This is page numbers 4893 - 4918 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

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Okay. Minister of Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure currently has 13 settlement maintainer positions. And I'd just like the Member to know that of the 13, 100 percent are Indigenous. So that's very, very good news for the positions.

These employees are critical to functioning our assets in remote communities. The settlement maintainers, they do have a preventative maintenance, and they complete daily checks on our schools, our health centres, and our office buildings. They also respond to concerns and problems with heating systems, air handling units, washrooms, windows, and more. So, Madam Speaker, they do have the training to be able to do these positions. Thank you.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for describing their functions. What is happening is that they don't have any training program for settlement maintainers as the housing maintainers had a program before. They did the carpentry, the plumbing, and all the basic electrical, plus you sat in front of a furnace and boiler system for about six weeks until you really understood and could wire the systems, because that's what I'm after, is that type of training. These are much needed in our small communities to add value to the positions. And like I said, we don't have any ticketed heating specialists in our communities. So once they people are in that training program and understand the heating system, we got Aurora College, which is empty all the time, for this kind of a program. We need to better utilize that, because we're doing it for the housing maintainers and that's why I'm pushing for the settlement maintainers to get much needed training. I don't know why the Infrastructure department does not understand that. I wonder if the Minister can comment on that. Mahsi.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we understand that. You know, all of our settlement maintainers have a journey person certificate in one of the building or mechanical trades and certification as a small system operator. You know, these are required to have training and knowledge in the National Building Code, plumbing, electrical, and fire code. So they do have the training. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Speaker, I think I've only asked two questions. Madam Speaker, I hear what the Minister is saying, I just don't understand why she's saying they have the required training. And I know that they don't have the required training to be able to perform basic servicing functions that they would have got from training in the Aurora College oil heat technician seminars that they have every spring. They have them for third year plumbers, plus they're open to housing maintainers, and they should be open to settlement maintainers to attend this training so they better understand what they're dealing with, because right now they don't. I'm wondering if the Minister can commit to providing that training this coming spring? Mahsi.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, employees are able to request additional training from their supervisor at any time, and we encourage supervisors to support that when the operational requirements allow. Madam Speaker, we also support settlement maintainers that want to further their education, including programs that are offered through the Aurora College. We also offer mentorship with our journey person staff in the regional centres. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I hear the Minister, but I think the answers are coming from her staff or from within the department, because, you know, I'd really implore this Minister to seriously commit to providing the training that I've been requesting to all settlement maintainers up and down the valley, and many are in isolated communities where we don't have the specialists, and those are the people that are much needed in our communities that can help others too. And I really implore that she provides that training starting in the spring coming up, to settlement maintainers, to the heating systems training that's on for six weeks every spring at the Aurora College, to utilize the building, utilize the services. Mahsi.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure supports the development of all its employees. Employees are supported through many GNWT programs, including the Indigenous Management Development and Training Program. We also support them in any training that they request.

At this time, we do not have plans for a settlement maintainer program within the Department of Infrastructure but I will have my staff reach out to the Department of Housing NWT to be able to learn more about this program the Member's speaking about and see what opportunity may exist. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister explain how the thresholds in the proposed supplementary health benefits were arrived at and what data was used to inform them? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the question. The data was arrived at using income figures supplied by the NWT Bureau of Statistics. The target group for this initiative is people who don't have any insurance of any kind, so the examples were geared towards a lower income threshold. However, there is now a tool on the site which people can enter their income into, and they will find out what level of co-pay they will be required, if any. Thank you.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad to hear about the tool. I think that's really useful, and people can answer their own questions before they come to us to ask. I guess my question would be that data provided by the NWT Bureau of Statistics, how old is that data? I'm curious because we've really seen over the last year or two, post-pandemic, an escalating rise in the cost of living. So I'm wondering if the last two years, that change, has been factored into these thresholds. Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't have that information with me.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm hoping that the Minister will provide me with that information, and I'll take that as a commitment.

Can the Minister explain how the situation of multigenerational living arrangements are going to be taken into account? Often, you know, we've seen in the past where a grandmother is helping out children, and they come to live with her, and then she is penalized for having that additional income in the House even though there is no overall rise to the amount of money she has herself; can the Minister speak to that. Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the intention is to look at individual income at this point. But what I want to stress is that this is not a program at this point. It's a discussion. We have provided four months worth of public consultation, and that now extends until November the 23rd. There are many ways to participate, including a town hall that will take place in mid November with more information to come. So if people feel that there should be a different way of calculating income, that it should be household income or some other form, then certainly that input is welcome. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad to hear that there is still time to input on this. I guess at times, though, in this era of over-consultation and survey burnout, it is tough sometimes for the public to realize that they still can input on things and other times when things are inputted on, the government just does what they want anyway. So not a question, just more of a comment. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

This is to Minister of Health and Social Services. According to the Office of the Auditor General Report, the Department of Health and Social Services does not do enough to provide residents with accessible, coordinated, and culturally safe addiction services. It is not clear from the department's work plan how it intends to address this situation in a meaningful way. Will the Minister commit to working with Indigenous governments to develop a process of consultation and engagement with communities and Indigenous governments outside its Indigenous advisory board? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have not yet heard back from the Standing Committee on the Office of the Auditor General's Report on addictions and aftercare treatment. So that report has not yet been tabled. But I will say, of course, we have accepted all the recommendations. The committee is considering a work plan attached to that. It does not, to the best of my knowledge, anticipate that we are going to disband the Indigenous Advisory Council, which now works with NTHSSA or that we would replace them with Indigenous governments. If I understand the question correctly, we are not planning restructuring; we're planning program responses. Thank you.