Debates of Feb. 8th, 2011

This is page numbers 5663 - 5700 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th 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 health .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 96-16(5): Aboriginal Student Achievement

Minister’s Statement 97-16(5): Phase 2 Of The Single-Use Retail Bag Program

Minister’s Statement 98-16(5): Minister Absent From The House

Student Financial Assistance Travel Claims Policy

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel Costs

Family Violence

Subsidies For Community Professionals

GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Congratulations To Paul Bennett, Recipient Of The Outstanding Principal’s Award

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Student Financial Assistance

Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Expansion Of Made In The NWT Program

Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

Sentencing Of Violent Offenders

Tabled Document 136-16(5): No Place For Poverty: Anti-Poverty Workshop Report

Setting Of Sitting Hours By Speaker

Extended Adjournment Of The House To February 14, 2011

Supporting Veterinary Education

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

The House met at 1:44 p.m.

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---Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment , Mr. Lafferty .

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Minister’s Statement 96-16(5): Aboriginal Student Achievement

Ministers’ Statements

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is pleased to share news about its Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. The focus is on increasing the accomplishments of Aboriginal students across the Northwest Territories.

The initiative’s long-term goal is developing and implementing a territorial education plan to help eliminate the achievement gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Helping these students achieve success in their studies is one of the ways that the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to fulfill this Assembly’s goal of healthy, educated people.

The Aboriginal Student Achievement Working Group was established in April 2009. Partners included Aurora College, district education councils, Aboriginal organizations, the Northwest Territories Literacy Council, the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association, the Native Women’s Association, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Social Services. The working group helped direct the initiative’s focus and developed the following priorities:

early childhood and child care;

student and family support;

literacy;

and

Aboriginal language curriculum and resource development.

To date we have held regional forums in four regions. The first took place in the Sahtu region from September 28

to September 30

. The next

was in the Tlicho region from November 17

November 19

. In January, two regional forums

took place; from January 5

to 7

we visited the

Deh Cho region and from the 18

to 20

of January

we visited Dettah, who hosted the Yellowknife forum. The last two forums take place in the Beaufort-Delta and South Slave regions in April.

The Sahtu meeting went well and we had a great turnout. Many community and regional leaders attended all three days of our discussions. The level of engagement from participants was outstanding. Support for building community connections was a common theme.

The Tlicho meeting was well attended with the addition of youth participating from different communities. These bright, young minds are also our future leaders and showed a deep understanding of the issues discussed. They spoke for their communities and peers.

Youth involvement in the Deh Cho meeting saw a strong focus on increasing Aboriginal languages and culture in the education system. Margaret Thom, a community counsellor and educator with the Fort Providence school, provided an inspirational keynote address that reinforced the significance of traditional teachings.

For the Akaitcho region, we could not have asked for a better location to host the meeting. The Chief Drygeese Government Building in Dettah provided the perfect environment for this unique forum that saw three school boards coming together to talk about bettering our education system. Communication was a major theme at this forum. Delegates agreed that steps need to be taken to improve communications amongst all education partners.

Community forums held on the third day of meetings gave special attention to action at the local level. Community Aboriginal leaders and educators identified education issues and developed plans of action. Attendees made a commitment to start moving on plans and working towards short-term goals.

In addition to these regional forums, the department is also supporting an attendance project in each

community in the Territory. Funding is $10,000 per community and is matched by funds from the education authority or other partners.

We intend to keep Members informed of the progress of both the regional forums and the attendance projects as the work continues, and plan to table a preliminary report during the next session of this Assembly.

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Minister’s Statement 96-16(5): Aboriginal Student Achievement

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources , Mr. Miltenberger .

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Minister’s Statement 97-16(5): Phase 2 Of The Single-Use Retail Bag Program

Ministers’ Statements

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to announce that phase 2 of the Single-Use Retail Bag Program is now underway. As of February 1, 2011, paper, plastic and biodegradable bags now cost 25 cents in all stores in the Northwest Territories.

The Single-Use Retail Bag Program is the second program created under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act. The program was started in January 2010 to address the millions of disposable shopping bags that cause unsightly litter in our communities and on the land.

Phase 2 of the Single-Use Retail Bag Program includes clothing stores, convenience stores, hardware stores and jewellery stores. The program does not include bags used inside the store for unpackaged bulk items like produce, bakery items, candy and small hardware items. It also does not include bags used for dry cleaning, prescriptions, or primary packaging of prepared food.

Information and details on this phase of the program was shared with Northwest Territories businesses and retailers last summer and again in December.

Fees collected from phase 2 of the program continue to go into the GNWT’s Environment Fund to cover program expenses and help pay for future waste reduction and recycling programs.

As we have seen with phase 1 of the program, fees placed on single-Use retail bags work to reduce consumption. Reducing consumption, reusing materials and recycling waste products are ways we can all reduce our impact on the environment.

The Waste Reduction and Recovery Program expansion is part of the Managing This Land strategic initiative identified to meet the 16

Legislative Assembly’s goal of an environment that will sustain present and future generations.

Information regarding the Single-Use Retail Bag Program can now be found on the I-Care-NWT website at www.icarenwt.ca. The website highlights the changes for retailers and distributors. It also

includes the amended regulations, a plain-language

summary of the regulations, program policies and all the forms a retailer or distributor needs to complete at this time.

When we think about the three Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle, Mr. Speaker, it is the first R, reduce, that is the most important. This program is a great example of a waste reduction program. The fewer bags we use means the fewer natural resources we consume and the less waste and greenhouse gases we produce.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that waste reduction and recycling is important to the people of the Northwest Territories. Expanding the Waste Reduction and Recovery Program will reduce litter on the land and in communities, as well as reduce our consumption of natural resources. Mahsi.

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Minister’s Statement 97-16(5): Phase 2 Of The Single-Use Retail Bag Program

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger . The honourable Premier , Mr. Roland .

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Minister’s Statement 98-16(5): Minister Absent From The House

Ministers’ Statements

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Robert C. McLeod will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week and the following Monday to attend the federal-provincial-territorial Ministers responsible for Sport meeting and Canada Winter Games in Halifax. Thank you.

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Minister’s Statement 98-16(5): Minister Absent From The House

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Item 3, Members’ statement. The honourable Member for Hay River South , Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Student Financial Assistance Travel Claims Policy

Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I received a concern from a constituent regarding Student Financial Assistance; in particular, claiming a student travel benefit to return home for winter break.

The 2011 SFA Handbook states SFA will provide assistance for the basic airfare if travelling by plane or the current government rate for mileage if travelling by land or water. It goes on to say, “Important: You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. Contact a travel agency near you listed in your local telephone directory. If you travel by land or water you are required to submit Form ‘A’ Travel Claim, for reimbursement after you have travelled.”

