Debates of Dec. 11th, 2019

This is page numbers 43 - 80 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 going .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Economic Update

Health and Social Services System Overview

Aurora College Transformation Progress

Northwest Territories Sport Hall of Fame

Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery

Home Care and Support Services

Housing Crisis

Improving Education in Small Communities

Priorities and Mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly

Prompt Payment for Northern Businesses

Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion

Education Renewal in Small Communities

Self-Government and Land Rights Agreements

Housing Challenges in Behchoko

Eulogy for James Fradsham

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Walt Humphries - Chamber of Mines Distinguished Service Award

Hay River Fishing Industry

Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Housing in Behchoko

Home and Community Care

Housing Crisis

Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Education Renewal in Small Communities

Mandate Direction for Government of the Northwest Territories Departments

Low Graduation Rates in Small Communities

A New Day Program

Mildred Hall School Emergency Boiler Purchase

Vaping Regulations

Written Question 1-19(1): Action Plan to Reduce Core Housing Need

Tabled Document 20-19(1): Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 2018-19 Annual Report Tabled Document 21-19(1): Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Annual Report 2018 - Northwest Territories and Nunavut Tabled Document 22-19(1): Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Northwest Territories and Nunavut 2020 Corporate Plan and 2018-2022 Strategic Plan Tabled Document 23-19(1): Northwest Territories and Nunavut Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal 2018 Annual Report

Tabled Document 24-19(1): Territorial General Election 2019 Official Results Report

Tabled Document 25-19(1): Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories Annual Report 2018-2019

Tabled Document 26-19(1): Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly Pension Administration Report - Retiring Allowances Act and Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act at March 31, 2018

Bill 1-19(1):

An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 5-19(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization) No. 3, 2019-2020

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Members Present

Hon. Frederick Blake , Mr. Bonnetrouge , Hon. Paulie Chinna , Ms. Cleveland , Hon. Caroline Cochrane , Ms. Green , Mr. Johnson , Mr. Lafferty , Ms. Martselos , Hon. Katrina Nokleby , Mr. Norn , Mr. O'Reilly , Ms. Semmler , Hon. R.J. Simpson , Mr. Rocky Simpson , Hon. Diane Thom, Hon. Shane Thompson , Hon. Caroline Wawzonek

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---Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer

Page 43

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, on December 1, 2019, Persis Gruben of Tuktoyaktuk passed away at the age of 101 years old. Persis was a much-loved and respected elder to all the people of the Beaufort Delta. She was born on the Peel River near Fort McPherson on October 20, 1918. Although she was born Gwich'in, she was welcomed into the Inuvialuit culture with open arms. Persis was the oldest living person in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. When she was died, she was the last survivor of the Shingle Point residential school.

Colleagues, please join me in expressing the condolences of this House to the family and countless friends of Persis Gruben. She will be laid to rest today in Tuktoyaktuk. Please join me in a moment of silence.

---Moment of silence

Thank you, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance .

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Minister's Statement 4-19(1): Economic Update

Ministers' Statements

Page 43

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity today to update Members on our economy and to discuss some of the fiscal challenges that we will face as we work to deliver our Assembly's shared priorities.

As we move towards the first budget of this Assembly, we must be realistic in our expectations for how quickly we can make positive changes to strengthen our programs and services and deliver on our commitments to support the NWT's economy.

The Northwest Territories' economy has struggled to recover to a level comparable to where we were before the serious global financial and economic

recession now over a decade ago. Since 2014, our economy has stabilized, but remains stagnant with real GDP growth under 1 percent per year, which is

less than half the economic growth rate for the rest of Canada. Without the construction of the Gahcho Kue mine during that time, the NWT economy would indeed have shrunk.

We expect the final data to show that, in 2019, the economy was largely supported by the public sector's investment. While Norman Wells is producing oil again after the pipeline was repaired in September 2018, mineral exploration for 2019 is expected to be lower than 2018, delaying the discovery and development of the next generation of Northwest Territories mines.

Looking forward, our economic outlook is one of tepid growth, as diamond production has passed its peak, with weaker overall exploration investment in the mining sector. As it currently stands, none of the existing diamond mines have confirmed plans for production past 2034, and the Diavik diamond mine is scheduled to close in 2025. We remain optimistic about several smaller resource projects, but there are no projects in the immediate future that would completely offset the loss of activity of one of those diamond mines closing, and the timelines for these other projects may be years after the diamond mines cease to operate.

We all know that the resource sector is a key driver in our economy, and this House knows that the industry is faced with challenges. That is why Members have made increasing resource exploration and development one of our shared priorities. Low commodity prices and global trade fluctuations have introduced a degree of uncertainty for any long-term investments in the NWT resource sector. This risk, coupled with the production costs in the North, impacts the decision-making of our local businesses, especially those who depend on the mining sector for much of their business.

Global market conditions will continue to present difficulties for the next few years and could have long-term economic implications.

This stagnant economic outlook means that we are starting the 19 th Legislative Assembly largely in the same position as the start of the last Assembly. For the current fiscal year, we are projecting an $80-million revenue decline from the 2019-2020 budget. This revenue decline has increased our short-term borrowing, and slow economic growth means that our total revenue growth is expected to be a modest 3.5 percent over the next five years. As a result of this year's revenue decline, current levels of spending will bring us closer to our federally imposed borrowing limit next year, leaving a small fiscal cushion to weather any further shocks to revenues or expenditures.

Knowing where we stand, the real question becomes: what will we do about it?

The best way to improve the GNWT's bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is to support our residents and businesses to build a more robust and diverse economy that can better weather these fluctuations we have seen within our resource sector. As a government, we can provide this support by better defining what we need to provide as part of regular programs and services so that there are fiscal resources available to invest back into our territory.

Put more simply, we need to work together to make decisions that will restore sustainability to our finances. We need to remember that slower economic activity leads to slower overall revenue growth, at the same time as pressure for government programs and services increases. In good economic times, the demand for social programs slows. During a downturn, our fiscal resources are squeezed to address the growing expenditure pressures and challenges our ability to invest in our long-term future.

Mr. Speaker, Cabinet will be developing a fiscal strategy over the next couple of months, and that will help us balance our wish to invest in the territory and its people, while ensuring the programs and services that our government provides are sustainable. While we are already under pre-existing timelines to consider the main estimates for the 2020-2021 fiscal year early in the new year, Cabinet does value the insight and input of Regular Members in the GNWT's budgeting and planning process.

Our first budget will strive to be a collective effort to be accountable and efficient as we pursue our priorities and mandate. We look forward to reviewing the 2020-2021 main estimates with standing committees in the new year and to discussing them publicly during the upcoming budget session. In addition to this process, Members will also have an opportunity to help us develop and vote on supplementary appropriations in March that will provide new funding for initiatives linked to our shared priorities.

