The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by again expressing my gratitude to all the health and social services workers in the Northwest Territories. These dedicated professionals have been serving the needs of residents through some very difficult times. I want to assure staff, as well as my colleagues here today and residents of the Northwest Territories, that the Department of Health and Social Services is working hard to find solutions that will ease the pressure on the system.

Mr. Speaker, the results of the retention and recruitment survey of nurses conducted in November 2021 indicated that in the first year of the pandemic, 94 percent of the nurses in the territory experienced symptoms of burnout and 90 percent were asked to work overtime. This problem has reached a point where many health professionals are choosing to leave their field, retire, or reduce their working hours. There is tremendous competition to recruit physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners to work in every jurisdiction in the country. Staffing shortages have become so severe that service reductions in healthcare have not only become necessary but in many places they have become routine.

As of June 2022, the vacancy rate for nurses in the territory was 25.7 percent. That rate, while slightly lower than the same period last year, is a significant increase from September 2020 when the vacancy rate was 9.7 percent. By the way, the vacancy rate for family practitioners and specialists in the Northwest Territories was 42 percent in June.

Mr. Speaker, our health and social services leadership team has heard the concerns of staff, and we recognize their need for a better work-life balance. Their mental health, safety, job performance, and satisfaction depend on it, as does the sustainability of the system.

We have taken several steps to address staffing shortages. Indeterminate staff have been temporarily reassigned as needed to support critical service areas. The health authorities have used a combination of locums, casual, and agency nurses to cover staffing shortages. Mr. Speaker, we have begun using paramedics to assist in hospitals at acute care emergency room operations as well as to provide support in small community health centres.

To address the regular staffing challenges during the holiday season, we introduced the Friend and Family Travel Program in which all casual, term, and indeterminate frontline nurses and physicians scheduled to work at least five days between December 20th to January 4th can bring two family members or friends to their northern place of employment. Based on our survey results and our engagement with nurses, we know that 85 percent learned about employment opportunities in the Northwest Territories by word of mouth and by visiting the government's website. To encourage more word-of-mouth recruitment, we have created an incentive for GNWT employees to refer healthcare professionals to work in the territory.

Mr. Speaker, we know that building relationships with staff early in their tenure in a new community increases their likelihood of success in their role and increases retention rates. Four onboarding specialist positions have been created within the health authorities to provide a thorough orientation and help new hires settle into their new environment. We have increased locum pay to remain competitive with other jurisdictions in Canada. In addition, locum physicians are reimbursed for the cost of licensing fees upon completing a contract with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. We continue to cover nurse licensing fees as well. We are also working to issue licenses to physicians as quickly as possible so they can work as soon as possible.

These are the immediate steps the department has taken to address staffing shortages. The Health and Social Services Human Resources Plan, which was tabled during the June session, outlines our medium and long-term plans for recruitment and retention.

Mr. Speaker, these initiatives will help Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to avoid further service reductions and improve work-life balance for employees. We recognize the value of the wonderful staff we have who are devoted to serving the residents of the Northwest Territories. We must ensure that retention remains our top priority as we continue to find creative ways to stay competitive in our recruitment efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements.

Colleagues, before we continue, I would like to draw your attention to the presence in the public gallery of a number of visiting parliamentarians, parliamentary officers, and accompanying persons who are here in Yellowknife this weekend to attend the 42nd Canadian Regional Parliamentary Seminar. MPs and MLAs from across Canada will be participating in a number of business sessions in the coming days commencing with the observation of statements and questions in the Chamber this morning. I suspect those of you who serve in partisan legislatures will find our unique style of consensus government a real change of pace. I have asked all our Members to be on their best behaviour while you are here. Just kidding.

These gatherings give us a chance to share our ideas and experiences and create important political connections no matter where we come from in Canada or what political stripes we wear. I sincerely welcome you all to the Northwest Territories and to our Assembly. There are so many of you to name -- to name everyone this morning but I do want to make special mention of a few of my fellow speakers who are in attendance: Speaker Raj Chouhan of British Columbia; Speaker Myra Driedger of Manitoba; Speaker Bill Oliver of New Brunswick; and Speaker Tony Akoak of Nunavut. Welcome to you all, and I look forward to productive discussions in the coming days. Thank you very much.

