This is page numbers 2299 - 2340 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

Systemic Racism
Members' Statements

Page 2302

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. My constituent I spoke with recently, Ms. Laney Beaulieu of Deninu Kue, reached out to me in light of recent events in one of our communities. She's currently a student at the Western University in Ontario, and she pointed out a really powerful quote to me from Ibram X. Kendi, an American author and an anti-racist activist. "A policy is either actively trying to minimize the gap in the quality of life between marginalized people and the general public, or is it actively contributing to these disparities." This is a powerful statement, and I'm hoping that it sits with us for a while.

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned in my budget address that I firmly believe in policy reforms, that they need to be fair and they need to be easily delivered to our public service. The goal here being is that our directives are clear and all are as loophole-resistant as possible. This will be needed to dribble down from each of our department heads to ensure that the residents of the NWT get the very best out of our government.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to finish off with this powerful quote by Chief Dan George. "The heart never knows the colour of the skin." I believe this, and I really hope this resonates with us all. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I will have no questions. I think for the most part, and for most of us, it will be a day of reflection, and I think only a few of my colleagues will have questions. Thank you.

Systemic Racism
Members' Statements

Page 2302

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. The problems with sterilization of instruments and equipment at Stanton Territorial Hospital appear to be over based on a January 14, 2021, update posted on the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority website. The issues began last July 23 when the hospital's three sterilizer units simultaneously started producing instruments contaminated by moisture. This means the instruments couldn't be considered sterile because moisture can attract bacteria. A series of eight public updates were issued beginning on July 24 and became much more regular and consistent after I pressured the current Minister. The health authority described efforts taken with the facility operator, Dexterra, Boreal Health Partnership, the Department of Infrastructure, and the sterilization equipment manufacturer. The number of sterile instrument packs produced has been increased, but there is no guarantee the packs are reliably sterile.

The authority reported that elective surgeries were cancelled, which caused enormous anxiety and sometimes physical suffering for many residents who were left waiting. The latest report indicates that all surgeries, including total joint replacements, are being allowed again although there continues to be some staining of towels used in the sterilization process. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about the cause of the sterilization problems, whether the backlog of surgeries has been cleared, and whether we can prevent this happening again. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Mr. Speaker, I am afraid of where our implementation of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is heading. I am afraid it is heading down a road where far too many GNWT action plans end up, a road where some of the low-hanging fruit is picked off, but the larger systemic problems are left unaddressed, caught in an endless cycle of planning and consultation with no meaningful action. Systemic problems can't be solved with a series of minor tweaks to the systems that perpetuate the problems in the first place. Systemic racism is no different, Mr. Speaker. I question whether the GNWT, a government that has had an Affirmative Action Policy in place for over 30 years with little results, is even capable of making the changes needed most.

Mr. Speaker, our government's current work plan goes through each of the calls to justice and is going to assign them into three categories: those that can be implemented immediately, those that can be implemented within one year, and those that require long-term planning. I am afraid that the systemic changes we need most, the calls to justice that we need to address systemic racism, will fall into that third category of long-term planning.

There are a multitude of reasons for this. One, and probably the most significant, being money. All of us in this House know how tight government budgets are, and there is endless need when it comes to government dollars. We in this House could probably spend a billion dollars tomorrow and still find want for $10 billion more. Mr. Speaker, this is why, first and foremost, any action plan developed must be costed. If we don't head down the road of figuring out how much we can reasonably afford, it does not matter how great the action plan is how much long-term planning we do if we don't put the money behind our words.