Looking longer-term into 2020, we also intend to engage with Members on the development of four-year business plans. Unlike the previous annual business plans, these four-year plans will help define a long-term agenda for departments, and Member input will be crucial to shaping the government's direction and actions for the next four years. It is through these efforts that we will meet our fiscal reality and chart a path forward in the best interest of the people we serve .

I look forward to working with all Members of the 19 th Assembly to find creative and effective solutions to these challenges that we face, and to taking the steps we need to support an economy that will support our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 4-19(1): Economic Update

Ministers' Statements

Page 44

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services .

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Minister's Statement 5-19(1): Health and Social Services System Overview

Ministers' Statements

Page 44

Diane Archie

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to share with the Members of this Legislative Assembly my reflections as a new Minister of Health and Social Services .

I have spent my first few weeks as Minister receiving a series of comprehensive briefings from both the Department of Health and Social Services and the health and social services authorities. I have had the opportunity to meet with the Leadership Council, senior management, and staff.

One of my first thoughts after starting these briefings was how passionate and dedicated the staff and leadership are in the health and social services system. Everyone who I spoke to was there because they truly wanted to make a difference for the residents of the Northwest Territories. There is a deep-rooted, heartfelt belief across the system that we all play an important role in improving the lives of clients and patients. I am encouraged and inspired by having seen this and believe, if we harness this passion and dedication, we can make significant progress in tackling the health and social services issues our territory faces today.

As Members newly elected to this Legislative Assembly, we have all heard from our constituents about the health and social issues that our families and communities are experiencing. Many of us know first-hand what these issues look like and can draw from our own lived experiences. As Minister, I have been briefed on many of these issues and I am learning more about the challenges and about the work currently being done to address these issues. I am seeing the strengths and opportunities that we have to make progress on these issues over the life of this Assembly together.

As we work with Members to finalize the mandate in the coming weeks, we will be confirming how the government will address the Assembly's priorities and supporting all our people, including children, elders, and those struggling with mental health and addictions. These are also priorities for the department and I am confident they will share our commitment to deliver positive outcomes for all NWT residents.

Mr. Speaker, seeing what I have of the people working within the health and social services system, and learning what I have about the work currently being done and the opportunities and strengths we have available, I do believe that our health and social services system is well positioned to make progress on our shared priorities.

I look forward to providing strong leadership over the next four years, reaching across the floor to work with my fellow Members colleagues, and with our Indigenous and community partners, on the important health and social services challenges facing our territory today, to make the Northwest Territories a better place to live for all residents in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 5-19(1): Health and Social Services System Overview

Ministers' Statements

Page 45

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment .

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Minister's Statement 6-19(1): Aurora College Transformation Progress

Ministers' Statements

Page 45

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university is a priority of this Legislative Assembly, and I am pleased to say that we continue to make progress. To be successful, we must focus investments in programs and services that lead to better education and employment outcomes for our residents, including through our post-secondary education system.

Mr. Speaker, success requires the right changes, in the right order, at the right time. Following from the government response to the Aurora College foundational review, one of those changes has been the recent establishment of an Academic Advisory Council to advise Aurora College through the technical elements of the transformation process. The Academic Advisory Council is made up of eight highly-regarded academic institutions from across Canada that will provide support and guidance on the technical aspects of the transformation.

The first meeting of the Academic Advisory Council took place on November 26, 2019. This meeting received national attention in the academic community. I was pleased to be a part of that first meeting, and I was impressed by the dedication and excitement around the table.

Mr. Speaker, to be clear, the Academic Advisory Council is a temporary measure to gain technical advice at this early stage. What is not temporary is this government's commitment to genuine engagement and ongoing communication with Northwest Territories Indigenous governments, industry stakeholders, and residents, both during the transformation and moving forward under a polytechnic university.

We have been working with Indigenous government partners, key industry stakeholders, and Aurora College staff on a variety of critical elements in the Aurora College Foundational Review, government response to the review, development of the Northwest Territories post-secondary education vision and goals, and, currently, a three-year Aurora College strategic plan. Staff involvement in the transformation will be increased with the establishment of working groups within the college in the coming year.

Mr. Speaker, I have also directed the associate deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education Renewal to take an innovative approach to Indigenous government engagement around the transformation process and with the evolution to a polytechnic university. We will soon be reaching out to Indigenous governments to establish a common understanding of what that approach will look like.

Members of this House will also play a role in the transformation process. I will be offering briefings to committee and will be providing quarterly progress reports throughout the process. My door is always open to Members of this House, and I welcome your comments and feedback.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that, in the next ten years, we know that 78 percent of the labour market will require a post-secondary education, whether it is a certificate, diploma, degree, or a trade. Aligning with our labour-market needs ensures that our economy can develop and diversify. I want to ensure our education programs are aligned with the labour market and that Northerners are first in line for northern jobs.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the faculty and staff of Aurora College who are working with the Government of the Northwest Territories on the transformation. They continue to deliver quality programming, while at the same time developing and implementing a wide range of changes to create new opportunities for residents. My sincere thanks for their contributions and continued commitment to the students they serve.

Mr. Speaker, the transformation into a polytechnic university is a critical step in our economic and social development. Above all, we are working to secure a strong future for generations of Northerners. Their aspirations must be met with quality, accessible, and relevant education opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 6-19(1): Aurora College Transformation Progress

Ministers' Statements

Page 46

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs .

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Minister's Statement 7-19(1): Northwest Territories Sport Hall of Fame

Ministers' Statements

Page 46

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am very proud to recognize three deserving individuals that have recently been inducted into the Northwest Territories' Sport Hall of Fame.

The NWT Sport Hall of Fame was created to celebrate NWT athletes and sport builders who attained a high level of excellence and brought recognition and honour to the Northwest Territories.

It is through this recognition and promotion of sports that we demonstrate the great achievements of our outstanding sport contributors of the Northwest Territories. The legacy of their stories and successes will last for years to come.

The 2019 inductees are: the late Roseanne Allen, Floyd Daniels, and John Tram.

Roseanne Allen was one of the first Indigenous women to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics. She was born in Aklavik in 1954 and made history in Sapporo, Japan, when she took

part in Nordic skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Mr. Speaker, not only was Roseanne known for her incredible ability on her skis, but her resilience was second to none. At the age of just 13, Roseanne became the youngest Canadian to win gold in the 5-kilometre Nordic skiing category at the Canadian Junior Championships in Port Arthur, Ontario.

Amongst an abundance of gold medals, a standout performance for Roseanne came when she successfully completed the three-person women's 5-kilometre relay team to 10 th place, beating out their close rivals from the United States.

Roseanne will be forever remembered in the world of cross-country skiing and will leave a lasting legacy for young athletes across the Northwest Territories with her achievements.

