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

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have the chance to talk about this project a little more. It is a priority for this government. And while we were under a process that would have put the RFP out, expecting that it would go under lease programs and therefore the operations budget, Mr. Speaker, we are looking now at instead making that part of the capital plan. So that's why there is a bit of a delay here, is that obviously our -- I shouldn't say obviously, the next capital plan won't be out until August. Typically you wouldn't issue the RFP until the capital plan has been approved in this House. And so that's the sort of timeline that we are operating under right now. I certainly can work with the Department of Environment and Climate Change to see where they are at in terms of advancing this project. As I've said, it was under one set of budgetary -- under one budget and now it's under the other so that's what is changing the timing of this, Mr. Speaker. But, and that's what delaying my ability to answer the question a little bit but I am certain that over the course of time -- there will be an answer to this question -- or this project certainly continues to be a priority. Thank you.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm that the supplementary appropriation bill will be brought into the House before the end of the August session that will ensure the continuation of the procurement process for the fire centre? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has been a forceful advocate for this project and certainly I think has convinced many of my colleagues as to its essential nature which is why it was at the place it was at already with the procurement. And although the first way that we were going to go about it as an operations budget item has changed and looking at it as a capital budget, the priority place of it hasn't changed. Again, as I've said, at this point the RFP normally wouldn't issue until the approval of the budget formally in the House even though the project might remain on the plan. And so that's the state that we are in right now. And again, I can appreciate why there is some uncertainty in that regard because the public doesn't see the long-term plans, but I am certainly comfortable to say that it does remain part of that plan.

As I have said, and as I have committed to the Member, I will continue to keep her updated in a way that we are able to do here a little bit differently than what we might do in terms of publishing all of those plans for the public. So we are looking forward to seeing this on the next round for the Environment and Climate Change -- I am not used to saying that one yet, ECC's upcoming capital plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister clarify if the new fire centre, once complete, will be a leased building to a third party or will it be a government-owned building? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so again on this front, the Member for Thebacha, as I have said, has been a helpful, very helpful actually, in moving this project along, giving us some opportunities to discuss and engage best paths forward. There was a time where the thought was to put in as a leased building and that was the initial RFP. When that process didn't bear fruit, the thought now is to move it into a government-owned building which would mean that the RFP would simply be for construction. And that, again until -- we will wait I think, at this point, to see how the capital estimates come out, the next round coming out, which do come out in August and with a look to be approved in August and that should provide some greater certainty to the community around the process moving forward hopefully. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister have an estimated timeline for when construction of the new territorial fire centre will begin? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So actual shovels in the ground will depend on when the capital estimates are approved and then how those estimates and how the money that's appropriated goes through. But again, with the fact that we do approve our capital estimates early on an election year, we approve them in August, and depending on the way that comes out, I certainly don't want to presume any votes or any conclusions of that process, but as that process moves forward, Mr. Speaker, we will see what the next round of capital projects are, where they are at, and have a good opportunity at that point to flesh out the timelines associated with those approved projects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are on the northern resident travel deduction for the Minister of Finance. And, Mr. Speaker, depending on the answers, I might be able to give the Minister a new portfolio, the Minister of Dragon Slaying.

So can the Minister tell us whether she is aware of the discrepancies between the recently published Canada Revenue Agency figures and those published by Canadian North, the one carrier that maintains regular service from Yellowknife to Edmonton? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very motivated now to answer these questions the right way. Mr. Speaker, I certainly am aware of the recently published guidelines and certainly aware that there are some discrepancies around that. One thing that I want to note, Mr. Speaker, it's been alerted to me by the department actually that this is a pilot project, and I hope that's going to give me some openings to give some positive responses of where we might go, because pilot projects mean that they are ripe for some change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I could probably make a pun there about pilots and planes and tax deductions. I won't go there, Mr. Speaker, but when I raised this issue of the lack of figures for the lowest northern airfare from CRA, our Minister of Finance committed to talk to her territorial colleagues in the Yukon and Nunavut in February 2021. So can the Minister confirm whether those discussions ever took place and whether there was any follow-up action? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a point of frustration for many residents and certainly for not only the MLA but me as well. And I can confirm that I discussed this with my other territorial finance colleagues, that we did jointly raise the issue. I'd like to think in fact that that may be why there is now a pilot project, is that we have finally raised issue to a place that it received the attention that it required. Now, that doesn't mean that those to whom we raised it get it right the first time but, again, Mr. Speaker, we will be certainly following up again, and finance officials will be speaking with their folks -- their colleagues in the federal department, raising with them the challenges we are seeing and hopefully getting the pilot right before it becomes a final project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I described this longstanding problem as a dragon that has been around since 1987 where Northerners have been subjected to unnecessary, and in some cases unfair, audits. So can the Minister tell us whether she has written a letter with other finance Ministers from northern territories on this, and if so, could she table that letter in the House? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, prior to the release of Budget 2022 by the federal government, the three territories did write on some shared priorities. I would be certainly happy to share that with my colleagues. I can't share letters penned by others without their confirmation but certainly can go to MLAs. With respect specifically to the issue around the airfares, whether it was in that letter or another, I will double check. Whether we raised directly at the finance Ministers', I can confirm with my notes.

