Debates of August 17, 2007 (day 12)

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I have several constituents paging here as well this week. I’d like to recognize them. I hope I get them all. I don’t have them broken out by riding, but I’m going to quickly do a scan. Christina Boggis is here, Shelby Brothers, Scott Stirling, Jake Olson, and I think that’s Casey Canning. I think that’s it. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to acknowledge their efforts here this week for us.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the diamond mines continue work in the North here, north of Yellowknife, the winter road continues to be of question. Some years it’s good; some years it’s bad. Mr. Speaker, before this Assembly, I brought up the issue of could we work towards a permanent year-round winter road to our mine. This would help them with their logistics every year as they get organized bringing in their fuel straight up there. They don’t have to worry about the winter road going out, and as we saw two years ago, they spent $100 million in logistic money trying to get fuel up to the North. So there’s a conglomerate whine to establish a year-round road. So the two options are to go straight from Yellowknife north or the Bathurst port. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation is he willing to work with his winter road conglomerate to ensure that this road gets permanently established in the Northwest Territories rather than we sit by and watch the Nunavut government get it established in the Bathurst port going south? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 140-15(6): All-Weather Road To Diamond Mines

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m not quite sure if I heard the Member correctly, but I think he said we spent $100 million and I’d like to correct that. The government has not expended any money in air lifting freight over to the mining companies at all, but there is a joint venture with all the mines that have done an alternative transportation study and we are working with them to define what kind of role the government would have in that road, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 140-15(6): All-Weather Road To Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister was correct; when I said they, I meant the diamonds mines spent $100 million hiring the air transportation companies. So the Minister is right. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to know what the Minister is willing to do to step forward, because they’re presenting a plan, they tried to come to committee, but because committee was short on time this year and of course they’re vamping up for this next winter road season and trying to get organized, what is he willing to do today, because I think we need a conglomerate or organizations to come together to advocate to the Minister of Transportation, the federal Minister of Transportation, to make this a reality. What is he willing to do today to make that commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 140-15(6): All-Weather Road To Diamond Mines

Thank you very much there, Mr. Speaker. Our department continues to work with the joint venture study and our most recent meeting we had was in July. We met with the joint venture to look at their study. Their option is the seasonal over-land route, which is realigning the road off the lakes and streams so they can add more days for transporting their freight up to the mines. That’s the short-term solution that’s being offered and we are working closely with them, Mr. Speaker. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 140-15(6): All-Weather Road To Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be able to commit today to make this a priority policy to work on so we can move forward, knowing that this can be established in the short term, as opposed to just sitting here waiting to find out which way we’re going with the wind? Because I’ll tell you, Nunavut wants the Bathurst Port; Nunavut wants the year-round road to go from north to south to the mines. So if we sit down and do not do anything, we’re going to miss this opportunity. Is he willing to move forward and make this a commitment on a policy to move on this initiative? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 140-15(6): All-Weather Road To Diamond Mines

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, we have, as a government, been advocating that getting a long-term road into the Slave Geological Province is a priority and we are working with the federal officials to that end. As well, there’s many different options available out there and we’re exploring them all, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, maybe I have a solution for Mr. Hawkins’s request…

