Debates of June 7th, 2024

This Hansard is the unedited transcript and will be replaced by the final copy soon (generally within 5 business days). In the meantime, direct quotes should not be used, when the final is published it will seamlessly replace this unedited copy and any existing links should still work.

This is from 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 community.

Topics

Barge Cancellation Impacts to Businesses

Members' Statement 262-20(1): Economic Development in Communities

Recreational Land Leasing

Elders' Homes

Waste Reduction

Long Shadow Music Festival

Culture Sites at Taltson

Indigenous Child Welfare Settlement

Impacts of Day Shelter

Village of Fort Simpson - Canadian Biomass Community Project of the Year Award Recipient

1995 Fort Norman Wildfires

Cannabis Producers

Waste Diversion

Recreational Land Leasing

Day Shelter Impacts

Elders' Home Inspections

Economic Development in Communities

Burial Sites in Taltson River Area

Barge Cancellations Impacts to Businesses

Indigenous Child Welfare Settlement

Waste Resource Management Strategy

Non-Governmental Organizations and the 2024-2025 Budget

Tabled Document 113-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 187-20(1): Costs to Access Land Titles and Red-Tape Reduction Tabled Document 114-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 203-20(1): RCMP Response to Addictions Related Calls

Increasing RCMP Response in Hay River

Recorded Vote

Bill 7: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2024

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Legislative Assembly

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Environment and Climate Change - Deferral of Department of Environment and Climate Change

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Municipal and Community Affairs - Deferral of Department of Municipal and Community Affairs

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Bill 2: Missing Persons Act

Recorded Vote

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 28-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Environment and Climate Change - Deferral of Department of Environment and Climate Change, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Moving on to the public safety, beginning on page 358 with information items on page 361. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 7th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So in regard to the 9-1-1 program, can the Minister explain whether the 9-1-1 program is currently cost neutral or whether there are plans to make it a cost neutral program; i.e., the fees that go on phone bills will pay for the program itself?

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 7th

Vince McKay Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The program is required to be cost neutral. So, yes, it is and will be cost neutral.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

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

June 7th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so it looks like the budget is increasing from last year's $1.274 million to this year's $1.527 million. Can the Minister explain what are the reasons for the increase in cost there? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 7th

Vince McKay Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For that detail, I'm going to pass it off to the director, please.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the director.

June 7th

Jennifer Young

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The reason for the increase in costs is related to some staffing we are adding in to the 9-1-1 area to alleviate some of the costs we're seeing related to overtime. And because of the analysis that we had done, we had justified the need to add in more positions. One would be an emergency medical dispatcher's position as well as some relief positions. That is factored into the amount the Minister was alluding to earlier in terms of needing to increase our cost levy to make the program cost neutral.

We're also, in public safety, adding a position in the Office of the Fire Marshal for regulatory purposes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 7th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my first question is if it was determined that adding of the new positions would actually save money because it would lower -- is -- let me just first clarify. Is what I heard that it will -- the intent is to save money because we'll be paying less money in overtime? And if so, why do we see an increase in funding? Or is the intent to sort of make the human resources sort of more sustainable in the long term? Can the Minister just clarify whether we're saving money by adding these now positions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 7th

Vince McKay Hay River South

Thank you. And, again, for that detail, I'll pass it off to the director Jennifer.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the director.

June 7th

Jennifer Young

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize for not being clearer in the first part of the response. There is two things happening. One is we identified that because the legislation requires us to be cost neutral, our expenses were actually more than what we were budgeted, so we had to ask for some additional funding in this program area for 9-1-1. So it's twofold. One in terms of the additional expenses we have that we were not budgeted for, and also some savings in the staffing area, if you will, to flat line, so to speak, any -- to offset the additional costs we were having in overtime. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 7th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for that clarification. So when will residents see an increase in the fees on their phone bill? And do we know what exactly that increase will be? Thank you.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 7th

Vince McKay Hay River South

Again, I'll pass this off to director Young.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the director.

June 7th

Jennifer Young

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The fee increase, we anticipate, will be for April 1st, 2025. Sorry, I forgot the second part of the question. Oh sorry, yes, and the increase will be $3. It currently is $1.70. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

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

June 7th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it's important people have the head's up and know what's coming there.

On another aspect of 9-1-1, I know there have been difficulties in terms of working out a collaboration with the city of Yellowknife that makes sure that resources overall are used most efficiently. Obviously, there's -- you know, there's a dispatch service that 9-1-1 provides, but the city of Yellowknife has always provided its own dispatch service. I wonder if the Minister can speak to whether those sort of disagreements and conflicts have been worked out with the city of Yellowknife and whether he thinks the system is now operating as efficiently as it can in Yellowknife to make sure we don't duplicate dispatch services. Thank you.

June 7th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Debates of June 7th, 2024

Topics

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