit the amount of power and electricity provided to a residential customer because an amount payable is overdue; and
  • allow a public utility to require a residential customer to enter into a payment plan before reconnecting the customer's electricity service during the period of May 1 to September 30.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. The motion is in order. To the motion?