Floyd Daniels was renowned in the softball world for being a fierce yet quiet competitor when on the mound. With raw pace and incredible accuracy, he became one of the most well-known pitchers in the Northwest Territories.

Floyd played in various tournaments and settings, ranging from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Victoria, British Columbia; and Lethbridge; all the way to Australia and various cities within the United States.

Mr. Speaker, Floyd passed away on August 18, 2019, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. He was playing fast-pitch competitively and helping with minor league ball in Hay River up until the age of 60.

Floyd leaves a legacy of playing sports on and off the field. He was incredibly competitive but always respectful to his opponents. He would instill these values into his team and coaching throughout his career.

Mr. Speaker, the third inductee for 2019 is John Tram. John was a highly motivated athlete with natural raw talent in the sport of gymnastics. John celebrated over 39 medals, 12 of those being at international and national events throughout his wonderful career, and he continues to pass his knowledge on to the youth of the Northwest Territories to this current day.

Well known for his sportsmanship, John often got both the crowd and his competitors behind him at the numerous events he took

part in. He is highly praised by previous coaches and Olympic medalists.

John dominated in the rings event. His score of 13.1 in the Western and Canadian championships has only been beaten by four other people in the last 20 years!

John now turns his focus into taking younger athletes to these events and does what he can to grow the sport across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, all Northerners should be extremely proud of Roseanne's, Floyd's, and John's accomplishments. On November 9 th , an event was held in their honour.

On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I would like to congratulate all three inductees on this wonderful honour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 7-19(1): Northwest Territories Sport Hall of Fame

Ministers' Statements

Page 46

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Hay River South .

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Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery

Members' Statements

Page 47

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to talk about the commercial fishery on Great Slave Lake. If you look at the various industries that have come and gone in Hay River, you will find that the commercial fishery has outlasted most of them. This is remarkable considering the harsh elements these fishers face, whether it be the winter fishery or the summer fishery. The financial return to these fishers is minimal when you consider fish prices have never kept up with the increased operating cost related to fuel, equipment, labour, and insurance.

Mr. Speaker, the fishery is constrained by government legislation and an overbearing government bureaucracy that is still operating using colonial methods. To make a living, these fishers need the time to ready their equipment and to be out in the lake fishing. Instead, they find themselves caught up in ever-increasing government red tape while being held hostage by government programs that are used to pit one against the other.

Mr. Speaker, when we hear fishers' concerns, our government's fallback answer is always that fishers are split on what direction to move, that they do not get along, and that there is no consensus among them. Just as the people of the NWT decided they want a change in this government, it may be time to change out some of our bureaucrats in this file and replace them with a fresh set of eyes, new ideas, and a new approach that will engage and empower the fishers and not diminish their trust in us.

Mr. Speaker, if this government wants to revitalize the commercial fishing industry, we need the fishers. We cannot do it on our own. Our role as government should be to support NWT fishers through ongoing and meaningful discussions with them. We should reduce and remove obstacles that hamper their ability to do their job. We should be assisting them in identifying practices that work to increase their return.

Mr. Speaker, this government over the years has spent millions of dollars, studying, reviewing, meeting, discussing, and travelling to look at ways to revitalize this industry. We continue doing the same thing over and over while piling up multiple reports and really getting nowhere. The reality of this industry is that fish prices are still low while equipment, equipment repair, labour, and insurance costs have all risen substantially, which diminishes the return to the fisher. We need to find a way to increase return to our NWT fishers through a combination of higher prices while reducing operating costs.

Failing this, we may ultimately lose the commercial fisher. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'll have questions for the Minister of ITI later. Thank you.

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Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery

Members' Statements

Page 47

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes .

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Home Care and Support Services

Members' Statements

Page 47

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my community, there are many elders and residents with disabilities, who continue to live at home. In Inuvik, we do have a homecare program with home-support workers who provide care for these individuals from Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00. The problem with the service that works between these hours is people require help after these hours and on weekends.

Some clients have to look for others to care for them outside these hours, which can lead them to be at risk for elder abuse. Sometimes, they have to be admitted into hospital because there is no one to care for them.

This government has a priority: enable seniors to age in place with dignity. I believe anyone with a disability should be able to remain in their home with dignity, as well. We are in a shortage of long-term care beds in the NWT, and our future calculations show we will continue to have a shortage of beds.

What we should be focusing on is supporting the families and clients who require homecare and home-support service beyond the hours as the program currently runs, to ensure they can age in place and they are less likely to need a long-term care bed. If we focus on this not only in Inuvik but the entire Northwest Territories, our elders and our clients with disabilities could live longer in their homes and their communities with dignity instead of housing them in regional centres or, worse yet, out of the territory.

In my previous position, I was meeting with communities, and one of the elders—we were discussing long-term care. One of the comments that they made is: going to long-term care, they feel like we're sending them to storage lockers or storage units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have some questions for the Minister later today.

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Home Care and Support Services

Members' Statements

Page 47

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Housing Crisis

Members' Statements

Page 48

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Residents of the Northwest Territories are experiencing a housing crisis. That is not news to the 900 individuals and families on the NWT Housing Corporation's waiting list, and it is not news to the 6,308 households that have housing problems, meaning that their house is not in good repair, not big enough for their family size, or not affordable or some combination of these three. The news is that the housing crisis got worse in the 18 th Assembly, despite the Housing Corporation's best intentions for improvement.

Mr. Speaker, making public housing available and private housing affordable is a crucial issue in my constituency where two-thirds of my constituents are in public housing or in other rentals. It is also an issue for Yellowknife as a whole. There are as many people on the Yellowknife Housing Authority waiting list as there are units available, about 350. About a quarter of those who are waiting are seniors. The community survey released last month indicates problems with affordability in Yellowknife have increased to include 2,000 households. In fact, all categories of housing need in Yellowknife have gone up.

Mr. Speaker, in the 18 th Assembly, I presented a motion, which all MLAs supported, for an action plan from the NWT Housing Corporation to reduce housing problems based on the 2014 survey. The plan was presented two years ago with a goal of assisting 1,000 households across the territory. I haven't seen any reporting from the Housing Corporation that indicates whether this goal was met. What I do know is that rather than going down, housing needs across the territory have doubled in the last five years.

Mr. Speaker, those in need are running out of patience with the NWT Housing Corporation and so am I. I have heard about initiatives from communities and land rights organizations that have taken matters into their own hands, including Deline and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. I understand their frustration. I am also losing confidence in the NWT Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Housing Crisis

Members' Statements

Page 48

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I don't believe the Corporation is up to the task of providing housing and programming to alleviate the obvious need. What we do know is that the Housing Corporation has steadfastly refused to add any new units to its inventory because doing so would increase overhead costs. This is an unacceptable position. I am asking for an investment in more units immediately. We cannot expect residents to thrive, go to school, and go to work when one of their most basic needs remains unmet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Housing Crisis

Members' Statements

Page 48

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Improving Education in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 48

Steve Norn

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to talk about education NWT. I just want to make a quick acknowledgement that it is good to see the kids come out, classroom. A big part of why I ran for office is our children, our next generation. It makes me very happy to see. I did a speech at one of our schools in my riding last week. My message was to stay in school and work hard, and I want to extend that message out to you, as well. One of the biggest things I said: you never know when in our classrooms. We can have our next Premier . We can have our next Prime Minister.