Members' statements. Member for Hay River South

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I actually just want to make a quick comment, that he actually did ask us to be nice.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about fairness, equity, and respect. Mr. Speaker, I have received numerous emails and calls on this topic from health workers in Hay River. Those emails paint a picture of dwindling morale as these workers hear that their counterparts within the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority have received a labour market supplement while there was no provision made for those within the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

Mr. Speaker, health workers in Hay River have provided exceptional service to all residents over the years and even more so during the last two and half years as they dealt with the pandemic, flood, and staff shortages. The stress associated with this is only now being realized by many of those health workers. To add to that stress, they now hear that there may be no wage supplement for them. In their own words, they are feeling disrespected, undervalued, and underpaid. The many hours and shifts required, the time away from family, staff shortages, and their commitment to providing timely medical care and services to residents must be recognized, and this recognition comes in the form of fairness and compensation.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT recognized that in exceptional circumstances there is a need to address labour retention and shortages by quickly adjusting compensation packages. This recognition resulted in establishing the Labour Market Supplement Policy, a policy that only exists within this government and is not part of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

Mr. Speaker, as with many contracts, if there is an agreement between the parties, there is then a path to move forward to resolve an issue. In this instance, with agreement from the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the union, and the GNWT, a memorandum of agreement could be pursued that would provide a market supplement to Hay River Health and Social Services Authority employees.

Mr. Speaker, the supplement I talked about has been quantified. We know it will now be paid to a number of Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority employees. Precedence has been set. So let us extend it to employees of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. As we are in this together, let us provide fair and equal treatment when it comes to the labour market supplement for all healthcare workers. Thank you

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to say thank you to all my frontline workers in the communities of Nunakput and to my constituents, our passed elders, our elders. Our elders in the communities are always ready to listen, to help and assist us as leaders and as regular people. Our youth, our future, you know, keep being resilient. I know we live in the most northerly communities in the North and that's what makes us so good. Frontline staff, our RCMP, our nursing stations, our social workers, our teachers, the Canadian Rangers, our mental health workers, our hamlet garage staffs in all communities, our housing, the management, the Inuvialuit Corporate Group, and, Mr. Speaker, all our volunteers that do so much that never get really recognized but thank them for what they do. Sachs Harbour, my leadership, Mayor Norman Anikina and council. John Lucas and the community corp of Sachs Harbour, and his board. Paulatuk, Ray Ruben and his council. Lawrence Ruben and the Paulatuk Community Corp, his board. Ulukhaktok, Josh Oliktoak and his council. Collin Ituna for community corporation. Tuk, my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, my mayor Erwin Elias and Ryan Yakeleya. We've been working together this last month really closely for all of what's been happening in my home community, and, you know, we've got through and we're still working together to make sure the communities in the riding is working together to get things done.

To all our HTCs who take care of our land and take care of the resources, which is our caribou and what's needed to be looked at.

Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank my good friend Jordin Tootoo for coming to Tuk. I called him up. And he just doesn't go on short notice. Almost a year out you have to wait but I knew him since he was 15 years old. And I called him and I said this is what's happening in my own community; I need your help. The young youth wanted him to come up. And that's why Jordin came, is because I called him and he wanted to help us with our youth. And now we're looking at planning a bigger for the Beaufort Delta in coming April. So all the youth get to see him and get motivated by him. He's such an awesome young man, and he is doing so good, you know, for our youth and the kids loved him. And I just really want to thank him for coming and thank all the leadership. And I miss doing the lunch and breakfast program in my home community of Tuk for the students. But, Mr. Speaker, I wouldn't be able to do what I do without thanking my wife Jenny for being behind me with all this last couple of months in trying times in my community and being there for me to be able to do what I do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned this in the House before, you know, and when I come to Yellowknife I go for a drive. I go for a drive down Ingraham Trail. I drive around, and it's so nice to be able to drive on chip seal and pavement, even out to your campgrounds. So, you know, I want to take this time to just explain a little bit about what goes on in my community.

