This is page numbers 4607 - 4634 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 know.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the heaviest of hearts to deliver this statement on the passing of my dear friend Alfred Moses. I had the privilege of working alongside Alfred as a Cabinet Minister in the 18th Legislative Assembly.

Alfred was the type of person who would light up a room with his vibrant energy when he walked into it. Mr. Speaker, he carried the world on his back and took his role as Minister seriously. As a life-long Northerner, Alfred was committed to helping improve the lives of residents however he could. Oftentimes, he would be frustrated that he couldn't do more. He just wanted to see residents across the territories be successful in their lives.

Alfred was your biggest champion before you even knew him. He would encourage those around him to chase their dreams, to live life to its fullest. He believed in hard work and dedicated much of his life to helping youth and improving the lives of residents, especially those most vulnerable.

Alfred was loyal and cared deeply about anyone he encountered in his life. Whether it was a constituent with concerns, a colleague who needed advice, or a stranger who stopped him on the street, Alfred was always there for those around him.

Mr. Speaker, for eight years Alfred represented his constituents of Boot Lake in Inuvik with honesty and integrity. He spoke fondly of the work he did as a Regular Member, especially his role in the establishment of anti-bullying legislation in the Northwest Territories. As an MLA he put in countless hours on committees, travelling to communities across the territory to hear from residents. He was always willing to listen. As a Minister, Alfred helped implement 9-1-1 in the Northwest Territories along with junior kindergarten and a number of other important initiatives. He has left his mark on the territory in ways that many of us may not know.

The impact that Alfred has had on the Northwest Territories is hard to define. Many of us knew him, and I know that he lives on within all of us. He was inspiring, caring, and had a deep connection to the North. He wanted to make it a better place for all. I, along with many others, will miss him greatly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Our thoughts and prayers are with Alfred's family and the community and the whole territory. Alfred had many friends, especially here. I know a number of Members, including myself, have served with him and all the departments I am sure miss him greatly.

Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, before we continue, last week and over the weekend I had the pleasure of hosting delegates to the 42nd Canadian Parliamentary Seminar here in Yellowknife. We had more than 40 delegates from the House of Commons, eight provinces and two territories. The weather didn't really cooperate with us but we had excellent business sessions, including their attendance at session last Friday morning. I heard many positive comments about our system of government and particularly the thoughtful and respectful way you debated issues in the House. Thanks to each of you for being on your best behaviour; let's keep that going.

Organizing a national conference like this is a lot of work and involves many helping hands. I want to say a special thank you to Danielle Mager, Daniel Aviugana, and Katie Weaver of the clerks' office, and to my assistant Corinne Kruse who did most of the heavy lifting, and also all the staff that helped out.

