Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Before we begin, colleagues, I’d like to draw your attention to the visitors’ gallery to a former Member, former Sergeant-at-Arms, former Minister, former Commissioner, and presently an honourary table officer, Tony Whitford is with us in the gallery.
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Accompanying Mr. Whitford today is Joe and Sophie Stockal from Wainwright, Alberta, friends for 45 years with Mr. Whitford. They were teachers in the late 1960s in Fort Smith and Inuvik, so Members may remember them from there.
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Welcome to the Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, as this is the last session of the 16th Legislative Assembly, I would like to take this opportunity to update Members and NWT residents on our fiscal and economic outlook, and to describe the difficult decisions that will be facing the 17th Legislative Assembly.
Let me first say, our Assembly has a lot to be proud of. We made some tough choices to reduce in some areas to provide funds for the key priorities of this Assembly. By the end of its term, the 16th Legislative Assembly will have invested almost $297 million of new initiatives funding in priority programs to support the economy, protect the environment, reduce the cost of living, invest in NWT residents, build sustainable communities, and create affordable government. This includes the four-year $60 million Energy Investment Plan to provide energy programs and infrastructure
designed to help lower the cost of energy in the NWT and reduce the territory’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Work on the 2011-12 public infrastructure investments of $155 million is well underway. Together with our infrastructure investments in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, the GNWT will have invested over $1.1 billion in roads, bridges, schools, health centres, housing, and other critical infrastructure in the NWT.
Our careful planning to keep expenditures under control and the difficult decisions we made to raise some taxes meant that we had the fiscal resources necessary to manage our way through the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression. Our record-breaking levels of infrastructure spending helped stabilize the economy while NWT businesses and industry made decisions to ensure their viability over the longer term.
However, this level of investment is not sustainable and our fiscal reality will not permit us to relax our willpower if we want to preserve our accomplishments. We are very close to the federally imposed borrowing limit, especially by the end of 2011-12 and 2012-13. Without careful adherence to a fiscal strategy that maintains discipline in controlling expenditure growth, we will have no leeway to deal with unexpected revenue declines or expenditure shocks, such as a severe forest fire season or higher energy prices.
I would remind Members that our fiscal strategy is based on the following planning assumptions:
Capping expenditure growth at 3 percent a year. This provides for only $32 million a year to address increased program costs and demands, as well as funding for strategic investments.
Reducing capital investment levels starting in 2012-13 to $75 million per year.
Incurring short-term debt when needed. Long-term debt may need to be considered, but only if it is sustainable within the parameters of the fiscal responsibility policy.
Does not currently include revenue increases or reductions in current programs or services.
While the fiscal strategy is designed to recoup cash resources and ensure we achieve a moderate operating surplus to finance our capital plan, it does not address the continued demands to increase programs and services. Moreover, the reduced level of capital investment will not keep up to our growing infrastructure needs for medical facilities and equipment, highways, and housing. Over the next five years, our list of large capital needs is estimated to be $2.7 billion, or $530 million per year. Significantly higher than what we are currently planning for.
We are also fully aware of the slowness of the economic recovery and how NWT employment, corporate profits and government revenues are recovering even more slowly. The GDP, labour force, and employment rate continue to remain below pre-recession 2007 levels.
The 17th Legislative Assembly may find its choices are limited by the federally imposed borrowing limit. Borrowing our key infrastructure priorities, especially if long-term operation savings could be demonstrated, would be an option if we were not constrained by the borrowing limit. Fiscal sustainability could be assured without the borrowing limit through adherence to the Fiscal Responsibility Policy.
The inadequacy of our capital budget and our borrowing limit are just a couple of the challenges that the 17th Legislative Assembly will be facing.
Continuing the current fiscal strategy allows the GNWT to move away from the debt limit, while still allowing for some minimal investment to support priorities indentified by the 17th Legislative Assembly.
This approach, however, does not provide for the additional investments that are needed to address infrastructure needs or for other demands for investment without either more extensive reductions to existing programs and services or revenue increases.
