Debates of March 7th, 2022

This is page numbers 3793 - 3836 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library.

The word of the day was know .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Fort Smith Situation

Government of the Northwest Territories COVID-19 Response and COVID Secretariat Wind Down

Message to Fort Smith Residents

Electricity Rates

Affirmative Action Policy

Northwest Territories Fur Economy

Red Cross Movement

Maintenance Enforcement

Young Indigenous Men in the Justice System

Housing

Shingles Vaccine

Curling

Aboriginal Sports Circle Coaches Award Winners Darwin Norwegian and Malerie Hardisty-Norwegian

Eulogy for Harold Johnson

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Affirmative Action Policy

Fur Industry

Canadian Red Cross

Shingles Vaccine

Maintenance Enforcement

Housing

Correctional Facilities

Fort Smith

Electricity rates

Canadian Red Cross

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Members Present

Hon. Diane Archie , Hon. Frederick Blake Jr., Mr. Bonnetrouge , Hon. Paulie Chinna , Ms. Cleveland , Hon. Caroline Cochrane , Mr. Edjericon , Hon. Julie Green , Mr. Johnson , Ms. Martselos , Ms. Nokleby , Mr. O'Reilly , Ms. Semmler , Hon. R.J. Simpson , Mr. Rocky Simpson , Hon. Shane Thompson , Hon. Caroline Wawzonek . Ms. Weyallon-Armstrong

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

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---Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer

Page 3793

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, The Arctic Inspiration Prize has just celebrated its 10th Anniversary. It recognizes northern innovation and excellence and encourages teamwork for the betterment of life in the Arctic. It inspires, enables, and celebrates the achievements of the North. I'd like to congratulate a few teams from the Western Arctic who just received awards showcasing their projects.

For the theme of environment and science, located in Tuktoyaktuk, the Community Climate Resiliency Project. Congratulations, Team.

For the theme of healing, health and wellness, Hope House, located in Inuvik. Congratulations.

For the theme of children and youth, Congratulations to Indigenous Youth River Guide Training, using two territories, the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

Continuing with the theme under children and youth, the winner goes to Treaty Talks from the Northwest Territories. Congratulations.

And finally, for the theme of food security, revitalization of language and Culture, the award goes to Fish Camp at Happy's Landing, located in Fort McPherson. The project will host a fish camp offering the people of the community, as well as visitors, a chance to practice and learn their traditional activities such as harvesting, preparing and drying fish.

Congratulations, everyone, job well done. It's through projects such as these that our communities will become healthier and learn ways to help each other. Thank you, members.

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Prayer

Prayer

Page 3793

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier .

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Minister's Statement 224-19(2): Fort Smith Situation

Ministers' Statements

Page 3793

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, over the last three days, the community of Fort Smith and its residents have been faced with a difficult and scary situation that has shaken their sense of safety

to the core. As a result of a significant police operation in the community, residents were forced to lock themselves in their homes, businesses, or wherever they could seek safety, while the RCMP searched for an individual considered to be armed and dangerous. Thankfully the individual has been brought into custody.

Mr. Speaker, we have lost others to violent crimes in the NWT. We acknowledge that the impacts of crime on a person and a community have immediate and long-lasting impacts on those who had no choice in the matter.

On behalf of Cabinet and the Government of the Northwest Territories, I want to extend my sincerest and deepest condolences to the community of Fort Smith and the family and friends of the resident who has tragically lost their life in this incident. We will hold them in our hearts and honour their memory.

We all know just how close-knit communities in the North can be. When tragedy like this strikes, it tears at the very fabric of what it means to be a Northerner. Senseless violence that leads to the loss of life often leaves us with more questions than answers and immense pain and sadness. It is in moments like these that we must pull together and be there for those who have been impacted and support them the best we can. To the community of Fort Smith, our support for you, like the strength and resilience that you have shown during this difficult time and will continue to show, is unwavering.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the many members of law enforcement in the Northwest Territories who have gone above and beyond to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents in Fort Smith during this difficult time. They put themselves in harms way on a regular basis and risk their lives to protect our homes and communities. I thank them, and all the first responders, for their unwavering dedication, professionalism, and service, and for always being there for us.

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell residents who may be struggling to make sense of what happened to reach out for support. There is no shame in asking for help. The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority has established a dedicated community crisis line for Fort Smith to provide mental health and community wellness services to children, youth, adults, and families in the community. This is available 24/7 and can be accessed by calling 1-867-872-0890. There are several other services available to residents so please visit the health authority's website for more details.

We will continue to work with leadership in the community, including the MLA for Thebacha, to ensure that the Government of the Northwest Territories continues to support residents and the communities as best we can during this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 224-19(2): Fort Smith Situation

Ministers' Statements

Page 3793

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier . Our thoughts and prayers are with the community at this time. Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier .

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Minister's Statement 225-19(2): Government of the Northwest Territories COVID-19 Response and COVID Secretariat Wind Down

Ministers' Statements

Page 3793

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since COVID-19 changed our lives here in the territory. When the outbreak started, we didn't know what to expect, how long it would last, when vaccines would be available, and how we would have to adapt. We also didn't fully understand the toll it would take on all of us, especially health care providers.

Our communities have been hard hit. We lost 19 residents, including elders and knowledge-keepers. Others have suffered from serious illness. Another reality is that we still don't know the long-term affects of COVID-19.

Mr. Speaker, it would be challenging to find a resident who is not tired of the pandemic and the restrictions that have been put into place. Early on, these restrictions were one of the few tools we had. That has changed. With vaccines and anti-viral medications now available, it is now time to give residents the responsibility to manage their own risk tolerance and make their own choices. We are ready to look past the pandemic and the public health emergency to our new normal.

Just as the Chief Public Health Officer followed an evidence-based approach to put measures into place, we will now follow the same evidence-based approach to end the public health emergency. This is the general framework provided in Emerging Wisely, all the while adapting to the delta and omicron variants we have experienced since the fall.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a good position to shift our focus to preventing severe illness from COVID-19 resulting in hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths. Better tools mean more options. It is important to note that this approach is not a new one. This is more in line with how we deal with influenza and many other seasonal viruses.

We all want to get back to normal and by now, we all understand it will be a new kind of normal. I can't stress this enough. The end of the territorial public health emergency is not the end of COVID-19, Mr. Speaker. Future scenarios and finalized advice regarding life with COVID-19 post-pandemic is still being discussed at the national level by chief medical officers of health across Canada.

COVID-19 is different than any virus we have had to deal with in most of our lifetimes, and we need to keep our guard up as we learn to normalize living with it. The shutdown of the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat will be timed to coincide with the end of the public health emergency. When this happens, there are several services provided by the secretariat currently that will no longer be required.

