This is page numbers 4861 - 4892 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.

Topics

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not to my knowledge and, you know, and I expect that there wouldn't have been. I'm going back now somewhat in my memory now but there was early in -- early on I had spoken actually with proponents from Northwestel very early on in this stage, and it was quite clear to me that there's not a market case for this request. There's not a market for cell towers in this stretch of highway, even being the busiest. There's certainly not a market to cover the rest of the highways around the Northwest Territories or other rural remote regions all around Canada. And I -- again, Mr. Speaker, what we're hoping is that as some of the satellite options become available and satellite cell services are becoming -- satellite telephone services become available, this may be a direction that we can take to help improve coverage for across the Northwest Territories. 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. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment who's responsible for the Employment Standards Act. Really, all I can say is I've brought this up many times before, and will the Minister introduce paid sick leave in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't be the Minister to introduce legislation for paid sick leave but as I stated when the Member asked these questions back in February and then before that in December, we are looking -- the department is looking into amendments to the Employment Standards Act. They've completed a cross-jurisdictional scan across Canada and discovered there's a number of areas where we need to improve our legislation to modernize it. As part of that work, we are going to go out and engage with employers, with employees, and ask these types of questions. You know, do you provide sick leave? Do you want to see something like this legislated? So that work is happening. We expect all of the engagement to be done by the end of this Assembly, leaving the door wide open for the next government to look at making those types of changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

I don't have any further questions. I hope the next Assembly gets this done. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North, take that as a comment.

Colleagues, before we continue, I'd like to recognize my new CA Ms. Diane Koe. Welcome to the Chamber. Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation. Will the Minister commit to review the process it went through from posting the tender 6074 to awarding it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will look at that review, and I will follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also will ask the Minister of NWT Housing if she can commit to looking at some -- you know, just do a random of the tenders that have been awarded in my community from her department and just do a random check just to see if they are following the process that they should be following and if she can commit to that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And yes, to the Member, I will follow up with that as well because there should be annual or else monthly quarterly checks at least when we're looking at these tenders going out for us to be more consistent with what it is that we are putting out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1245-19(2): Housing Contracts
Oral Questions

October 27th, 2022

Page 4879

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to also ask for a commitment that the Minister will, when ensuring when departments are putting "local content," that they are indeed local and they are indeed under defined -- like, the definitions we have in the BIP. So they're companies that local suppliers. You know, if I can go and I can purchase from them publicly, then they are a local supplier with a local content, if they are a resident there and companies there. So that's what I will ask to make sure that future tenders, if they're given local content and BIP adjustments, that they are and that her department is following up on that. Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. And I will make sure that -- I will reinforce the local content that is required with these public tenders going out, and once contracts are awarded that they are using local businesses to complete our projects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the one last thing that I'd like to ask the Minister is that moving forward, you know, when businesses are deemed ineligible, that that be public for people -- like, for all, because, you know, I think that this is a thing that we need to stand by our NWT businesses and if people are defaulting and spending public dollars not in the means that they are supposed to, then those lists should be made public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to take this and review it with the department, and I will follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, today, when the Minister was replying to questions from the MLA for Great Slave, she indicated that the GNWT provides services to treat underlying medical conditions that cause infertility. But I have constituents who have underlying medical conditions requiring treatment before IVF is possible and this is not supported by the GNWT or by medical travel. So who decides what conditions are recognized and which ones are not? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Member but I'm not able to answer that question; I'll have to take it on notice. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral Questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice.

In June of 2020, I called on then Minister of Justice to draft missing persons legislation for the Northwest Territories in response to the MMIWG Call for Justice number 5.8.

This summer the Department of Justice started the call for feedback for potential missing persons legislation here in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister inform the House what kind of feedback was received? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Justice.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that's correct, between June 16th and July 25th of this year, the Department of Justice held public engagement. So the engagement consisted of an unanimous online survey that asked residents a number of questions related to missing persons legislation. The department also sent letters directly to Indigenous governments, mayors, the RCMP, and various other partners and stakeholders to invite them to participate in the survey. We received 81 responses. Most questions -- or most had a strong consensus. While many residents agreed that law enforcement should be able to access some private information to aid in an investigation for a missing person, privacy and protection of personal information was a common concern and most respondents agreed that law enforcement should limit the information publicly released about missing persons.

A significant number of respondents believed that the information accessed by law enforcement about third parties related to missing persons cases should be limited. Respondents wanted clear legislation with an emphasis on limiting jargon where possible. Some also called for legislation specifically accounting for vulnerable groups of missing persons fleeing from domestic abuse or those who cannot or do not want to return home. Thank you.