We can have our next MLA, next Nobel Laureate, next Olympian. We are all pushing for you, and this is a big part of the job that we do here.

Going back to what I was saying, Mr. Speaker, there are a few specific areas in education, particularly in the smaller communities that I want to discuss. I have noticed that it is not an uncommon reality for schools in smaller communities to have classrooms of very poor student-to-teacher ratios. I have seen several instances where classes have one teacher, maybe one teacher's assistant, teaching upwards of three grades simultaneously in one class. This seems to be standard practice in many communities. Even so, I consider that to be problematic and in need of serious review.

Mr. Speaker, another area in education that needs improving is in regards to graduation rates. According to stats from the NWT Bureau of Statistics, the NWT for many years has consistently had a much lower graduation rate than the national average. For example, in 2016, the national high school graduation rate was 72 percent,

whereas the NWT's average was 67 percent. Even lower than that was the territorial average graduation rate for Indigenous students, which was 61 percent.

Moreover, Mr. Speaker, again, in the 2016 Bureau of Statistics for data in my riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the average number of people who have a high school diploma or higher was only 47 percent compared to the NWT average of 72.6 percent. For me, this disparity is quite shocking and unacceptable. The Department of Education must begin work immediately to increase the gap in education between the smaller communities and the larger urban centres.

Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to continue my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Improving Education in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 49

Steve Norn

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mr. Speaker, the 19 th Assembly's mandate items addresses this issue specifically, which states that one of the desired goals of this Assembly is to increase student education outcomes of the same level as the rest of Canada.

Well, Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go in achieving educational parity on each of the fronts that I have just mentioned, but if we want the NWT to achieve true educational parity compared to Canada's national average, I believe it is imperative that our government redouble our efforts in the smaller communities because that is where the education outcomes need to improve the most. The smaller communities have been left behind for far too long. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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Improving Education in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 49

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake .

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Priorities and Mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly

Members' Statements

Page 49

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. The 18 th Assembly collectively developed a list of priorities that Cabinet then took and turned into a lengthy wish list. That was the first time that a formal mandate was developed. At the end of the 18 th Assembly, Cabinet claimed it had completed 202 of 230 mandate commitments. The advice from the Transition Matters Special Committee was that there should be fewer priorities and fewer mandate commitments. I am not convinced that we achieved that with the priorities that were tabled in this House on October 25 th . As this sitting presents the first opportunity to speak to these priorities, I wish to offer some observations and comments.

As hard as our facilitators tried, we produced a list of 22 priorities versus the 25 of the 18 th Assembly. Hard choices were not made amongst big infrastructure projects or even between those projects and investments in social spending that should include housing, universal childcare, and a guaranteed basic income. While we had a rigorous process, two days was not enough. We ran out of time and energy with an extremely intensive orientation and a looming leadership selection process. With even one more day, we may have been able to produce more refined priorities.

I will find it very difficult to support some of the priorities set by this Assembly. Some may work at cross-purposes with each other, such as increasing economic diversification while trying to increase mineral exploration. I am also of the view that there is very little that we can do to increase mineral exploration beyond settling outstanding Indigenous land rights and changing our messaging and the perception of the state-of-the-art environmental management system. Commodity prices and financial markets are well outside our control.

Some of the priorities provide precise direction, such as improving student outcomes to those achieved elsewhere in Canada or increasing the number of resident healthcare professionals by 20 percent. Other priorities are extremely vague: reduce core housing needs or, for example, advance universal childcare. We have not handed Cabinet an easy task. The priorities provide very little direction for the work of some of the departments' agencies and Ministers.

I will have questions later today for the Premier on how she intends to work with Regular MLAs in developing specific direction for each Minister and department. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Priorities and Mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly

Members' Statements

Page 49

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake .

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Prompt Payment for Northern Businesses

Members' Statements

Page 49

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As an Assembly, we committed to supporting economic development in northern businesses. Many of my Kam Lake constituents report the challenges associated not only with starting a business, but also keeping it profitable. I believe that the GNWT can and must do more to support northern businesses.

According to 2019 NWT Statistics Bureau data, over 70 percent of the 3,600 NWT businesses employee four or fewer employees. Our economy and communities depend on these small northern businesses. Not only do they provide meaningful employment, they also support events, youth sport, and activities that enrich our communities.

Every dollar spent on NWT businesses generates a positive spinoff effect in our economy, and the loss of these businesses will hurt workers and their families, impoverishing our communities, and ultimately stand to reduce the territorial population, in turn reducing our federal transfer payments.

Mr. Speaker, Kam Lake business owners tell me that the cash flow is a challenge for their small businesses. Late payments cause a trickle-down effect of missed payments to other businesses and workers and an increase in interest costs that drive the cost of doing business. One way to grow our northern businesses, Mr. Speaker, and decrease the cost of living is by paying for services rendered on time.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT Financial Administration Manual requires that BIP businesses get paid 20 days after receipt of a good or service. Government payments are often late. These concerns were documented by the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment in its GNWT Procurement Practices Report tabled in August. The committee recommended that the GNWT pay invoices below $10,000 within a week and that the GNWT pay a late payment penalty when it fails to make timely payments. To support northern businesses and reduce the cost of living, we must move forward with these recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud of northern entrepreneurs. I know firsthand the persistence and passion it takes to run a business. The GNWT needs to support economic growth and diversification by doing everything possible to promptly pay vendors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Prompt Payment for Northern Businesses

Members' Statements

Page 50

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha .

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Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion

Members' Statements

Page 50

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the Taltson Hydro Electric Expansion Project. As an official mandate item on the priorities list of the 19 th Legislative Assembly, we have a duty to see this project move forward in a timely manner and in close cooperation with Indigenous governments.

In terms of business opportunities and environmental regulation, Mr. Speaker, this hydro expansion would provide the NWT with more renewable energy, create job opportunities, lower electricity costs, and will set the pace for a vibrant economy into the future. This has to remain a priority in order to secure any significant long-term investments in the NWT. We need this infrastructure if we want to sustain and grow our territory's economic development.

Mr. Speaker, as a Fort Smith resident, my community resides in the closest proximity to the existing Taltson hydro system, and I can tell you based on concrete evidence that the majority of Fort Smith residents support this project, and I know that the majority of Members in this House support this project as well.