There is no reference to air travel here, but if you look at Form ‘A’ Travel Claim, you will find that this is the correct form to submit. The Form ‘A’ Travel

Claim does not have air travel as an option and it states “attach original ticket and receipt.”

My constituent followed the instructions in the Student Handbook. He booked and paid for his air travel and then submitted a Form ‘A’ Travel Claim to SFA. He submitted his ticket and the receipt indicating the ticket was paid for by Visa. He signed the declaration on Form ‘A,’ which certifies that he incurred the expenses for this purpose and is seeking reimbursement.

In response to his travel claim, my constituent was requested to supply a photocopy of the Visa card that paid for the ticket, revealing the name on the card and the last four digits of the account number, or a copy of the Visa statement showing the same information. Instructions to forward this information are not in the Student Handbook or requested on the Form ‘A’ Travel Claim.

When my constituency assistant made inquiries to the Minister’s office related to this concern, it was brought to my attention that the policy and procedures manual advises that airline tickets should be booked through an approved northern travel agency and preapproved by SFA. That’s great if you live in Yellowknife. I don’t know of any other travel agencies anywhere else in the North, so I guess we assume that everybody going to college is from Yellowknife.

I was also provided with an excerpt from the SFA Spring 2011 Newsletter to students. Under the

section titled “Student Travel Reminders” along with other information referring to air travel, it reads: “If the ticket was purchased with a credit card, you must submit a copy of the credit card or credit card statement showing the last four digits of the credit card and the name of the cardholder.” This was in a newsletter under a reminder section. This was not a new release or notice of change in policy.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

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Student Financial Assistance Travel Claims Policy

Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Are you confused? I am confused. The instructions in the policy and procedures manual contradict the information and instructions in the Student Handbook, and the newsletter reminder is different information yet again. As for requesting a copy of the credit card or credit card statement, what if the student had paid cash or borrowed the money from a friend, relative or bank, purchased the ticket knowing they’d be reimbursed and can pay the funds back to the lender later?

Mr. Speaker, I have more to say on this, but let’s just put it this way: there is a contradiction here between the policy. It shouldn’t matter if Santa Claus bought your ticket home for travel. You should be able to get reimbursed for it. Thank you. This is ridiculous.

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Student Financial Assistance Travel Claims Policy

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen . The honourable Member for Frame Lake , Ms. Bisaro .

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Anti-Poverty Strategy

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Forty years ago Canada initially started its fight against poverty with the founding of the National Poverty Foundation, now called Canada Without Poverty. Forty years ago a special senate committee on poverty published a report, a report which opened with the words, “Poverty is the great social issue of our time. Unless we act now, nationally, in a new and purposeful way, five million Canadians will continue to find life a bleak, bitter and never-ending struggle for survival.”

We haven’t made much progress on poverty as a country in the last 40 years, Mr. Speaker, and the NWT has contributed to that lack of progress. To date we are one of seven jurisdictions in Canada without a comprehensive Anti-Poverty Strategy. We started to make progress, Mr. Speaker. A motion was passed in this House February 11, 2010, calling for the GNWT to develop an Anti-Poverty Strategy and a definition of poverty. As a result of that motion, the NWT Legislature was lauded by several national anti-poverty organizations.

On May 19 last year, the Premier made a statement in the House in which he announced the formation of an anti-poverty working group, a group which, unfortunately, did not include any non-government people.

But in early October of last year, when there was no evidence of any concrete action on the part of this government, an anti-poverty alliance of 21 organizations with some support from this government, held an anti-poverty workshop. Eighty-one participants from throughout the NWT met for two days to discuss the meaning of and solutions for poverty. The result of that workshop was a very thorough and comprehensive report. It was distributed to participants and the government in early December 2010.

This report, Mr. Speaker, should be the basis for further work on an Anti-Poverty Strategy. It should be accepted as a starting point for the work the GNWT needs to do. We should not redo work already done. But I recently learned that the GNWT working group composed only of bureaucrats, no non-government representatives, is planning a round of community consultations with a goal of a discussion paper by the end of March this year, and we are preparing to spend $35,000 to do it. In my view, it will be a wasted $35,000. Mr. Speaker, the money would be much better spent acting on the No Place for Poverty report’s recommendations.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

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Anti-Poverty Strategy

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, the consultation was done last fall by a group of 81 diverse representatives, 12 percent or so of whom were GNWT staff. Why are we consulting again and why the very short time frame? It seems as though, once again, the government is not listening to its citizens, that it is forging ahead without consideration for the input of our non-government partners. I will have questions for the Premier at a later time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Anti-Poverty Strategy

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Members’ Statements

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will speak about the devolution agreement and the impact on my people and our land claim. Mr. Speaker, the Premier and the federal government signed this AIP without the majority of the Aboriginal governments. How did we justify this action? Yet the Premier has said, come be a partner in building our future together. How can the Premier say come to the table when only after you signed?

Mr. Speaker, I believe the signing of this agreement was rushed. For reasons unknown to me -- I can only speculate -- the AIP was signed without 75 percent of the Aboriginal governments on their land. Mr. Speaker, the Gwich’in, the Sahtu, Dehcho, Tlicho and Akaitcho, both treaties were not signatories to this non-binding agreement. Isn’t it our responsibility as a government to bring everyone to the table? Mr. Speaker, to date we only have the IRC that have signed and indications that one Metis group will sign. We wish them well.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier has said he wants to bring people into the tent. First, we need to help him put up a tent and Lord knows how my people are known for their tent setting abilities. Maybe we should listen to them and ask them what is needed for a sound structure.

Mr. Speaker, this devolution agreement will certainly alter our settled and unsettled land claim agreements. Is this an indication as to why the majority of Aboriginal governments are not in the tent with us? Do we not want our people to be involved in this historical deal? The stakes are higher; higher than any other agreements that I have witnessed to date in the North. We’re not all in this together. What a shame.

Mr. Speaker, our relationships with the Aboriginal governments are now being called into question. Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to reference

Section 22.1.6 of the Sahtu Land Claim Agreement. It states the Government of the Northwest Territories shall involve us in developing an implementation of

any agreements which transfer jurisdictions over minerals of Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories. The AIP called for big changes in our homeland; control over our lands and waters and resources is to be transferred to the GNWT. Our entire resource management structure is now up for discussion. How can the GNWT and Canada continue on this road without the support of the majority of the Aboriginal governments? The people of the Northwest Territories...