Every Assembly faces its set of unique challenges and opportunities. Every Assembly builds off the work of the previous Assembly. The 17th Assembly will be no different. We have successfully managed our way through some extremely difficult times and we will continue to do so. That is what Northerners do. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about another potentially significant development in our northern transportation system. On Monday, June 6, 2011, the Government of Canada announced funding for the construction of an all-season road between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.
Mr. Speaker, this investment not only builds momentum behind a dream long held by residents of the region, to drive on an all-season road between the communities, but it also realizes the first step to complete the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway project.
As the celebrating and the handshaking were underway, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation was already hard at work to ensure momentum continues to move forward for the project. Mr. Speaker, maintaining that forward momentum may be challenging, considering the 16th Assembly will dissolve at the end of this sitting and a general election will be called in September.
Mr. Speaker, some of the more substantive project planning activities for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway that have to be completed include the environmental assessment now being conducted by the Environmental Impact Review Board; discussions with Canada on the funding agreement, and with the Inuvialuit Land Administration on a purchase agreement for the highway right-of-way.
Mr. Speaker, completing these high-level activities at the official’s level will provide Members of the next Legislative Assembly with the information they will require to make a decision on this project. Completing this work will demonstrate to the federal government, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and to residents in the communities of Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik how important the project is to the Government of the Northwest Territories. This recognition was also made when the 16th Assembly unanimously passed a motion in support of a Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk.
These are exciting times for Northerners. The federal government’s investment in transportation infrastructure will promote regional economic and employment opportunities, through road construction and maintenance. This investment will improve access to oil and gas resources, it will create community access and mobility, and it will advance Canada’s ability to assert sovereignty over lands occupied by our Aboriginal ancestors for generations.
With determination and patience, the Department of Transportation has been building the Mackenzie Valley Highway one section at a time. While new road construction in the territory remains a federal responsibility, the Government of the Northwest Territories has not been sitting on its hands waiting for Canada to build the highway.
Instead, the Department of Transportation has been making considerable progress since the 1950s, when Prime Minister Diefenbaker’s government first recognized the Canadian advantage of having a highway connecting the country from coast to coast to coast. In 1995 the Department of Transportation completed the all-weather highway as far north as Wrigley, and began operating the N’Dulee ferry. In 2001 the department began investing in grade improvements and permanent bridge construction along the Mackenzie Valley winter road.
Thirty-five bridges later, and with another two planned for this season, the winter road season has been dramatically extended and stabilized, and the environmental and safety risks associated with ice crossing construction have been reduced.
Finally, in 2008 the Department of Transportation and the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk partnered under the Building Canada Plan to construct a 19-kilometre access road to Gravel Source 177. Hamlet residents are now using the road to access the gravel source, to access the land, and other opportunities. With some upgrading, the road will become a section of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway.
Once complete, the stretch of highway linking the two communities may be the first 137 kilometres of the Mackenzie Valley Highway; an aspiration Northerners have held for more than five decades. All these improvements ultimately serve the future all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway.
The Department of Transportation continues to work toward the dream of connecting the Mackenzie Valley to the Arctic coast, and has made significant progress in the last 10 years. With the federal announcement, Northerners are one step closer to driving the length of the Mackenzie Valley from Wrigley to Tuktoyaktuk.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are joined today by members of the Executive Committee of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, or PNWER. They are here to visit our beautiful territory and capital city, and take part in the PNWER Capital Visit. I want to welcome our delegates and speakers from Alaska, Yukon, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Alberta, British Columbia, and more. I would also like to recognize the president of PNWER, Mr. Michael Schaufler. Later on today I will recognize the rest of the delegation.
Mr. David Ramsay, MLA for Kam Lake, and I will be joining the delegates in their deliberations over the next few days, and I hope they all enjoy their time here and take away a deeper understanding of the economic potential of the Northwest Territories.
The story of the North is still unfolding. We are a crucial part of the solution to many of the challenges facing Canada and North America today, from reinforcing our sovereignty, to climate change, to generating extraordinary opportunities for job creation and economic growth for future generations.