The existence of the secretariat was intended to be temporary, and its closure was always anticipated.

At the same time, we must ensure that we have resources available to deal with COVID-19 as an endemic disease. That means looking at the resources necessary to respond to COVID-19 post-public health emergency.

Mr. Speaker, as we have experienced and learned, our approach needs to be flexible enough to adapt when needed. The territory will still experience community outbreaks for some time into the future. The continued evolution of variants of concern introduces significant uncertainty, and the GNWT must remain prepared to respond in the coming months.

Mr. Speaker, when the public health emergency ends, we will no longer need border security and self-isolation plans. We have already removed the requirement for isolating in a regional hub community. What will be maintained within multiple GNWT departments is the ability to respond to outbreaks and protect vulnerable populations. This also includes being prepared to support communities through readiness planning and outbreak response. We anticipate this readiness response system to be in place for one year but it will depend on the COVID-19 situation as it unfolds.

This means maintaining some level of capacity in client services such as the 811 phone line. It means ensuring we have good public health policy around risk management measures while maintaining a level of compliance, community outreach, and education, and the capacity to effectively communicate.

We need to maintain effective testing and a public health early warning surveillance strategy. An example is our wastewater surveillance program that has garnered international recognition.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, we need to recognize that this is now a community-based approach. We need to work with communities to support them with future outbreaks.

The Secretariat was established in September 2020 to bring together, within a single agency, the critical functions needed to respond to public health orders and recommendations related to the pandemic. It has always been an entity with an end date. Even so, I want to express my gratitude to the people who took up the challenge to work for the secretariat these past two years. Important work has been done to set us up for this moment and our future success.

Mr. Speaker, changes are coming in the next few weeks. I want to reassure all Northerners that the Government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to the goal of protecting their health and wellbeing. There may be a lingering sense of uncertainty, as there usually is when change happens. We have prepared for this day and will be moving forward with a plan for the future. We know we are asking residents to adapt again. We have gotten through the public health emergency together, and we will learn to adapt to our new normal together.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 225-19(2): Government of the Northwest Territories COVID-19 Response and COVID Secretariat Wind Down

Ministers' Statements

Page 3794

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier . Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha .

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Member's Statement 996-19(2): Message to Fort Smith Residents

Members' Statements

Page 3794

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day a very serious incident took place in my community of Fort Smith. A violent crime was committed, and it resulted in the death of someone in my community. The entire town was put on lockdown for at least 24 hours over the weekend, and a man hunt had ensued for the suspect who thankfully has now been apprehended as of yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the family of the deceased, the Webb family and the Tourangeau family, I want to thank all the residents of Fort Smith for the overwhelming amount of support that was given. The level of unity and support for one another during this crisis was warming to see. The residents of Fort Smith had demonstrated great strength and courage throughout this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank all the first responders, especially the RCMP, who kept our residents safe throughout this whole ordeal. I want to acknowledge Inspector Barry LaRocque who is the officer-in-charge of the NWT RCMP South District. He and his team worked all throughout the weekend to locate and apprehend the suspect.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the Cabinet but particularly the Premier , the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Health , for their attentiveness and assistance during this situation.

Furthermore, I want to thank all the leadership as well in Fort Smith, including the mayor, the Chief of the Salt River First Nation, and the representatives from the Fort Smith Metis Council and Smith Landing First Nation.

In addition, I want to thank the response provided by the Department of Health and Social Services. There was additional staff and mental health resources provided to Fort Smith over the weekend and into this week to help people deal with the aftermath of this incident. The extra help was welcomed and needed.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I offer my sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased. This is a true loss for the town of Fort Smith. I am glad that the situation is now over, but I'm shocked a saddened for it taking place at all. My thoughts and prayers go out to my constituents but especially to the family of the deceased. I want to thank, once again, all the constituents of Thebacha for their vigilance and perseverance during this serious incident in our community. I know we are strong and an united community during times of crisis, and we always pull together to assist one another however we can.

The coming days will be hard for the entire community, but I know we will come out of this stronger and more united than ever. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 996-19(2): Message to Fort Smith Residents

Members' Statements

Page 3794

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha . Our prayers continue with the family and community at this time. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake .

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Member's Statement 997-19(2): Electricity Rates

Members' Statements

Page 3794

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I had to make a list of sentences I heard my dad say the most during my childhood "turn off the lights" would make top three. Now as a parent myself, I get it.

Northerners pay the highest electricity rates in Canada. According to Energy Hub, a social enterprise, the 2021 average cost of NWT electricity was 38.2 cents per kilowatt hour. That's more than twice the national average and even 2 percent higher than Nunavut.

High electricity rates put pressure on residents' cost of living and constituents tell me they can't keep up. Sky high power rates will bite us in the butt and hollow out our territory. One big challenge is its customer base. We are a small population spread out over a vast beautiful land, and our growth is stagnant.

The bureau of statistics projects that our population will remain basically flat through the 2030s and without a plan to change that, they are probably right. As a result, paired with limited new industrial activity, power sales have declined by about half a percent per year over the last ten years. And while demand tapers off, costs rise.

Mr. Speaker, when you look at NTPC's annual reports, total expenses grew from $70 million in 2011 to $112 million in 2021. This is equivalent to a 5 percent increase every year. Except for some federal dollars, these cost increases ultimately fall on Northerners through higher bills and tax dollars. And this trend isn't being mitigated as NTPC infrastructure continues to age and continues to drive costs.

Many of the NTPC's generating facilities were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Some assets like NTPC's hydro plants were built even earlier, Mr. Speaker. Before 2018, NTPC's capital expenditures were generally in the $20 million range. Now, NTPC's latest five-year capital plan budgets capital spending of about $60 million per year. Federal dollars only off set about 27 percent of this spending, Mr. Speaker. On top of all this, NTPC needs to make significant investments to get off diesel without compromising the entire system.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is why it's so important for NTPC to have a financially sustainable long-term plan. The plan needs to include dedicated staff to source 100 percent federal dollars, and the plan also needs proper oversight. The board needs more than DMs and MLAs need oversight. Coming out of a pandemic, facing increased cost of living, people need hope and people need power, and the government needs a plan to provide both. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 997-19(2): Electricity Rates

Members' Statements

Page 3794

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake . Members' statements. Member for Hay River South .

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Member's Statement 998-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Members' Statements

Page 3794

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, prior to 1989, this government recognized an inequity with respect to Indigenous representation in the GNWT public sector. In an attempt to address that inequity, the government of the day drafted the Affirmative Action Policy. It was a spirited attempt to place Indigenous people into the public sector workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to discuss that intent with one of the original drafters. He explained to me that the intent was to increase Indigenous representation, period. Through vetting and additional drafting revisions, the objective lessened. For what reason, one can only assume.

