Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2022
This is page numbers 5051 - 5086 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 housing.
Topics
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 291-19(2): Northwest Territories Community Flood Response
- Minister's Statement 292-19(2): Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey
- Minister's Statement 293-19(2): National Housing Day
- Member's Statement 1281-19(2): Housing
- Member's Statement 1282-19(2): Hay River Harbour
- Member's Statement 1283-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
- Member's Statement 1284-19(2): Indigenous Disability Month
- Member's Statement 1285-19(2): Budget Transparency
- Member's Statement 1286-19(2): Recognition
- Member's Statement 1287-19(2): Tu Nedhe Wiilideh Constituency Budget Allocations
- Member's Statement 1288-19(2): Recognition
- Member's Statement 1289-19(2): Supplementary Health Budgets
- Member's Statement 1290-19(2): Open Sky Festival
- Member's Statement 1291-19(2): Supporting Youth
- Member's Statement 1292-19(2): Families of Canadian Soldiers
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Acknowledgement 7-19(2): Order of Saint John Life Saving Award
- Question 1295-19(2): Kole Crook Fiddle Jamboree
- Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
- Question 1297-19(2): Housing
- Question 1298-19(2): Disabled Tenants Support
- Question 1299-19(2): Budget Transparency
- Question 1300-19(2): Integrated Service Delivery
- Question 1301-19(2): Indigenous Government Support
- Question 1302-19(2): Support for Youth at Risk
- Question 1303-19(2): Tu Nedhe Wiilideh Constituency Support
- Question 1304-19(2): Support for Youth Sports
- Question 1305-19(2): Addressing Homelessness
- Written Question 54-19(2): Carbon Tax and the Cost of Living
- Tabled Document 794-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 65: Builder's Lien Act Tabled Document 795-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 68: An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act Tabled Document 796-19(2): Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021 Annual Report
- Tabled Document 797-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act Tabled Document 798-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act Tabled Document 799-19(2): Northwest Territories 9-1-1 2021-2022 Annual Report
- Tabled Document 800-19(2): Housing NWT 2021-2022 Annual Report
- Tabled Document 801-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Questions 1210-19(2): Treatment Programs, Oral Question 1232-19(2): Addictions Treatment, and Oral Question 1255-19(2): Addictions Treatment
- Tabled Document 802-19(2): Letter from Fertility Matters
- Tabled Document 803-19(2): Redacted Report from the Department of Health and Social Services from the Internal Audit Bureau obtained under Access to Information
- Tabled Document 804-19(2): Email Exchange with Environmental Health Officer Regarding Lanky Court
- Tabled Document 805-19(2): Summary of Members' Absence for the Period May 26 to October 12, 2022
- Motion 68-19(2): Establishment of a Special Committee on Transition Matters, Carried
- Motion 69-19(2): Extended Adjournment of the House to February 7, 2023, Carried
- Motion 70-19(2): Amendments to the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, Carried
- Motion 71-19(2): Reappointment of Members to the Northwest Territories Honours and Advisory Council, Carried
- Bill 71: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024
- Bill 65: Builder's Lien Act, Carried
- Bill 66: An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, Carried
- Bill 67: An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act, Carried
- Bill 68: An Act to Amend the Child Daycare Act, Carried
- Bill 71: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024, Carried
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 71: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024, Carried
- Assent to Bills
- Orders Of The Day
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5062

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Member is correct. We did have a meeting with the Tlicho government to advance the project. The phase that we're working on right now is to be advanced, which includes some of the preliminary planning. There is design, consultation, engagement activities, environmental baseline studies, and also development of a refined capital costs estimate. And I think that's really important, Madam Speaker, as we advance these projects. We need to ensure that the cost estimates are correct so when we go to the federal government looking for some support, that we have up-to-date cost estimates. And, yes, I will work with the government and continue to work with the government as I believe that's what we're doing now. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5062