The Northwest Territories participation in PNWER exemplifies the Government of the Northwest Territories ongoing commitment to maximize northern opportunities for economic development as envisioned in the Northerners Working Together plan.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be leaving the House later today and will be absent for the remainder of the week to chair the Pacific Northwest Economic Region meetings in Yellowknife.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to take a moment to reflect on all the constituents who passed away in Nunakput since our last sitting.
Mr. Speaker, Matthew Steen was born January 25, 1993. He passed away July 1, 2011. He was the son of John and Joanne Steen, and brother to Shelby, John, Brandon, Julia, and Luke. To all the family and friends and the community members, I wish to express our deepest sympathy and condolences in respect to losing a youth so young in the community is especially hard. I know Matthew will be remembered not only in the community but also in the territory. Mr. Speaker, he was an awesome hockey player and he will be missed by the community of Tuk.
In the community of Ulukhaktok, Ida Kuneyuna passed away August 13th. She had two children: Mary Banksland and William Joss. She passed away with cancer. She will be sadly missed by the family and friends in the community of Ulukhaktok.
Mr. Speaker, Phillip Elanik was born February 14, 1978. He passed away August 10th. Mr. Speaker, he was the son of Sandra and Phillip Elanik, the brother to Janette, Shelley, Kendra, and Danny, husband to Lorraine Elanik, and the father of six children: Grace, Phillip, Elaine, Mathias, Nigel, and Mason. He was a hero to many in the community of Aklavik and I think all of the territory, because just before Christmas there was a house fire in his house and he saved all his children. At that time he severely burned himself, so he should be given some sort of award, I think, coming up in the next sitting. He was a well-respected drum dancer. He danced with all he had, and was truly an inspiration to many. He passed away from cancer, which he was recently diagnosed with. He wanted everybody to know that he and Jesus made it, he said.
Lastly, deeply saddened by the loss of our dear elder, Mary Ivic Ruben, Lil’ Nanuck. We will cherish the memories and all the times we spent together and the times I visited with her. She always had great stories to share. She was a good friend. Even when I was a young boy, we had memories of her coming to Tuk and spending time with my mom and dad in the community.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
She was always caring towards her family and the youth in the community. Ivic always had good advice and guidance. I will miss her for all the support she willingly gave. Although it’s a difficult time today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help and comfort the people and the family she left behind. May the loved ones always around her help to get through the days ahead. Mr. Speaker, we may not understand why she left us so soon or why we weren’t ready to say goodbye, but little by little we begin to remember not that she died, but she lived, and that the life gave us the memories so beautiful we would not forget.
Lastly, our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. May God bless you and keep you and the people of Paulatuk. Heartfelt sympathies going to the passing of Lil’ Nanuck. Our communities are small and everyone knows everyone, Mr. Speaker. In Nunakput we are a very close-knit community. One person deeply impacts us all.
I, lastly, wish to give condolences to all the people in the Northwest Territories who lost loved ones in the past few months. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I will speak again to you in my language of South Slavey. A lot of people in my constituency complain about the dismal condition of the highways in the Nahendeh region. [Translation ends]
…urging our government to take a strategic approach and strategy in developing and creating the Deh Cho Trail, the route of highways No. 1 and No. 7, to national transportation standards. Another season on highways No. 1 and No. 7 has our travellers thinking these highways are like pie crusts: made to be broken. My constituents in Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Fort Liard, and Wrigley are upset that today the conditions are very poor. Why are they not maintaining and fixing our roads, is their concern to me.
For a short time, travellers in Nahendeh enjoyed a smoother ride when 40 kilometres of chipseal were laid down on this highway near Providence junction. I was very pleased to see this, as we worked hard in getting this into the capital plan. However, a recent article in the Deh Cho Drum highlights the poor conditions of chipseal on Highway No. 1, which our people drove over the course of this spring and summer. The reporter described the previous chipseal as a glorious stretch of road and a delight to drive on, after many dusty kilometres of travel. However, the chipseal began to crack, forcing tires into tracks and opening potholes that exceeded the bathtub sizes I spoke about previously in this House.
Residents are asking for safe, reliable, and well maintained highways. We need to explore all options to find cost-effective, long-term solutions to our road surfacing problems.