Mr. Speaker, the reason Indigenous people are a minority in the public sector may be that Indigenous people acknowledge this government is colonial and want nothing to do with it; or possibly, that the intent of the policy has been forgotten and no longer relevant. It may be that we have too many categories. It could be that we are confusing the term "Indigenous" by using terms like Indigenous non-aboriginal. It may be that hiring is done by southerners and biased, or for that matter Indigenous and biased. Whatever the reason, Indigenous people are not being provided an equal opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, 30 plus years later we are still talking affirmative action as Indigenous persons continue to be unrepresented while attempts have been made to correct that underrepresentation.

In 2014, the Regional Recruitment Program was developed to target Indigenous employees by creating on-the-job training opportunities in their region. In October 2018, the Indigenous Career Gateway Program was created to target external Indigenous candidates for entry-level positions within the GNWT. In June 21st, the Building Capacity and Indigenous Governments Program was launched. And now we have an Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework and action plan looking to set new targets.

Mr. Speaker, no matter the number of policy revisions, no matter the number of committees, no matter the number of reviews, without explicit direction and holding bureaucracy accountable, the targets will remain unattainable. If we expect increase in Indigenous participation in the public sector, we need an effective policy and that policy must be clear, concise, and unambiguous unlike the one we have today. With profound change, then maybe, just maybe, we will get traction and buy-in from bureaucracy to reach equality for Indigenous people in the public sector. Mr. Speaker, I will questions for the Minister responsible for human resources. Thank you.

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Member's Statement 998-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Members' Statements

Page 3795

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South . Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho .

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Member's Statement 999-19(2): Northwest Territories Fur Economy

Members' Statements

Page 3795

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the trapping season is coming to a close. This is a good time to look back on the season as to lessons learned and look forward to setting a new direction to stimulate the NWT fur economy. I can imagine, due to COVID, fur sales more than likely not as financially lucrative as other years. I can imagine the number of fur-bearing animals being caught is getting less every year. I can only surmise the dwindling number of trappers going out every year as many will age out.

If it's not the age, then problems with the mode of transportation - the snowmobile, as repairs are getting expensive and buying new machines may not be an option due to fur prices. The options to trappers are not many considering the ever-increasing price of gas, oil, and parts for the snow machine.

Mr. Speaker, if one doesn't have a full-time job to own and maintain a snow machine, then trapping is out of the question for many who would like the option to trap.

Trapping can provide a means of income and, most of all, self esteem. Many of my people, the Dene, tell us stories of their exploits hunting and trapping with just dog teams. In fact, it was a widely-known mode of transportation back then.

What this signifies is the ability of our people to provide for themselves, their family, and their community. The Dene back then were proud people when doing things for themselves. Today, we are weakened by a society that is reliant on government handouts; a society that is slowly killing our people, whether it be sickness from alcohol and drugs, or other illnesses. It is time for this government to chart a trapline forward to revitalize an industry that can and will do a lot for many residents of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 999-19(2): Northwest Territories Fur Economy

Members' Statements

Page 3795

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Good statement. Thank you, Member for Deh Cho . Members' statements. Member for Great Slave .

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Member's Statement 1000-19(2): Red Cross Movement

Members' Statements

Page 3795

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize the outstanding work of the Canadian Red Cross during these challenging and unpredictable times, in the Northwest Territories, across Canada, and around the world.

The Canadian Red Cross is part of the largest disaster relief and humanitarian organization in the world. Together with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent, and 192 national societies, the Red Cross movement works to help people and communities in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience through increased preparedness and readiness. Something, Mr. Speaker, that speaks to my proactive engineer's heart.

Recently, a leading source of research on trust in Canada - the Proof Strategies CanTrust Index - found that Canadians trust the Red Cross to "operate competently, effectively, and to do the right thing." The Red Cross has been voted the most trusted organization in Canada for 2022.

Over the last two years, the Red Cross has been instrumental in helping the NWT continue to function, from supporting isolation services and implementing epidemic prevention and control measures, to providing clinical surge support, the Red Cross continues to help our family, friends, and neighbours weather our rapidly changing northern climate and deal with the waves of COVID-19.

With the same caring spirit they bring to all their work, the Red Cross immediately activated to support those impacted by the crisis in Ukraine, providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance. The Canadian Red Cross has been working closely with International Red Cross movement partners to coordinate essential supplies like food, water, medicine, and shelter to help those displaced both inside the country as well as those around it. The Red Cross wishes to thank the Government of the Northwest Territories for its generous offer to match NWT donations of up to $50,000 to aid in this humanitarian response.

It's also worth noting, Mr. Speaker, that the federal government is also matching Canadian donations to the Red Cross to the tune of $10 million. As of March 5th, the Canadian Red Cross had raised $46.2 million for the Ukraine humanitarian crisis appeal.

As we look to the future and the rising challenges we face due to climate change, our strong relationship with the Canadian Red Cross will be more important than ever. Climate-driven disasters and emergencies are only expected to increase so ensuring we are prepared to respond rapidly, effectively, and in coordination will be crucial for our people and their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1000-19(2): Red Cross Movement

Members' Statements

Page 3795

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1001-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Members' Statements

Page 3795

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Today I will speak about the complex legal issues involving parental payments following separation between spouses and their dependent children.

Our Children's Law Act provides the legal framework for this support under Child Support Guidelines which also specify how maintenance payments will be calculated. Typically, a court order is issued specifying the amount of child support owed and establishing an annual process for evaluating and resetting the amount of support to be paid. These court orders usually say that parties will exchange financial information annually to accommodate changes in the cost of living. However - and here's the problem - the law and the guidelines provide no means to require the payment of any changed maintenance support resulting from this annual review.

When I asked about this situation on behalf of a constituent, I was told that the maintenance enforcement program "does not currently do recalculations and that in order for the maintenance enforcement program to change the child support amount, the spouse receiving support would need to:

Take the matter back to court and obtain a new court order with a new amount; or

Provide maintenance enforcement with a signed and notarized agreement between the estranged parents specifying the new amount.

So despite a process for support calculation having been established by court order, the justice department will not act to implement the changes unless the support recipient goes back to court every year or can convince the former spouse to enter into an agreement, which could only be concluded if both parents are cooperative.

In the worst case, this could require a parent to go back to court every year as many as 18 years to reset the amount. In all the provinces, adjustments are automatic. It should also be noted that for persons on limited income, legal aid from family lawyers is very difficult to obtain owing to a lack of family law practitioners in the NWT.

