Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People in my communities are not dumb. They know that they want to give healthy foods, healthy options to their children. When you have four litres of milk at $12.56 in Tulita, milk here in Yellowknife is $4.99, that’s an increase of about 80 percent. If we have oranges at $8.35 a kilogram in Tulita and $3 a kilogram in Yellowknife, that’s a 178 percent increase.
Can the Minister commit that this program will change so that people in our small communities can buy healthy foods? We are not so dumb that we’re going to raise children on pop and chips and chocolate bars. Enough of this. Our choices are very limited, to one store. The federal government needs to get the message: buy the healthy foods or don’t do it at all.
This is a complex issue and the Member has touched on a lot of issues. I agree that the program is flawed. It has shortcomings. We’re not in a position, since this is a federal program, to make changes to it. We can provide our concerns to the Minister. As Health Minister and having been Health Minister now for over five years, one of the messages that I’ve constantly made is that Northerners have to look after their diet, exercise, don’t smoke, and don’t drink. Those four things alone from the personal choices would have a great benefit to their health. The issue that the Member is talking about on this food program, I agree. I will follow up with the federal Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my Member’s statement I spoke about trauma and how it affects families in our northern territory. We do have many different programs available such as alcohol, substance abuse, et cetera. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if there is a coordinated strategy to help the families out there suffering, and individuals, with regard to improving their mental health and well-being. Some will go to addictions counselling and sometimes it’s not enough and there are other aspects affecting their lives. Has there been a coordinated approach or something similar to look at this area which I feel is lacking?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is, in the government, Health and Social Services has a Mental Health and Addictions Program that we’re looking at that’s been developed over the years, that has evolved. There is another report that’s following up on the state of emergency, and state, of course, the reviews that were done of the Addictions and Mental Health Program. At the same time, most of the other practitioners, social workers, nurses all have some training to deal with the issue of trauma. The issue of trauma is a very wide one. There could be physical trauma; there could be very specific types of other trauma. We have some capacity to deal with those issues. We do provide those to one degree or another.
I just wonder if there’s anybody in the department who is taking a coordinated approach and applying a medical concept to the word “trauma,” because we’ve got many, many issues in the North. The most recent, of course, is the residential school symptoms and syndromes. However, it’s as a result of trauma that leads to alcoholism and family abuse. It’s prevalent throughout families, affecting children and their ability to go to school. Is there a coordinated approach to mental health and wellness? It seems we have individual programming, and Members in this House speak to it often on individual different programming.
There is a coordinated approach. There are these broad programs, mental health and addictions programs, and all the other programs that are flowed through the various health boards. Each health board then in turn delivers those programs at a community level with the resources they have available with some common standards. There is a significant amount of work that was done in how addictions workers were going to get paid and what type of job descriptions. Mental health workers, community health workers, wellness workers. We’ve invested a significant amount of money in this area, and I agree with the Member that it is a significant area and still there is work that needs to be done. We’re just waiting for the last final report to see about what suggested changes are needed for this program to continue to evolve.
I’d like to know as well as our health professionals out there, is that specific to their job description, trauma, and/or is there training available to them?
There is a range of training that’s available. Of course, the more detailed the training as you move up the ladder in terms of those qualifications with degrees, psychologists, psychiatrists, those type of things where you’re going to specialize in addictions all require additional work. Depending on the job and the job qualifications, that range will apply, and some are entry level and some are more advanced. They cover that whole range of experience that the Member is referring to.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The funding that’s available to the small and remote communities for health and wellness is about $5,000 and it’s usually specifically targeted to alcohol or substance abuse. This is what I was speaking about when I talked about a community-driven program that they want to see. It’s often limited. Is there a way that the Minister will look at loosening some of those guidelines and provide alternative and specific trauma available to the communities?
As we have this dialogue in the House, I have staff making note, and I will commit to the Member that we will have discussions with the Health and Social Services Authority in Simpson to look at some of the concerns and possibly follow up for further clarification from the Member so that we can look at the right areas and to give the appropriate response to the Member.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and follow up on my Member’s statement from earlier today where I asked that the Minister direct his department to do some research and provide some options for consideration by all Members of the 17th Assembly with respect to autism programming in the Northwest Territories. Currently, there is nothing dedicated to children with autism, and I think with the increasing rates of autism, it’s time that we take that proactive step and implement some programs for northern children here in the North with autism.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of autism, as the Member indicates, is one where there is a concern. There are a significant number of individuals affected. As we plan for our transition into the 17th Assembly, each department, including Health, will be pulling together the list of issues to be considered and priorities to be addressed, and this will be on that list as decisions are made to look at what’s possible with the resources that are available.