Moreover, Mr. Speaker, based on the considerable amount of research that has been conducted on the Taltson expansion, all plans state that this project has the potential to eliminate approximately 240,000 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions by replacing diesel power generation. This would occur by creating that interconnected NWT power grid as opposed to the current separate North and South Slave grids.

Overall, Mr. Speaker, this project has the capacity to nearly double the NWT's current hydro capacity output. This would serve our territory's power needs for years to come, and any surplus energy that the NWT would not utilize could be sold to other nearby provinces and territories as needed.

Mr. Speaker, as a jurisdiction that is currently undergoing notable economic decline, I believe that our territory needs a considerable boost and could really benefit from long-term infrastructure investments such as that of the Taltson hydro expansion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions for the Minister.

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Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion

Members' Statements

Page 50

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho .

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Education Renewal in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 50

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today is in regard to the state of education in our small communities. Mind you, what I have noted is that it is almost taboo to discuss education on a public level in our communities. Public meetings to discuss education and any initiatives have not been initiated by the school, the school boards, nor by the divisional education councils that represent the schools throughout the region.

No one seems to mind that the attendance rates are dropping, the graduation rates are not flourishing as they should be, and the fact that the academic level of education has gone by the wayside. Couple this with the fact that our schools have had to lay off good quality teachers. It is alarming that no one wants to make an issue of what can be deemed a crisis situation regarding the state of education in our small communities.

I would like to draw your attention to a Department of Education, Culture and Employment document entitled "Education Renewal and Innovation Framework, Directions for Change." It is a three-year education renewal action plan created in 2015 by the department. The document goes on to state, "The current approach to education is not producing the overall levels of student achievement that we need and should reasonably expect for the investments that are being made." The document further states, "This renewal is critical to developing the capable citizens the Northwest Territories needs."

The document presents nine major action plan commitments that the Government of the Northwest Territories will ensure to undertake to improve the quality of education in our communities. It is a very bold and determined document. Unfortunately, this is the first time I have seen the document, and it is now 2019, four years later. I would further be dismayed, and rightly so, if the district education councils have not seen or had any chance to action the initiatives outlined in the Renewal Action Plan.

It is not clear if people in the communities were consulted or presented with the action plan. Had this happened, there certainly would have been measurable outcomes and the GNWT would have been on the hook to see these commitments through. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Education Renewal in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 51

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

I'll be very quick, Mr. Speaker. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.

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Education Renewal in Small Communities

Members' Statements

Page 51

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North .

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Self-Government and Land Rights Agreements

Members' Statements

Page 51

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two of the priorities of this Assembly are to settle and implement treaty, land, resources, and self-government agreements, and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. I believe these are the two most important priorities of this assembly, as they go to the very heart of what is the role of the GNWT and what is the future role of this House.

When all of us as new MLAs, before breaking off into Cabinet and Regular Members, sat with Indigenous leaders, we repeatedly heard that the GNWT was a barrier at negotiating tables. I have no doubt this is true. Despite the fact that previous Assemblies also prioritized settling land rights agreements, we became a barrier at the table. This shows there is a disconnect between what is said and what is done.

That is one of the most rampant issues in our politics. We always shy away from framing the issues that are divisive. As such, no MLA in this Assembly will ever say they don't want to implement land rights and self-government agreements. Yet, if everyone agrees, that means we are asking the wrong question. The first and most important question we must ask ourselves is if we as government are willing to give up control to Indigenous governments.

Any change in circumstances, I would argue, is human nature. It causes an initial defensive reaction, especially a change that results in having less control. Yet settling outstanding land rights and self-government agreements is not a matter of "if"; it is a matter of "when." It is inevitable for this territory, and the question we must ask ourselves is: are we going to make any progress on these files or are we going to keep being a barrier at the table?

The current unsettled state of affairs and uncertainty benefits no one. It causes uncertainty in our economy and it strains our relationships with Indigenous governments. Canada's Collaborative Self-Government Fiscal Policy means there is money ready for our Indigenous governments to exercise their right to govern, yet that money is waiting for us to sign self-government agreements. It is waiting for us in his House to be bold and to take the very difficult step to give up power that rightly belongs to our Indigenous governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Self-Government and Land Rights Agreements

Members' Statements

Page 51

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi .

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Housing Challenges in Behchoko

Members' Statements

Page 51

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Yesterday I spoke in my language. We had difficulties with equipment yesterday, and there is a lot of complaint in the communities regarding this little mishap yesterday. Also, I'd like to make a comment... [End of translation] ... conversation about housing. There are a lot of issues and challenges with housing in the Northwest Territories. The policy simply is not meeting the needs of our people.

In my community of Behchoko there are more than 40 units that are boarded up. Some are ready for demolition, some are burnt, and some need major renovations. None of these units are liveable at this time, not to mention that they're an eyesore in my community. The people who live there now are homeless or couch surfing in the community.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to focus on the burnt units. None of them had fire insurance when they burned down. I had inquired numerous times, Mr. Speaker, about solutions for these burnt units. I have been told over and over that, because tenants did not have fire insurance, they do not qualify for another unit or renovation.

A number of things concern me about this situation. First and foremost, why did we ever transfer brand-new units to clients without housing insurance? Second, these clients are vulnerable citizens, people living in poverty, elders with limited income or pension. Why didn't the NWT Housing Corporation consider an agreement for house insurance with these vulnerable clients? Furthermore, these units have since been left in a state of demise in the community, some of them for more than 10 or 15 years. This is not only an eyesore, but, I'm sure, dangerous in the community.

Mr. Speaker, these policies are faulty and, as a result, families are left homeless. They cannot afford renovations or new housing and are longer able to access public housing. I believe the goal of the NWT Housing Corporation is to provide safe, affordable, and adequate housing for residents of the Northwest Territories in situations such as this one. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Masi.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Housing Challenges in Behchoko

Members' Statements

Page 52

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

As I stated, Mr. Speaker, situations such as this one could be avoided or resolved if the policies that are in place were reasonable and did not create barriers for some of our most vulnerable citizens. I have followed up on these issues on behalf of my constituents and, to this point, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has not been able to propose a reasonable solution, and that is not acceptable for my communities. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

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Housing Challenges in Behchoko

Members' Statements

Page 52

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh .

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Eulogy for James Fradsham

Members' Statements

Page 52

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. James Gerard Fradsham left behind an incredible legacy of family, humour, compassion, and friendship across the NWT. I had the pleasure of knowing him as Gerard.

Gerard was born on July 25, 1955, in St. John's, Newfoundland. It was there he grew up with 10 brothers and sisters. He would often tell stories of Signal Hill and the Battery. He always wanted to go back to visit, but life seemed to get in the way. There were times that you would find him in his family home on Google Maps, showing everybody who would look where he used to live.

