In the eight years I’ve been a Member of this House I’ve seen campaigns come and go. We’ve had Get Active campaigns. We had the former Minister of Health and Social Services just a few years back handing out posters and condoms and changing from a sexual transmitted disease to an STI, sexually transmitted infection, and drawing attention to that. The numbers aren’t getting any better.
I’d again like to ask the Minister if we are going to use the data that’s contained in this report to re-evaluate the campaigns and the programs that we’re spending money on every year that really, when you look at the numbers, aren’t making much of a difference.
The over $300 million that we do spend provides a very high level of service to the people. The Member’s point is a good one. We’ll never have enough hospitals, enough facilities to put people back together, to get them healthy once they’re sick, and the challenge is an unmet challenge, is the one that the Member lays out.
Will this be used? We’re going into an election here in a couple weeks. There will be in the next few months an Assembly elected and a Cabinet picked. Through the business planning process and the priorities of the next Assembly, they will be targeting where they think the resources of government should be spent, and what improvements should be made, and what changes should be made.
I thank the Minister for that reply. I’d like to follow up by asking the Minister, who takes ultimate responsibility in evaluating the programs and services that we provide in these various areas, if we can enact some changes so that the money that we’re spending is actually going to make a difference.
Ultimately the broad issues, the broad decisions, the review, the voting of the public money comes to the floor of this House. There are MLAs elected, there are committees put together, there’s a government selected, business plans are done based on the initial fundamental direction that comes out of the Legislative Assembly.
As we’ve attempted to do in the 16th Assembly in terms of program reviews, the government, working with the committees and MLAs, has the fundamental task of ensuring that the money is spent, and that the program priorities are the right ones, and that there is value for money. That is where the fundamental responsibility lies.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again I thank the Minister for the response. In closing, last question, I guess with technology and systems being what they are today, and I’m very appreciative of the report that was tabled on the 22nd of August, but we’re dealing with two- and three-year-old data in most cases. I’m just wondering if that’s the best we can hope for going forward. We should be trying to get some more up-to-date information when dealing with these things.
This is a longitudinal look at trends across the land in different areas. If you take this five-year increment and put the other three reports before them, you’d see, as the Member has indicated and as the report demonstrates clearly, a lot of our statistics continue to go in the wrong direction. We have some more current statistics on different areas that we could look at if the Member has a specific request, but in terms of gathering this kind of broad data that’s going to give us those trends and available for planning purposes, it’s those five-year increments that give us that kind of necessary information.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the statement made by the Premier on devolution, I asked a few questions regarding the Dene leadership, regardless it’s the Gwich’in, Sahtu, Tlicho, Akaitcho, or Dehcho, which make up a large part of the Northwest Territories land mass which encompasses some of the riches like oil and gas and minerals. The devolution process, the whole reason it got to where it was is because of the Dene/Metis claim which was signed in 1988 in what is now Behchoko and was back then Rae-Edzo, in which they signed it with the idea that the Northern Accord was part and parcel of the Dene/Metis land claim because the Dene/Metis could not negotiate participation agreements like they negotiated the Inuvialuit Agreement and the agreement in Nunavut. That’s why they demanded that “shall consult” and “shall include” the Dene/Metis in the Northern Accord process was fundamental to the Dene/Metis Agreement back then and it is today.
The Gwich’in have similar wording, and the Sahtu have similar wording, and the Tlicho have the same wording. It says the Government of the Northwest Territories shall involve the Gwich’in in development and implementation of the Northern Accord for oil and gas development in the Northwest Territories and which negotiations between the enabling agreement dated September 5, 1988, between Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
I’d like to ask the Premier, noting from your statement, you make reference that you’re inviting the participants back to the table. Like I noted, the Dene/Metis have the right to be at the table, especially the Dene groups that basically were part and parcel to the land claims, but more importantly, to the rights they have. I’d like to ask the Minister why there is such an inconsistency between your statement and what’s in the land claim agreements.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Quite clearly, I think there is a lot of consistency in the statement. The fact of the way we’ve behaved as a government. When you look at the agreement-in-principle, that got its origin… The Member talks about the Northern Accord of the Dene/Metis comprehensive process. That agreement never got signed and moved forward. That’s why the Gwich’in were the first to do a separate agreement, followed by the Sahtu and now the Tlicho. Other groups are negotiating. In those claims that are settled, those groups that have settled are already benefiting from royalties as part of the claim process. That’s one thing, for example, the Inuvialuit don’t have, because theirs was the first and that option wasn’t on the table.