I’m quite pleased to hear that autism and programs in the North for autistic children will be on the transition document going into the 17th Assembly. What I was asking is that the Minister is going to be the Minister for the next couple of months, regardless of the election. There’s a great opportunity for the Minister to direct his staff to start doing some research into the alternate programs that exist in southern Canada. Every jurisdiction in this country offers programming for autistic children except the Northwest Territories. I’m asking that he in the interim have his department start doing the research and pulling together some facts and information and preparing some quality analysis of what’s out there so that we or the future 17th Assembly can make some informed decisions on autism programming here in the Northwest Territories.
Some of that work is already being done or has been done at headquarters. It is an issue that I, as well, am familiar with. I do have recollections of dealing with it when I was Minister previously. I’ll commit to the Member that that information update is available.
I look forward to receiving an update on the research that they’ve already done.
Once again, this is an incredibly changing field. More information is coming forward all the time. We’re learning new things about autism. New programs are being developed. I’m asking the Minister to go out and research some of the new programs that exist. I know that in Alberta they’re doing very proactive and productive things. I’d like the Minister to commit to having... I did provide the Minister, as an example, with a large list of programs that are offered in Alberta, and I would like the Minister to have his department look into those programs and provide a bit of analysis on what aspects of those programs might be doable here in the Northwest Territories, given our limited financial situation, and which ones can and can’t. I’m looking forward to a commitment from the Minister to actually look at some of the program areas that I did provide to him.
As I indicated, there is some work being done, and I do thank the Member for all the work that he did pull together. Of equal importance, I believe, and I know that there are very many capable people that I know who are dealing with autism with family members, that I think of equal value would be to find out what kind of supports could be put in place within the resources available to assist them. I know that over the years they’ve done an incredible amount of good work. Just on their own, often with little or no support from government, and they’ve amassed a very, very valuable amount of information and experience. It would be helpful to see how things could be done better in the North.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister. There are a lot of good things that some of the private citizens of this territory have done. We still have citizens who are looking for services in the Northwest Territories and they’re not finding anything that suits their child’s needs.
I did provide the Minister -- as I indicated in my last question -- a large list of different program areas that are new, and unique, and cutting edge in Alberta. I know that some of these organizations would be willing to come up here and help. I am just asking the Minister to commit in his reviewing, to actually contact some of these organizations, and have some of these organizations and his department look at some of the alternatives that exist that may not have existed when they did their original analysis. It’s a simple question. Will he commit to having his department look at some of these alternatives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I was under the impression that I committed to two things: to look at the information that the Member provided, as well of equal importance to look at what Northerners have learned and what experiences they have amassed and the things they have been able to do in a very, very effective way here in the North. I think there should be a combination of the two. So, yes, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I spoke of policies of the Housing Corporation that need to change to provide work incentives and try to develop some sort of market in small, rural and remote communities. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if the Housing Corporation is going to be working on some sort of policy, or if he’s going to be directing the corporation to actually make changes in the rent scale to provide work incentives on reviews that are being done by the corporation now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Members know, there’s been a lot of work done on the Shelter Policy Review in the last little bit. Part of that review was looking at the rent scale. I have met with committee. I’ve given a bit of an update on some of the work that’s been done. I can inform this House that the rent scale review, for the most part, has been completed. We are hoping to use a lot of the data and some recommendations in there in the transition document to the 17th Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
Because it’s very important to communities and it’s something that the communities have complained about frequently over the last several years, I’d like to ask the Minister when he anticipates that there will be some sort of positive impacts of the rent scale in as far as developing work incentives. I mean, it’s not really the corporation’s responsibility to develop work incentives, to remove these incentives from the rent scale for working. Thank you.
I believe a lot of the work done on the rent scale review goes a long way in addressing some of the concerns that have been raised by Members of the Legislative Assembly and folks across the Territories. I think folks, for the most part, will be pleased with some of the information that will be coming out.
Again, because it’s such a major decision and one that requires a little more work, I think it would be best if it were put into a transition document as part of the 17th Legislative Assembly, and they can have a look at it and determine how early they want to roll this thing out. But most of the work has been done and, again, the decision, because it’s a major policy shift, would be one that would be made early in the 17th Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
The Public Housing Program for the most part should essentially be a stock program that helps people in a certain state of their life. If the government is directing staff or putting in a transitional document removing the disincentives to work, then will this government or will this Minister direct staff to further develop a process so that public housing people can easily transition into homeownership? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That is one of our goals: to work with the tenants in public housing and make the transition into homeownership as seamless as possible. We are hoping with all the new information... We are just completing the evaluation of the Housing Choices Program, which some recommendations again will be made early in the life of the 17th Assembly. I think, all in all, Mr. Speaker, a lot of good work has been done that has been addressing a lot of concerns that were raised in this House with motions passed. We’ve heard in every community that we’ve travelled to about some of their concerns. I think the new document will go a long way to answering a lot of questions and coming up with solutions, a lot of concerns that people have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. As a representative from a small community, we were seeing one program in the Housing Corporation, the programs, I’m sorry in the Housing Corporation, are there to address all the housing concerns across the Territories, whether you live in a larger centre like Yellowknife, Hay River, or Fort Smith. That same program is used to address the issues in small communities. I would like to ask the Minister if in the transition document, the Minister could ensure that there is a different set of programs for small communities versus larger communities contemplated for the next government. Thank you.