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Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Mr. Yakeleya , your time for your Member’s statement has expired. Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . The honourable Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Members’ Statements

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, mahsi cho. Evolution before devolution is the biggest concern of Nahendeh residents at this time. I’m getting many phone calls and concerns from constituents. I guess, firstly, as myself and all Nahendeh constituents will be part of the Dehcho process, how exactly will it impact the Dehcho people and those living there? There is still no clarity as the distinction and difference between the agreement-in-principle on devolution of lands and resources and the actual devolution final agreement.

I read, with great interest, in this week’s News/North the editorial: Territorial and Aboriginal governments represent the same people. I think that’s exactly what our Aboriginal governments and people are saying, so it is proper to say that. They say why is our concern to stop the signing of the AIP on devolution not recognized? The wisdom of our elders and the Aboriginal leadership want to build and forge a strong future for our North. I believe they feel that our political and constitutional development must be in place before devolution.

You only have to look to our provinces and even to the Yukon government to see the dismal track record when it comes to dealing with Aboriginal people and governments. It is still felt that the federal government is giving away Dene lands.

I am in agreement that this government must begin the discussions of our political future. I believe that it must include guaranteed Aboriginal representation and leadership. The fear, Mr. Speaker, is that in the future if there is no Aboriginal involvement because non-Aboriginals get elected, then we’ll end up in a situation like our southern provinces.

I ask that all discussions that lead up to final devolution should include Aboriginal governments. There must be another solution for involvement for those that do not want to sign. I am certain that constitutional development discussions will be

necessary as we work towards our final devolution agreement. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . The honourable Member for Weledeh , Mr. Bromley .

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GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Members’ Statements

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I discuss the government’s response to the recommendations to the Child and Family Services Act review. In a nutshell, I am disappointed. Of 73 recommendations, 10 are rejected; 28 accepted conditionally read yes, but no change required; and 13 accepted in principle read yes, but no money. The detailed responses offer obtuse and often quibbling comments claiming that the recommended actions given such priority by the committee are already in practice or implicit in the legislation.

Anyone who sat through those exhaustive, emotional public hearings must wonder how so much that is supposedly implicit or in practice could so obviously be failing in delivery. Implicit or not, the committee thoroughly reviewed the act and concluded explicit wording and better practice was required.

Is the Minister failing to propose an ambitious response believing there is a lack of support in this Assembly for creating a new and improved system? Surely not. Has the government failed to understand that because of the system, the legislation delivery isn’t working, the people are demanding recourse through law that finally spells out the responsibilities government can be held accountable to?

As we’ve heard repeatedly, government has to wake up to the need for a whole new way of doing business. Early intervention and prevention in every community is where the human and fiscal savings lie. Until we turn our focus to causes instead of effects, we will continue to be swamped, mopping up consequences. Short-sighted thinking will only cause human and financial costs to mount.

How can the Minister say a plain-language act is not possible when so many jurisdictions across the country are adopting that very approach with acts of this sort? We are expecting a can-do approach from this government on this. Committee members are fully aware of the fiscal and organizational challenges we must confront and we are fully aware of current practices and what the act says. We will not wait through an endless rumination by justice on the will of the people. This 16

Assembly must

begin making this vision real; lives are in the balance.

The Minister has support for a fresh start. Let’s get it done.

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GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The honourable Member for Great Slave , Mr. Abernethy .

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Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel Costs

Members’ Statements

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unless you want to fly out of Yellowknife on a Saturday morning, the days of departing from Yellowknife in the morning on one of the four major airlines is a thing of the past. Canadian North, WestJet and Air Canada do not offer morning flights to Edmonton and First Air only offers one weekly morning flight and that is on Saturday mornings. No morning flights are offered during weekdays.

Airlines have the right to set their schedules in alignment with their operational and business plans. Unfortunately, I believe that these changed schedules will cost the GNWT money specifically related to medical travel.

Over the years, with the advantage of morning flights, this government has been able to send our residents south in the morning for an afternoon medical appointment and fly them back to the NWT that same evening. This allowed the GNWT to avoid the cost of housing residents overnight for short appointments, such as MRIs and other specialist-type of appointments. Now I believe medical travel will be faced with increased costs as we’ll have to house many of these people overnight where we didn’t used to have to.

I’m wondering what the Department of Health and Social Services is doing to attempt to alleviate some of these potential costs that we face. Specifically, are we changing our medical travel processes and procedures? I know that medical travel is currently being reviewed by the Program Review Office and I’m wondering what kind of findings are coming out of this that are going to help us reduce these ever-increasing costs to medical travel. I’ll be asking the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services some questions on that later.

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Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel Costs

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy . The honourable Member for Kam Lake , Mr. Ramsay .

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Family Violence

Members’ Statements

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my statement from yesterday where I was speaking about the abysmal statistics in the Northwest Territories when it comes to family violence.

Having the highest crime rate in the country and the second highest rate of violent crimes in the nation is not a statistic we should have and it should be an embarrassment for this government. Spousal assault is up 107 percent in four years and there’s a 43 percent increase for sentences in violent crimes in just seven years.

In my opinion, what we can do immediately is to review our programs and rehabilitation services provided for violent offenders incarcerated in our corrections system. We must target the only people who can stop the violence and the abuse, and that’s the offender.

I was recently back on the government website and, again, I would like to note that our largest correctional centre, North Slave Correctional, does not have a resident clinical psychologist on staff. I’ve been asking questions and raising this issue for well over two years and still today there is no clinical psychologist on staff. If the NWT does not have the highest repeat violent offender percentage in Canada it would surprise me.

We have to start the review immediately and both Health and Social Services and Justice should be involved in how the review is structured, and we should find where the best programs for treating violent criminals exists and bring it into our corrections facilities as soon as possible. We need to treat violent offenders. They must have available to them every opportunity for rehabilitation so they don’t reoffend, so that our families are safer, so that our communities are safer. If we do anything less, we are short-changing public safety here in the Northwest Territories.

In addition to this concern, I’m also very alarmed at the trend I see in our justice system where previous offenders of violent crime seem to have all these previous convictions summarily cast aside. Whether it’s 15, 16, or even 18 previous convictions per violent offence, the punishment, it would seem, does not fit the crime.

How can a multiple repeat violent offender kill someone in the Northwest Territories and get five years? How can a husband beat his wife to death and get five years? How long are we going to continue to coddle violent criminals in our Territory? Can this Minister and this government have any impact on sentences of violent offenders?

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Family Violence

Members’ Statements

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

What message does this send to the victims -- these light sentences -- and to their families? Certainly we know the message that light sentences have on offenders, especially if they’re not thoroughly rehabilitated. They will get out and, sadly, most of them will reoffend. We have to do everything in our power to turn that trend around.

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Family Violence

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay . The honourable Member for Nunakput , Mr. Jacobson .

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Subsidies For Community Professionals

Members’ Statements

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today: community subsidies and assistance for professionals.