In the 1970s, his family uprooted and moved to Frobisher Bay; Iqaluit, nowadays. From there, Gerard traveled across the North and obtained his ticket to become a plumber and oil burner mechanic. Through these travels, he met a lot of good friends and his soulmate, who passed away earlier this year.

Gerard was known for being kind-hearted, generous, strong, and determined. His family and friends always knew that, if they needed him, he would always be there in a heartbeat. He strived to be the best father and friend he could be for everyone. Everyone who knew Gerard has countless memories of him; some happy, some sad, some scary, and some humorous. These stories of him will be with us forever, keeping his memory alive.

He used to love to go fishing, camping, rides in the side-by-side, playing crib, dice, watching movies, and reading tour things from Facebook. He had passion about the education system and making sure his children were making positive choices.

I'd like to share what his youngest son Colin's words were: "When I think of my dad, I think about all the lives he touched, the different cultures and communities he embraced with affection, passion, and determination. I think about his need to repair everything he saw, like an inner nature that drove him. His stern kindness, deadly humour, and never-quit attitude are all traits I strive for every day and I hope to pass down to pass down to my children, not just from my father, but my mother, as well."

Gerard lost the battle with lung cancer on November 15, 2019, at 9:43. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, his sisters, and a couple of brothers, nieces, and nephews, and all of his friends. He is preceded by his wife, his parents, his brothers, and a couple of close brothers-in-law. His daughter, Laurie, said in his eulogy: "I can see him crossing that bridge he always talked about and being greeted by all those friends and family members who are waiting for him, who went before him."

The Fradsham family would like to thank everybody for their loving support and prayers during their time of sorrow. They appreciate everyone who was able to attend his celebration of life in Fort Smith. As well, they would like to thank all the medical staff here in the North and in Edmonton, Alberta, who helped with their father throughout his journey.

Mr. Speaker, he was dearly loved, and we will miss him, his knowledge, and guidance. Rest in peace and know that your children and grandchildren will be fine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Eulogy for James Fradsham

Members' Statements

Page 52

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Item 4, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 52

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Members, I would like to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Ms. Elaine Keenan Bengts, the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the NWT. Ms. Keenan Bengts is here for the tabling of her annual report. Welcome, Ms. Keenan Bengts.

Also, Members, I would like to draw your attention to the visitors' gallery and the Chief Electoral Officer of the Northwest Territories, Ms. Nicole Latour. She is here to witness the tabling of the official results.

Ms. Latour, I think I can safely speak on behalf of all of the Members when I say that I am pleased with the results of your work. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to again recognize my neighbour and journalist, Sarah Minogue.

I think they have gone back to school now, but we had students in here today from Kam Lake's Ecole St. Joseph School, who were here to see consensus government in action.

I would like to again recognize Kam Lake Pages here today, both Lana Sanders and Adrienne Lam are grade 9 students at Sir John Franklin High School. Lana is a talented drama student who was in Frozen Jr. this year, and Adrienne is well-known to teachers and classmates alike for her consistently above-90-percent average. Thank you.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize my wife, Bette Lyons. She is here, and she is keeping me fed and the Minister of ECE , as well. We appreciate her showing up in Yellowknife this week. Thank you.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to acknowledge one of the Pages in the House today, Riley Hans. She is a student at Ecole Sir John Franklin High School.

I want to thank you for filling my water glass, as well as running notes around for everybody.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to recognize one of our Pages in the House today, Ms. Brenna Willis, who is a student with Range Lake North, and we are really glad to have her helping us as Page. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Steve Norn

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of the Pages as well, Jaida Charlo, from my riding. I am happy to see her today. Mahsi cho.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Member for Thebacha .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To attract potential industry and major proponents to invest in the NWT, the Taltson --

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Member, sorry, we're on returns to oral questions; we're on oral questions two orders down. Returns to oral questions. Item 6, acknowledgements. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Acknowledgement 1-19(1): Walt Humphries - Chamber of Mines Distinguished Service Award

Acknowledgements

Page 53

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to acknowledge Walt Humphries, winner of the Distinguished Service Award at last month's Chamber of Mines gala.

Following his graduation from the Haileybury School of Mines, Walt made his way to Yellowknife 50 years ago to establish himself as a prospector. That is still his business. He is also an avid promoter of prospecting, having taught 50 courses across the North. He is a fixture of the Yellowknife Historical Society with a passion for preserving our mining heritage, but perhaps he is best-known for his newspaper column, "Tales from the Dump," and for his artwork.

Congratulations, Walt, on this well-deserved award. Mahsi.

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Acknowledgement 1-19(1): Walt Humphries - Chamber of Mines Distinguished Service Award

Acknowledgements

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Hay River South .

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 53

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question that I have today is for the Minister of ITI . Recently, the tender for the construction of a fish processing receiving plant in Hay River was cancelled. When I saw this, I concluded that it was due to the bid amounts received, which were considerably over budget. Can the Minister confirm the reason for cancelling the tender at this time? Thank you.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 53

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment .

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct; the bids that were received for the construction of the new fish plant in Hay River were significantly higher than anticipated. As the Member is aware, demands on the public purse are high, and we want to make sure that we are fully considering these types of decisions. We remain committed to the revitalization initiative, and we want to move forward as quickly as possible with the fish plant. However, we have decided to take the time required to consider what other options we may have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Knowing the work that it takes to prepare a tender such as this, and knowing that only two tenders were received, has the Minister's department met with or considered meeting with the lower bidder to explore options that would bring the project within budget and keep the work, I guess, in Hay River?

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

The bids were very high compared to the budget, especially given that the budget was disclosed to the bidders at the pre-tender meeting in July. The gap was significant enough that we couldn't reasonably anticipate negotiating it down to within the budget. Cancelling the tender was the only option available to us to maintain an open, fair, and transparent process.

This does not mean that are not exploring options to bring the project budget down. One of the areas where we think that we may have some room to make changes is in the proposed fish processing lines and equipment requirements and the impacts that they will have on the building.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Will this project be retendered or sent out for RFP fairly soon?

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

That is one of the things that we must consider. Our first step will be to get some better understanding of why the bids were so high. Ideally, we will find a way to move the project ahead within the budget that we have, but this will take some time. While it is too early in the process to know how we will proceed, I will confirm to Members that we remain committed to building the plant.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South .

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This project is very important to not only the NWT fishers but the community of Hay River as well, in terms of employment and contracting opportunities. Will the Minister commit to providing me with an expected timeline to move this project ahead in a timely manner, once she has that? Thank you.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

First, let me assure the Member that I recognize how important this project is to Hay River. Our plan will mean greater returns for fishers working on the lake. It will mean new jobs in processing, packaging, selling, and transporting NWT fish for market. When it comes to the plant, however, I will be fully transparent. The answer is no, we don't have a new timeline yet, but we will get one, and I will share that with you. While we consider next steps for the plant, we are also moving ahead with other elements of the overall revitalization strategy.