Mr. Speaker, I know that planning work has to be done, but more importantly, work also has to be done that dismantles the systems and barriers that will get in our way. The inquiry interviewed thousands of people, spent thousands of hours already planning, and it gave us in this House direction in the form of 231 calls to justice. In order to honour the work they did, we must not shy away from the most difficult of those calls to justice. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Northern Addictions Treatment
Members' Statements

Page 2302

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. It's only logical that Northerners undergoing addictions treatment do better when their treatment takes place here in the Northwest Territories. Regrettably, the government fails to understand this fact. That failure shows in the amount of money spent on southern-based treatment. I am talking about payments totaling as much as $2.3 million a year to six southern providers, which the North does without. Regrettably, that is not the only case of the government's failure on the addictions treatment front. Where the Department of Health and Social Services provides for on-the-land healing, it is also falling on its face. Let me explain, Mr. Speaker. At the urging of Northerners, the department has made $1.8 million available to Indigenous organizations wishing to offer on-the-land healing treatment. It's called the On the Land Healing Contribution Fund. Sadly, as of October 2020, only a couple of applicants have pursued this funding.

Mr. Speaker, it's not that communities aren't interested in on-the-land healing. It's that the department isn't bothering to promote this particular funding. It's that eligible groups aren't being properly encouraged. As a result, Mr. Speaker, Northerners are indeed missing out. It is so sad that this government is not being proactive on this particular, very important funding. These are just some of the words from the organizations that I represent, as well. Masi.

Northern Addictions Treatment
Members' Statements

Page 2303

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I brought up dental care in the small communities, especially in the community of Ulukhaktok. This past week, I have been getting calls at 4:30 in the morning and text messages on Messenger. People are needing dental assistance, and there's nothing happening. They go to the health centre. They are given Tylenol and penicillin to help them with the pain, but, Mr. Speaker, we need to get this sorted out. We haven't seen a dentist in the community since last year. When are we starting a start-up plan for the small community dental teams to come into the communities? When is that going to happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to begin, I would like to say that it's the Non-Insured Health Benefits program that offers dental services. The NIHB program uses facilities that belong to NTHSSA. Really, the responsibility here is with Indigenous Services Canada. They were the ones who suspended dental treatment service last March when the COVID pandemic lockdown began. What happened after that is that the Health and Social Services authorities, supported by the leadership council, requested that dental services not be resumed in health centres until a number of issues, including safety concerns that went beyond COVID-19, were resolved and there was an establishment of clear roles and responsibilities for the delivery of this service.

All of this inevitably led to a working group. The working group did its job and came up with a resumption of services plan. There are now six communities that are receiving dental services because they have newer health facilities that meet current air exchange and infection control requirements. Those communities, unfortunately, are not in the Member's riding, but work has not finished on this front. We are calling that Phase 1. In Phase 2, a working group has identified seven more communities where resumption of services might happen, depending on the assessment of the facilities in which those services would be offered. In this case, it is more promising for the Member's riding because it includes both Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok. Once again, the department will be doing facility assessments prior to the end of June and will then be developing a plan to resume services. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

I have a phase, and it's "phase right now." "Phase now." We need help. People are having to fly out. How much is it costing our government to fly people out into Yellowknife and into Hay River for the young children? Why can't we purchase portable units for those health centres across the territory? There must be portable units and some way to be able to provide that service. In regard to that, why is it taking so long? As a government, we have to cover the cost because I have a T in front of my healthcare number. They have to provide service. $38,800 a year we are provided for each resident in the community across the territory. Why is this service taking so long? One year.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

At the Department of Health and Social Services, we really prioritize the safety of our patients. Where facilities were not meeting infection control and ventilation requirements, work could not be done in those facilities. This is not a long-term ban on dental services in these communities, but it's my understanding that teams are now working through potential solutions. The Member has mentioned a couple of potential solutions and maybe they are solutions, but nothing is going to happen with putting portable buildings into Ulukhaktok at this time of year. What is going to happen is that there will be this assessment done by the end of June and a plan developed then. Unfortunately, the residents of Ulukhaktok are going to wait longer for dental services to resume, but that is not because of a lack of money; it's because we want them to receive those services safely.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

I am not asking for a portable unit, Mr. Speaker. I am asking for a portable air exchanger into the building, portable, being plugged in and able to provide service for dental, for air handling. I want commitment from this Minister, Mr. Speaker, in regard to improving dental care in the communities, all 27 communities and my four communities that I represent. We need help, Mr. Speaker. This has to be dealt with. We are not going to wait another year. It's costing this government numerous thousands and thousands of dollars to ship people out when they could do something simple, portable air exchange units. Is it possible for this Minister to commit to getting that done right away?