When I took this matter to the Minister of Justice , he said that his department intends to launch a child support recalculation service by January 1, 2022. To my knowledge, this has not happened. I'll be asking for an update on the current status so parents can hopefully receive adequate child support without having to repeatedly go back to court. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1001-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Members' Statements

Page 3795

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1002-19(2): Young Indigenous Men in the Justice System

Members' Statements

Page 3795

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm doing my Member's statement on young men in the justice systems.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned about Indigenous young men and adults within our correctional facilities and in the justice system. Mr. Speaker, we know people are not born convicted criminals. They become this way. Before colonizations, Indigenous people organized themselves equally. Everyone shared. People took care of one another. No one was viewed better than others. This is what I am concerned about for behind bars. How are they being taken care of?

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people have been experiencing racism, trauma, and abuse for hundreds of years. According to the NWT Native Women's Association Journey to Healing says, quote, "Many of our elders were taught to hold their pain inside. We recognize this pain needs to come out so people can learn to carry their trauma in a healthy way."

We know that people need to learn to heal. This is something we need to teach each other.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize our inmate population are low and while that is positive, I am concerned that locking up our young Indigenous boys, our future generations, is not going to help them heal their problems.

I am concerned about the programming and case management in place within the correctional facilities. Has the department seen success from their rehabilitation programs? I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that when Indigenous young men or adults are locked up in our correction facilities that they are not being provided enough healing support to make meaningful change in their life.

I am also concerned, Mr. Speaker, that there is a lack of trauma-informed outreach services. What is the expectation for a probation officer? Do probation officer and court workers have the training, resources, and capacity to provide trauma-informed service delivery?

Mr. Speaker, in the news, we see that the population of the jails has reduced, which is positive, but I am concerned if people are filling up other programs, like probation services, without the right support in place to help them learn to heal. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice . Thank you.

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Member's Statement 1002-19(2): Young Indigenous Men in the Justice System

Members' Statements

Page 3796

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1003-19(2): Housing

Members' Statements

Page 3796

Richard Edjericon

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Member statement's addressing core need for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about housing in my region. I know this is a priority for this government and also a priority for myself. There are many issues with housing in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh but today I will focus on improving core need.

Mr. Speaker, if a house is not suitable, adequate, or affordable, it's considered in core need. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, in the NWT, our statistics on core need are heading in the a wrong direction. In 2014, almost 20 percent of the homes in the NWT were in core need and the latest survey from 2019 shows housing core needs across NWT have grown to almost 24 percent. Almost one in every four houses in the NWT are in core need compared to one in every eight for the national average. But, Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the situation is much worse in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding.

For the people in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, we have known that over half of the homes are in core need - 55 percent. We're looking at about 297 homes. So housing is certainly in a state of crisis for the residents of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, and there are many issues with housing we need to tackle and we need to do this together.

To start, we need a plan to fix up the homes we do have. We need an assessment on these assets with a budget and a work plan to roll out repairs. We need repairs to happen in a way that empowers local tradespeople and builds pride in one's home. We need a strategic approach to address this issues because the current housing system is not working for the residents of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh residents. We need to leverage the strength of the Indigenous governments to make this happen. Together, we can resolve this crisis. I will have questions for the Minister of Housing later today. Mahsi.

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Member's Statement 1003-19(2): Housing

Members' Statements

Page 3796

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1004-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Members' Statements

Page 3796

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a reminder to everyone to get vaccinated and don't just get vaccinated against COVID. If your kids are in school, get them vaccinated against chicken pox. And if you're over 50, you should be vaccinated against the shingles virus.

The shingles virus, sometimes called adult chicken pox, is when the virus reemerges years later. And, Mr. Speaker, shingles is not just a bad rash. In up to 18 percent of people, it attacks the nervous system and can cause strong shooting nerve pain for months if not years after getting shingles. And it's currently recommended that everyone over 50 get the shingles virus [sic], Mr. Speaker.

Unfortunately, unlike our chicken pox vaccine for youth, the shingles vaccine is not covered for everyone. There's a small select group who can get reimbursed between the ages of 65 and 70 but we have yet to make it a publicly funded vaccine. And that is what I would like to see, Mr. Speaker - is that everyone who wants to go and get vaccinated against shingles can do so. It is especially susceptible in our seniors and those with compromised immune systems.

And sadly, Mr. Speaker, shingles, despite, you know, progress of eliminating chicken pox in younger generations, is actually on the rise during the pandemic. And we have the tools to fight this. So I'll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about what we can do to get everyone vaccinated against shingles and prevent what is a very preventible disease. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1004-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Members' Statements

Page 3796

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1005-19(2): Curling

Members' Statements

Page 3796

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past couple of years we've had COVID and a lot of our kids have not been able to play the sports that they are used to playing on an annual basis. Curling is a big sport up in the Beaufort Delta, as you may know, but last week curling was alive and well here in Yellowknife, especially for our youth. Teams looking to represent Team NWT at the 2023 Canada Games. There were teams from Inuvik, and I'd just like to recognize the teams from Inuvik, Team Wainman, Team Gillis, and Team McNeil, with Team Wainman winning that spot representing the girls at the 2023 Canada Games.

And then swiftly after that, they turned in for the 2023 UA teens. So the team Wainman and Team Gillis, both from Inuvik, tried in that tournament with Team Gillis and Team Skauge fighting for the position, and Team Skauge was the winner of that and they will be representing Northwest Territories at the UA teens in 2023, and I'd just like to say that I'm glad to see that our kids are back out being able to participate and take up these competitions throughout Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1005-19(2): Curling

Members' Statements

Page 3796

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh .

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Member's Statement 1006-19(2): Aboriginal Sports Circle Coaches Award Winners Darwin Norwegian and Malerie Hardisty-Norwegian

Members' Statements

Page 3796

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that Darwin Norwegian and Malerie Hardisty Norwegian of Fort Simpson are the award-winning recipients of the 2021 Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Northwest Territories Coaches Award. Darwin and Malerie were nominated by Lauren O'Keefe out of Fort Simpson.

Aboriginal Sport Circle Northwest Territories traveled to Fort Simpson on March 5th, 2022, to present the 2021 Aboriginal Sport Circle Coach Award to Darwin and Malerie. Because of COVID, they hosted a small family dinner to acknowledge all the accomplishments that Malerie and Darwin have had in the community. I have seen the award, which they will receive, and they are amazing-looking carvings.

Taking the following quote from Lauren's nomination, Darwin and Malerie have benefitted Fort Simpson, the community of their residence, by creating a fun and inspirational environment for youth and adults to explore the slowpitch softball. Darwin's coaches players on rules and regulations and techniques. Darwin provides endless encouragement for new players who join by posting online often.