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
Thank you. On October 31st, I asked the Minister of Finance about the charging station for electrical vehicles coming to Behchoko in 2024. Who are these charging stations for? Is the government more concerned with seeing electrical vehicles on the road along Highway No. 3 over hydro lines connecting Highway No. 3 homes and cabins to the grid? Tlicho residents do not drive electric vehicles because many of us are still using diesel to power our homes. Thank you.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm not sure if I heard a question in there. But I will respond to the Member's comments in saying that, yes, the Minister of Finance did talk about the budget and the electrical vehicles. This is part of our 2030 Energy Strategy, Madam Speaker. These are some of the projects that we need to start doing now to be able to meet targets, meet federal targets. So, I mean, yes, the electrical vehicles will be situated in Behchoko, and our hope is that it would be used for anybody that needs to connect to the corridor to Alberta. So those are our plans right now. Thank you.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
Yeah, I did ask who are these charging stations for, but I'll go on to next questions.
The Minister previously told the House in June her department would finalize the routing corridor for the Whati Transmission Line by fall 2022. Did the department meet this target? Thank you.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that was our hope. We did look at some of the options on the routing. We're trying to connect the Whati to the North Slave hydro system, to go along the existing winter road roughly about the east -- to the west side to be able to connect to our current hydro facility directly. So I can get back to the Member in terms of timeline for when we will have it done. Thanks.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
Thank you. The Minister said the Department of Infrastructure would collaborate with the Tlicho government on the routing corridor. Can the Minister explain in detail what input the Tlicho government have on the project and how they participated? Thank you.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, how much time do we have? Because we've been doing a lot of -- having a lot of conversation and if she wants me to go in detail, I can. It'll take some time but I won't. Actually, I will speak a little more about some of the meetings we had the Tlicho government to be able to discuss this project, including the Tlicho government's suggested use of a progressive design build approach. We also -- which consisted with the GNWT, Tlicho government, Infrastructure cooperation agreement. So we have that agreement in place so that we can work with the Tlicho government and, you know, be able to determine who should lead the different aspects of this project, and I think that's important to involve Tlicho government in this. They provided the GNWT with the proposal to initiate some of the technical refresh study to identify an acceptable routing corridor for the project, also update the cost estimate as I mentioned. So the GNWT and Tlicho are working together in a partnership to do this study, which started in May. And fall is not over. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Question 1296-19(2): Highway No. 3 Transmission Line
Oral Questions
Page 5063
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
November 3rd, 2022
Page 5063

Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, yesterday I received a very negative response from the housing Minister on behalf of some constituents. In short, there is now an Indigenous elderly woman, along with her daughter, who are now homeless and couch surfing. It is moments like these that I feel demoralized, defeated, and disgusted at the system.
Can the Minister explain if her department supports reconciliation despite putting more vulnerable Indigenous people onto the street with some of her decisions? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
Page 5063
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
Page 5063

Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you to the Member for her question. And just commenting on this specific file, we have seen a lot of situations like this occur throughout the Northwest Territories. We are currently under a policy review. We are looking at establishing and working with the renewal document that we have completed this year. Throughout the success of Housing NWT, we are concentrated on putting units on the ground, working with people productively, and looking for positive outcomes. We have a number of programs that are suitable for each of the residents of the Northwest Territories, and Housing NWT does work diligently with each of the clients throughout the Northwest Territories. We do support our local housing authorities in them establishing work on our behalf. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
Page 5064

Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Madam Speaker, defeating a person who is trying to make things right is not okay. My constituent is correcting herself and is trying to better her life. Rather than working with other departments in an integrated case management approach to support this person, the housing Minister is choosing instead to shut the door on her and have her to be homeless. Is the Minister okay with that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
Page 5064

Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I want to correct that - Housing is not here to completely say "no" to each of our clients and we do find problematic situations with our tenants. We are here to work with them fairly throughout the Northwest Territories. I have identified a number of programming that is available to the individual, and we are there to support each of our tenants fairly throughout the Northwest Territories and through a collaboration with the Indigenous governments as well. We look forward to successes in each of our communities. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Question 1297-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions
Page 5064

Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Madam Speaker, since the Minister is also the Minister of Homelessness, the unfairness of another constituent case is not okay either. Defending staff who make wrong decisions is not okay. My constituent who lost his house to a tornado has to crawl onto an airplane every time he flies because of his mobility issues. This is a man who worked 35 years for the Government of the Northwest Territories and trusted the system to be fair with him but was failed. Is the Minister okay with that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
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