This is page numbers 2743 - 2774 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 health.

Topics

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Round 2. I have a question for the community of -- we have our teaching staff that are being -- I guess school year is ending in 17 days. We have some people in our communities that haven't been vaccinated yet. I'm just wondering if we could get an updated list of when are we able to get the vaccinations prior to the 17 days, prior to the teachers leaving. So it would have to be done sooner rather than later so they could go home for the summer, Mr. Speaker. So that's the first question. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've been vaccinating teachers along with the rest of the population, 18 plus, since March. There have been three trips in to Tuktoyaktuk to provide vaccinations. If there are people who still require vaccinations, they should call the health centre and make that need known so that another trip into Tuk can be planned. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are -- people are calling to get vaccinated. The reason why the holdup is you need ten people to go through one of the vials of the vaccine. And I think people are starting to get really frustrated. I had to go to Inuvik for my second shot because I need to get that done. So we need another go-around in Tuk or in my other communities as well for the teachers, just to make sure that they're vaccinated prior to them leaving for the summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a limiting factor, until yesterday, was that there was no nonessential travel in and out of Yellowknife. And communities made it very clear to us that they did not want to see people from Yellowknife in their communities. That, fortunately, is now over. So we are in a position where we can go back to Tuktoyaktuk and the smaller communities.

One of the reasons that the department wanted to acquire the Pfizer vaccine is because there are six doses in a vial rather than ten. So that means there needs to be fewer people on the waiting list in order to make wastage a very small consideration in making a trip like this. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, we want Moderna, not Pfizer. You know, we're worried about what's been happening with the blood clotting with that. I'm not a professional, I just hear people's concerns about it. So I really would like to make sure that our Minister is telling the Beaufort Delta health committee to get people in to get the final shots for the professional and then for my -- the constituents that never took it, because a lot of them were pretty, not -- like, more concerned about seeing what's happening before they get -- everybody else gets their needles. So now that everybody else is doing good so now they want to get their needle. So we need it done as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not aware of the same kind of adverse effects with the Pfizer vaccine as there have been with the AstraZeneca vaccine. They are different kinds of vaccines. And I don't know a lot about how they're different. I just can tell you that they are apples and oranges in terms of vaccines.

But what I can say is that we are very interested in going back to communities and providing more vaccinations. Just as the Member said, this is what we hoped, that people would see that those who got vaccinated did great, they have a lot more freedom, they can isolate for less time and so on. And so I encourage him to encourage his constituents to get vaccinated as soon as the schedule has the Tuk and Nunakput communities on it. And I'll make sure to send him a notice when that schedule is developed. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final short supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really want to urge my constituents in Nunakput to go and get vaccinated when it's provided by the health authorities in the communities and just to make sure that, you know, get it done, and it's going to shorten up your medical travel; it's going to shorten up your time for isolation, and keeps everybody safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. I take it as a comment, unless the Minister would like to respond. Thank you. Colleagues, our time for oral questions has expired. In the future, we'll have to keep our preamble and answers to the point just to give other Members a chance to ask questions. Thank you. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to Commissioner's Address. Petitions. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism, and Investment.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Rolling action! The Next 5 Years: Northwest Territories Film & Media Sector Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2026. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Education, Culture, and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 544-19(2) Mental Health During the Pandemic, and Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 696-19(2) Illicit Drug Trade. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: NWT Schools Capital Needs Assessment Summary, Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, April 22, 2003. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission, 2021, is hereby established; and further, that the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories that the Honourable Ted Richard of Sydney, British Columbia, be appointed Chairperson, and Mr. Glen Abernethy of Yellowknife, NWT, and Mr. Jack Rowe of Hay River, NWT, be appointed members of the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the following guidelines are set down for the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission, 2021:

1. The commission shall review the existing electoral districts using the most recent and accurate census and other population data available.

2. In keeping with Canadian constitutional conventions, relative parity between electoral districts shall be sought, to the extent possible, except where special circumstances warrant exceptional deviation.

3. For greater certainty, relative parity means that the percentage variation between the number of persons in a riding and the average mean should be within plus or minus 25 percent.

In addition to whatever recommendations the commission may propose, the commission shall recommend how the Electoral Boundaries commission should be drawn if the Legislative Assembly were to be comprised of a minimum of 19 members.

5. The commission shall prepare an interim report with proposed electoral district boundaries for review by the public and discussion at public hearings.

6. The commission shall establish a website or other publically accessible mechanisms, in addition to public hearings, to receive submissions on the existing and/or proposed boundaries.

7. All submissions to the commission shall be considered public documents.

8. Simultaneous translation of official languages shall be available at public hearings where the use of an official language in a particular community or region is sizable enough to warrant the employ of translation services.

9. If the commission is not in a position to establish its mandate within the existing budget allocated, it may return to the Legislative Assembly for additional funds.

10. The final report of the commission, complete with recommendations, shall be submitted in English and French to the Speaker and Clerk of the Legislative Assembly no later than twelve months after the Commission is struck.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Motions. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Madam Premier.

Bill 33: National Indigenous Peoples Day
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 2755

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, I will move that Bill 33, National Indigenous Peoples Day Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 33: National Indigenous Peoples Day
Notices Of Motion For First Reading Of Bills

Page 2755

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Notices of Motion for the First Reading of Bills. First Reading of Bills. Minister responsible for Education, Culture, and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake that Bill 30, an Act to Amend the Aurora College Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 30 has had first reading. First Reading of Bills. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.