Debates of March 7th, 2023

This is page numbers 5695 - 5762 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

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Celebrating Engineers and Geoscientists in the Northwest Territories

Homelessness Programs Offered by Housing NWT

Celebrating National Social Work Month

Minister Absent from the House

Child and Youth Care Counsellors

Future of Local Housing Organizations

Fort Simpson Diesel Plant Upgrade

Renovation Delay Effects on School in Tuktoyaktuk

Crack Cocaine Addictions in Tlicho Communities

Surety Bond Review

Homelessness

Hay River South Constituency Office Services

Budget Shortfalls for Regional and Social Services Authority

Eulogy for Jessie May Snider

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Committee Report 47-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Homelessness Prevention: Supporting Pathways to Housing NWT Residents

Portables for Magalanik School

Evaluation of Child and Youth Care Counselling Program

Fort Simpson Diesel Plant

Surety Bond Review

Health and Social Services Deficit

Homelessness

Local Housing Organization Funding

Child and Youth Care Counsellors Staff Integration

Back-Up Generators during an Outage

Child and Youth Care Counsellor Equivalencies

Return to Written Question 58-19(2): Frank Channel Bridge Replacement

Tabled Document 876-19(2): Government of the Northwest Territories Bridge Inspection Form - Frank Channel Bridge, July 2021 Tabled Document 877-19(2): Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2021 Frank Channel Bridge Inspection Report dated February 12, 2022

Tabled Document 878-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 72: Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act

Tabled Document 879-19(2): What We Heard: A Forest Act for the NWT, February 2023

Tabled Document 880-19(2): Letter dated December 26, 2022 from Alternatives North regarding Comments on Forest Act Summary of Policy Intentions

Maximum Allowable Rent Increase for Private Rental Units

Extended Adjournment of the House to March 27, 2023

Bill 76: An Act to Amend the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act

Bill 72: Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act

Bill 73: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Department (Page 5)

Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Environment and Climate Change - Deferral of Department (Page 73)

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 371-19(2): Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Department (Page 5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. So right now we are not looking at relocating those positions specifically to the Tlicho. It's the North Slave, and that's where those positions are based right now in Yellowknife. Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Monfwi.

March 7th

Page 5717

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. Well, I mean, you know, it's -- it's doable; we can do something about that. So, yeah, that's -- I was really concerned about that because contaminated sites, people are still talking about. Still talking about the effects of the Rayrock that's in our backyard. Now there's other -- there the Fortune Minerals too as well, so. And with the diamond mine expected to close, so this funding, it would be nice if there were more positions in the small communities who are impacted by the -- who are affected more by the contaminated sites. So that's what I would like to see is that more be invested in the small communities to monitor these contaminated sites by bringing in more jobs to the small communities. Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yes, I think we need to -- I'll ask the deputy minister to explain what these positions are. Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister Kelly.

March 7th

Page 5717

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the regional positions that you're seeing here are water resource officers. They're not people that are working specifically on contaminated sites. So their role is to go around and do inspections at industrial sites, and they're housed in Yellowknife. Two of them are housed in Yellowknife right now, and they're in the middle of where the sites are to go and do this work.

The other -- there's a couple other regional positions in here that are environmental protection officers. None of them are directly related to contaminated sites although they do contribute to contaminated sites work. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Monfwi.

March 7th

Page 5717

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

I would think they are related to, you know, to those specifics. But it would be nice to have more of those positions transferred to the regions. Even like with here, there's five assistant deputy ministers on page 70, and there's a superintendent for North Slave. Is that position in Yellowknife, or is it -- where is this job located at? And there's -- you know, a lot of these positions here as identified -- there's five assistant deputy ministers. A lot of these -- in the small communities where they settled land claims, these positions will be beneficial to help our land claim groups. That's why I'm asking that, you know, it -- what this department should do is that -- so they keep talking about having a good working relationship with Indigenous government. They should transfer some of these jobs where the Indigenous government or those with the settled land claims can really benefit from these positions. Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I'll start, and then I'll turn to the deputy minister. So 60 percent of our jobs are in the regional and 40 percent are in headquarters. So I'm very happy with our numbers. We got 60 percent. I need to stress to the Member 60 percent is there. But for further detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. So we certainly look at positions -- at putting positions into regions. There's a renewable resource officer in Whatì that's looking after the Tlicho All-Season Road. We have a position for an officer that's in Behchoko for Dinaga We'ehodi as well. And I think that I expressed earlier there's an ADM position that we're -- the new ADM position that will be a regional position and will be wherever there is someone who has those skills in the region. We're certainly looking at opportunities to ensure that there's opportunities in regions for these positions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 7th, 2023

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yes, and there's nine positions in Behchoko. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

March 7th

Page 5717

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to clarify the protocol for notification of spills. What is the process for notification, and who is the first person that the Minister should be contacting when it comes to a spill?

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. Could the Member -- is it territorial or is it Alberta with the trans-boundary? Who is our contact; what's the question? Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 7th

Page 5717

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha.

March 7th

Page 5717

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, you know, I guess the topic of water is very important. You know, the Mackenzie River basin I think counts for about -- has a drainage area of about 1.8 million square miles, which is about 20 percent of Canada's land mass. And you know, it all comes down, you know, funneling through this area. And, you know, as we see more development in south, the bigger the impact could be. And, you know, with the Kearl spill, for some reason we missed it. Partly because, I guess, we weren't informed by the Alberta government. And secondly, I'm not sure if anybody was monitoring, you know, the media or as well the Alberta regulator's pages as well, web pages or whatever. And, you know, I think that it's important that we do that. But anyways, we missed it and now it's big news all over. But one thing that I guess I'm interested in is that we do have these trans-boundary water agreements. And how many do we have, I guess, with respect to, you know, the Mackenzie River basin? Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON Thank you. Minister.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So we have three. One with the Yukon government, one with BC, and one with the Alberta government.

CHAIRPERSON Thank you.

March 7th

Page 5717

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Sorry, and we're negotiating with Saskatchewan.

CHAIRPERSON Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

March 7th

Page 5718

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. And the minister in -- I think in the media there had indicated that they would be using a dispute mechanism. And I'm just wondering, you know, how -- or if that mechanism has been used and how it will be used in this instance with the Kearl spill. Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON Thank you. Minister.

Debates of March 7th, 2023

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