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 know.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

Denny Rodgers

Denny Rodgers Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, continuing on, and I'm kind of a role of collecting information on what we're spending on renewable energy, and I would like ask the Minister of ECC if he can kind of let us know -- I understand that this year's budget's currently being negotiated but in previous years, what we spent on the climate action plan, what we budgeted for that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

Jay MacDonald

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much to the Member for the question. The climate change action plan budget is not something that I have right at my fingertips at this specific moment, the amount. But I think as we look at our action plan and how we roll that out from the department, it supports an all-of-government approach. So a lot of the work that we do through that climate action plan involves many of the departments and supports many of the initiatives that the GNWT does as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

Denny Rodgers

Denny Rodgers Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you. And I appreciate that, Mr. Speaker. And I'm sure if I'd have given the Minister a little more time, he certainly would have got those numbers for me. But maybe he can speak in general, then, around the amount -- you know, that budget, the amount of that work that's done by consultants and/or contractors and particularly how much of that money is spent outside the territory, Mr. Speaker.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

Jay MacDonald

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, maybe just to finish the end of the last question, I'm happy to provide that information to the Member on what we spend in the budget and with a bit of a breakdown just to -- and to the other Members of the House as well.

When we talk about consultants, again, not a number I have off the top of my head but happy to get that information and bring it forward for the Member and the other Members. And with a bit of a breakdown, we can see what percentage of that work is done by NWT firms within the territory and break that out for work that may be done by other firms outside of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 560-20(1): Climate Change Action Plan
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I talked to some -- in talking with some of my constituents who have travelled to Edmonton, and they've gone to Edmonton for medical travel and they're concerned about some of the medical travel rates and the accommodations at Larga House. I'm curious on how often these programs get reviewed specific to location and the rates. Thank you.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what the Member is referring to. If they're staying at the boarding home, then they don't get -- they don't get -- everything when they're assigned a room there is free. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Fair enough. I'll say it this way: In some cases, they go to the Larga House and I'm curious on how often that opportunity gets reviewed. In other words, is Larga the only location or the preferred location, and if so, how often does that go to competition? I was referring to the rates as in per diems. Thank you.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Larga boarding home, as is the Keskorie, are both RFPs, so that people that are travelling for medical travel, if they're coming to Yellowknife from any of the communities, they stay at Keskorie. There is no fees. There is no -- they don't get per diems. They get meals while they're there. They get a room. If there's no room, then they'd be put into a hotel, their meals are provided to them. If they're in Edmonton and they stay at Larga, that is the RFP that we have. It is a hotel in Leduc. There is transportation provided to and from the appointments. There is meals provided. They will provide them with a lunch if they're going to be away from their -- from Larga for extended periods of time and miss meals. So there is no per diems provided to those who stay there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's -- do we ever do any follow-up or surveys of people with respect to their stay at Larga? I've heard complaints from constituents that they don't find it very comfortable, don't find the meals, etcetera. I mean, it goes on -- I won't go on, but it goes on with a lot of further not very happy experiences. That said, do we do any surveys with our medical travel clients to get a sense of how they've enjoyed their stay or may not have enjoyed their stay and ways we can make them better? Thank you.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear from many MLAs and many constituents when it's not a good stay; however, since Larga has moved to Leduc, there were initially -- there were concerns and complaints. Larga has accommodated many of the issues that were brought forward just because of their distance away from Edmonton, and they provided a lot of different space. People seem to enjoy staying in the hotel, in Larga. Recently, I haven't had a lot of complaints. There are -- Goba Care is working a lot out of there for, you know, providing programming while people are there for extended stays. We do, however, have, you know, concerns with our capacity here in Yellowknife but we are in the process of -- we are going back out to RFP, and we are looking at taking into consideration all of the concerns that we have. Unfortunately, right now, within Yellowknife, the issue is is that the dental travel has really increased the capacity that Keskorie can hold, but we haven't had the problem in Edmonton. But I would -- you know, and I mean, and any program that we provide to our residents and if there is a way that we can take feedback from residents through our RFP process going forward, I would look into that and commit that to making sure that that's something that we would do with our residents that are travelling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 561-20(1): Review of Medical Travel Policies and Rates
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Minister responsible for WSCC.

Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act
First Reading Of Bills

Vince McKay

Vince McKay Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act
First Reading Of Bills

February 27th, 2025

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 21 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.

First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Tabled Document 275-20(1), with the Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh in the chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Denny Rodgers

Denny Rodgers Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), the 2025-2026 Main Estimates, Department of Housing Northwest Territories and Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Does the committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates. We will now continue consideration of Housing Northwest Territories.

I will remind the committee that the Housing Northwest Territories is included in the main estimates and information and the totals are not voteable items. We will review these estimates as we have for the previously consider the departments; however, we will not vote for the totals. If Members have comments or questions, they can be raised at the appropriate time.

Does the Minister responsible for Housing Northwest Territories wish to bring witnesses into the House?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Lucy Kuptana

Lucy Kuptana Nunakput

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Does the committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.