There are groups benefiting from royalties of developments already in the Northwest Territories. Not this government but some of those groups. The invite, as I’ve worded in my statement, is there, the table is set, the chairs are there, they are ready to be filled if they want to come to the table. They have been a part of the process. They have developed the agreement-in-principle that was signed. They helped pen some of the sections. When you look at chapters 5 and 6 of those sections, those are the strongest parts of an agreement that actually put in place in a final process a government-to-government approach. Not just ad hoc but an actual process that would be protected going forward. So the table’s there and the chairs for all of the groups are at the table. They just need a body to fill them. By signing and moving forward, they would be full participants once again, and the option’s there for them. They have to make the decision to come to the table.
I believe the concern that the Dene have is the way the approach has been taking place, in which I quoted the comment made by the Premier in the Globe and Mail where he stated that he worries he may have been too heavy-handed in ramming it through. I believe you were heavy-handed and you continue to be heavy-handed by not trying to find a workable solution to get these parties involved in the process, but more importantly, how they’re going to be affected through these negotiations and not being party to those talks. I’d like to ask the Premier what you meant that you have been too heavy-handed by ramming it through.
I guess I could do the proverbial “I was misquoted,” but, no, the fact is I was speaking frankly with an interviewer and he asked, well, some people have said you were too heavy-handed in your actions.
Clearly, these were not my actions. They were the actions of the Assembly. The majority of Members agreed that we need to move forward with this process. We decided to do that. Taking the stance and holding the stance, some may consider that heavy-handed and I guess I would look at it that there are some people who would believe that is the action I took and followed.
Quite clearly, one of the things I’ve said right from the start of this Assembly, one of the things I’d heard for decades about Northerners needing to be the leaders in their own land and making decisions in their own land, this is absolutely about that. Let’s take our rightful place. Let’s be the leaders. Let’s be the governments. Let’s not just talk about it.
The only group in the Northwest Territories that really have real ownership of land in the Northwest Territories is the Dene people. They have been here for countless generations. They have Treaty 8 and Treaty 11. They have a fundamental right to the land in the Northwest Territories, regardless if it’s lands through treaties or lands through modern land claims. They have the right to those lands that you’re talking about. If you’re imposing legislative decisions on those groups on their land without them at the table, to me that’s a fundamental flaw of where you’re going as a government.
I’d like to ask the Minister how you can state that you are willing to continue to race full speed ahead and not include those groups that have a fundamental right to lands in the Northwest Territories and have a proven track record to those lands, regardless through the Paulette court case or the land claim agreements.
Before I respond directly to the question, I must thank the Member, I guess. We can have one more lively question and answer process. This is going to be our last opportunity. We have one more day coming up to debate such an important subject, and I must say the Member has been very consistent in his approach and his values placed on Aboriginal leadership and the fact that we need to take our responsible place in decision-making here in the Northwest Territories.
Along with that, I think we’re so close, and I’ve said this to the Aboriginal leadership in the territory. We’re speaking almost the same language. In speaking to the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council at the assembly, he said a lot of times we get tangled up in the process, and I think that is one of the things here. The process is what we’re tripping up on, but we believe in the principle that we need to be making decisions and benefiting from those decisions in the North.
When you look at the land claims, Mr. Speaker, we’re following those land claims. They do have a right. That is why they were part of the development of the agreement-in-principle. They also have a seat at the table should they choose to, and it is their decision to choose to. We have opened the door. The seat is ready for them. It’s not about saying, well, you can come in if we think about it.
In another instance with the regional leadership process we started in the 16th Assembly well over a year ago, I put on the table the concept of the Council of Federation, much like we’ve taken place, and prior to that, and I believe it was the premiership of Premier Kakfwi of the day who signed that agreement on behalf of the Northwest Territories. Prior to that we were on the outside in the hallway waiting to be invited in. When you look at that principle, we have now created a table where they can be in there, should they choose to.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to reverse the statement made by the Premier. That’s exactly how the Dene people are feeling today. They are feeling they’re sitting outside the room and they’re waiting to be invited in, and technically they don’t have to be. I think that is the problem with this process and I think the Premier nailed it right on the head. How we felt when we’re basically sitting on the sidelines of the federation of the governments across Canada is how the Dene people feel today because of this Devolution Agreement.
I’d like to ask the Premier, prior to signing off the agreement there was an attempt made for a protocol agreement to try to work out these arrangements through a workable situation moving forward, and also those sections of the land claim agreements you noted, they have to be implemented by way of whatever legislation we come forward with. I’d like to ask the Premier exactly what are we doing as government to find a way to get those groups back into the tent, to the table, and allow them to raise issues and concerns that are going to affect them through resource development into the future?