Malerie and Darwin, in effort with the local recreation director, are also responsible for organizing teams from outside the community to come to softball tournaments in Fort Simpson. These tournaments provide the opportunity to build new friendships and learn new skills from other athletes.

Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed first-hand their commitment to the sport and the community of Fort Simpson. As well, I have witnessed them develop a team that travels outside the community to participate in other community tournaments. To them, it's about having fun regardless of the results on the field.

In speaking with Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Northwest Territories, they enjoyed hosting the dinner in Fort Simpson and presenting the award to both of them.

Mr. Speaker, I truly agree that they are truly well deserving and it is an honour to say thank you to Darwin and Malerie for their commitment to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1006-19(2): Aboriginal Sports Circle Coaches Award Winners Darwin Norwegian and Malerie Hardisty-Norwegian

Members' Statements

Page 3796

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Member's Statement 1007-19(2): Eulogy for Harold Johnson

Members' Statements

Page 3796

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide a personal tribute to Harold R. Johnson, who died last month. Mr. Johnson was Cree from Montreal Lake First Nation in northern Saskatchewan. He straddled two worlds - as a logger, trapper and miner but also as a Harvard-educated lawyer and writer. Above all he was a storyteller.

I met Mr. Johnson in May 2019 when I read his book, Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing my People and Yours.

He reflected on decades he spent as a Crown prosecutor witnessing the damage caused by alcohol abuse - death, life-transforming injuries, families disrupted, lives enslaved by addiction. He believed that alcohol touched every part of our lives whether we drink or not.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Johnson didn't believe in what he called the victim model of dealing with alcohol. He said it didn't offer solutions. It offered excuses to continue alcohol abuse and perpetuate the trauma of colonization and residential schools. He said, "Alcohol doesn't dissolve stress. It dissolves the rules and the feeling of responsibility that creates stress.... We can never fix the problem if the problem is not ours."

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Johnson didn't believe in law enforcement as the answer either because it wasn't holistic enough and nor did he believe in residential treatment because of low long-term success rates. Nor did he think banning alcohol worked because bootleggers control the supply and both Indigenous governments and police efforts to curb are unsuccessful.

I found his analysis and ideas compelling because they offer hope people can gain control over their relationship with alcohol.

Mr. Johnson wanted to inspire people to change the story they tell themselves about alcohol. Mr. Speaker, he promoted local solutions where sober leaders turned their communities into treatment centres where the whole community is involved in finding healthy alternatives. Changing the story means having sober people in our communities tell the story of their sobriety.

Harold and his wife Joan developed a pilot project in northern Saskatchewan to put these ideas into action. They shared their extensive knowledge with community leaders in the NWT last June and they have helped to inform the development of our alcohol strategy.

Mr. Speaker, Harold Johnson left us too soon at age 68 but his legacy of bringing the problem of alcohol abuse to light, along with ideas for solutions, will live on for years to come. Most of all, he inspired us and me to learn and tell a new story. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Member's Statement 1007-19(2): Eulogy for Harold Johnson

Members' Statements

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South . Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, I'd like to welcome Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford aka Tony, former Member, Minister, Speaker, Sergeant-at-Arms, Commissioner, and honourary Clerk of this House. Welcome.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha .

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 3797

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

I too would like to recognize Tony, my friend, born and raised in Fort Smith. And we welcome you back any time that you want to come home.

And I'd also like to recognize another member, Mr. Speaker, and that is Jason Lepine. Jason Lepine was my official agent in my first election for MLA, and is a prominent member of the Metis Nation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha . Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South .

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions will be for the Minister responsible for human resources, and they'll be short and sweet.

Mr. Speaker, in recognition that the Affirmative Action Policy has evolved since inception, what does this government see as the barriers to reaching Indigenous employment targets under this policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the barriers are multifold, and that's a part of the reason why we have launched the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework. It's one that looks not only to recruitment, which is certainly one of the barriers, but also to retention. And Mr.

Speaker, the barriers, as I've stated, they're manyfold, meaning that they're not only structural within the Affirmative Action Policy or other tools or techniques or a lack thereof, they go into the very fact of people's -- you know, the need to understand who we are as a territory, living well together, and other aspects of that, understanding who we are as a territory, and all of the work that happens over at ECE to ensure that the residents of the territory have the best possible education so they are able to apply to all the jobs that are available to them. So multifold, Mr.

Speaker, but that's, again, a big part of why there is now our framework to respond to them. Thank you.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And now 30 years later, will the Minister commit to finding workable solutions to overcome those barriers? Thank you.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Yes, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, again, I don't want to be belabour the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework, but if one spends time on both the framework and on the action plan that goes with it, it is now an effort to look at each department's needs, each department's barriers.

There are different barriers in different departments because of the nature of the work in those departments, because of the nature of the jobs in those departments, and that's exactly the point of having this, is that there's now going to be that individual look but within a framework, with measurable targets, and with those targets tied to the performance measures of the senior people within those departments. So yes, absolutely, that's exactly the point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to a complete review of all current positions within the government with a focus to staff those that are vacant or about to become vacant with Indigenous persons through direct competition for Indigenous persons only or direct appointments or transfers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Mr. Speaker, I can't make that commitment. Every department does have its own area of responsibility for their hiring and for their positions and vacancies. But again, one of the points here for each department is that once they have targets that they have to meet, they're going to have to use all the tools and tricks available to them, whether that's the various policy items that I know the Member's already spoken of, the Indigenous recruitment, retention -- or sorry, the Indigenous Gateway Program, internal management training, education plans, all of that needs to be used so that each department's meeting their targets.

It's not enough to simply put people into roles that they -- for the sake of the numbers. That's not what we want. We want to have a public service where people are being brought in and then trained up within and moved into positions that are appropriate to their training and being given the training to achieve them. So that requires a plan and it requires some thoughtfulness. Mr. Speaker, I do think we are now on that path. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South .

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Rocky Simpson

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need to be bold if we want to see change. So I ask the Minister, will the Minister commit to a temporary suspension of the Affirmative Action Policy and departmental targets and replace it with a one-year moratorium on non-Indigenous hires and transfers throughout this government in favour of a focus on Indigenous recruitment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that we're trying to find solutions but if we simply -- we are already going to do a review of the Affirmative Action Policy. We are certainly looking at the Public Service Act. We're doing the recruitment and retention framework, and we now are looking at having a GNWT action plan. The framework and the action plan are new. We didn't have that overarching look at what's going on across the entire GNWT before. And again, I don't want to minimize how important that is.