Recently in one of the Nunakput communities they evaluated their subsidy contract with the teachers. As a result, they felt that continuation of these subsidies is very important. Providing subsidy and assistance for two professionals to costs such as accommodations goes to the very core of the number of issues facing small, remote communities, especially in the Nunakput region.

Due to the unique geographic challenges and enormous operating costs, our communities are continuously disadvantaged while trying to provide the same services to our residents. Many of these services are very basic, such as education and health care.

Another community concern identifies teachers having to pay rent only 10 months of the year while local housing authorities absorb the remaining costs. If we’re going to try to develop realistic solutions, then it is important that we don’t focus on identifying which community-based offices should absorb the cost. Rather, the approach should be to take all levels of government together to recognize these extraordinary costs to provide resources accordingly.

I also believe that the government must be proactive to work with all community governments, offices and industries to encourage an environment for real infrastructure development. Programs such as teachers’ housing subsidies are very important to the future success of our students. Many communities lack adequate accommodations for teachers for the upcoming school year. The recruitment and retention of teachers in small, isolated communities, such as my hometown of Tuktoyaktuk, is critical to the continuing success of our students and schools.

Recently this government initiated the Come Make Your Mark Campaign. This campaign is an attempt to attract more people to the North, but many of our residents have questions. How can we attract people to the North when the housing conditions are so desperate? Housing has been identified as the most important reason when this comes to recruitment and retention of professionals.

I will have more questions for the honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time.

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Subsidies For Community Professionals

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe , Mr. Beaulieu .

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GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Members’ Statements

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I’d hoped that the Standing Committee on Social Programs would have had an opportunity to discuss the Department of Health and Social Services’ response to our recommendations before we began debating in the House or talking about it in the media. However, the response was tabled and the free-for-all has ensued, so I too will now talk about the government’s response.

The Department of Health and Social Services indicated that they did not accept the recommendation for prevention and early intervention in the 2011-2012 budget because the budget had already passed. This sort of tells me that the reason for the recommendation was sort of missed.

The communities were told that a lot of issues of child protection and child apprehension was due to the addictions of the community. The Standing Committee on Social Programs recommended that the department provide support and resources to communities for such things as healing on the land. This was conditionally accepted by the department, but indicated that there was a certain amount of money being spent by the GNWT and the federal government. However, the community has indicated that they have not seen positive results.

The current Child and Family Services Act claims where the Child and Family Services Act committees would be set up in each community. This act has been in place for over 12 years and more attention was needed in this area, not just conditional acceptance with a provision that this could be done if there was more money. The Standing Committee on Social Programs saw this as a very important item in child protection.

Working with First Nations communities to create more foster homes that are culturally appropriate for children in care was also a recommendation. This would require work on the part of the department to work closely with the First Nations governments, and the department should endeavour to do so.

Many of the recommendations were accepted outright and this is a step in the right direction. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time.

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GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre , Mr. Hawkins .

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Congratulations To Paul Bennett, Recipient Of The Outstanding Principal’s Award

Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to highlight the accomplishment of an excellent educator in our Yellowknife education system: Mr. Paul Bennett, principal of Ecole J.H. Sissons School.

Mr. Bennett is in Toronto at this very moment as one of 32 educators from across our country receiving the Outstanding Principal Award for Canada’s Learning Partnership for 2011. Canada’s Outstanding Principal Awards are presented to administrators who have made unique and crucial contributions to publicly funded schools and this year we are lucky to have one of our northern principals as a recipient.

Paul, as many of you know, has been the principal of J.H. Sissons for the past 10 years and I would like to say that he has become a pillar of that school’s success as the principal of the NWT’s first single-track French immersion school.

As one of two schools in my riding of Yellowknife Centre, I often have the pleasure of visiting J.H. Sissons and supporting them as often as I can. On each occasion I’ve visited them I’ve learned even more about their great programming and leadership. What becomes increasingly clear is that with Paul’s hands-on, caring approach, he has had Sissons school students become recognized as a place of pride, a place where they want to be, a place that they find higher learning with great success.

As a francophone, he works hard to foster in his school a community where students are proud of their French language and their culture, which instils further pride, rate of success, and impressive achievements from everyone, both students and teachers alike.

Paul, without any doubt, is a true icon in our educational system throughout our North. He inspires others to reach in ways that they did not know they had it in them. He is cherished by his students and respected by his staff and peers, which I’ve witnessed myself.

Paul is leaving a legacy of success and his students are answering his call to action as they reach and achieve greater heights in learning. I can tell you that YK1 is lucky to have him and I would definitely say the North should certainly be proud to have him as one of our northern principals receiving this national award.

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Congratulations To Paul Bennett, Recipient Of The Outstanding Principal’s Award

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins . Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake , Ms. Bisaro .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome and recognize Mr. Dave Reid, the president of the NWT Teachers’ Association.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . The honourable Member for Monfwi , Mr. Lafferty .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize Mr. David Reid, president of the NWTTA.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave , Mr. Abernethy .

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the airlines and our lack of morning flights, with the exception of Saturdays. I know that Canadian North recently announced that they’re going to be putting some morning flights in on Saturdays and Mondays, and maybe possibly some other days. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services . I understand that the airline that we use for medical travel is First Air. Can the Minister confirm that for me?

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy . The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services , Ms. Lee .

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as I’m aware, we don’t have one airline that we use. We use all airlines available. Canadian North just instituted morning flights for four mornings out of the week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

That’s not the answer I expected. I had received information from the Department of Human Resources about medical travel saying that we’re committed to our northern providers, which are Canadian and First Air, that our primary contract for medical travel was actually First Air, and Canadian North was only used when we couldn’t get appropriate flights on First Air. Frankly, I’m totally stunned that we use all the providers. I mean, WestJet and Jazz aren’t northern-owned or operated. That is stunning to me, as a matter of fact.

With respect to what I believe to be true with the fact of medical travel and the fact that First Air is our provider, First Air used to provide morning flights. They don’t provide morning flights anymore, except for Saturday. I think this is going to cause us a problem with respect to the cost of medical travel,

because people are going to have to stay down in Edmonton when they go for appointments as opposed to flying back in the evening. Has the department engaged First Air or any of the airlines about morning flights, specifically, our contractor First Air, to see if there’s any opportunity for them to reinstate some of these morning flights and save us some money? Thank you.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

I need to confirm that. I don’t know where the Member got that information. I’m not at all aware and I don’t believe that we use only one northern airline. We use both and we use smaller airlines as well, community airlines if they are available for medical travel, because we have people travelling from all over the Territories to Yellowknife and then on to Edmonton. Mr. Speaker, we use First Air and Canadian North to facilitate medical travel.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

I’m aware that we use different airlines to travel to Yellowknife with the small airlines. It’s pretty much one of the only ways we can get into Yellowknife from some of the smaller communities. I’m talking specifically, obviously, of Yellowknife to Edmonton.

