Debates of March 8th, 2023

This is page numbers 5763 - 5826 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

International Women's Day

Housing Partnerships

Income Assistance and CERB Payments

Northern Resident Travel Deduction

Affirmative Action Policy

Territorial Fire Centre Location

Rabies Outbreak

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

International Women's Day

Christmas in January in Nahendeh and Deh Cho

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Housing Northwest Territories CERB Income Policy

Territorial Fire Centre

Northern Resident Travel Deduction

Affirmative Action Policy

Rabies and Foxes

Summer Students

Rabies and Vaccination of Dogs

Written Question 64-19(2): Housing NWT Funding Formula for Local Housing Organizations

Tabled Document 881-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2022-2023 Tabled Document 882-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2022-2023 Tabled Document 883-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2023-2024

Tabled Document 884-19(2): Letter dated March 3, 2023, from Lisa Smith to MLA Hay River South regarding a Case Study on Carbon Tax Impact to One Family in hay River

Tabled Document 885-19(2): Process Convention on Bills Drafted Pursuant to the Intergovernmental Council Legislative Development Protocol

Reconciliatory Review of Housing NWT's Collection Approach

Recorded Vote

Bill 74: Forest Act

Bill 75: Council of Women and Gender Diversity Act

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Calls to Federal Government

Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Intermittent Renewable Energy

Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Community Compensation for Increased Carbon Tax

Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Rebate for Carbon Tax Revenues

Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Government Response to Recommendations

Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 251)

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 377-19(2): Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 8th

Page 5782

Moore

Thank you, Madam Chair. The vision of the dashboard is, as the Member mentioned, to look at the status of our assets over time and to monitor it over time, looking at the state of all vertical and horizontal assets in the territory. We're also working with other GNWT departments in this regard.

With respect to looking at projects themselves, there's a couple of avenues there. We work with our partners in the Department of Finance on the annual IAP, the infrastructure acquisition plan, which is posted on the Department of Finance website. We also do an industry day, a session each year, which details the projects on a year by year basis. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

March 8th

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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I guess a comment, you know, is that perhaps the department could look into a final way of confirming when something is actually complete. There's no actual place you can find "oh, this project got finished" unless some sort of press release is done because it falls off the infrastructure acquisition plan and it's not on the capital budget anymore, we just assume it's done. But as we know, there are plenty of buildings that are not done or years later, you know, not occupied or various reasons for not being done. So can the department look at some sort of way of reporting what finally got finished? Thank you.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 8th

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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll take that as a comment. But, I mean, I'm hoping that the dashboard will be able to collect some of that information as well. Thanks.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

All right. Are there any further questions to asset management? Member for Great Slave.

March 8th

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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to ask -- I appreciate the questions my colleague was asking around sort of getting a better handle on reporting and where our assets are at. I remember at one point trying to ask for a lessons learned presentation at NAPEG on the Deh Cho Bridge and everybody being like oh my god, we can't talk about that. So I do hope there is a move towards, you know, more transparency because there isn't a way to learn if we don't actually look at what -- and that was -- sorry, that was way back in my earlier life, not this Assembly.

So my question here is that I have some concern, and this information could be given to me after the fact, about the level of expertise in the department these days. I am concerned about whether or not we have the adequate number of engineers and technical design and project managers that we really need for the execution of a lot of our projects. Particularly asset management is a struggle, people with building experience, etcetera. And I do recognize that the ADM himself is an engineer although I do know that your background -- or his background is more with governments versus project leads. So I just -- I do have some concerns there. And could the department or the Minister speak to where we're sitting at respect to the vacancies or the filling of those types of technical positions but also what's being done -- I'm also concerned about the retirement of some of our technical staff. So if there could be some information provided there, that would be great. Thank you.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 8th

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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, David is the ADM for asset management which means he's in charge of all the engineers in the department. So if I can just turn it over to Mr. Moore.

March 8th

Page 5782

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Moore.

March 8th

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Moore

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would completely agree that recruitment and retention of professionals, engineers and architects specifically, is a challenge nationally and in the GNWT. We have positions posted, for example, that are open trying to get applicants as do other jurisdictions. That being said, we have an amazing team of highly qualified professionals in all aspects of asset management. And we also work with private sector very closely and academia leveraging that expertise both within the GNWT and nationally and internationally. So I think we are well represented. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 8th

Page 5782

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

March 8th

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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, yeah, I've definitely had the opportunity to work with several of the technical people in the department, and I do agree. I just know that yeah, as stated it is competitive and one where we wear a lot of liability. I think it's an area where you can't just sort of say it's the general issue with, you know, recruitment because you can't just put warm bodies into these positions. So it is something that I think the department really needs to start getting a grasp on. And given also too that I'm not sure where we're at from the recruitment or sort of the graduation rates of engineers, but I don't believe things are really picking up that we're really graduating a lot more engineers in Canada. So I think that's just one that I'll leave but follow up later.

When the -- I hear the deputy -- or sorry, the assistant deputy minister talking about working with the private sector, and I note that there are $3.328 million of contract services that will be coming up, I have a couple concerns there. I think that the GNWT in all departments has a tendency to find one consultant at a time that they really like, and it's much easier to generally deal with one company so therefore there isn't always an impetus to break those contracts up or to find other people that could do them. When I hear and have raised concerns in this House about per diems that are paid on some of these projects by these consultants, and I've not had any resolution to it in three years, and it's the government's favourite consultant for all of their technical design work, I have a lot of concern there. I believe there's an issue with contracting out of this department towards people that are friends of high-up bureaucrats as well as Ministers in this Cabinet. And so I really don't feel there has been a good handle on ensuring that procurement here has been fair and is being done through proper free trade routes.

That being said, I would like an answer as to why they've signed off on a $70 per diem for workers of the Northwest Territories on specifically projects in Inuvik and flood management, which I know is not this department. Thank you.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Member, I'll just get you to --

March 8th

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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

(audio) dollar per diems on their projects. So it is this.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

(audio) Minister.

March 8th

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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we'll have to take this back and just have a look and perhaps provide the Member with an explanation. Thank you.

March 8th

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Member.

March 8th

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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, I'd appreciate that. Can the Minister or the department speak to whether or not there are any health and safety or project manager positions within this department or this area of the budget? Thank you.

March 8th

Page 5783

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

March 8th

Page 5783

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we -- I do have a human resource summary here and it just kind of speaks to some of -- some of the employees. I'm going to ask Mr. Moore to speak a little bit more about -- a little more details. Thanks.

March 8th

Page 5783

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Moore.

March 8th

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Moore

Thank you, Madam Chair. Most definitely asset management has a number of project managers on staff. In the transportation, for example, we have staff on site on projects and supporting all the projects in the transportation sector. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 8th

Page 5783

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

March 8th

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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Maybe -- sorry, I got a frog in my throat. But I asked about health and safety project manager, health and safety officers for the projects. Thank you.

Debates of March 8th, 2023

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