I also want to thank each of you who attended the sessions, presented topics of interest to our guests, and demonstrated the northern hospitality for which we are so famous. Our delegates had an amazing time, learned lots, and hopefully have a new understanding and appreciation of the challenges we face here in the North. Thank you, Members.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my constituent who is here acting as a page, Quade Simms. Unfortunately, I think he's actually stepped out of the room right now to do a water refill. But I love having the pages here, and one of my favorite activities for being a Member has been to be the page for the parliament. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Friday when we were done at about 12 o'clock and the Minister came down to my office and said the barge services won't be getting into Sachs Harbour. And that's one thing I dreaded and what we've been working together for the last three weeks to try and get in there but due to weather and stuff. But, Mr. Speaker, I just want a commitment from my Minister today, is she able to meet with my leadership that I invited down to -- after to do, like a post-mortem why this should not happen again and working together to make a schedule where everybody's on the schedule that's going to get service that year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm committed to working with the Member and the community, and I just also want to take this opportunity I've apologized to the Mayor Anikina that MTS was unable to make it into Sachs Harbour and would also like to take this first opportunity to apologize to the residents and businesses in Sachs Harbour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. The current resupply of diesel for home heating, power generation, gasoline, and aviation fuels is a major concern for my constituents in Sachs Harbour. Can the Minister tell the Assembly whether is there any need to have any concern? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thankfully there is sufficient fuel stock in the community to be able to meet the needs for a few months. So having sufficient fuel stock on hand does give our staff the leeway to properly plan and deliver products into the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituents in Sachs Harbour already have the highest living costs in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister inform the Assembly and my residents of Sachs Harbour whether any extra cost to the charter aircraft to bring barge freight and all goods and fuel into the community will be passed on to them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to assure the residents of Sachs Harbour that no additional costs will be passed on to them above and beyond what they have already paid for barge service for any barged goods that will have to be brought in by air. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, there will have to be some hard conversations on dealing with the oversized freight. We'll have those conversations with our customers and also be looking at each case and merit and need. So government departments and agencies are also having these conversations on just what can be delayed or what freight needs to get into Sachs Harbour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All freight has got to get into the community for the residents. The Minister can keep, and my mayor's informed of the barging situation, how it unfolded, few weeks. Can the Minister commit to keeping those lines of communication open with myself, Mayor Anikina, and we deal with the Sachs Harbour air resupply to making once it post-motorium 2022 shipping season is complete with the regional leadership to discuss and agree to a path forward and just a timeline for when are we going to start being able to see goods flown into the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The one thing that the department and MTS have already have as a takeaway from this 2022 shipping season is the need for better communication with our customers and the general public, especially when circumstances result in changes to sailing schedules. So most of the questions that were forwarded to my office from MLAs, Ministers, community and leadership, general public had, in fact, had no basis. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, there were rumors that were started in the absent of regular update from MTS. One of my priorities is making sure MTS is resourced to provide these updates next sailing season. And yes, Mr. Speaker, I will keep the MLA and the mayor in the loop, consult as necessary, and provide progress reports. I will also commit in the House to be able to meet with regional leadership once the post-mortem on the 2022 sailing season -- so probably in the new year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everyone in this territory is quite aware of Donny Days, the mandatory time that employees get off between Christmas and New Year's. And, you know, that was brought to the table as a way to kind of counter some increases in pay that the union wasn't asking for; it was more time off. And I have no doubt that we're -- as we enter these next negotiations, given inflation, that similar conversations about fighting over how much of a pay increase is warranted will be happening. So I'm just going to give the Minister of Finance a suggestion there that maybe we offer some similar days off in the form of a four-day workweek. We can call them Caroline Days and keep it ambiguous which of the Carolines can take credit for this.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I'm aware that, you know, I'm not going to get the Minister to spell out her entire bargaining position heading into these negotiations. But I'm just wondering if a reduction in hours or some sort of path towards more four-day workweeks in light of perhaps some record high pay increases is on the table or something she would be willing to bring forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we can have this conversation without even delving into anything to do with bargaining that's upcoming. That, I just want to be very clear, that's the next conversation that's had with the union as a partner. But the conversation about a four-day workweek, I have some good news, I think, for the MLA, which is to say there's actually quite a lot of flexibility right now for many GNWT employees, that they do have the ability to seek flexible work arrangements, part-time work, job sharing. And I certainly would take this opportunity to encourage all employees, all public servants who may be considering that, to actually make the effort and put a proposal forward to their management. The remote work policy is an example that we took to try to increase the available flexibility. All, of course, does depend on meeting the needs of the specific workplace, meeting operational requirements. But there's actually quite a lot available there. So before I necessarily go in and revamp the entirety of the public service collective agreement, you know, again, there's a lot there that has been perhaps underutilized. And it's a post-COVID world, it's an opportunity now to start utilizing the tools that we have. If they're not being -- if they're not effective, if they're not being, you know, properly employed, then let's sort that out at the management level with supervisors and public servants so people can actually use the flexible tools we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, and I'm glad to hear that. I encourage all employees to, you know, if they want to get on flex days, ask their management, and if they want to, you know, have a four-day workweek to contact their local president.

But my next question is, you know, I think we -- what is going on in this territory is every time the GNWT becomes a bit better employer, the private sector struggles and they lose workers to that GNWT. And I do believe that a four-day workweek, that private sector employers, if they adopt it, will be better at retaining and recruiting staff. And I would like our government to kind of push them in that direction.

So my question for the Minister of Finance is whether she would be willing to look into any of the incentive programs that other jurisdictions and countries have adopted to encourage private sector employers to do that, whether that be tax incentives or some sort of grant program when companies sign on for a four-day workweek. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd certainly like to know more about the results that may now be starting to come in with respect to four-day workweeks. I think there was an early idea that this was going to be better for people's mental health but since then, certainly in some of the reading I'm doing, suggests that some people don't like the instability or the constant change. I don't have those answers, Mr. Speaker. But I'd like to know what they are. I have not had a ground swell of private sector entities asking for me to do this. But look, there's always -- you know, there's always room for policy change if, in fact, it is something that will bring benefits to residents, to businesses and ultimately to the labour availability in the North. So if that information comes forward, I'm certainly happy to look at it and see what we can do with it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to clarify, my questions are not for the Minister of Housing, the Power Corp. It's for the Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

So my first question for the Minister is has the GNWT followed the Auditor General's direction to classify the corporation from a government business enterprise to another government organization, and if not, why? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was early in the previous government that a decision was made to replace the previous board of NTPC with the one consisting of deputy ministers. While that change has allowed an opportunity for greater alignment between the NWT Power Corporation with priorities of this GNWT, the corporation is the sole shareholder and we also recognize that this type of board governance should be reviewed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.