With respect to this pilot project, again I am happy to look again at whether or not this is something we want to bring to the level of being raised on its own. I suspect there is a few issues that we may want to raise but I certainly can look to doing that. Again, Mr. Speaker, I don't want to overemphasize the fact of it being a pilot project. I only want to emphasize that this is a time where if the project's not working, if the way that they are doing now is not working, it's an opportunity for residents to provide feedback, whether that's direct to the federal government or to an MLA who may want to pass that on through to the federal government, to our MP, probably best place to raise that. You know, certainly I would think they want to get this right. I have sympathy, the airline prices change but they have gotten this far, let's get them them over the line to be that much better. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. No, there's a lot of good stuff there. I get her passion on this, and I too want us to get over the finish line.

But there's one other outstanding issue when it comes to northern residents tax deduction. It's the lack of indexing of the northern, the residency amount. I believe it has only ever been raised once in 36 years. So can the Minister tell us what has been done to fix this problem for northern taxpayers? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, the Member and I are in full agreement on this particular issue. It's true. Mr. Speaker, this is a bee in our bonnet. I have asked about this one as well. I have certainly raised this one. I know certainly at the table, if not in letters or both. I was able to confirm with our department, indexing has not gone, even though not indexed, the deduction amount went up 1991, 2008, 2016, but incrementally increasing it in this way is not effective, it is not reflective, it doesn't keep up with inflation. I think I am certainly, again, preaching to the choir here with respect to this question. The challenge I am running into is that it is a national program. The northern residents deduction is not only for territorial residents, it is not only for the Northwest Territories, it does impact the situation facing northern residents in provinces. And while I don't have a crystal ball into what happens with the federal government, it is our sense that that is creating perhaps some of their challenge. I don't think we are done with this. I don't think it is not worth raising. It has such a tremendous impact on the territories as an attractive feature for us, as a way to increase labour market residents, so many reasons. So I am not done with it, Mr. Speaker. Just haven't quite solved this one yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Question 1452-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy
Oral Questions

March 8th, 2023

Page 5769

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, statistics going back to 1985, when the native employment policy was first used, confirms that the affirmative action policy has done little to move the needle beyond the 30 percent Indigenous participation in the public sector.

Mr. Speaker, the current definition of Indigenous person in the current affirmative action policy, in part, includes Aboriginal persons resident at birth pursuant to section 23 of the Vital Statistics Act, and any Canadian Aboriginal persons who have lived more than half their life in the Northwest Territories. Now this group is being considered for removal from the definition.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Finance confirm that this is being done intentionally or was it an oversight, as it impacts a high number of Indigenous people in Hay River and is the Minister willing to continue using the current definition of Indigenous Aboriginal persons in any future policy revision? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you Member for Hay River South. Minister for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current language is still outdated. It is referencing Aboriginal persons, it is very old, and so that's where -- it is for that reason that we are looking for a new definition, not certainly to exclude people. The new proposed definition is around prioritizing descendents of the Dene, Inuit or Metis people who are indigenous to the present boundaries of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I have had some conversations with the Member from Hay River around this and was surprised as I started to hear from him, from his constituents, about their concerns. Because it certainly is not necessarily the interpretation, and therefore certainly not intentional, that the new proposal should be exclusive or exclusionary of members of Inuit or Dene or Indigenous peoples from the Northwest Territories. So I acknowledge that there needs to be some refinement around the definitions to be more clear and that is the process that we are in now, is to get exactly this kind of feedback so that the definition can be clear and appropriate to the Indigenous people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Indigenous representation of public sector is at an all time low right now, at around the 29 percent. Can the Minister tell me what may be contributing to this as we have had a policy in place for some 30 plus years? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I firstly want to say that in no way do I want to simplify the issue and while I can give some responses from the perspective of the hiring department, it's an answer that does look back to everything starting from maternal health to education to mental wellness that the more people are ready, able, willing to work, trained to work and healthy to work, then there's more people available to be hired. So this is a responsibility for all of government to ensure that we are all doing those things to have -- to achieve those goals. As the hiring department for the public service, Mr. Speaker, that too, there's a number of things that we are looking at doing, looking at job descriptions, ensuring that they are not overinflated and ensuring that they consider equivalencies that may reflect the skills and the abilities of people in the Northwest Territories and what we actually need to accomplish with the jobs that we have, and to ensure that we are looking past internal biases, that we are looking past if there is a cultural awareness and cultural safety which training, again, is now mandatory. Everything we can do to change the mindset, often unconscious and often unaware, of who it is that we have in our roles and what we need. So, again, it's -- saying I didn't want to oversimplify and now I'm going to get a bit long. I will stop there, Mr. Speaker, just to say there is a number of fronts on which we are trying to tackle the issue. Thank you.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous representation of public sector in 13 communities in declining. Will the Minister tell me how will the department turn this around? Would decentralization of some positions be part of the solution? Thank you.