Debates of August 20, 2007 (day 13)

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've been contacted both by the federal government, the Fisheries and Oceans, and also we've had some discussions with the community members. It's still early, Mr. Speaker. The beluga whales might find their way back out to the Arctic Ocean. We'll continue to monitor. We'll certainly keep the Member and his community informed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the worst-case scenario, will the Minister at least provide the…(inaudible)…funding if it has to come to that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 153-15(6): Beluga Whales Entering Husky Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year we provided support to the situation when we had the whales trapped in the Husky Lakes area. We'll certainly commit to providing the same level of support as we did last year. Hopefully it won't come to that, but we still expect the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to take the lead and provide the bulk of the funding required. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the subsidies that this government provides are very generous and some of the questions that we have on this side of the House I think is in the inconsistencies in some of the delivery of the programs. They like to promote self-reliance and so do we. We've been self-reliant before and I think the day will come when most of us, or most of the people across the NWT, will be self-reliant again. The question I have for the Minister of ECE is I'd like to ask him if land claim agreements are constitutionally protected when they're calculating income for the amount of benefit they may receive from income support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my understanding that it's a matter of policy and not constitutional protection that has exempted some payments from consideration under the Income Support Program. So every government of Canada can make their own decisions about what is exempt and what isn't exempt for consideration when deciding whether or not to provide income support.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for that. In this government, is it ECE's policy right now to exempt benefit agreements from calculating income support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government's policy is not to exclude payments like IBAs. Treaty payments are exempt from consideration from family income.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear treaty payments are exempt but the IBAs aren't exempt. I'd like to ask the Minister why there's a difference in what's exempt, the IBAs or the treaty payments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what reason the previous governments had for deciding that some money should be exempt from consideration. Under the new policy with income support starting on September 1st, clients will be able to exempt $1,200 a year in unearned income, which means that going forward, whether it's an IBA payment or Inuvialuit Final Agreement payment, that sort of money the family can choose to exempt from consideration should they wish. But the limit will be $1,200 a year.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inconsistency is something that we speak about often. We want it to be the same right across the board for everybody. I'd like to ask the Minister, come September 1st -- the date we've been hearing quite a bit about lately -- what's going to be done to protect this young man that's trying to earn some summer income and not have it deducted from the benefits that his family receives from being on income support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 154-15(6): Income Support Policy Application