We will be establishing a fisheries support officer to work out of Hay River. We are working with Memorial University to develop training programs around fish handling, processing, and filleting. We have partnered with the marine training centre to deliver relevant training for fishers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 11-19(1): Hay River Fishing Industry

Oral Questions

Page 54

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha .

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 54

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry for being so anxious on the economy. Mr. Speaker, to attract potential industry and major proponents to invest in the NWT, the Taltson River hydro expansion must remain a priority. My question is: does the Minister and her department consider this a priority?

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 54

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister for Infrastructure .

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 54

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

I got off easy yesterday. The Taltson hydro expansion project is a priority of this government as it will allow us to establish long-term energy infrastructure that can provide cost effective energy to communities, residents, and industry. It is identified as one of the priorities of the 19 th Legislative Assembly, as one of the strategic infrastructure investments that connect communities, expand the economy, or reduce the cost of living.

The Taltson hydro expansion project will also help achieve the 19 th Legislative Assembly's priority to reduce the cost of power and increase the use of alternative and renewable energy. The Taltson hydro expansion project is a central element of the 2030 energy strategy, supporting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. This project can help the NWT meet our commitments under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is currently developing our mandate which will outline specific actions that we will undertake to advance the priorities of the 19 th Legislative Assembly of which the Taltson hydro expansion project is an important one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 55

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha .

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 55

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Thank you.

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Question 12-19(1): Taltson River Hydroelectric Expansion

Oral Questions

Page 55

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi .

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I made a statement at my Member's statement. There is a lot of housing in Behchoko that are boarded up and also burnt houses. I would like to ask Housing Corporation Minister the question [Translation ends].

As I alluded to in my Member's statement, we have a lot of boarded-up and burned units in my community of Behchoko, which I believe is the responsibility of NWT Housing Corporation. They are obviously an eyesore and potentially dangerous to my community. What is the process of dealing with these houses that can no longer be lived in, especially these burnt units in the community? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation .

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Lafferty for your comments. The Housing Corporation right now, I would like to look at options in regards to home insurances for new homes that are being built, looking at the abandoned units that are in your community. I would like to go into the community and take a look at what we actually have there, what is our inventory for Behchoko. I am really looking at the safety, as well, too, and looking at the options that we might be able to provide as NWT Housing Corporation in regards to insurances. I will look at options going forward. Thank you.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. I was just going to remind you to please address your remarks through me. Thank you.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Some of these units, especially the burnt units, have been an eyesore for the last 10 to 15 years in my community, and still is today. The families who lived there continue to struggle. A lot of them are homeless now. These are families that are desperately in need of help, and those pleas have been ignored for a very long time by this housing corporation.

The Minister did talk about going to the community. I am just wondering if there is a plan in place today to deal with these burnt units, if they could be replaced so these families can have homes again. As it stands, they are homeless right now, couch-surfing in the community. They do not have a warm place to go to at times, so what is the current position of the Housing Corporation to deal with these burnt units so we can have the family go back to their community homes?

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

In regards to the burnt units that are in Behchoko and the homeless that are there, I am not familiar with the number of units that are available in the community, and I am not familiar if there was a report that had been done in the past, but I will make it my priority to review them, and I will get back to you with numbers for you, how many vacancies we do have in Behchoko. Also, for the burnt units, once again, we will explore options for the home insurances.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

I am enjoying these answers that I am getting from the brand new Minister. It is an area of challenge in the community, but we have to keep in mind that this has been going on for the last 15 years. The next question obviously is a critical one for me, as well. The Minister did allude to at some degree, but I want to get a clear and concise answer on this particular question. Is the NWT Housing Corporation willing to look at these individually, on case-by-case basis, and to investigate reasonable solutions for these families so they can live with dignity once again?

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

As the Housing Corporation Minister, I am new to the position, but then I am from a smaller community; I am familiar with the scenarios and situations that the Housing Corporation does have in the smaller areas. I am open to looking at these individual cases case-by-case in your community and the responsible solutions. I do not have the information right now to provide to you in regards to how are we going to be accommodating the residents in Behchoko and the people that are affected.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Member for Monfwi .

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 55

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Masi. The Minister did bring up that she represents a small community, and it has not been the case in the previous Executive, so I would like to thank the Member for that, speaking from her experience. It will make a difference in my community and especially the small communities that we represent across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, since housing is the number one issue in my region, I would like to ask the Minister and also the senior staff: it is very crucial that they attend, as well, to visit my communities of Behchoko, Whati, Gameti and Wekweeti, along with the local housing authority representatives, to deal with my constituents' issues and concerns that I just addressed with the Minister. I believe this matter is urgent enough to warrant this meeting early in the new year. I would like to get a commitment. I know the Minister alluded to, to some degree, but I would like to get a commitment from the Minister today. Masi.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 56

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Yes, the Housing Corporation will be committed to visiting the Tlicho region. I am also wanting just to express, as well, Wekweeti was the first community for the Housing Corporation that had completed a housing plan, and we are actually going to be going there next week to explore those options and those accomplishments that they have completed. Thank you.

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Question 13-19(1): Housing in Behchoko

Oral Questions

Page 56

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes .

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question for the Minister of Health is related to my Member's statement. Does the Minister of Health have any financial assessment comparables for the cost of preventable measures like homecare and home support with daily extended hours, compared to building more structures for elders in regional centres and staffing them? If so, can they be provided? Thank you.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Health and Social Services .

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Diane Archie

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a timely question in that we have just completed a home and community care review for the Northwest Territories. We received the full final report on September 16 th , which includes 22 recommendations. These recommendations are currently being prioritized by the staff; however, I can tell you that we also included research from other jurisdictions. The information in the review supports that, by investing in home and community care, there is potential to divert some costs related to long-term care.

This is a priority for the department and, drawing from the experience in other jurisdictions, we are continuing to assess what this may mean for the Northwest Territories.

I look forward to providing more details to the Member as we conclude this work. We will have the review and our responses to the recommendations available for the MLAs for the next session, and we look forward to the opportunity to provide a briefing to the interested Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

In relation to my Member's statement, as well: will the Minister of Health commit to providing after-hour and weekend services to clients in Inuvik by having their department look at ways to have possibly evening and day shift work throughout the week?

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Diane Archie

Inuvik Boot Lake

I agree that there is a need to look at how services and the home and community care programs are being delivered, including the hours of service. When the home and community care review was conducted, one of the purposes of the review was to look at the consistency in how services are delivered across the Northwest Territories, as well as if there are any gaps in the program and services. There are recommendations from the review that do speak to exploring the feasibility of expanding hours of services.