---Laughter

…an all-weather road via Tlicho communities. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation said in February that the department, last year, completed a Tlicho corridors options study that looked at an all-weather road and the all-weather road corridor option in the Tlicho region. The department also completed economic analysis of the benefits and costs of both realigning the Tlicho winter road through an over-land route and upgrading the seasonal route to all-weather road standards. These studies were slated to be completed later this year, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me what the status is of these studies and discussions with the federal government? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, the roads to the Tlicho area are very important and we have been working very hard with the Tlicho Government to that respect. We have set up a Tlicho Road Studies Committee and we have been meeting early in the summer and we do have another meeting planned for the last week in August. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with this proposed winter road realignment and all-weather road in our jurisdiction, it would be much cheaper and also a shorter distance to travel to the mine site from the south. As you can see in this diagram, it clearly shows, from the department, that that’s the best avenue to go, the Tlicho connecting the communities onto the mine site. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister, can the Minister tell me if the Department of Transportation will be asking for money towards this initiative in the next business plan, for the Tlicho road connecting through our communities' all-weather road? Has it been determined whether it will be an all-weather road or upgrade of the seasonal route? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Tlicho road studies and the $460,000 contribution from the federal government, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s a study to assess the routes to the Tlicho communities. I think the important message here, Mr. Speaker, is that Tlicho communities will be getting seasonal roads in the long term, Mr. Speaker, and with or without the mines running through them, without the mine road running through there, and it will be a priority of our government, improving the access to all Tlicho communities and we will begin talking about it in the business planning process how to plan for it. The first thing to do is to get the engineering studies done to see exactly what the full conditions are and how much the road will cost to build. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the commitment that’s being made by the Minister to work with us, the Tlicho Government and also the communities. I guess the next question sort of leads to that where can the Minister tell me if he’s worked with the Tlicho Chief Executive Council, because they are the authority in our region on this project, and how he is keeping them informed of the new development? There’s a new development that’s happening in Nunavut. What’s our status? Are we moving forward expeditiously? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The developments in Nunavut are all part of the joint venture plans. It’s something that government is outside the process. It’s their initiative and if that’s what they would like to plan for and proceed with, they can do that. But as for ourselves, we have been working closely with the Tlicho chiefs and we have established the steering committee to look at the Tlicho road studies and we have been to the communities to advise them and discuss this project. There is a draft consultation plan, which we have yet to go over one more time and that’s the intent of our meeting at the end of this month, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question would relate to the winter road management committee. Since the Department of Transportation is responsible for transporting goods to the mining companies, I’d like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, if he’s willing to sit down with the winter road management committee if they can consult with the Tlicho Government, because rightfully it’s in our jurisdiction, Wekeezhii and also Monfwi Gogha De Niitlee area, if he’s willing to do that? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 141-15(6): All-Weather Road Corridor In Tlicho Region

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I’ll be pleased to add that to the agenda at our upcoming meeting. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all know that we passed a budget to get an RCMP presence in Sachs Harbour. Recently, over the last few months, there have been some letters going through from the Minister to myself and to the mayor of Sachs Harbour that this has been delayed probably until 2008. I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice, can he give me an update on whether “G” Division has sent out notification to the RCMP membership in Sachs Harbour at the present time? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 142-15(6): Sachs Harbour RCMP Presence

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the Member. The RCMP have indicated to me that they are in the hiring process and have started the search for members who would be qualified to go to Sachs Harbour and do the job there. We have been disappointed that there is some delay in getting the infrastructure on the ground in Sachs Harbour. As the Member knows well, we’ve got to be able to make the barge season. We weren’t able to do that this year because when we looked at the state of facilities, they required more work than we could get done in time. So there is a delay in terms of the physical infrastructure. It will be a year later than we’d originally proposed, but the plan is to have members hired and on the ground ready to go into Sachs Harbour this fall. They will have to be permanently stationed in Inuvik and come back and forth until we have accommodations for them in Sachs Harbour, but the plan is to have a vastly increased force on the ground in Sachs Harbour this fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 142-15(6): Sachs Harbour RCMP Presence

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to accommodations, I did get a notification from the hamlet, from the SAO, that there’s two units available that can be utilized. Has the Minister checked with the RCMP on whether that can be used at the present time? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 142-15(6): Sachs Harbour RCMP Presence

Mr. Speaker, there are several issues. There are issues around accommodations and I’ve talked to the RCMP about that. I’ve relayed the offer of the hamlet as well. We’ve got issues around the detachment, though, in terms of it not meeting code. That needs to be replaced. So there are a number of infrastructure issues there, but we appreciate the offer from the community. I believe that the RCMP will be in discussion with them because, of course, although the members won’t be permanently stationed there, we do need accommodation for them when they’re in town. They will be overnight for weeks at a time. So that offer is very much appreciated and I know that the RCMP intend to have that discussion with the hamlet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 142-15(6): Sachs Harbour RCMP Presence