So if I'm to suddenly turn around and say well, we're just going to up end all of the way in which we hire right now, the work that it will take to do that is going to stop the work that we're doing on the Affirmative Action Policy. It's going to stop the work to roll out the framework. And Mr. Speaker, those are both things that are looking at the real structure and the barriers that we have and the systemic barriers that we have. That work has to get done. I want it to get done. And I want it to get done in this Assembly, Mr. Speaker. And so that's where I want to focus our attention. Thank you.

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Question 991-19(2): Affirmative Action Policy

Oral Questions

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke at length of the need to assist many of our residents who don't know where to turn for income. The school students have the Take a Kid Trapping program, but many of our young adults, or the young men, who don't excel in school and didn't leave the community don't have the luxury of such a program. Can the Minister of ENR commit to tailoring a trapper training program for our young adults? Mahsi.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3797

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho . Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources .

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for that question. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a number of existing programs that support trapping. ENR provides ongoing trapping training in the communities across the NWT for trappers to ensure they can get top quality for pelts sold at auctions. We have new actions that can help support young and middle-aged adults, as well as women. ENR has been working with the Indigenous governments to develop a pilot program for trapper mentorship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, income assistance payments are on the rise. Our healthcare system is stretched due to injuries stemming from excessive alcohol and drug use. We require this government to come up with initiatives to getting our residents back to work and curbing the excessive use of alcohol and drugs. This is affecting many of our young adults in our communities. Will the Minister commit to providing funding and developing an action plan to revitalize the trapping industry for our communities? Mahsi.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3797

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR and ITI are working closely together to explore additional opportunities to support domestic markets for our fur marketing within the NWT, the North, and across Canada. This includes a proposed fur industry forum in 2022 to develop a roadmap for a future of the NWT fur industry and opportunities for innovation. ENR is currently evaluating the existing Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program to determine what is working and where changes will maybe needed to enhance that program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, no one is doing anything with furs in the Northwest Territories. The Fort McPherson Tent and Canvass is not using the furs in their products. The Dene Fur Cloud Shop in Fort Providence is using rabbit pelts imported from out of territory. I see potential industries for our territory in the creation of mitts, gloves, vests, coats, hats, and the list is not exhaustive. All this with the use of furs caught in the NWT.

Will the Minister take a closer look into this possibility and develop plans to making this initiative a reality? Mahsi.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR and ITI continue to look for ways to enhance trapping in the traditional economy. The proposal for -- proposed fur industry forum planned for 2022 is intended to help develop a plan for the future of the NWT fur industry. This forum will bring together key players in the NWT fur industry and will address the issue that the Member is raising. And I thank the Member for bringing forth this concern. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Deh Cho .

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister for that. I'd like to suggest the Minister work with other departments to advance this initiative, and it could be more than just two departments. Even during tough times, we have to be seen as being optimistic for the future, including the fur economy.

Will the Minister commit to open dialogue with First Nation leaders to discuss the government's plans to revitalize not only the fur economy but to actively putting our residents, including the young adults, back into the working environment? Mahsi.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR undertook a very broad engagement when developing the sustainable livelihood action plan, which included 18 community open houses. This included engagement with the communities, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, renewable resource boards, and councils, hunters and trappers committee. All actions in the plan reflect key community concerns related to harvesting, trapping, and food security.

ENR remains committed to continue ongoing engagement in collaboration with our co-management partners and the trappers themselves for input on the proposed fur forum and trapping in general. And Mr. Speaker, I can guarantee you our Indigenous governments are very much a key stakeholder and partners as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 992-19(2): Fur Industry

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave .

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs .

As we apply the learnings from the pandemic and the flooding events that occurred in 2021, could the Minister comment on how lessons learned from the past will affect our future collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross in the Northwest Territories? How will the Red Cross work with this team during our next emergencies? Thank you.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave . Minister responsible for MACA .

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. Red Cross has -- we've had conversations with them, myself and the Minister of Health and Social Services . We've had conversations on that. Communities have reached out to Red Cross as well. So we are working with them presently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the collaboration is a collaboration; I appreciate that answer. So next my question is in complex and protracted events, it is essential to collaborate with organizations that bring learnings and expertise from across Canada that we may not have here in the territory; as well, we're all responsible for community preparedness and readiness.

So how will the GNWT and the Red Cross collaborate and share expertise on important initiatives such as volunteer capacity building, advanced preparation and disaster planning, and community education and awareness? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have reached -- Red Cross has reached out to us; we've reached out to them. We're having these conversations. We are building our capacity within the territories. We're working on our flood management programs, our flood-related issues. ENR is working with them with fires as well. So we are working on these things. We are building the capacity in the communities. And if the communities are saying we need certain things that we don't have to offer, we're looking elsewhere. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll try again; I'm actually looking for details on that collaboration in training programs, schedules, you know, meeting appointments, anything that could be provided to the Regular Members as to actually what is going on in that conversation with the Red Cross.

Can the Minister explain why at the beginning of the flooding disaster last year, it took so long for the GNWT to draw on the resources of the Red Cross? It's my understanding that it took Indigenous leadership in the region to start that ball rolling. What is the Minister doing to ensure that if we do need help in the future that we're going to request that help at the first moment possible? Thank you.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you. The Member has about three or four questions in there so I'll try to focus on a couple of them.

We are working on a plan to move forward. If that involves Red Cross, we will add that into it. We are working with the communities to make sure they're prepared for it. We had learning opportunities from the last flood, and so we're working on those. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave .

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister did not explain or answer my question as to why it took time for the Red Cross to be pulled in and why we left it up to Indigenous governments in order to do so. Thank you.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For that detail, I'll have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

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Question 993-19(2): Canadian Red Cross

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I spoke about in my statement, right now the shingles vaccine is both available and recommended for those over 50; however, it's only covered under both Blue Cross health extended benefits and NHIB for those ages 65 to 70. I was hoping the Minister of Health can explain this, especially the cap. It seems odd to me that if you are 71 and you go to get the vaccine, you're too late. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North . Minister responsible for Health and Social Services .

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recognize that shingles is a very painful condition for those who contract it and it can lead to significant health outcomes, as the Member said in his statement.

The rationale here is that the numbers of people in the NWT who require the shingles vaccine is relatively small compared to other vaccines that we would like to fund and don't have the money to fund at this point. In order to bring the vaccine to the whole 50 to 64-year-old group, and then the EHB would cover it after that, we'd be looking for an investment of $2 million which is something, of course, the Regular Members could request during the budget process. Thank you.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, I -- and I know that the department and -- whenever we're looking to bring a vaccine into public funded, there's a bit of a debate, you know, about most vaccines that save us money in healthcare costs in the long term if they prevent hospitalizations we save money in the long term. And with shingles, in this case we would save people a lot of pain. I'm just wondering if the department has any evidence that -- or has done any of the research about whether extending this vaccine to everyone would actually save the health system money? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a full analysis has not been done but there are some estimates. So cost due to hospitalizations due to shingles for NWT residents aged 50 plus, for 2009 to 2018, was $1.3 million. The cost for the vaccine product to immunize the entire NWT population for 50 plus is $1.91 million. And there's also a need for boosters with shingles, and the annual cost of that would be $165,000.