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Among my many, many, many accomplishments, engineering is not one and so I cannot actually make a commitment to providing a portable air handling unit for the Member's health centres so that dental services can be resumed. What I have told him, and he is not satisfied with, is that there is an assessment that will happen within the next four months and a plan will be developed because, obviously, it is very important to a person's overall health that they have good dental health. The department does not argue with that. I know the Member is really big on "right now," but unfortunately, this is not a problem that lends itself to "right now."

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want a commitment. Government has to come. The six communities that get dental services, all the power to them. Our communities are hurting, and it always becomes the communities are an afterthought in this government. Is that the way we are going to keep on going for something like this under COVID-19? How many studies do you have to do? Get a portable unit; give it to the dental team; fly them in. We need help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Generally, Ulukhaktok has two dental visits a year, so at this point, they would have missed two. My hope is that that's all they are going to miss. There will be two more dental visits in the next fiscal year. I want to just correct the perception that it's only big communities with dental services. The Fort Providence health centre, the Fort Simpson Health Centre, the Fort Resolution Health Centre, the Norman Wells health centre, and the Aklavik Health Centre have all had dental visits within the last two months. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of human resources or Finance. What is the GNWT doing to eliminate systemic racism in its hiring practices? Will the Minister commit to setting numerical targets for the hiring of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour within the GNWT at senior levels of management, not just in entry-level positions? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I had indicated earlier in my Minister's statement, I have two things I want to say. Firstly, is rolling out a very express anti-racism campaign, really speaking to the idea of challenging all of our own mindsets about what is racism and what is anti-racism, as a starting point. That is just one small starting point. Getting to the rub of what I think the MLA is asking me about targets, Mr. Speaker, I have also spoken in the House frequently about the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework that is being developed and put into place over the course of this next fiscal year. It will include targets. The idea of even including those targets is exactly that, that it's more than just the entry level; they are targets that are going to apply to each department, that each department is going to have a responsibility for, but that it will be coming back to human resources so that there is an overarching approach to what is happening in each department.

Mr. Speaker, although this is the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework and we are starting there, this is meant to be really a change of mindset in the way that we are -- representative of the way people think about the government, the way people think about public service, and it's only a starting point. It is really meant to be one that is going to make us more inclusive and more representative of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

All great news I am glad to hear. I just hope things go more quickly rather than dragging out. In our current Affirmative Action Policy, Indigenous Aboriginal men are not designated as a distinct priority group under that policy. Will the Minister commit to including this as part of the upcoming review of the Affirmative Action Policy, including the Indigenous retention and recruitment framework, and ensure that this should lead to ensuring that there is an increased representation within the GNWT itself for Indigenous Aboriginal men?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

I have previously said we are going to take a review of the Affirmative Action Policy. Those reviews have been done many times and many ideas brought forward. There does need to then be collaboration on all sides of the House about bringing forward the actual changes and seeing them through. If, in the course of that review, it's brought to our attention that Indigenous men are a group that requires some specific attention over and above Indigenous persons generally and over above Indigenous women, I am open to receiving that feedback. For the time being, Mr. Speaker, again, I am going to say that going through that process of reviewing that policy is the direction I am going to go, and that is where we will see where that takes us. If, in fact, this is a group that is distinctions based, that requires specific attention. Then again, that review is underway.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I did not have the luxury of listening to the Minister's statement ahead of making my questions. Some of it might get a bit repetitive, but that never hurts, to repeat ourselves if we want to be heard. Often as MLAs, we hear of direct-appointment hires or non-hires for that matter, that seem to directly contradict the GNWT's own Affirmative Action Policy. Will a fairness review of direct-appointment hires be implemented as part of the new Affirmative Action Policy to oversee the ministerial appointments? What sort of corrections or sanctions will be built into the policy for individuals who do display racial bias in their hiring practices?