This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st 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 housing.

Question 318-20(1): Net-Zero Climate Targets for the Mining Industry
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So on the subject of critical minerals, in the Minister's conversations with mineral exploration companies in the critical minerals sector, have certain barriers been identified to those companies striving towards net-zero in the NWT, and could she enlighten as to what they may have discussed in those conversations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 318-20(1): Net-Zero Climate Targets for the Mining Industry
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, industry has been very candid and transparent on this one. Their number one ask and barrier for investment attraction is clean energy. Thank you.

Question 318-20(1): Net-Zero Climate Targets for the Mining Industry
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to the Member from Yellowknife North. Final supplementary.

Question 318-20(1): Net-Zero Climate Targets for the Mining Industry
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

That's okay, Mr. Speaker, I'm finished. Thank you.

Question 318-20(1): Net-Zero Climate Targets for the Mining Industry
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from the Sahtu.

Question 319-20(1): Humanitarian State of Emergency in Norman Wells
Oral Questions

October 18th, 2024

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My follow-up question on my questions earlier is to the Minister of MACA. And before I ask this question, I want to emphasize the crisis that we're experiencing here. I continuously get texts here. The text reads: $1,500 for 280 liters, one-quarter of a tank, for my fuel at the house tank. And it's not even the dead of winter yet. That's just one of many that I'm receiving. My question to the Minister is the Minister of MACA willing to invite mayor Frank Pope and proceed on setting up a meeting with the federal counterpart to address the situation in person; would the Minister commit to that? Thank you.

Question 319-20(1): Humanitarian State of Emergency in Norman Wells
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister of MACA.

Question 319-20(1): Humanitarian State of Emergency in Norman Wells
Oral Questions

Vince McKay

Vince McKay Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be more than happy to have that conversation with the Member to see what we can do. However, I think it's well aware with the Member, also my Cabinet counterparts, the work that's been going on. We've had a lot of federal engagement with the federal Ministers in regards to the situation in the Sahtu. I've received messages every day from the Member in regards to what's going on in the Sahtu. We are actioning it. I know my department's on it just about it every day at the capacity that we have. So I'm more than willing to discuss this with the Member and we could find solutions; however, I don't know what the face-to-face meeting with the federal government's going to do when we've already been there. I know the Member was in Ottawa also discussing with federal counterparts so it's not that they haven't heard us; they've heard us. It's how we're going to address this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 319-20(1): Humanitarian State of Emergency in Norman Wells
Oral Questions

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister that is willing to look at this situation. Considering the fraction of the cost going for both leaders to Ottawa is critical to what is actually happening on the ground level back in Norman Wells, so I certainly welcome the opportunity to discuss details but that's my position on encouraging the Minister to make a commitment with the company of mayor Pope, proceed to Ottawa. Some things are just best said in person and keeping in mind that you got to also educate the bureaucracy of both levels of government to emphasize the urgent need for relief, that cost is happening now as we speak. So I look forward, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the Minister on the details of scheduling. Mahsi.

Question 319-20(1): Humanitarian State of Emergency in Norman Wells
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Next on my list is the Member from Great Slave.

Frame Lake.

Okay, then, I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It must be the air conditioning in here, Mr. Speaker, or the sound of the air moving. It's hard to hear some days or sometimes today. Mr. Speaker, I was going to leave on a positive note but I'll make a list the good but not bad. The next question will be back to the Minister of education regarding supports for students. It's not terrible, but I'd like to hear what the Minister says -- the issue's terrible but not the questions per se.