I have often made the case that expenditures in our highway systems is not just money out the door but an investment that will benefit our people, our communities, and our North. The benefits are long term, just like the marvellous bouncing buck concept. Many industries and areas will generate financial benefits from increased tourism and related businesses, to increased development opportunities. Also, because some trucking companies did not want to travel these roads, it actually increases the costs of goods to the people of Nahendeh, contrary to the goal of the Northwest Territories of reducing the cost of living.
This government has long promised investment to our highways. I call for a renewed commitment and strategy for safe, reliable, and modern transportation infrastructure for our people. I hope commitments and promises to serve the North will not be like pie crust, Mr. Speaker, and broken. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the winter session of this 16th Legislative Assembly I and other Members asked a number of questions of the Minister of Health and Social Services on the problems the Stanton Territorial Health Authority was experiencing with their sterilization equipment. At that time the Minister acknowledged that Stanton had been experiencing problems with the sterilizers they use for the reprocessing unit.
As a result of these problems, Stanton had to cancel a number of elective surgeries. We were told that elective surgeries were cancelled as they were the only ones that Stanton could control, and thus ensure that sterile equipment was available for emergency and critical surgeries as well as acute care issues within Stanton. This was a reasonable direction, given the situation.
However, recognizing the difficulties that this decision would cause individuals on the waiting list for elective surgeries, I and others were adamant that the problem be resolved right away. In late February the then Minister of Health and Social Services informed the Regular Members that the problem had been resolved and that over the following months Stanton would be working through their backlog of elective surgeries.
This past June, two months ago, I was approached by a constituent who informed me that her elective surgery at Stanton had been cancelled for the third time in a row. The reason, Mr. Speaker, is sterilization equipment at Stanton was not working properly.
This was a significant surprise and was inconsistent with the previous statements from the department. I followed up with the department, who confirmed they were continuing to experience problems with their sterilization equipment. Needless to say, I was surprised that the Minister, knowing the importance of this issue to Regular Members, had failed to notify us. Regardless, the Minister did indicate that the staff at Stanton had been working around the clock to resolve these problems.
I was also told in July that Stanton believed that they had resolved the problem, and that testing would be underway throughout July, with an intent to resuming elective surgeries on August 12th, which was last Tuesday, if positive test results were achieved. This was good news. The problem is that we’ve heard it before.
I heard this week that the elective surgeries were not resumed on August 12th. As a result, later today I’ll be asking the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services to confirm the current status of the sterilization equipment and elective surgeries at Stanton Territorial Hospital, and I look forward to the answers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In June the City of Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition launched a report on homelessness, by Mr. Nick Falvo of Carlton University. I will table the report entitled “Homelessness in Yellowknife: An Emerging Social Challenge” later today.
The findings in Mr. Falvo’s report are not surprising. Findings such as: 90 to 95 percent of homeless people are Aboriginal; social and economic factors are major causes of homelessness; those with poor mental health and users or abusers of alcohol and drugs are more likely to be homeless; and that homelessness contributes to high health care costs. These are all well known to government and service providers alike.
The report doesn’t just describe the state of homelessness in Yellowknife, it offers recommendations to improve the situation. Because most of the funding for homelessness programs comes from federal and/or territorial governments, these recommendations are directed to the funders. That would be this government. That would be us.
Recommendation number one: create a homelessness secretariat. The GNWT must accept greater responsibility for the issue of homelessness. There needs to be a dedicated staff position within the GNWT to oversee and manage our response to homelessness.
Number two: develop shelter standards and provide sufficient implementation funding. The conditions in Yellowknife homeless shelters create risks for both the staff and the homeless people who use them. The GNWT must develop standards for emergency homeless shelters similar to the standards that have been developed for family violence shelters.
Recommendation three: create more affordable and supported housing for the homeless. Research shows that providing permanent housing for those with mental health conditions costs far less than housing them in emergency shelters, jails, or hospitals, and that it provides a much better quality of life. The NWT must develop more affordable housing, including more independent living and/or supported living units.
Number four: strike a public health task force on substance use and abuse. We in the NWT have high rates of alcohol and drug use, and the rate is highest among our homeless people. To quote the report, “unsafe drug use presents a public health risk.”