This summer the constituency of Inuvik had a lot of work done occurring on our Dempster Highway widening project. Not only did two of the local contractors from the region bid on it but were successful in an open process to do this work. And it looks like those two sections were completed on time and on budget from what I'm hearing. Road construction contracts in my community and my region are vital to keeping local contractors providing jobs to our local residents which keeps the food on the table and the lights on. Mr. Speaker, part of the work that was completed this summer was the widening of the Marine Bypass Road. And I must say, Mr. Speaker, a job well done by the contractor and the department on that section.

Mr. Speaker, the bypass road in Inuvik is not only used by vehicles but it's also used by the people out for walks, exercise, as well as other recreational activities. I can say even as far back some of my colleagues in here remember PE class where we had to run the 5 kilometre run in the school at the bypass. So it's used for many, many different activities. Now that the snow has started to fall at home, you can hardly notice the one complaint that we all have at that part of the road for about five months of the year, Mr. Speaker, mud and dust. Mud and dust.

That is something that is so common to us up in the Delta. The dust some days carries throughout the town and can be a nuisance, can even creep in -- it does creep into all of our homes when the windows are left open. It can also be a real safety issue for vehicles and pedestrians alike. Flying rocks can also be very dangerous for the people that use this portion of the road. And that's not even talking about the mud that occurs when it rains. It also makes it very dangerous.

Mr. Speaker, today I'll have questions for the Minister, and I'll be looking for a commitment to finally chip seal or pave that portion of the road, Mr. Speaker, so that our residents of Inuvik can enjoy it to the fullest and finally put an end to the annoying, dangerous, unhealthy cloud of dust, flying rocks and mud, that the residents of Inuvik face every year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. On the first day of the last sitting, I asked questions about the limited public engagement opportunities in the ongoing development of new mining regulations. Why is this important? Because hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake in potential government revenues. The regulations will determine when and how people may get notified about mineral exploration, whether there will be any enforceable benefits from larger projects, if more or all of the geoscience collected during exploration is going to publicly reported and saved, and lots more. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and staff proposed that public engagement take place from May to July but not much has happened so far. There is rather general information on a single web page and the ability to submit comments on this list of vague topics. The timeline is slipping, and public engagement may not happen now until spring of next year.

Several contracts have been issued for research as follows, but none of it has been made available to the public:

• $24,000 study by two former ITI employees on map staking;
• $100,000 contract for legal assistance with potential dispute resolution between mining companies and the Minister; and.
• $200,000 contract for policy advice from the University of Calgary on how mining rights are managed elsewhere.

I applied under Access to Information and got the first report on map staking and I tabled it in the House in the last sitting. It's not clear if and when ITI will release any of these secret documents or internal research. Discussion papers and options papers have been developed and discussed at a technical working group of Indigenous government staff, and I support that process. But I also applied for these documents too under access to information almost six months ago. I was told I had to pay $260 to get what I expect will be heavily redacted documents. I'm still waiting for those documents, Mr. Speaker. Meanwhile, the Department is holding detailed secret meetings with the mining industry to develop these regulations.

Draft regulations are supposed to be posted in the spring, but comments and responses may not be public. I am worried that Cabinet will try to ram through new mining regulations just before or during the election when accountability and public engagement are low. Clearly, we can and should be doing a lot better, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the lower grades, specifically JK to grade 3. I don't believe we have ever seen any statistics as to grade levels in relation to the rest of Canada. This will give us an indication whether we need to improve the curriculum in order to set up the students for a better understanding and development of their learning capabilities.

Mr. Speaker, when I campaigned in October of 2019, I heard a lot of concerns from parents that these students were not taught English until they reached grade 4. I believe there was a Dene language immersion program in one of the communities set up as a pilot program was Fort Providence, amongst some other small communities.

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen any evaluations nor reviews of this program, whether we are seeing any success or if there are any other challenges that we should know about. Parents have concerns that only being taught in Dene Zhatie' language could be an impediment to their children's learning success at an early age. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the education Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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