Debates of August 15, 2007 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to this Assembly that the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development has reviewed Bill 6, Workers’ Compensation Act, and wishes to report that Bill 6 is now ready for Committee of the Whole, as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. There’s a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a document from Chief Henry Gon, of the community of Gameti, expressing concern on Gameti school expansion on August 1, 2007. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, August 17, 2007, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with the motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, August 17, I will move that Bill 17, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2006-2007, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, August 17, I will move that Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2007-2008, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, August 17, I will move that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. There is a motion on the floor. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Motions. First reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Dent.

I seek unanimous consent to proceed with first reading of Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 19 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek consent to deal with second reading of Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Student Financial Assistance Act to raise the maximum aggregate of the principal amounts of all student loans that may be made to one person. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 19 has had second reading. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2) and have Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be moved into Committee of the Whole for tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order and ask what is the wish of committee? Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007, and Bill 12, Public Health Act. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. We will deal with Bill 11 and Bill 12 after a short break. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

---SHORT RECESS

Good afternoon, committee. I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. I am wondering, if committee agrees, can we go with Bill 12 before Bill 11? Is committee agreed to that?

Agreed.

Thank you. We will now turn our attention to Bill 12, Public Health Act. I would like to ask the Minister responsible, Mr. Roland, to introduce the bill, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to introduce Bill 12, Public Health Act. This bill will replace the out-of-date 1950's act and represents the culmination of several years of work by the Department of Health and Social Services.

In developing this bill, the department identified the following goals:

to ensure the chief public health officer has the independence to make decisions and act to protect the public’s health, while having an adequate organizational support structure;

to provide updated and appropriate remedies and powers so that the chief public health officer can protect the public’s health;

to ensure that public health emergency functions are appropriately linked to territorial emergency authorities and provincial and national public health authorities;

to support health promotion; and

to repeal the Disease Registries Act and incorporate its reporting and surveillance functions for communicable diseases and health conditions into the new Public Health Act.

The bill is based on standard modern public health legislation, taking into consideration other jurisdictions’ most recent experiences with public health risks and adapted to suit the uniqueness of the NWT.

Under the bill, the chief public health officer directs a team of public health officials in the Department of Health and Social Services, as well as public health officials in each of the regional health and social service authorities. This ensures the public health office will have the administrative support it needs and that public health officials have sufficient latitude to act to protect public health.

The chief public health officer will have the appropriate and necessary powers to respond to common health hazards, dangerous communicable diseases and other health conditions and public health emergencies. The chief public health officer will also be able to monitor general public health, by tracking incident rates of such conditions as cancer.

The bill includes a section on drinking water sources and water supply systems, covering approvals, standards and requirements, protocols in case of health hazards and broad regulation-making powers.

That concludes my opening remarks and I’d be pleased to answer questions the Members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, Minister Roland. I’d now like to ask the chairperson responsible for the review of the bill, Ms. Lee, to provide committee’s response. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Programs, in association with the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, conducted public hearings in Yellowknife on June 6 and 7, as well as on August 13, 2007, and in Behchoko, at an evening meeting on June 6, 2007. The committee then split into two committees to conduct public hearings in Fort Smith and Inuvik on June 11, 2007; Hay River and Tsiigehtchic on June 12, 2007; in Jean Marie River and Tulita on June 13, 2007; and in Fort Simpson and Gameti on June 14, 2007. The committee is grateful to all persons who took the time to make their views known to committee.

The Public Health Act is a rewrite of an act that is over 50 years old. It recognizes modern methods of dealing with public health issues and provides the Minister and the chief public health officer with the authority they need to respond to a public health crisis while respecting, as much as possible, the rights of the individual.

There were no specific concerns expressed on the content of the bill during any of the public hearings; however, during the northern swing, committee members heard concerns from Gordon Yakeleya, the mayor of Tulita, on the lack of readily available parts for the water intake pump and the potential impact on water quality in Tulita. Committee also heard concerns in the community of Tsiigehtchic on the suitability of the present water supply as beavers have been observed in their reservoir and some people are experiencing rashes after bathing in treated water. The office of the chief public health officer is encouraged to work with these communities and the other responsible GNWT departments to allay the community concerns with their water supply.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes the committee’s remarks on Bill 12, the Public Health Act. Individual Members may have questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Ms. Lee. I’d now like to ask the Minister responsible if he’d like to bring in witnesses. Mr. Roland.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister Roland. If you could please escort the witnesses in, Sergeant-at-Arms.

Thank you. Thank you, Minister Roland. I’d now like to ask you to please introduce your witnesses for the record. Minister Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, joining me at the table here, to my right is deputy minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Chuck Parker; further to my right is Dr. Andre Corriveau, at this point, chief medical health officer, Health and Social Services, but that title will change with the passing of this act. To my left is Janis Cooper, legislative counsel, Department of Justice. Thank you.