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
To counter the public health risk, a task force should be established to conduct a needs assessment, investigate other successful programs across the country, and then develop a comprehensive policy response with the aim of reducing disease and producing positive health outcomes.
These are all recommendations that can and should be acted upon by this government. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for homelessness later on.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m going to speak about an issue that I’ve brought up before in this House, and that is of the many youth who find themselves getting into serious trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime, often resulting in addictions and an interaction with our justice system, which results in untold heartbreak for their parents, grandparents, and the family members who love them.
In the May session I talked about how a blind eye is turned to illegal behaviour of youth. The example I used was of two 15-year-old girls who were caught drinking in downtown Yellowknife. The RCMP simply gave them a warning and dumped the alcohol out. They didn’t even phone their parents. The fact is, the message being sent is that if you’re under 18, you can get away with breaking the law, oftentimes repeatedly, and face little to no consequence for your actions.
As a territory we are dealing with the same Youth Criminal Justice Act that every other jurisdiction in this country deals with. Why then does it seem, not only to me but to many others in this community and around the territory, that we are coddling young offenders in our territory? Is there not some type of analysis or survey on young offenders and how they are sentenced across this country that we can see?
I’d like to know where the Northwest Territories sits when it comes to sentencing repeat young offenders in our territory. Slaps on the wrist are not a deterrent. It is in the best interest of public safety, the offender, the victim, and our justice system to curtail the deviant behaviour early on in the process.
There has been much talk about the federal government’s stance on getting tough on crime. Perhaps that may even mean the Youth Criminal Justice Act will be substantially amended or even replaced with a new act. I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice later on today if this subject has been brought up at the federal/provincial/territorial Justice Ministers table and what message exactly our government is delivering at that table.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the break from last session a lot of issues have come up in talking with my constituents in my region. It’s the social and economic situation we find ourselves, especially for people looking for work. The people are struggling just to make ends meet.
The cost of gas in Tsiigehtchic is $1.71 a litre, yet that gas is subsidized by the Government of the Northwest Territories through petroleum products.
The road conditions and conditions of the Dempster Highway, which is now being called the Dumpster Highway because of the number of potholes on that road, is depreciating, and people are wondering what is being done by this government to maintain our infrastructure and make sure it is safe for the travelling public.
The issue of old age security. The elders that I’ve spoken to are seeing a very major decline in their old age pensions and they’re wondering why that is. They already have a fixed income, and to have it cut even further is affecting their ability to maintain their lifestyle and their means they need to sustain themselves.
I also think it’s important to realize that communities are requesting more involvement from the government to take over local housing authorities, which communities such as Tsiigehtchic still don’t have. We have programs and services being delivered out of our communities, such as mental health and addictions, yet today those agreements haven’t been changed in 10 years and some of those people are making less than people in similar fields as government employees.
The big issue that people are having is the changes to regulations by this government, especially when it comes to home heating and having to replace your fuel tanks to sustain your home. In some cases this costs well over $1,500 and a lot of people don’t have that.
The big issue that came out was the question of mould in our housing and the health of the people that reside in those public housing units, the effect of mould on the individuals.
The big issue that a lot of people are having is that they’re struggling to get into housing, and yet there still remains a lot of vacant units in our communities which are not being used.
Lastly, there are questions about the Elders on the Land Program to ensure the elders are able to sustain themselves through cultural means by way of having the On the Land Program that they had to ensure they have the ability to continue that practice. These are some of the areas that we will be dealing with over the next week.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is our final sitting in the House before the 16th Legislative Assembly will be closed. Some may say, where did the time go, while others may say, finally our time is up.
From the Sahtu’s perspective, we have, and will continue to have, universal issues that need to be resolved with all Northerners. Matters such as the lack of housing units, assessments of people’s health care, protection of our elders, and implementation of specific clauses in our land claim agreements and asserting our Aboriginal rights to the land and how we as Northerners work and live together.
There are many major projects in the Sahtu that need to be paid attention to, such as the Norman Wells health facility and the Sahtu long-term care facility. Also the Tulita new health centre. The Colville Lake airport is about to be completed and the Fort Good Hope new water treatment plant is now underway.