So as things stand now, it would cost us more to vaccinate than it would cost for hospitalizations. But that is a very mathematical answer. People who have shingles -- and I'm aware of people in my own acquaintance who have had shingles -- it's a very painful condition. So if people have employer plans that would cover the shingles vaccine and would be able to get it prior to age 65, I would certainly recommend that. Thank you.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

Oral Questions

Page 3798

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I'm going to have to revisit those numbers because if there's annual ongoing hospitalization costs and we can just do a one time, get everyone out there vaccinated and, you know, largely at some point the chicken pox vaccine will catch up and the number of shingles cases will really decline in the population. But I'm hoping I -- you know, as public health moves into, you know, having a little bit more time on their hand, we could get some information out there telling people to get vaccinated for shingles and how exactly and when they can get reimbursed.

I know it's different whether you have NHIB or it's different if you have Blue Cross, and I know some people have went and paid for it not even knowing they were eligible for any sort of reimbursement. So if the Minister could commit to getting some information out there for our seniors to get vaccinated against shingles? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

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Page 3799

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the department is interested in targeting the most high risk population, which is that 65 to 70-year-old group. Also, people who are receiving active cancer treatment who are immune compromised. And the NHIB program offers an exception to the 65 to 70 age group. People can apply for coverage if they feel they can make a case for that with NHIB.

Having said all of that, I think that the Member's suggestion is a good one, that we provide a more targeted campaign to encourage uptake on the vaccine for the 65 to 70 group and for those who have benefits, as I say, who might be able to get it sooner, to go ahead and do that rather than deal with the pain and potential long-term consequences of shingles. Thank you.

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Question 994-19(2): Shingles Vaccine

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Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Justice responsible for the maintenance enforcement program.

My statement outlined the complexities of adjusting the amount of maintenance enforcement payments and the difficulties of enacting these changes. The Minister told me that an automatic adjustment regime would be coming into place at the beginning of the year. Can the Minister tell me the status of this improvement? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And like many things over the past two years, it's a story of delays. We were initially waiting for the federal government to make changes to one of their acts, the Divorce Act, which they did, then there was a federal election which meant that our discussions with the federal government on using a recalculation service under the Divorce Act were delayed.

But we've restarted those and we've made significant progress, and so while we didn't hit the January 1st deadline, we're hoping by April 1st to have the draft regulations posted for public comment, and I expect that we'll get some good feedback on that. And as soon as we review those comments and see if there's any adjustments needed, we hope to be able to put these into force. However, we do need to still work with the federal government and ensure that there's an MOU in place so that we can use this for situations under the Divorce Act. Thank you.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. The sooner the better. Of course, it's one thing for the changes to be made and another for those affected to be informed. So what activities does the department plan to carry out, first, to identify those maintenance orders affected by the change; and secondly, to inform child support payment recipients that a new regime of annual payment recalculation is being introduced? Sorry, Mr. Speaker. Those are questions for the Minister. Mahsi.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that and, of course, we're starting to get the word out right now.

Obviously, delays in receiving child support payments can have serious consequences for well-being of children. I've dealt with my instances of money paid to -- or some of these cases myself for my constituents where constituents have not been paid promptly.

Can the Minister say what provisions are in place to treat instances such as emergencies and takes swift action to recover and disburse payments for child support? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So most payments, once they're in the system, are swift. 95 percent of the maintenance enforcement clients receive their funds through direct deposit. There's sometimes situations where one of the parties might be outside of the territory and in those instances, we have legislation, and other jurisdictions have complementary legislation, whereby we cooperate. And all jurisdictions in Canada, except for Quebec, also use direct deposit. So there may be delays in some situations, particularly when one of the individuals is living in Quebec. But for the most part, funds are processed within a day. Thank you.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake .

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I got so excited, I jumped ahead one question. So I know that the Minister -- I'll just have to surprise him right now.

But I'm just wondering if there's any kind of annual reporting or tracking of how long it takes for these cross-jurisdictional payments to be made for child support? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

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Page 3799

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that information. But I will -- I can get back to the Member. Thank you.

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Question 995-19(2): Maintenance Enforcement

Oral Questions

Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Richard Edjericon

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Housing .

In order to address core housing needs in the communities, there needs to be an assessment done on every asset. This is critical piece in building the plan to improve core housing. Can the Minister of Housing provide a total estimate budget to address housing core needs for the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding? Mahsi.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh . Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation .

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently right now we have the local housing authorities and we also have the district office that is run out of Yellowknife. I don't have those numbers in front of me to look at specific budgets for each of the regions. But as of today, just looking at my housing delivery, for Fort Resolution there will be a delivery of six units. N'dilo, there will be a delivery of two. Lutselk'e, there will be a delivery of four. And Dettah, there will be two units delivered. And the final construction for these units would be 2022-2023. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Richard Edjericon

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of Housing provide me the detailed housing assessment to bring homes out of core need for all homes in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding? Mahsi.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that information in front of me, but I can tell the Member that we have been working with the community of Fort Resolution -- I mean, the community of Lutselk'e that has started on a draft community housing plan. And Dettah and N'dilo are in progress, and Fort Resolution has not get begun.

With these housing plans, they start to identify the housing needs right from the ground level. The importance of these housing plans to go forward is to start that communication with the Indigenous groups and with the Housing Corporation to further look ahead and what are they wanting to plan and what it is that they want delivered in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Richard Edjericon

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for your answers, and that helps. I just had a couple quick questions here.

I recognize that the NWT Housing Corporation will provide a plan to address core housing needs in the NWT to this Assembly before the end of the session, and this is a very positive one. However, Mr. Speaker, I'm looking for a detail assessment data for every home in my riding, every home by community. Can the Minister provide that level of detail to me? Mahsi.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

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Page 3799

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have a detailed plan for all of the housing ownership in each of the communities. We don't own all of the assets at the ground level. I just have some numbers here for the Member.