That would be part of the Housing Choices Evaluation Program, if there is a difference in small communities versus small communities. As I said, it’s an evaluation we are undertaking right now. We are expecting to have -- as I said in committee the other day -- a preliminary report hopefully done by the end of our term here. So we are still available. We would be able to have a quick glance at it, and it would be a transition document and recommendations to the 17th Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Before I go to the next Member, I’d like to recognize in the gallery the presence of the chief from Behchoko, Mr. Clifford Daniels.
The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was regarding the housing situation in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, is the government allocating necessary resources for Nunakput to get our fair share in housing resource dollars with regard to the upkeep and the units in the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We try very hard to distribute the resources for housing fairly across the Northwest Territories. I think if we add up the numbers, we’ll find the smaller communities get a higher average of money than some of the larger communities. I know in the Member’s community alone, Paulatuk, the one he referenced, this year there was a $2 million investment in the community. That’s with the homeownership, the MNI work that’s being done. We recognize some of the units need some work, and we’ve been fortunate the last few years that we’ve been able to allocate a lot of funds to some of these smaller communities across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
It’s good to see $2 million being spent in Paulatuk. But Sachs Harbour has been waiting for a unit since I started my term here three and a half years ago, almost four years ago. Is the Minister going to put in his transition document to the 17th Legislative Assembly a four-plex or something for Sachs Harbour? I hope to be here to push that through, but is the Minister going to do that?
We recognize the fact that some of our communities have gone longer without units being put in their communities than others. We are starting to recognize the fact that some of the smaller communities now are being left behind a bit, so they are going to need an investment. I can assure the Member that I will make a recommendation that the smaller communities and the one he brings up quite regularly, and rightfully so, Sachs Harbour, does need an investment in infrastructure on the housing side in their community. Thank you.
The second part of my Member’s statement is the evictions in the communities I represent, Paulatuk. Mr. Speaker, we’ve been trying to work with the government with regard to the open-handed approach on how people can pay back. There are no jobs in the community like they have here in Yellowknife. There’s not any way of finding that kind of money. I always look back to the way ECE had it. I’m not pointing fingers at ECE. There’s got to be an open-handed approach to working with the community and the people, instead of evicting people from their houses when it’s coming fall time. Winter’s coming. What is the government going to do with the people that have no house or roof over their heads? What is the government going to do?
We’ve been trying to work very hard with the tenants of Paulatuk housing. We’ve seen quite an improvement in the collection rate in Paulatuk. It’s steadily climbing. The assessments have improved dramatically in Paulatuk. The reassessments that I mentioned to the Member, I think when he asked earlier, have been completed and there’s been a substantial drop in some of the arrears for a lot of the folks in Paulatuk. I know in one particular case alone it’s almost like $100,000 has been removed from their arrears. That’s a significant improvement.
We’ve tried on many occasions to work with them. I’ve seen some notes where 17, 18 letters have gone out. People have come in, entered into repayment programs. Those who have honoured their repayment programs are still in the units. Those that didn’t honour them are the ones that are, unfortunately, being evicted.
The people that are being evicted are the ones that entered the repayment program and half of them have no jobs. So how can they repay? You’re either buying food for your kids, trying to feed them, clothe them, or pay your rent. Or pay your power bill. All these bills that I’m talking about are all too high in the smaller communities. Can the community government, can the Hamlet of Paulatuk approach the Housing Corporation to take over the Paulatuk housing under the Hamlet of Paulatuk and run it themselves? Is that possible?
To answer the first part of the Member’s question, we’re always willing to work with the tenants. If there are some hardships that tenants run into, all they need to do is go see the LHO. We’re not without a heart. They’d be willing to talk with them.
As to the second part of the Member’s question about whether or not the hamlet can take over the provision of housing, we’re always open to those types of suggestions. If the hamlet wants to seriously consider it, sit down with the Housing Corporation, then I’m sure there are arrangements that we can work out.
I’ll say it right now publicly, that they have to understand that they’ll still be expected to collect that rent, because without being able to collect that rent they will have to use a lot of their own money to look after the maintenance. So they do need a revenue. But that’s one of the things that we can discuss with them. The opportunity is there.