Our winter roads have improved substantially, and now the Deline winter road realignment must be done and completed, as well as other sections of the winter roads in the Sahtu. We need the Bear River Bridge as well as other key bridges in the Sahtu. We have seen the benefits of these bridges on our winter roads.
The Norman Wells natural gas situation is probably the most critical, pressing matter before us. We are appreciative that the government is part of the solution, however, we are not pleased to find out that most of the huge costs will be borne by the Town of Norman Wells. This is wrong. We could have done better to be there for our people. Instead we chose to rationalize our position by stating that the surplus in the Norman Wells savings account should go towards paying the bill. Is this our policy now from here on in?
We have done much in the Sahtu with much important key infrastructure, as well as other regions in the North. However, let’s not cloud it as we have social issues, such as serious problems with our youth drinking and drugging. Who is guiding them? The outrageous standards of living in our small community and people who are living in warehouses and tents today. Much is yet to do in this sitting.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve heard repeated bad news lately on the Giant Mine Remediation Project. Citizens in the Weledeh riding in Yellowknife and those downstream have great cause for concern. Spring ice dams on Baker Creek have caused contaminated water to overflow from the tailings area. Northern Affairs released little and late information. The federal Department of Public Works person in Edmonton finally released some facts. The situation is bad, and DIAND is under legal direction to take action.
But things have just gotten worse. A large sinkhole has appeared, which could channel water to flood the underground arsenic-filled stopes, rendering the frozen block plan useless. Again, DIAND made no proactive announcement. The information came in media reports, thanks to a public registry posting.
These extremely troubling developments undermine confidence in the overall project. Site managers failed to control reasonably predictable flooding. They apparently had no idea a sinkhole was possible, so the people planning the perpetual containment of 200,000-plus tonnes of deadly arsenic cannot predict a routine flood or a site cave-in. That’s perpetual care, meaning as long as there’s human life on the planet.
These incidents are alarming, but the overlying concern that the project developer is also the regulator is the biggest underlying problem. With no independent watchdog for the public interest, the dual regulator/developer role is no good, as recent incidents show.
In 2009 the City of Yellowknife, the Yellowknives Dene, and a private citizen asked DIAND for minor funding to investigate how best to establish independent oversight of the project. DIAND refused, saying oversight is being considered in the environmental assessment and an independent study of oversight options would be redundant. The day-to-day revelations and the stubborn failure of DIAND to meet its public information and accountability responsibilities make independent oversight absolutely essential.
The GNWT has taken no position on such crucial issues as independent oversight, ongoing research, or reporting. We have considerable leverage when it comes to crafting the environmental assessment recommendations and whether they will be accepted, rejected, or modified.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
In four years I don’t recall ever being given a departmental briefing on this project. We are not standing up for the public interest. It’s time to start.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thirty-seven years ago when I arrived in Hay River we had a daily 737 jet service and we had daily Greyhound bus service. Our population has not decreased but our transportation services sure have.
Today we are only served southbound by air with Northwestern Air Lease five days a week on a 15-passenger plane. A round trip costs between $800 and $1,000. The option, of course, exists to fly to Yellowknife on Buffalo or First Air, and catch one of the four carriers that fly out of Yellowknife on their ever popular seat sales. That is also not a cheap option for people in Hay River.
The deterioration of transportation services is further evidenced by the announcement that Greyhound will be pulling out of Hay River as of October 24th with their passenger service. Greyhound says they were losing too much money. Maybe bus service isn’t the quickest and most comfortable way to travel south, but it was a great alternative for people who had the time and didn’t have the financial resources to fly. Some people have medical conditions that make air travel a problem, and some of us don’t actually even like flying.
It was a great option for students coming and going from holidays, and seniors on fixed incomes. It also connected Hay River to the Greyhound network that allowed passengers to travel into the Northwest Territories on Canada-wide passes. In the winter, many Asian students attending ESL, English second language, schools in southern Canada had an affordable means of crossing into the Northwest Territories, mostly for Aurora viewing. The Greyhound bus service has also provided an agency opportunity for Hay River, through Frontier Coachlines, for many years, and Frontier Coachlines also provides further bus service out of Hay River, north, east, and west.
Greyhound says that they could not afford the northern route, but suggests that smaller operations will step into the newly opened market and take over some of the Greyhound routes even though they plan to continue carrying freight, taking away a lucrative part of that market. Greyhound is a national institution and a service. What next? Is Canada Post going to come up here and say it costs too much to operate in the Northwest Territories? We’re privatized and we’re deregulated, let’s pull out of the Northwest Territories and only cherry pick the lucrative markets.
I believe that our government had a role to play in addressing this particular problem. I’m going to have questions for the Minister of Transportation on what our government said about this, because I understand that Greyhound still plans to go to Whitehorse and the Yukon. They lobbied hard. Did we? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue I’d like to discuss today is how a constituent’s experience could have been handled much better. A few short weeks ago an emergency protection order was issued by the justice of the peace, but what makes this different and unusual is this was under false testimony, with the support and the assistance of a third party. At the time the EPO was issued, it moved swiftly through the justice system without a chance for my constituent to be heard, because if he had been heard, the accusations made against him may have warranted a balancing of other considerations to be weighed at the time the EPO was requested and then issued. However, for reasons not fully understood, the one-sided EPO was pushed forward and the transcripts were then sealed.
I’m not here to comment as to what the justice of the peace or the judge had heard, and I’m not here to question the credibility of testimony that was brought forward to them for their understanding due to the circumstances at the time, but what we have here is an experience that an accused was not heard and the accuser was able to paint a horrendous narrative of accusations against him and, surprisingly, a one-sided side of facts stood on record.
Now, I’m confident that the system was trying to act in good faith, but the problem here is the accuser has mislead the justice system, so rather than using the justice system to protect her, she used it to strike out at another person through an unspeakable accusation.
Now, it’s always easy to look back at circumstances to say what should have been done, but in cases like this, the obvious questions start to surface, which is why is the person who is being accused of such a dreadful accusation not given a chance to comment on those accusations? Where’s the fairness in that, Mr. Speaker?
Fortunately, the accused was relentless in his efforts and refused to yield to the injustice. In time it became clear that the accused was now becoming the victim. I know, as most people know, that almost all EPOs are both necessary and issued in good faith, but in this case when this one went bad it went really bad. Out of this experience the family has asked for two things: Firstly, they’ve asked for some type of review of the circumstances with the eye to ensure that the process of issuing EPOs can be brought forward in the best and appropriate manner. Mr. Speaker, does that mean that the third party should be advocating, or should it be in the hands of the RCMP? Let the review decide itself. Secondly, if the EPO is issued in error with false accusations, this order then puts the unfair obligation on the accused to clear their own name. There is no process to fix it for them that is automatic. It becomes a burden on the accused, who has become the victim.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later today for the Minister of Justice to see what we can do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Chair is not aware of a matter being before the courts, but I would caution Members that if any issue is before the courts, then we are limited to what we can talk about in this House.
The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided]
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to an elder, Gene Norn of Fort Resolution. Gene Norn passed away on August 8, 2011. The community in Fort Resolution lost a wonderful, kind man in elder Gene Norn. Gene Norn was born on February 13, 1933, and passed away at the age of 78.
Mr. Speaker, Gene was a man that knew his history, and was always happy to share his wisdom and his knowledge in the stories that he told. I went to visit Gene Norn several times over the last four years that I have served as MLA for Tu Nedhe. It was good to hear the way things were many years ago in Fort Resolution.
Mr. Speaker, Gene always had a great big smile for me each time I saw him. Gene dearly loved his family and always spoke of his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren, and would do this as he pointed to the many pictures he displayed in his home of his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mr. Speaker, Gene is survived by three sisters, five daughters, five sons, 32 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Gene always spoke fondly of his brother Sam and missed him, and was deeply saddened by the loss of his son Irvin. Mr. Speaker, Gene will be sadly missed by his children, his great-grandchildren, his grandchildren, sisters, and many relatives and friends.
Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to pass my condolences on to the family and friends of Mr. Gene Norn. Gene has certainly left a gap in the community of Fort Resolution that cannot be filled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