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point, the policies between the public housing rental subsidy and the Income Support Program aren't the same. When ECE was given responsibility for public housing, the promise was that no changes would be made to those policies. If the intent of this policy is one to encourage attendance at school and continuation in education, there may be some grounds for us to take a look at whether or not we should adopt a similar policy under the Income Support Program. So that is something that, perhaps in this case, something that we can learn from the way the program was run in the Housing Corporation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member's statement today, we are very pleased to have two nurse practitioners practising in Hay River. But in a recent meeting with our nurse practitioners, Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention, our attention, that there is a level of support that is provided to other nurse practitioners in the Northwest Territories. Granted, our nurse practitioners work for the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, which is under a different regime and under a different union than the rest of the NWT health care system. But having said that, it escapes me why the same support and interaction and networking would not be available to the nurse practitioners in Hay River as it is to every other nurse practitioner in the North. I'd like to ask the Minister firstly today, what is the support for professional development and resources that is ongoing currently available to nurse practitioners? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Nurse Practitioner Program there are a number of areas that we are working on. One is through the education progress through Aurora College, setting up a program so we can have nurses enter into that program and receive bursaries. The other one is more through the process itself of once we have nurse practitioners in the system, and I must say that Hay River pioneered, I guess, with the processes. They hired the first nurse practitioner that came out of our program and has continued to work in that environment. We are, within the system, going through some growing pains where we're trying to find the proper fit for nurse practitioners throughout our system and we'll continue work with nurse practitioners in all of our authorities, including Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, in that area. The networking side of it, as well as the conference side, I've been informed that the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority falls into that program and works with all other authorities in the same area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Well, that is -- Thank you, Mr. Speaker -- a bit curious, because there are conferences, there are professional development workshops and things that are available, but apparently there is no funding under the health and social services authority in Hay River to allow our nurse practitioners to access things like that. There's no money for travel, accommodation, any tuitions or fees for workshops, there's no money for resources, books that they may need in order to enhance their practice in Hay River. So I'd like to ask the Minister, is he aware of any specific contribution to the budget of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority that is specifically allocated for that type of thing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not aware of a specific budget line that is transferred to the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, but I've been informed by a public administrator down there that they're working with the senior management to encourage the networking that needs to happen throughout our system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as with so many health care providers and professionals right now that are in short supply and in high demand, there are recruitment and there are retention bonuses that are offered. Are there any such incentives or inducements being offered to other nurse practitioners in the Northwest Territories right now that are not being offered to ours in Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our process, there would be a bit of a difference between through the Government of the Northwest Territories workforce and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority workforce, because both would, if there are, and I'd have to check to see if in fact there are some differences, but because there are negotiations through their negotiation processes, there may be some differences, but I'm not aware of any and I will look into that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the Minister's offer to look into that, because we have been dealing, for some time in Hay River, with the issue of fairness and equity. Although we are an anomaly with our own health board and our own union -- we're different in Hay River -- at the same time, we want to make sure that we are not at a disadvantage when it comes to the professional development, the recruitment, the retention and wage parity, and parity on every level for our health workers in Hay River. So I would like to ask the Minister if he will assure us and that he supports the concept and the philosophy of fairness and equity to all health care providers in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue around the health and social services authority and the workforce there has been one that has come up from time to time as it is in an anomaly in the Northwest Territories health care delivery system. It is something I do believe we need to look at. The fact is, through the department, through the Nurse Practitioner Program, the training initiatives, we're trying to incorporate all authorities into the same training criteria and standards as well as the networking that's available. So we'll continue to push that and work on that. But I think, as I had stated I believe earlier during a number of questions from the Member, that the Government of the Northwest Territories does need to look at overall what's the best way of delivering health care to all the residents in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise some questions with the Premier on the Mackenzie Valley highway and the discussion he may have with the Prime Minister or he maybe had some discussions with his fellow Premiers across Canada, especially the western part, in terms of really pushing for the Mackenzie Highway to come through the south to the north here, or from the north down to the south. Can the Premier tell me, is it in the federal government's eyes right now to put the Mackenzie Valley highway down the valley? Can we just do it? Enough talking.

Just do it.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish the federal government would just do it, because I think it's a good idea to do it. I think Diefenbaker started that. Prime Minister Diefenbaker started over 50 years ago. We've got to build infrastructure. We can't just keep studying these things. We’ve got to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, I've had discussions over the past few years with the Prime Minister, with Minister Prentice, with Minister Cannon, anyone who would listen to us. Myself and the Minister of Transportation have both been strong advocates of it. So we need to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, the one thing that the federal government has always tied major investment in the Mackenzie Valley highway to is the pipeline. We've got to keep our eye on that file as well, because I think that will provide the economic reason for a good highway down the valley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Imperial Oil indicated that if the federal government puts some money into infrastructure like the highway, it would bring down the cost of building the pipeline. Is there any update from the federal government on this angle? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Mr. Speaker, it's true that those discussions did take place with Imperial. Imperial agreed that, yes, that would make a difference. I have not seen their latest model for how they propose to build the pipeline, but they're afraid of having their pipeline attached to a highway from an environmental review side, so they've been a little bit reluctant to engage in that. But, Mr. Speaker, we presented that argument to the federal government as well and I can tell you that all of our economy is going to be dependent on good infrastructure some day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really puzzled why Imperial is so afraid of putting a highway next to the pipeline. They're not afraid of taking our gas out of the North here and taking it out of the Sahtu region and filling their pockets. It's a win-win proposition here. People in the North win; people in Canada win; Imperial Oil can win. Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the Premier on this point here. Would he bring it up again through his Department of Transportation, through the government here, and get this Mackenzie Highway bridge built, similar to the push that's going on for the Deh Cho Bridge?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway