This is page numbers 4017 - 4060 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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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 4019

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I myself want to acknowledge my colleague's children here attending our session today. It's very inspiring to see these young constituents here. It reminds me of myself when my mom had taken interpretation when we were looking at Dene Nation in Good Hope. I was a child like that as well too, and observing my mom in leadership. And I also want to acknowledge my colleague MLA Semmler as well too, with her grandmother as well in the leadership roles. We were children, and we were in the same seats as well too. So thanks to the children for coming and you are very inspiring. Mahsi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 4019

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you Member for Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome once again to the gallery and it is always good to have an audience. After a good year and a half of nobody in our audience, it is really good to have people back so welcome once again, mahsi.

Acknowledgments. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I spoke about in my Member's statement, when reviewing the capital budget this year a couple times I asked, you know, what do we think that school's going to cost or what do we think that transmission line's going to cost, and the Minister would always reply as, you know, that the policy is, due to concerns with procurement and, you know, kind of telling everyone what we want them to bid or what -- they'll just bid up to that, that we could never talk about those numbers.

I'm just -- my questions are for the Minister of Finance, is whether we can review this policy to see which projects it would be reasonable to give some sort of estimated cost publicly on, or to at least give the amount that we're approving in the current capital budget year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We can certainly -- and we're always striving to ensure that what we publish and what we put out is accurate and as fulsome as possible and of course having to also balance the fact that there are procurement issues and procurement's concerns about wanting to be fair and open and go through that process in a way that doesn't negatively impact on the competitive nature of that process.

So Mr. Speaker, right now we have a budget that gets appropriated one year at a time. We put the numbers out one year at a time. And that is, right now, how we're planning to continue at the same time, again as I've said, if we can look at getting information about the projects that have on the agenda out further, we can certainly consider doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And perhaps the way capital budget is defined by Finance and accountants is not the way to do this. I'm wondering if, and I think this would probably be a conversation with Infrastructure, if we could publish, you know, a five-year capital plan which shows the ranges of each project and what they're expected to cost, because right now the capital budget is a point in time snapchat -- snapshot. We just -- we approved $3 million of a $60 million project that will eventually roll out over the years, and it's next to impossible to track. So I'm wondering if we could go out and publish our five-year capital plan that actually shows some of the estimates costs on the projects we're building, of the billions of dollars we are spending. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Mr. Speaker, when we go out and do industry day, we certainly do make an effort to provide the industry information about what's coming up in future years. What is not included is the specific price or budget that's associated to it. That's the element that is the concern around not impacting on procurement. But to the extent that we want to get more information about the content of what is planned without necessarily impeding the ability to go out and do a competitive process, yes, then that element of it, I think we can certainly look at making sure we've got more about what projects are coming and, as I've said before, specifically what projects are coming to which community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not quite convinced of the tendering concern. I've seen many governments say, you know, the estimated cost of a school is $20 million and then bids come in at 30. I don't -- I'm not sure that -- that it's going to prejudice that much.

But the other problem I have is that we actually don't publish anywhere the actual costs of projects once they're expended. The public accounts wrap up all of the infrastructure actuals into very large numbers but nowhere is information on specific projects, once they're actually done, posted. I can go through all of the contract exercises and piece together who won what tenders and what they -- the final bid amount was after that's done. But, you know, we have no idea after years later when it's constructed what the actual costs came out to be with change orders and delays and whatnot. I'm wondering if we can find a way to publish what it actually costs to build some of our infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, so the Member's already identified that we do, in fact, publish that information. It's not in a format that necessarily attaches project by project. There's contract reporting. There's public accounts. So the fact of the matter is all the information is already public. It's a matter of reorganizing it. Mr. Speaker, I know the comptroller general's office is very keen to look at better ways always of putting information out. So yes, we can take this back and look at finding a better to communicate what has been spent on individual projects. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the way we do our capital budgeting, as I said, is that snapshot year to year, you know, it's $5 million one year of a $60 million project. And I think this has led to the Minister of Finance and Infrastructure getting far too many questions than they need about carryovers. It is understandable in a multimillion dollar project that it's going to roll out over a number of years and it's not going to line up perfectly to fiscal years. But we do carry over quite a lot of our capital budget, and I'm wondering if the Minister can work to publish some more information about, you know, why things are being carried over. What was it, delays? Was it design? Or was it simply just that we put too much money upfront to make sure that, you know, the Assembly would actually approve it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, it's not putting more money upfront so that the Assembly approves it. That's certainly been my experience that it actually tends to be sometimes the opposite. But all the other examples that the Member gives are quite valid. They are all discussed when we come forward when the House sees whether it's the capital plan or whether there's fiscal updates, questions about individual projects. So there's certainly plenty of that information already out there, and if it's a matter of simply changing where we report that, putting it out better, you know, in the last two years, Mr. Speaker, we started to put out contract reports. They're done graphically, visually, all with a view to putting out the information about what we're doing, how we're doing it, why we're doing it. So certainly that I'm more than happy to say that we'll find a way that we can get that information out so that folks are knowing what's getting built and what isn't get built and why. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for -- oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Question 1033-19(2): Ukrainian Immigration and Aid
Oral Questions

March 11th, 2022

Page 4020

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier.

Can the Premier tell us if there have been any discussions with the federal government around bringing Ukrainian refugees to the Northwest Territories or Canada similar to how we took care of the Syrians when they were in their conflict? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven't personally had those conversations with the prime minister yet but I do know that the deputy minister of ECE has had conversations. So you might want to defer that to ECE. Thank you, Minister -- or Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been engaged with the federal government. Yesterday the deputy minister met with the deputy ministers from across Canada who are responsible for immigration, and conversations have begun. We also have the forum of ministers responsible for immigration. That is an ongoing group, and these discussions are being had in that forum as well. And based on those discussions, we will be taking next steps. But I know the federal government has created -- has made changes to the immigration program specifically for Ukraine. There's a Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel which expedites the process. It removes some of the Visa requirements. It adjusts the vaccination requirements based on some of the comments made by the Member. And there's a special rep family reunification stream as well that I believe they're also looking to expand. Then they have a dedicated I guess contact for anyone from the Ukraine looking to immigrate. So we are working with the federal government but we haven't -- we don't have a role yet to take in immigrants or refugees from the Ukraine. Thank you.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that's actually a bigger response than I expected so I'm really glad to hear that, and that the conditions around the vaccine etcetera are being addressed as well.

I'd like to go back to the Premier if that's okay. My next question is will the Premier commit to directing her Cabinet colleagues to direct their departments to put aside and set aside any recently expired or soon-to-be-expired first aid kits? In the Northwest Territories, it's required under OHS law that kits be replaced, and it's an ongoing thing that happens regularly and those bandages could be used. So I'd like to hear if the Premier will commit to directing the GNWT to do so. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First I was thinking when the Member was -- the Member shared the question with me earlier, and I was thinking about checking with the Red Cross. But I did hear in the statement that looks like Buffalo Joe might be taking something on. So yes, Mr. Speaker, as soon as that's -- I want to give a kudos out to Buffalo Joe and the community members that are doing that as well. But if they're doing that, then yes, we will put in notice to departments.

But I'll also go a step further and put something in our Bear Net and asking anybody else, any government employees who have outdated first aid kits that would like to donate, then I think that would be great. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, we don't get a lot of time to explain everything going on and there will be more details coming, but it is with 62 Degrees North, which is a medic company; Buffalo Airways as well will help with transportation; and I'm going to be doing most of the running around in collecting the kits. So I do appreciate the Premier's commitment to put that on Bear Net and ask that, yes, that it also be emphasized that construction companies, all of our client type groups as well and businesses could also -- this could be spread to them too. I'm hoping that I don't end up with a pile of first aid kits at my house so I will have to provide you with a drop off location next week. No question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Taken as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a Member's statement before too so -- but this is with reference to a couple days ago.

So Mr. Speaker, the biggest challenge in Tlicho regions, or in my regions or in all the other regions as well maybe. But improving mental health and responding to addictions and improving housing condition is a major issue. And so those are the major issues. But with that in mind, Minister did say that her government had not received enough application to spend all the money, and that's reference to my questions. Why would -- why would the small communities apply for these funding? What the government should do is that just give us -- give the money to the small communities or to authorities and set up a program that is appropriate for them. So with that in mind, I'm going to ask the Minister what community-based drug addiction program is the department offering in the regions?

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were a variety of questions in that statement. I'll talk about the community-based funds.

We are hoping to empower Indigenous governments to design and implement their own healing and mental health support programs. That's the point of having the funds that we offer in the Department of Health. Some of those funds were not fully subscribed in this fiscal year. Indigenous governments take the initiative to apply for them. There are a variety of reasons they may not apply. And I'm going to say the primary one is capacity, that the Indigenous government doesn't have the capacity to implement a program within their community.

At the Department of Health and Social Services, we're more than happy to help people with applications and to figure out how they can offer services in their communities. The starting point is to call the health centre or, in the Member's case, the Tlicho Community Services Agency, and find out what they're doing and my recommendation is that she suggest that they provide more specific information on barriers they might be encountering to me. She's welcome to do that in an email while we're on the break so that we can figure out how to get the money spent. The money is there. We want it to be spent. Thank you.