Morning flights have been an important part of medical travel in the past and I’m concerned that with currently no morning flights, that the costs are going to peak. I’m just curious what kind of action plan the department is putting in place. I know that there’s a review being done by the review office in the Executive. I’m wondering what types of plans are being put in place to help us control some of these costs, which can be blown up, of having to house people in Edmonton for longer than we have in the past. What is the department doing to help us reduce our medical travel costs?

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Our staff that organize medical travel arrangements from Yellowknife to Edmonton would use the most economical means of booking those flights, but as the Member is well aware, some of our medical travel is time sensitive and we can’t be going for the cheapest flights.

I just want to confirm again that, as far as I am aware, we use both First Air and Canadian North. They are both northern airlines. Canadian North introduced a morning flight for Monday mornings in September, and on February 3

they announced

that they will reinstitute morning flights from Yellowknife to Edmonton on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. So we have four out of seven days of morning flights. Thank you.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . Your final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy .

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think some of those dates don’t take effect until April. So we’ve had a couple months here where our costs have probably been higher.

I go back to my original question on what are we doing to control the cost of medical travel in the Northwest Territories. We do have a lot of our residents who go down for short appointments. I know there’s always the other circumstance, always the one-of’s, but a lot of our residents go down for short appointments, and now our costs are going up. My question still stands. What is this department doing to help us, with the help of the Program Review Office, to control our costs on medical travel? Thank you.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

That is part of our daily business, to manage our medical travel budget wisely. As the Member is aware, medical travel is under review from a couple of points of view, but from a daily arrangement for our residents who need to go to Edmonton, they are booked for the services they need. It is true since they’re having less flights and less direct flights and less turn-around between Yellowknife and Edmonton, we have seen the costs go up, but we have to do what we have to do for our residents. Thank you.

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Question 398-16(5): Impact Of Airline Schedules On Medical Travel

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . The honourable Member for Hay River South , Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was going to stand up, like my colleague Mr. Abernethy , and say I’m completely stunned, but I am, I am stunned by this Student Financial Assistance Handbook. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to know why the SFA Student Handbook, the Form ‘A’ Travel Claim, the Student Handbook and the student travel reminders all contain conflicting information. Perhaps the Minister could enlighten me. Thank you.

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen . The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are policies in place for a specific reason. What the Member is referring to, I can touch on. The student case officers need to track all expenditures, our sponsors, our subsidies to the students through the SFA program. Not only that, but there are also First Nations and other organizations that also sponsor students. We just want to be cautious about who is paying for what trips. If the First Nation claim is paying for a particular trip, then we need to be aware of it so there are no duplications. We just want to have accountability in place.

That’s part of the reason why we have this policy in place where there is that transparency. We just want to keep track of expenditures.

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has gone to the second part of the question I was going to ask, and that is why, when a student returning from travel who provides an airplane ticket receipt with a credit card receipt stapled to it, why the department would want to see the name on the credit card and would like to see a copy of the credit card statement? I think that is excessive; however, what the Minister is saying here, I believe, is that there are other agencies who could possibly be paying for that and the government does not want to be reimbursing a student if, in fact, it is some other sponsoring agency that bought the ticket. Okay.

But that does not explain what my question actually was, Mr. Speaker. My question was: why is the information that students have to rely on through the Handbook and the travel claim and the newsletters so convoluted that it’s very difficult to reconcile it and to understand it? We should be making this easier for students.

I withdraw my comment about it doesn’t matter who pays for the ticket. The Minister has explained that portion of it. But I’d like to know what can we do to take the policies related to SFA and make it more concise and consistent from the different documents. Thank you.

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, this information specific to SFA subsidy programming, there is going to be a review. Maybe this is an area that we can definitely look at, what the Member is referring to, so it’s a simple task for students to go through the process. I hear the concern of the Member and it may not be only one concern. There are other concerns as well. That’s why we are conducting this review of the SFA programming, the subsidy programming and other areas. Mr. Speaker, we are doing what we can to resolve our issues at hand and this is an area that we will definitely look at. Mahsi.

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Question 399-16(5): Student Financial Assistance

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Member for Kam Lake , Mr. Ramsay .

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got some questions today for the Minister of Justice getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the latest statistics indicating that close to 70 percent of all adults in custody today in the Northwest Territories are there for violent offences. I’d like to begin by asking the Minister what programming or rehabilitation services are currently available for violent offenders incarcerated in the Northwest Territories correctional facilities. Thank you.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay . The honourable Minister responsible for Justice , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

Monfwi

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Justice

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad the Member is referring to offenders either reintegration to the community or rehabilitation. We do have some programs in place, such as a program for men who use violence, protection against family violence and also domestic violence treatment options through court. Those are just some of the areas that we are focusing on as a preventative measure.

Also, we have a staff and programs at the correctional level that work with offenders so they can be rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the community. So we have various programs that suit inmates’ eligibility and also return to their communities. So we want to rehabilitate those individuals going back to their communities. So there are various programs available. Mahsi.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Judging by the amount of repeat offenders, especially in the area of violent crime that we have here in the Northwest Territories, I’m wondering if the Minister could commit to reviewing the programs and services that are available for violent offenders at the North Slave Correctional Centre and other correctional facilities around the Northwest Territories in an effort to make sure that we are getting the best programs and services into our correctional facilities that we can. I’d suggest that the Minister look around the country, and even North America for that matter, to find out where the best programs are to treat violent offenders. Thank you.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

Monfwi

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Justice

Mahsi. Within our Justice department we do explore other venues, other jurisdictions, as well, to seek out the best practices, different programs that may not be available to us in the Northwest Territories so that we don’t reinvent the wheel. I’m glad the Member is referring to us exploring different jurisdictions, programming for inmates. So those are the areas I can commit to through my department to seek out the information from other jurisdictions. Mahsi.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Unless it’s court ordered, I’m wondering if the corrections service here in the Northwest Territories could commit to making programming mandatory for any violent offender in the Northwest Territories and why should we have to wait for the court to instruct us to do so. I think the justice system and corrections service here in the Northwest Territories should make that program and service available to all violent offenders in the Northwest Territories and it should be mandatory, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

Monfwi

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Justice

Mahsi. There are certain programs. We’ve initiated some mandatory programs for inmates and also for offenders. There are some other programs that we are seriously

looking at as possibly mandatory for court proceedings and we’re working closely with our judges on these particular matters. I will keep the Members posted as we move forward, if we’re going to make some programs mandatory. So we’ll keep the Members posted on that. Mahsi.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay .

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things I alluded to in my Member’s statement was the fact that North Slave Correctional Centre is the largest corrections facility we have in the Northwest Territories. Currently it doesn’t have a clinical psychologist, Mr. Speaker. That, to me, is a gaping hole in the services that are available to violent offenders here in the Northwest Territories, and it’s little wonder our statistics are going up when we don’t have a clinical psychologist at our largest facility. I’d like to ask the Minister if there are any plans to fill the position of clinical psychologist at North Slave Correctional Centre. Thank you.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

Monfwi

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Justice

Mahsi. There is a contract with a physician to provide services to inmates at the North Slave Correctional Centre, but at the same time we do have somebody in training right now to be a psychologist. That individual completed her degree program and also needs to complete one year under supervision before she can be registered. So that individual has a few more months to go, Mr. Speaker, to be qualified. So it is in the works and it’s going to be happening this summer. Mahsi.

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Question 400-16(5): Rehabilitation Programs For Violent Offenders

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Member for Weledeh , Mr. Bromley .

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Transportation and I’d like to start by expressing appreciation for his adjustment of the speed limit on the highway from the Explorer Hotel to Niven Lake area, a part of Weledeh where we have safety issues. Those safety issues do remain, though, and what I’d like to request of the Minister is would he consider or put in place lighting that would take care of that safety issue. As the Minister knows, during a large part of our year it’s dark there. It’s very unsafe for people walking along there and we have families walking there. Will the Minister get street lighting on that

section of road? Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation , Mr. McLeod.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has asked if I would

consider putting lighting. Of course, I would consider putting lighting on that stretch of road.

Mr. Speaker, having said that, safety is an issue on all our highways. The

section that the Member has raised is part of our inventory. We do speeds on that portion of highway and we have incorporated a highway safety operations review on all our roads and we have plans to put in more guardrails, signs and things of that nature. That includes also looking at putting lighting where we have some intersections. We’ve done some of the intersections already in Behchoko and Fort Providence. So we’d certainly consider the request that the Member is making. We’d probably have to consult with the City on this also. Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister’s comments, all of them, and also his commitment to consider that. I think it’s a good suggestion to work with the City and this could be done through the Capital Area Development Plan Committee. So I think that would be a great opportunity to reduce the cost as well. The City may be willing to participate. Can we expect that this would include, of course, the most energy-efficient LED lighting with the appropriate shading to make best use of the light as well? Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Minister of Transportation

I’m not too sure if he’s asking me if I’d use the cheapest form of lighting on that stretch of highway. That’s something we’d have to discuss, of course. We take every opportunity to use energy-efficient lighting. We’ve incorporated solar panels on some of our lights that are outside of the communities. We have this year already, as part of our budget of course, put some lighting around the airport at that intersection. So as we move forward, I can’t commit that we’ll do the work that he’s requesting this year. We’ll certainly consider it. We’ll have the discussion with the City and see how we can accommodate the request. Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you. Again, I appreciate those comments from the Minister and I do think it is worthwhile to consider doing this work in consideration through the Capital Area Development Plan. What this

section of highway really needs is a safe walking path that’s appropriately lit and an appropriate crossing place. So I would ask that the Minister do work through the Capital Area Development Plan and consider myself a resource if he needs assistance working with the City in coming up with a plan to finally take care of that

section of road that’s our problem. Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Minister of Transportation

Thank you. I think that included a request for a walking path. I don’t think that’s what we were discussing initially. We certainly agree. I think that nobody is going to contest the fact that highway street lighting would reduce the potential concerns about a conflict

between vehicles and pedestrians. There are other modes, of course, that involve a lot more investment, but street lighting is something that we’d certainly consider at this point. I agree that we probably need a longer term plan that would incorporate walking paths and bike paths and things of that nature, but at this point we’ll take the request for lighting very seriously and we’ll see how we can incorporate it and we’ll consult with the Member to see what ideas he’s got bringing this forward. Thank you.

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Question 401-16(5): Safety Issues On Highway Between Explorer And Niven

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley . Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I talked about devolution. I want to ask the Premier some questions. I want to ask him in terms of the mandates for going forward, when and who decided that the Aboriginal governments won’t have direct participation at the tables when they were negotiating the draft AIP? So far what I’ve been told and what I’ve read is only the GNWT and the federal governments were negotiating and they drafted the AIP. The Aboriginal governments were briefed from time to time, but they didn’t really have a seat at the table per se in terms of the direct negotiations on this important deal.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . The honourable Premier .

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those mandates set in the original days when the framework agreement was struck out in 2001 and renewed as they began to work, I believe, in 2004. Our process, or the process we’ve used, has been in place from those days and there were different times at different levels of discussion. For example, there was a Government of the Northwest Territories and a federal government issue that was strictly bilateral. Those bilateral discussions were held between the GNWT and the federal government, but it included Aboriginal governments on those specific issues. They were part of that process.

At all times, though, as I have been informed, that even the bilateral discussions that were between the GNWT and the federal government, those discussions were brought to the table for all participants to review. Thank you.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you. I guess there are the various figments to the history of the bilateral agreements and negotiations. So I’ll leave it at that.

What I’ve been hearing is that the Aboriginal governments that are not signatory yet to this agreement have some questions and they want to assess and analyze the agreement. My

understanding is that if we have some of the Aboriginal governments come on side, then that puts them into some funding arrangements. If they do not come on side to sign the AIP, then there’s no funding available to them. Is that a true statement to the Premier ?

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

This would be true for the GNWT. If we did not sign the agreement-in-principle, we would not have access to the $4 million that would help us in the transition work going into negotiations. We will have to come up with our money in negotiations as a Government of the Northwest Territories. The federal government has set up $3.9 million for Aboriginal governments to prepare for the work and the transition into negotiations. As they sign that, they will have to sit down with the federal government to work out that funding arrangement. Thank you.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you. Can the Premier explain where the thousands of dollars that have been given to the regions went if it wasn’t to explain the devolution?

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

The Member is asking the GNWT to explain where that money went. That was co-funded by the GNWT and the federal government. If I understood your question correctly, I hope that it went towards the work on devolution, the prepatory meetings, some of the negotiations specifically.

In the life of our government, we’ve got a number of agreements in place. One at the regional leaders’ level, which helps bring them into the regional leaders’ meeting, supports two at a time. Then specifically within the Executive there were agreements in place to help fund the devolution meetings, and that was to help the groups organize and structure and review the materials that they needed to review. We’d have to go to the groups to find out exactly how they deal with those funds. Thank you.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya .

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Premier tell me as to why the AIP wasn’t released earlier in terms of letting the people understand and read it, rather than being posted on the CBC website? Just recently it was released to the public.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you. First and foremost, the process that’s been well established within the Northwest Territories right from self-government talks, land claim talks to this agreement-in-principle, the parties have been involved. Aboriginal governments and groups have been involved in this process. They’ve had their hands on the document for years. The specific document that was signed off by the chief negotiators and the letter sent to myself and Minister Duncan and additional letters were also

sent to all the regional leaders in September. So we were waiting for their response through October and looking at it on a going-forward basis as we were preparing to get ready to inform the people of the Northwest Territories what this deal would mean and how we would go forward.

Again, this is an agreement-in-principle. It is a non-binding agreement that sets the framework for going forward to final negotiations. Now we’re starting to do our process and get the message out to the people of the North. Thank you.

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Question 402-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Frame Lake , Ms. Bisaro .

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier and I’d like to follow up on my statement about the Anti-Poverty Strategy. I want to follow up on the report which went to the government last December from the workshop that was held in October.

I know that there is a GNWT working group that has been established and I also know that it does not include any representatives from outside of government, that there are no representatives from the Anti-Poverty Alliance. I know there is an advisory body but that body is not involved as part of the working group.

So I’d like to ask the Premier why, on the part of the government, why there is this reticence to involve the Anti-Poverty Alliance in developing the Anti-Poverty Strategy. Thank you.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . The honourable Premier , Mr. Roland .

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Well, yes, quite simply, Mr. Speaker, the issue comes when in past experience within the Government of the Northwest Territories when we have a large working group together to look at the issues within the North and there are a number of issues that we have examples of, this is one of those, the Anti-Poverty Strategy. The work they’ve done is good. It was good to get the information together from those that help deliver and deal with those issues on their own. We also, as a Government of the Northwest Territories, deal with those issues and we can’t forget that as well, and we need to collect our information, use the work that was done as part of the process.

The trouble becomes when there’s such a large working group and the recommendations that may come out of that, at times the government then is faced with the ones having to try to fund and put into practice all of those. So that’s one of the considerations.

We know that the work has been done and it will be a part of the process, because we need to do our work internally, as well, and look at how we deliver the programs from our end to ensure that we are meeting the goals that we’re intended to meet. Thank you.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thanks to the Premier . I have to disagree. I think the original Anti-Poverty Alliance is a large group, but it’s not all of the members of the Anti-Poverty Alliance who needed to be on the government’s working group. They certainly would have been happy with a couple of representatives who were not government members.

I think the Premier also suggested that all of the recommendations from the anti-poverty report, the No Place for Poverty report, needed to be accepted by the government and that’s not true. I think if the report is read carefully, there are a couple of priorities that the report specifies.

One of the things that I need to ask the Premier is: there is currently a proposal and I think it may have already been started, but there’s a plan to go out and to do more consultation, the community consultations. Those that will be consulted will be invited to consult, it won’t be an open invitation to anybody to come. I’d like to know from the Premier why this consultation is needed. The consultation was done last fall, and why do we have to go and consult with specific community people as opposed to anybody in the NWT? Thank you.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you. The work that we need to do now from a Government of the Northwest Territories side is we’re involved heavily in the field of dealing with the poverty issue in the North with quite a number of departments: the Housing Corporation; Education Culture and Employment; Health and Social Services. We’ve got quite a number of others: ITI, Justice, in some form or another. So we need to look at our end of the work that’s being done and relate that to the work that’s been done by the NGOs as well. So the work they’ve done will help inform the work that we’re going to and are doing.

I think the important piece is we’ve got to do a measurement of what we’ve done in our day-to-day service as the Government of the Northwest Territories and see how we can bring those together.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thanks to the Premier . I certainly don’t deny that the government is heavily involved in programs to try and attack poverty. What’s necessary is a cross-departmental coordination and cooperation among departments and the silos are still evident. I also don’t deny that the government needs to do the work and there needs to be an analysis of what we are doing.

My question to the Premier had to do with the consultation that is presumably about to happen

and I’d like to point out to the Premier that there were representatives of the government at that workshop, approximately 12 percent of the people in attendance. I’d like to know if the Premier , based on that information, will reconsider the consultation plan which is apparently ready to go and/or may already be gone. Take the advice of the Anti-Poverty Alliance and move forward from the report instead of doing work already done.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

The work that was done by the anti-poverty group had a preliminary focus. Yes, the government was involved in the workshop at our request, but, quite simply, the fact that as the GNWT a number of departments... And yes, the reason that we include Executive, Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment, ITI and Justice as part of the review of this is to knock those silos down and we have to look at the way that we’ve delivered those programs and come back and correlate that with the work that was done by the NGOs and come out with recommendations that would fit at that point going forward.

We’ve committed to working with the Standing Committee on Social Programs to provide those results as we do that work.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro .

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier again. I didn’t, unfortunately, hear an answer to my question. I do hope that the Premier will reconsider this proposed round of consultation and change it to be more meaningful.

I’d like to know from the Premier if this working group and advisory group and whoever else may be involved will be able to give us a definition of poverty prior to September 2011.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Well, first and foremost, let’s not discount our own staff within the Government of the Northwest Territories from having a good level of input and credibility when it comes to this kind of work. It’s a mix of all services, whether it’s NGOs, but let’s not discount the work of our own people that are in the trenches, as well, day to day. I think bringing those two together can help at the end of the day and our goal is to have the work done before the end of the life of this Assembly.

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Question 403-16(5): Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about evolution before devolution and I think that these two go hand in hand. It’s actually being forced by the signing of the agreement-in-principle as we move forward.

I have questions for the Premier . As we move along with the talks towards the devolution final agreement and there’s resistant Aboriginal groups out there only because there’s lots of information and there’s lots of uncertainty and fear about what it really means to sign on to the AIP, are there other solutions out there that can still involve the Aboriginal governments working with the GNWT as we work towards devolution?

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . The honourable Premier , Mr. Roland .

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The agreement-in-principle allows for groups to sign on at any time during the process, once they feel comfortable and they feel that they understand it more, if that’s a concern they have. In some cases, some groups may choose not to be there. It is a choice that they will need to make.

We will, as the agreement-in-principle states, allowed for every opportunity right through up until the final negotiations have been reached in the sense of initialling a final agreement for decision. The groups that would be a part of that can influence it.

That’s why I say come back to the table early. I say come back, because even the groups that said they were observers influenced the agreement-in-principle as it’s been designed. At the same time, to access the funding that’s there to help and the work that they need to do, by signing the agreement the same as we have done allows us to tap into some additional resources to help us in the preparation of that work.

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

I think that the future development of the Northwest Territories does include having the GNWT and Aboriginal governments having a dialogue. Once again, is there a solution or another alternative that we can involve Aboriginal groups in discussion as we work towards a final devolution agreement without them actually signing on? Can they be observers, like the Premier said, or is there another mechanism to allow full involvement? I really believe that as we work towards devolution, we’re also talking about evolution of our political development of the Northwest Territories. All must be involved.

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

The process we’ve engaged in has been inclusive and open to quite a number of avenues in the work and up into the agreement-in-principle that was signed. That included groups that would officially call themselves observers but had representatives that influenced some of the discussion and the way the language was written.

As we go forward, though, towards a final set of negotiations, as there will need to be bilateral discussions, so formal discussions on, for example, the jurisdiction sharing about how we share our

arrangements, how co-management bodies can work together, for example, or the resource revenue sharing section, they’ll need to sign up to this to be able to move forward on this because that will require bilateral discussions, Aboriginal governments to the GNWT, in some of the specific areas.

So I would say that we’ve been very flexible to this point, and as we go forward the groups need to look at what it is that we’re asking them to do and look at the language that’s been in place with the advice of many of the regions, observers as well as official groups at the table, that speak directly to the participation and safeties built into this document when it comes to protecting Aboriginal rights established as well as interim measures on the negotiations that are ongoing.

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Some of the alternate solutions, of course, without Aboriginal groups actually signing on, is some of the funding that’s available to hold in trust their portion thereof of whatever percentage of their group. Is that something the Premier can look at?

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

I know the funding that we’ve discussed, the portion for the GNWT and the portion for the Aboriginal governments through this agreement-in-principle signing, by signing on you get access to that. The portion for Aboriginal governments, they need to sit down with the federal government and work out that arrangement. We don’t have an affect on that. As we go forward towards a full set of negotiations, even ourselves as the GNWT, we’re going to have to look at our resources available and come up with a formula as to how we would progress forward and see if the federal government would be interested in that process.

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of timing -- I think the Premier just mentioned it earlier -- what kind of timing do the Aboriginal groups have to review and acknowledge and perhaps even sign on should they wish to? What is the timing of that? Is it end of April? Is it this summer? Is it this fall?

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

There is no deadline to signing on to the agreement-in-principle. Of course, I would say the earlier the groups sign on and get access to the revenue source to help them in the preparation work, the more influence on mandates that are being established and positions that would be looked at and influencing the final decision as we look to going forward. Especially those that are bilateral, we need those groups who would agree to sign on. There is no timeline in the sense of deadlines that groups need to sign on.

What I would caution, though, is anybody coming in at the 11

hour when we’re about to initial a

framework agreement or final agreement. For example, most of the decisions will be made by the parties that were there, and probably the revenues used up by the majority of groups by the latter stages. Signing up early allows access early to dollars as well as influencing final outcomes.

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Question 404-16(5): Devolution Agreement-In-Principle

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Nunakput , Mr. Jacobson .

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was regarding the teachers’ housing subsidy that is being looked at and being cancelled this year for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. The teachers that we try to retain in the small communities, it’s tough enough to get good quality teachers. We have to provide accommodations like we do with the nursing stations to try to help out as much as we can. It’s a critical time to continue the success for our students. I’m asking the Minister of Education if it’s possible to get the subsidy back in place for the community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to the five-plex for teachers’ housing.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The teacher housing subsidy that the Member is referring to is sunsetting, I believe, this fiscal year. That particular subsidy has been in the works for a number of years. I do believe it’s under the NWT Housing Corporation as well. There was an agreement in place between government and the organization in Tuktoyaktuk. The Member is asking if we would, I guess, reinvest into that particular area. As you can see from other jurisdictions, we have teachers across the Northwest Territories. We do provide funding for their northern allowances. Based on that, they pay for their rental units as well. We’re not in a position to invest more money into the teacher housing subsidy.

There is negotiation that is ongoing with the NWTTA, the Teachers’ Association, and other union issues that are on the way. That might be an avenue that can be raised. My department is not willing to move forward on that at this point within our current budget.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

The sun just came back in my riding two weeks ago, so no sunset clause, please. Will the government recognize the real challenges of the small, remote communities that face recruiting and retaining professionals for the various

needed subsidy assistance programs and commit to providing ongoing multiyear resources to the program? We have to do this for the students in our future. The communities in my riding, we’re the furthest north and the hardest hit all the time. This government has to step up to the plate and help our teachers in the communities.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

We do recognize the pressure that’s out there in the Northwest Territories, especially in those small, isolated communities. Finding suitable units can be a challenge and the high cost of living in the communities as well. With that we have initiated, through the refocusing committee, that there’s interdepartmental groups that are working on identifying funds to deal with those matters at hand. There are challenges before us to find suitable units for the teachers and other professionals as well. We do have an interdepartmental committee that’s working currently and are actively involved in that.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Will this government re-evaluate the community’s entire subsidy program or programs and provide the standard of measures to fairly distribute resources accordingly to the need of the cost of living? Thank you.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I can speak to my department’s subsidy. It is being reviewed on a constant basis and we make changes due to the needs of the communities and also the Northwest Territories. We also work interdepartmentally. The message is clear that the Member is referring to and we will be discussing that through our committees. This will also be brought up with my department, as well, with respect to the subsidy program. Mahsi.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson .

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we don’t support our teachers, Mr. Speaker, who’s going to support our students? There’s got to be a way that the department can find money to support the subsidy program. I think it’s $20,000 a door per year per unit, or $25,000, $150,000 that could be found for the community that is needed, Mr. Speaker. This has to be dealt with in a timely manner. The sunset is close at hand in regard to this. We have to support our teachers in the housing situation in Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. Speaker. I need the commitment from the Minister that he will work with me and the Housing Minister to get this dealt with.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, yes, we definitely do support the teachers that we have across the Northwest Territories. When it comes to challenges such as the housing issues in the communities for professionals, those are the areas that we need to work at within our committees. So, yes, we’ll work closely with the Member and also

other Members as well, and the Members of the Executive. Mahsi.

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Question 405-16(5): Community Subsidies For Assistance To Professionals

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe , Mr. Beaulieu .

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Question 406-16(5): GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health on the follow-up to the child and family services response.

Mr. Speaker, there is in excess of $12 million in the area of children’s services. Will the Minister direct her staff to look at a program in the area of early intervention and prevention in as far as child apprehensions go? Thank you.

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Question 406-16(5): GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services , Ms. Lee .

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Question 406-16(5): GNWT Response To The Standing Committee On Social Programs Review Of The Child And Family Services Act

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The chair and the Members have asked that we revisit our budget to see what options we might be able to come up with, and I’m prepared to do that. I have to state, at th