Through the process we’ve been engaged in, we continue to update all of the Aboriginal groups including those who haven’t signed and are not right now a part of the formal negotiations. But as I said, there is a spot at the table. There is a chair waiting for someone to take up that seat and become part of the process. The door is open for them to come in. It’s a decision they need to make. In fact, we’ve put through this government a request for dollars to help with the Aboriginal groups to be a part of that process. We’ve opened the door, we’re providing funds, and we continue to keep that door open.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Colleagues, I’m trying to give the Members as much leeway as possible in questions here, but at the rate we’re going with the preambles, we’re going to be lucky to get eight Members in. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will try to be brief. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister responsible for homelessness. In our last sitting in May I asked some questions about the GNWT Homelessness Strategy. The response from the Minister and follow-up from his office indicated that the development of a Homelessness Strategy and framework is being led by the Homelessness Coalition chaired by the City of Yellowknife. I was very surprised at that, and I asked for clarification from the office and I haven’t received it. I’d like to know from the Minister, is a non-government organization -- that would be the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition -- developing a framework or a strategy which will govern GNWT activities related to homelessness?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition provides a valuable service in Yellowknife. There is also an interdepartmental working group when it comes to the issues within the Government of the Northwest Territories and shared jurisdiction by different departments in dealing with this issue. So to the question from the Member, the answer would be, in my opinion, no.
I thank the Minister for that. That leads me to the question. We have a homelessness framework. It was developed in 2007. I’m given to understand that we are currently still following that framework, which is now rather outdated. I’d like to ask the Minister whether or not or he can advise me when there will be some plans in place to update that 2007 framework. Thank you.
I think there’s a general recognition that this area has been somewhat untended. The Minister responsible for homelessness doesn’t have the actual budget. There’s a need to work closely with other departments and there’s a need to look at that type of ongoing coordination. At this late juncture with one more sitting day left in the life of this Assembly, I would suggest it will be one of the challenges for the 17th Assembly and the incoming MLAs to decide on this issue, among many others.
Thanks to the Minister for his words of commitment, I think. I take it that he recognizes that there’s a lack of coordination. He indicated, I think, if I heard him correctly, that there needs to be some coordination and work done in the next Assembly, so people may be quoting Hansard from the 16th in the next Assembly.
Part of the answer that I got was that the Homelessness Interdepartmental Working Group develops programs. I’d like to know what activities in terms of developing programs that that working group has taken. Thank you.
They work, in many cases, more with the small community funds, working with communities outside of Yellowknife, in many cases, responding on a one-off basis to situations that arise in different communities dealing with homelessness or some hard-to-house issues. The broader idea and need for government planning across departments is one that there needs to be more work done. At one point in the 15th Assembly there was a Social Programs Ministers Committee that came together on a regular basis because of issues such as this, seniors, as well, because of cross-departmental mandates and the need to integrate that kind of service and figure out how we’re going to better manage this and try to coordinate what money is there. That is still before us.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister. I gather from his response that this interdepartmental group does not do program development. They simply seem to be reactive, if I understood him correctly. To the issue of the coordination and the work that needs to be done, I’d like to ask the Minister, if he is lucky enough to return to this House, will he make homelessness and the coordination of it a priority? Thank you.
I mean, this is an issue for every Member. It’s been on the table for the 16 years that I’ve been here. It is a challenge. It will continue to be on the table of the legislators of the 17th Assembly, and whoever’s standing in this position a number of weeks hence will be having to discuss and indicate to the people how we intend to move forward on this. It will be based on the direction, of course, of the Legislature and the priorities set and the business planning process that’s going to follow. It’s an issue that’s on the list and it will have to be dealt with. We know there are things that have to be done better. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I wanted to highlight in some manner about how important midwifery services are here in the Northwest Territories. I also wanted to give credit to Leslie Paulette for making it the success it is. It comes with quite a national reputation of being a brilliant success all started by a small program in Fort Smith.
Mr. Speaker, the program in Yellowknife has been cut and it was a very important program to many families. My first question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: when will the midwifery services be offered again in Yellowknife? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve committed to a process that is now underway. An RFP has been put out for a review of midwifery services. I indicated this in this House previously. That report should be done and ready by January 2012, at which time the Department of Health and Social Services will be able to look at the recommendations, share them with the Members and committee members, and look at what’s being recommended. Most importantly, as I’ve indicated time after time as Finance Minister in this House, what resources may or may not be available to try to hit the priorities of the 17th Assembly. Thank you.
It’s my understanding that the midwife in Fort Smith has been able to deliver at least half of the babies each and every year. It’s turned into quite a heralded success and, as we all know, I’m certainly glad I’m bending the ear of the Finance Minister at the same time. It’s a better choice on financial resources to use a midwife than it is to use a typical doctor. Perhaps, maybe the Minister can outline the objectives of how we are trying to translate the success in Fort Smith into Yellowknife and the territory as a whole. Thank you.
Let me first point out, of all the communities in the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife is the best served when it comes to birthing services with Stanton and all the specialists and obstetricians and doctors that are here available to provide those services. Granted, they don’t have the choice of midwifery services in many communities. There is no choice of any kind other than you have to come to Yellowknife and wait to have your baby. So the value is there. I think we’ve got some of the best legislation in the country. We’ve got a program in Fort Smith that demonstrates that it works. Now it comes down to the resources that are available to do the very many things we would like to do as a Legislative Assembly, recognizing the very tight fiscal conditions we are going to be working under and that governments across the land are working under. Thank you.
Perhaps, maybe if the Minister of Health could paint the pictures of the focus of the future of midwifery here in the Northwest Territories. Is it the goal of the Department of Health to help facilitate the growth? Is it just to place it in a few...provide this opportunity in a few communities here and there? What is the mandate and focus of this RFP and, certainly, will the general public be able to participate in the development of this so they can hear true testimony about how important this is as a service here in the North? Thank you.
The intent is to take a careful measured look at this service and where it makes the most sense to be applied, where is there critical mass, where is there any service at all, transportation issues, the population issues, and if there was a need to put birthing services in a community, some of the questions, for example, would you want to put it into a community that already has some of the best birthing services in the Northwest Territories or would you look at a region where it possibly has a greater chance to provide some service where none exists currently. Those are the kind of questions we have to look at and then we have to look at the hard facts of will there be money. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister talked about the money, you know, and I hate to think that the Health Minister, although oddly enough it’s the same as the Finance Minister, but are they going to invest some financial analysis into this study, report, and into the planning? In most cases it’s more affordable for the Government of the Northwest Territories to have a midwife providing the services than either flying the mother in from a community or flying a doctor into a community. Even in Yellowknife it’s more affordable having a midwife providing these services than an average doctor.
Just to be clear, Mr. Speaker, we are talking about non-complicated pregnancies, certain non-high-risk pregnancies. We are not talking about the ones that are challenging because we do need those specialists to manage those cases. Will the Finance Minister be ensuring that there is a complete financial analysis done on this issue, because it’s important and cherished here in the North? Thank you.
I was the Minister of the day when the midwifery legislation was brought forward and passed. I come from a community where it’s been a huge issue for decades and I am very familiar with the value of midwifery. We knew very clearly when we came forward with the bill and made it an insured service that it was the type of service we would like to provide. We made the steps to do that.
The issue now comes back to have there been any demographic changes and is it affordable. If we do have resources, where are the best places to put those resources to work when it comes to midwifery services? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions and he will be pleased to know it won’t be on Highway No. 7.
The travellers that go to Fort Simpson and stop at the airport and do have cell phones have approached me to see if there is a way we can extend the cell phone service from Fort Simpson out to the airport. The residents have raised that with me as a safety concern for medevacs, et cetera. It’s going to require an expenditure -- I’ve done some research on it -- up to about $200,000. I’d like to ask the Minister if his department is willing to consider or examine a business case for establishing extended cell phone service out to the Fort Simpson Airport. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe that there have been any formal requests through our department to look at expanding the cell phone services. It’s not an area that we, as Transportation, would be responsible for. We worked, however, with other organizations such as the Aboriginal Sport Circle and other people who want to see that service expanded, even in the city of Yellowknife. They’ve come forward and accessed program dollars from, I believe, federal coffers and been able to put boosters and things of that nature so service is available at the airport.
I don’t believe we have had a request. We certainly haven’t reviewed it at my level. Thank you.
I did do some research on it and boosting the signal, we just need a weak signal, boosting the signal is actually an $800 investment for the signal booster. I think the process here is now we need a tower to put that booster on, that’s where the bigger costs come in. Can the Minister work with his Cabinet colleagues to see how the government can support such an expenditure to increase the signal towards the Fort Simpson Airport? Thank you.
We certainly can engage with the folks that provide the service in Fort Simpson to see what is required and to see what we have in terms of inventory that may be suitable for an expansion or to allow for the booster to be mounted on.
Right at this point we don’t have it in our budget to buy a tower. Having said that, I’m not sure we would invest in a tower that involves communications. I can certainly commit to the Member that I will have a discussion with my officials and we’ll maybe sit down with the Member and get whatever information he’s got to have that discussion with NorthwesTel or whoever the provider is in Fort Simpson.