We were recently at a meeting with both school boards. And I know this applies to all school boards. This is not news to me, I know it's not news to the regions, whether you're in the Delta or you're in the Sahtu. Students are entering the education system unassessed, whether it's their physio, their hearing, or their speech. And, of course, this burden then becomes a problem for the schools which is the teachers, etcetera, support staff, and certainly the financing. So I'm going to ask the Minister what is she able to do in her capacity as the Minister, and potentially working with the department of health, to turn around these non-assessments anymore? Because I'm old enough to remember I went through them as a young person. Other kids went through them as they were going through but they're no longer happening and hence these problems are being forced or dumped on to the school systems to address. So I'm asking her how does she see we could help support the school systems? Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister of ECE.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was in the same meeting as the Member and heard the concerns from the school board, and what I can commit to is certainly working with my colleague from health and social services. Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I actually couldn't hear her answer but I'm assuming maybe we could look at this again, is that what can she do as Minister to financially support the school system if the Department of Health and Social Services is no longer doing this. We have dental services -- we found ways to do things. In other words, like, for example, Inuvik does dental supports when it can. I don't even know if they've done it recently. But I've seen seen the room that they've done that to support families on the health care and the young people. So what can the Minister do to ensure that, for example, speech, physio, and health care -- health assessments for young people coming into the school systems are done, or can they facilitate them in the schools to ensure that students have the best opportunity and the teachers are well resourced to manage these challenges? Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said I can certainly work with the Minister of health and social services. These are very important things that we're talking about. Access to therapeutic services is critical for access to education. But, you know, I'm not going to stand here and take over the mandate of health and social services because it's not fair to our education bodies, it's not fair to our teachers. They're not clinicians, and they are not able to take this on, neither are the education bodies. So I'm very keen to work with health and social services on this one, but I'm not keen to also expect teachers or the education bodies to start administering clinical requirements. Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard that response loud and clear and I also had the earpiece. That's said, what has been done to date? Because I was speaking to the school boards and their concerns about how much resources they're dedicating to address these particular needs in these students. So what's being done to date and how long has this been going on? The Minister has been Minister for a year, so she must be aware of how we're trying to address the current problem. Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current situation is absolutely there are a number of vacancies, which we've heard from the Minister of health about, in the realm of therapeutic services. I've certainly let my concerns be known. I have met with multiple officials from the Department of Health and Social Services, along with education, culture and employment, with both Ministers present, to share concerns about this one and figure out kind of what are the next steps here. As far as the education, culture and employment department is concerned, what has been done there is really addressing training desires from classroom assistants and education assistants. So one of the things that was brought forward through education bodies was a desire to have more training for classroom assistants. So this past year, we have had our first graduation -- or graduating class from the -- through a partnership with Douglas College, and we have graduated 24, as a start, classroom assistants. And they were able to do their training virtually online, so there was no disruption to the community and the supports available in small communities to students. And then they were able to also take what they were learning through their courses and apply them right away in the classroom. And so that to me is a good news story of one of the things that education, culture and employment is doing. Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife Centre. Final supplementary.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an example of this burden falling on the school system, which is actually taking money out of the education process that it was intended for, these school boards, particularly in Yellowknife -- and I wish I could speak to the regional communities as well -- but that said they ended up hiring their own speech pathologists, and they were finding they could find them. In other words, they put out advertisements. They were getting people interested in the jobs. They've hired them. And they're funding them within. That really is education dollars for the old ABCs, 123s, but yet they're spending so much energy, time that's inefficient for what they're intended to do. What can the Minister do to support this gap that these school boards are now carrying that is a health problem, as she said earlier in the previous answer to one of my questions? Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the same time that I'm meeting with the Minister of health and social services, I'm also doing research on what are other options and what are other jurisdictions doing. That is work that I am doing as a Minister because I recognize that there is a gap here. There absolutely -- I want to say there absolutely is a gap here. I think it's important that we acknowledge that.

Some of this gap is being funded through programs like Jordan's Principle. We currently have a tremendous amount of money coming from Jordan's Principle into the territory into our education system. In addition to that, I'm looking at ways to support education bodies but not by deciding on my own what they need, by actually ensuring that our officials are having conversations about, what about this, what about that, and exploring different ideas about what might work. I don't have unlimited dollars to make something work, but I do acknowledge that this is a gap and one that needs to be addressed. Thank you.

Question 320-20(1): Assessments and Supports for Students
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I have Member from Range Lake.

Question 321-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to join in the line of questioning that several of my colleagues have brought today around Aurora College. Aurora College says that 83 percent of its milestones have been achieved. The news reporting that the honourable Member from Frame Lake mentioned, if you actually read the reporting, there's some shocking details in there. The former research chair is quoted as saying there wasn't a plan, there wasn't an idea of how we could get the chairs up and running. This was only a year ago. So the Minister is not responsible for Aurora College, but she's answerable to Aurora College on an operational level. When she sees the college reporting that it's got so much done, you know, nearly mission accomplished, we're paused until we can figure out, you know, some new mandates but the staff they're hiring are quitting and saying nothing's set up, not even an office chair for this individual to sit down on, what is she doing to help the college succeed? Saying that it's not my responsibility, it's theirs, and I'm going to work with them, we need more than answerability, we need accountability, and quite frankly in the 18th Assembly that's exactly what we did. That's where this whole process started. We pulled the reins back. We built a transition plan. Is it time to take the reins away from Aurora College, put them back in the hands of the Minister, and get this done right this time? Thank you.

Question 321-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

The Acting Speaker

The Acting Speaker Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister of ECE.

Question 321-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really want to see this transformation succeed because this transformation is not just about bricks and mortar. This transformation is about ensuring that we have a quality post-secondary institution providing education that leads to jobs that we need homegrown people to be able to take advantage of, that we need to be able to attract to our knowledge economy, to be able to do research. I believe in this transformation wholeheartedly, and I want to see it happen. I'm prepared to work within my authority to see that happen but acknowledge that this is a relationship that needs to be fostered, supported, and that needs to be able to given the time to grow. I am like the Member, I want to see change right away, but acknowledge that change like this does take time. Thank you.

Question 321-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, they've been given time. They've been given years to get this done, and they're still struggling. So clearly something isn't working. How much more time is the Minister going to give Aurora College to fail? Thank you.