We will be working with the health and social services authorities to determine how we can move this recommendation forward, including which communities will be our priority based on current needs.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

I am just looking to see if the Minister will commit to looking at what it would cost, also, and maybe it's part of this plan, to bring our residents back to the NWT to be cared for here at home, as well.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Diane Archie

Inuvik Boot Lake

As I noted earlier, our goal is to support elders and those with disabilities to live in their homes and their communities. It's never our goal to have someone leave their home or community; however, we all know that there are times when the care may become so complex that we need to consider other options for care for our clients. We have a number of residents who have had to relocate outside the Northwest Territories to receive care that has exceeded our ability to provide. Many of these individuals are living in what we call a "supportive living" setting.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes .

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to the last comment that she made, the supported living, within this new report, hopefully, they are looking at supportive living in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

Diane Archie

Inuvik Boot Lake

That is our ability, to have a look at that, and I will get back to the Member with any progress on the review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 14-19(1): Home and Community Care

Oral Questions

Page 56

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation . As I mentioned in my statement, residents of Yellowknife and in communities across the NWT are facing what I describe as a housing crisis. Housing problems have more than doubled in the last five years. Can the Minister tell us whether she considers the current situation a crisis? Thank you.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation .

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for your comments, Member. With the housing crisis, it's not acceptable for the Northwest Territories. Like I said before, I do come from a smaller community. I come from a smaller area. I do see the homelessness, and I see how it affects our people at the grassroots level. I will be working very closely with my department and looking at the programs that are now existing, and working towards improvement. Thank you.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. I want her to appreciate that we have significant housing problems in Yellowknife, as well as in the small communities. My question for her is: what specific action is she going to take to address the escalating housing problems identified in the 2019 survey?

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Going forward, I know that there are reports that have been completed in the past, already. I have not had the chance to review them, but I would like to exercise them in getting new results and new ideas. I do come to the department with fresh eyes, and I am looking forward to looking at the Northwest Territories and meeting their needs as a territory.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that response. I'd like the Minister to answer whether she is prepared to revisit the Housing Corporation's decision not to add any more units to its inventory to meet the waiting list of over 900 households.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Member. I would like to revisit the number of units that are existing for the Northwest Territories, but also we are in a housing crisis, as well, and we do need new allocated units and new public units in the Northwest Territories. I am wanting to go ahead and review what we actually have on the ground and look at the inventory.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was a positive response from the Minister, and I appreciate that. My final question is whether the Minister will be lobbying her colleagues for a greater investment in housing in the next budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Yes, we will be lobbying. Thank you.

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Question 15-19(1): Housing Crisis

Oral Questions

Page 57

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance for the rationale for the delay of three to four weeks in making payments to GNWT vendors, as set out in the Financial Administration Manual. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance .

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance does attempt to pay all vendors within 30 days, which I would suggest is really an industry standard. It allows an opportunity to due diligence on the materials that are presented in support of an invoice, in addition to which the goal in fact is to pay BIP members or BIP businesses within 20 days, a standard that we are working towards. So that is the rationale, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Has the Department of Finance given consideration to the standing committee's report on procurement, and, if not, can we expect to see some analysis or response to the committee's recommendation?

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

I understand the department has reviewed that report, and I have also personally reviewed that report. With respect to the response that may or may not be coming, I believe there will be a more fulsome response in due course, Mr. Speaker, and, over the course of time, when that does happen, I will certainly engage the Member with that information once I have it.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 57

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

I understand that the financial administration policy on the timing of payments to vendors provides for certain exceptions that allow for immediate payment upon receipt of invoices from language translators or interpreters, justices of the peace, coroners, and sheriff's bailiff services. Would the Minister be willing to consider expanding these exemptions for small northern businesses?

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 58

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

That kind of a consideration is not currently within the department's purview of projects underway right now. That said, there are a number of things that the department is doing to try to improve the speed of which small northern businesses are being paid. There are a number of things that can be done and a number of steps that can be taken to improve that process, not the least of which would be to just encourage the vendors themselves to be using e-mail, to be directing things, fulsome information, as well, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that our departments know that those vendors invoices go directly to Finance.

All of those things can help improve the system, and we will be taking those steps to improve the process.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 58

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 58

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister be willing to commit to developing a proposal or supplying me with any kind of documentation that would allow me to better communicate with Kam Lake business owners as to how they can go about getting paid in a timely fashion? Thank you.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 58

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

I think there is a simple answer, and it is "Yes." While I don't know exactly how quickly I can get that to the Member, I am prepared to make that commitment to do so as quickly as possible so that there is a better way to have all the northern businesses paid as quickly as possible. Thank you.

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Question 16-19(1): Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors

Oral Questions

Page 58

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho .

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Question 17-19(1): Education Renewal in Small Communities

Oral Questions

Page 58

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment as my Member's statement on the GNWT's education renewal document and the state of education in the small communities. Can the Minister advice if the education renewal document was presented to the education councils or divisional education boards in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.

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Question 17-19(1): Education Renewal in Small Communities

Oral Questions

Page 58

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment .

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Question 17-19(1): Education Renewal in Small Communities

Oral Questions

Page 58

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can inform the Member, my colleague, that the education renewal and innovation framework was shared widely with all the education bodies back in 2013 when it was first released. The Member referenced a three-year action plan in his statement. I am not sure if that was. It is my assumption it was, but I can't say for sure. I can find out.

However, this leads me to something else that I have been discovering since I took this portfolio. The communication between the department and the education bodies, the boards themselves and the regional councils, needs to be improved. I have spoken at length with the department about this, and I have reached out to all the education chairs around the territory. I haven't been able to get a hold of one, but I have spoken with all the other ones to bridge that gap and ensure that we have better communication. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 17-19(1): Education Renewal in Small Communities

Oral Questions

Page 58

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Will the Minister commit to delivering on the education renewal plan and have the department staff go into all the small communities to discuss the state of education with grass-roots people?

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Question 17-19(1): Education Renewal in Small Communities

Oral Questions

Page 58

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

There are two parts to the question: will the Minster commit to delivering on the ERI, and will the departmental staff go into all the small communities? The original ERI framework had a lot of big goals in there. I actually respect that document quite a bit because it says, "This is what we are going to try. We might not try them all. We are going to try them, and we will see if they work." They threw ideas out there.

It is a great document, and a lot of good things have come out of that. We have northern distance learning. There are elders in school. There are all sorts of these things that have happened. I think what we are realizing now is maybe we need to pare that down and focus on the things that we found are working.

Education is a tough department, and I know some of the Ministers have had a rough go at it over the past little while, whether it is junior kindergarten or whatever it may be. We are actually in a good place right now because the department has learned from a lot of the issues that have come out in the last few years and has done really well with gat