So in Dettah, we have an operation of 43 units. In N'dilo, we have 34 units. And in Fort Resolution, we have 94 units. Lutselk'e, we have 63. I also have the population ranging from 548 to 335 in each of these communities. And once again, Mr. Speaker, I want to just -- the Housing Corporation does not own every single house and every single asset on the ground level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

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Page 3799

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Richard Edjericon

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Can the Minister of Housing explain how the Housing Corporation is engaging with Indigenous governments in my riding to address the housing crisis? Mahsi.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3799

Paulie Chinna

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just at this time I really want to highlight the Council of Leaders Housing Working Group that is open to all Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories, and this is where our renewal strategy and our policy review, the whole pretty much revamp of the Housing Corporation, is the main topic of discussion of that table. And it also helps us to work with the federal government. If housing money is not going to flow through from the federal government to the GNWT to Housing Corporation, I'm advocating that the Indigenous groups are able to acquire funding that has been announced by Canada.

Looking at our partnerships that we do have, right now we have a partnership with Deninu Kue right now who is looking at constructing two of our units as well too. And I just really want to emphasize on that partnership as well, and that's not the only one, but with these housing deliveries that we do have coming within the lifetime of this government, I've sent out letters in April of last year acknowledging each of the Indigenous groups whether they would want to participate or whether they felt that they wanted to construct these units.

The other thing that I've put in as the Minister is that each of these contracts going out, they have to have an apprentice. So it's built right into those negotiated contracts. To date, we have 33.

And then for the Member's riding, I just -- sorry for taking so long, but we have one certified boiler mechanic for the local housing authority. I don't have the name of the authority. I don't know which community it is in. I had it right in front of me, but I misplaced it. I'll follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 996-19(2): Housing

Oral Questions

Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide to me at a later time the statistics on population of jails in the NWT over the last five years? Can this information include Indigenous male and female, and the ages. Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi . Minister responsible for Justice .

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is really -- should be presented as a written question, but I will work on that. Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Thank you. Well, some of this is going to be written questions tomorrow.

Okay, so the Hay River correctional centre was to transition to the therapeutic community model in the spring of 2021. This is a very positive step in providing rehab programming. Can the Minister explain how the results of this program will be evaluated and what are their plans to expand this to other correctional facilities?

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I think this really is one of the bright spots in corrections in the territory, what is going on at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre. I had the opportunity to tour the facility, and the program had really just been in operation for a number of weeks, but I could tell that it was -- you know, it was going to make a difference, really, in the lives of the people who are there. So, really, the proof will be in the pudding. And, you know, we are the -- the residents are, you know, part of the program and so there's constant feedback from them about how things are working.

It really is a community model and so everyone is involved; everyone is reporting on the progress. And for -- perhaps for some specifics, I can follow up with the Member about, you know, how we are really tracking progress. But the idea is to ensure we know how to run this program appropriately and then see how it can be expanded. It won't be -- we won't be able to just transfer it to NSCC. It's a different type of population. There's a number of differences. But I think we're learning valuable lessons there that we want to be able to share with the rest of the territory. Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Thank you. Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that if the population of jails has decreased, does that mean that we are seeing people overfill or bottleneck in other parts of the justice system? Can the Minister provide me at a later time the statistics on the number of people -- people under probation by ethnicity, age, and gender in the NWT over the last five years?

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, this should be a written question and so in the future, it would be nice if these were presented in accordance with the rules. But we can work on putting something together. Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Thank you. Can the Minister describe what kind of trauma-informed support services are available to people under probation? Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been doing a lot of work over the last number of years on ensuring that -- first of all, beginning with frontline staff, that there has been trauma-informed training. So in the past number of years since 2016, 375 Justice frontline workers have received trauma-informed approach training, as well as participated in the Living Well Together Program that's required for all GNWT employees. And that includes the probation officers.

And I have to say that, you know, some of the probation officers in the territory really have been leading the charge on integrated service delivery long before it was, you know, the "in thing". So many of them are from the communities. You know, we have some positions in the territory where people are brought in but a lot of our probation officers really understand the communities, and they work with the clients in ways that are really above and beyond what they -- you know, what you would expect them to be doing. So the services available to those on probation really vary depending on what community they're in.

If you're in Yellowknife, you have -- obviously, you have access to more services than if you are in a small community with very few services. So it's not -- I can't give you the -- I can't say that, you know, we have these services available to everyone because everyone's situation is different based on where they are and what their needs are. Thank you.

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Question 997-19(2): Correctional Facilities

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Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave .

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Lands .

The NWT rumor mill was flying this weekend as the alarming events in Fort Smith unfolded, and my thoughts are with everyone there as they continue to cope with this tragedy. Can the Minister explain how, according to this rumor mill, guns from the Department of Lands ended up in the hands of the young perpetrator? Thank you.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave . Minister responsible for Lands .

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

First of all, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the individual in Fort Smith who lost their life on Friday. Incidents like this shake a small community to its core, and it's a very -- has an impact on all of us across the Northwest Territories as we know most people there. It's more important now to remember that -- ever that we show kindness and compassion to our neighbours at this time.

In regards to the questions for the Member, all equipment on site in Fort Smith was securely and safely stored in adherence with the policies and legislation of this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since he's raised policies and procedures, about a few years ago there was a similar break-in at the Department of ENR in Fort Smith in which guns were taken. What lessons were learned from that incident, and were any updated safety measures or protocols provided to the Fort Smith lands office to prevent a similar occurrence there? Thank you.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

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Page 3800

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For that detail, I'll have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's concerning to me that that wasn't the first question asked by this Minister when this incident occurred. So does the Minister then confirm that those were the guns that were used in the incident in weekend? Thank you.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to talk about what's going on right now with the investigation but I can make a commitment once we have been advised from the RCMP that we're able to provide information, we will provide that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave .

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Katrina Nokleby

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just find this to be extremely concerning as well as the lack of information from any of Cabinet over the weekend about what was happening in Fort Smith.

Can the Minister please commit that the next time as anything is occurring that he actually notifies other Members that things are going on in this territory? Thank you.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I reached out to the Member from Thebacha right away as soon as we found out what was going on. The Premier has reached out to the Member from Thebacha , the justice minister and the health Minister. So it was in her riding. We were understood of the situation. We worked with her. And I have to applaud the Member from Thebacha for the work that she did, the leadership in that community, including the RCMP. They took their roles and responsibilities sincerely. And we worked with the affected Member moving forward. We don't want to get out there spreading rumors until we have facts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 998-19(2): Fort Smith

Oral Questions

Page 3800

The Speaker

Frederick Blake Jr.

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

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Question 99-19(2): Electricity rates

Oral Questions

Page 3800

Caitlin Cleveland

Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NTPC .

My first question, Mr. Speaker, is NTPC's most recent rate application was authorized for three years starting in May of 2019. That means the current rate

schedule has almost expired and the PUB needs to approve a new one. And so I'm wondering if the Minister can update the House on when the public can expect to know the proposed changes to rates over the next three years? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 99-19(2): Electricity rates

Oral Questions

Page 3800