This is page numbers 4401 - 4448 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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. Will the Minister commit to look in to further subsidies to stabilize the rising costs of living in small communities or programs to ensure people can get out on the land? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we can definitely have a discussion with Cabinet on how this government can be able to provide subsidies or programs out there. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In yesterday's auditor general report, it became clear that we have to make sure there is coordination in our response to the substance abuse issues in this territory. And I think one of the clear lines of coordination is of the RCMP's role. But I think before we even have that conversation, we have to make sure we're on the same page.

So my question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is does she believe that our response to substance abuse issues is first and foremost a health issue and not a criminal one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question.

There's obviously an overlapping responsibility here where Justice is primarily responsible for what's criminal and how to enforce that, and Health and Social Services is responsible for what is a health issue and how to respond to that. So the change yesterday doesn't address the primary concern of health which safe supply of illicit drugs, the amount of drugs, and whether they qualify as possession or should be seized is really a Justice issue. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I have asked these questions of Justice before. Today I directed them to Health because the decision ultimately made was by the BC public health asking for an exemption to the federal Minister of Health.

And so my question for our Minister of Health is does she agree with the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, 60 percent of the Canadian public, the overwhelming amount of public health officials, the federal Minister of Health, the BC Minister of Health, and really anyone who has worked on the front lines, that decriminalization is a step that saves lives and is a tool we need to use in our fight against substance abuse? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't offer an opinion on that. This is a first in Canada, the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. We're very interested in seeing what comes of this in BC. And of course because the toll of overdose deaths has been so huge in BC, we are hoping that it is successful in helping people to address the stigma of receiving treatment for illicit drug use. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard the Minister of Health say in her first response that one of the key things to a health response is safe supply. And this was fundamental and essential to BC being granted this. I know Yukon has implemented similar safe supply work. I'm wondering if the Department of Health has any plans to address safe supply here in our territory? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the situation is very different in the Yukon. They have declared a public health emergency around overdose deaths following a series of deaths right after the New Year. We had three overdose deaths in the NWT in the first three quarters of last year. And three is too many. But compared to the toll that alcohol takes on people in the NWT, alcohol is a much more significant problem, and it's the one that we are addressing with the development of the territorial alcohol strategy. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am well aware that alcohol is of a primary concern and issue to our substance abuse issues. But I think absent action now, we will find ourselves in a similar situation to the Yukon in the years to come. We have seen increasing drug use and many people on the front lines speak to that regularly.

But my question for the Minister of Health is BC in granting this -- or in receiving this application, the federal Minister of Health said this is really a template for how to respond to substance abuse issues. So I'm wondering if the Minister of Health will commit to looking at that application and looking at the federal guidelines that they put on BC in regards to reporting into tracking this. I want to at least make sure we are aware of what's going on in this area, because much of the data that BC was required to track is similar to what our own auditor general has asked us to track. So if the Minister of Health could at least commit to look at the application and see what we could learn from that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the suggestion and I'm prepared to take it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure, I got your message there that you didn't get my comments clear as when I was reading it out so I do apologize for the bad internet services here in the community of N'dilo and my other constituent riding of Lutselk'e.

Mr. Speaker, the fuel service division buys fuel once a year and stores it in the tanks throughout the Northwest Territories. Each summer, the division resupplies its fuel storage. Why are customers being charged more in April and May in the community of Lutselk'e when the prices for the Government of the Northwest Territories has not been increased and is selling fuel bought in 2021? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned to the Member from Monfwi about the rising prices in fuel here in the Northwest Territories, we do have a Petroleum Products Revolving Fund Act that again requires us to recover some of the costs. The wholesale price of petroleum products has increased dramatically, as have transportation costs to be able to get that fuel to the communities as a result of the price of diesel. So the wholesale pricing, petroleum pricing was volatile during the resupply program, and the GNWT made reasonable efforts not to purchase petroleum products when the prices spiked. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain why increases for community government customers, social assistance and senior heating subsidy has increased more than for nonprofit customers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could ask my colleague why his costs have increased but we can get back to the Member. Thank you.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. Can the Minister explain why this increase was necessary despite the existence of the fuel service division revolving fund? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, retail fuel prices are adjusted periodically to reflect the recovery of full laden costs of fuel, including the product costs, the transportation costs, commissions from sales, operation and maintenance expenses, evaporation loss, and taxes. Those are the reasons, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. My next and final question will be what can we do this fiscal year to help reduce the fuel prices for the community of Lutselk'e? We just don't want to have another price increase midway through or three quarters of this next fiscal year. So normally when these fuel prices go to tender, it's all inclusive. But then this year, it increased. So I want to know what we could do for next year so that the community's not caught off guard again for another fuel increase -- increases of fuel prices. Mahsi.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The capital costs and the financing charges are not recovered from the consumers. So I mean that's another reason. And what can we do to, you know -- whether we increase or, you know, the fuel costs, the adjustments are made by commodity and by community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the importance in ease of access to goods and services is something many Canadians take for granted, but not so much for small communities in the NWT and more so when there's no highway access south.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Infrastructure confirm what progress is being made on completing that portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Norman Wells? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.