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this case right now, I guess two RCMP will be stationed outside of Inuvik. So I’m just wondering, can the Minister ensure that these people that are hired, we’ll make sure that they actually travel to Sachs Harbour as needed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 142-15(6): Sachs Harbour RCMP Presence

Mr. Speaker, the current situation is that we send members in when we can from Inuvik. They do roving patrols. We were targeting once every six weeks or on an emergency basis to have members come into the community. This fall, as the two positions are hired, they will be officially located, the positions will be housed in Inuvik, but their sole job is Sachs Harbour and that’s where they’ll spend the bulk of their time. They’ll have to travel back and forth. When they are on their downtime back with their families, that won’t be something that they’re able to do in Sachs Harbour and this is one of the challenges of their residences too. We have to find members who don’t have families with them because we don’t have accommodation for families. So there are a number of challenges. But the bottom line is, Mr. Speaker, the policing situation in Sachs Harbour will be vastly improved this fall and I want to thank the Member for his support, thank the RCMP for recognizing how important this was and making it a priority. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Roland. It goes back to my Member’s statement from earlier where I was talking about recruitment and retention and government strategies. We’ve been discussing this recruitment and retention issue in the Northwest Territories for the last number of years, at least 10, 12 years now. We spend millions of dollars on consultants, on reports, on staff and, to be quite frank about it, it’s not really improved any. I’d like to start off by asking the Minister how it is that our reliance on agency nurses and the money we spend on bringing nurses in from Newfoundland and Honduras, how are we going to move away from the reliance on agency nurses so that we can develop a workforce that’s in the North, that’s on the ground here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 143-15(6): Agency Nurse Usage

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I must say the Member has been consistent during our time here in the 15th Legislative Assembly on raising issues from our Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the hospital, where other nurses around the territory have to rely on the normal process through their union processes that we negotiate. The question is a good one because it gives me an opportunity to highlight where in fact we have made significant moves and improved significantly the use of and how we’ve worked with nurses in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the 2006-2007 year was, indeed, one of our highest uses of agency nurses during that year. In fact, that year we had over 5,000 days of agency nurse use in the Northwest Territories, which was quite a concern, has been a concern to us throughout. We’ve heard it from Members; we’ve heard it from communities. So one of the things we did was work on a new contract and work with authorities to reduce the use of agency nurses to fill only where emergencies were in place. We have developed a relief pool. In fact, so far in 2007-08, up to June 30th, we’ve only used 561 days of agency nurse use. So I think we’ve made a significant move and we’re starting to see the results of the work we’re doing. In fact, I mean we have to acknowledge that the nurse issue hasn’t reduced across the country, not just the Northwest Territories, but we are doing our part. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 143-15(6): Agency Nurse Usage

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m wondering if the Minister and the government have ever given any consideration to a return of service for new grads from southern universities in the nursing profession that could look to coming north and raising families here and spending, you know, four or five or six years on the ground here in the Northwest Territories, and in return the government could look at paying off their student loans. Because, as we all know, tuition fees across the country are rising, the cost of getting an education is increasing, and I think we need to be looking at creative ways to try to get nurses on the ground here. The Northern Nursing Program has been successful and I think that would be a nice accompaniment to that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 143-15(6): Agency Nurse Usage

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that’s another area we’ve been working on, is going to southern universities and colleges to attract the new graduate nurses to the Northwest Territories. I’d have to check on what sort of incentives we have. We know for the Northwest Territories we have one of the best systems in place through our Student Financial Assistance Program, as well as what we’ve done through the Community Health Nurse Development Program, or the CHN Program as we call it, and trying to take our nurse graduates right out of their courses and give them additional education opportunities to go into our small communities, by covering bursaries as well as the fees and salaries to cover and help authorities in that area, and that program is starting to pay off as well. Thank you.