I don’t think it was Housing’s problem; I think it was ECE’s problem. The gap between market rent and the subsidized rent is too much for some clients. When the Public Housing Rental Subsidy is returned to the Housing Corporation, will the Minister ensure that the rents are not too high so clients could be able to manage?
I have discussed previously that we will be looking at the rent scale and some of the issues that are raised by the tenants out there. I can commit to the Member that the process is in place and we’re looking at ways to work with clients to make sure that they are paying the rent that’s due and that the local housing authorities are receiving rents so that they can continue to operate. Because with the declining CMHC funding, the collection of rental arrears becomes even more important now and that gives a lot of the LHOs more funding and ability to deliver the programs and maintenance to the units.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some families in the communities that I represent, since 2007 they’re telling me they had no arrears prior to that 2007 changeover from the Housing Corporation to ECE. We’ve got people that have been evicted already. You have 20 people in some houses in the communities. That’s not right. Will the Minister consider bringing forward a bill to forgive the arrears that have developed because of this gap that was created in the system since 2007? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we fully understand that there was an accumulation of arrears during this time. As far as bringing a bill forward, I do know that some LHOs sometimes will write off arrears, but that then goes to the Housing Corporation to collect the arrears. As far as forgiving the bill, we have to be very careful here that if we do this, we set a precedent, and even arrears that were accumulated before the transfer are going to obviously be expected to be forgiven. If there’s a way that we can work with tenants to try and work on their arrears and, like you said, the LHOs really recognize the fact that some of this happened because of the assessment and the timeliness of it and they made adjustments. So we have to be very careful as to how far we want to go with this. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve got some questions today for the Premier and it gets back to my Member’s statement where, again, I’m asking about the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories and issues that have been brought forward to me from constituents. I’d like to start off with asking the Premier, has the lead Minister responsible for the Strategic Initiative Committee on Reducing the Cost of Living or the Premier himself had any discussions with the federal government as it relates to taxation of northern residents? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the area of the cost of living, as the Minister responsible for this area, strategic initiative, has highlighted, there are a number of workloads or processes we’ve put in place to deal with some of the cost of living issues that we recognize as a government. Transportation is a big one. Electricity generation and the sale of that is another large one. So we’re looking at a number of initiatives.
Specifically in the area of taxation, any initiative that a Minister leads on the strategic initiatives, they would go back to the department responsible and have them then do the legwork, so to speak, on bringing the initiative to fruition. So the area of taxation would fall under the Minister of Finance. In that area, we haven’t had discussions around changes in our tax processes as of yet. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, it’s been two and a half years since this government was elected and I find it hard to believe that they haven’t had any discussion with the federal government on the area of taxation, specifically on the application of the GST north of 60, on a possible tax credit for interest paid on mortgages and for removal of GST on essential goods and services. I’d like to ask the Premier why is it that these discussions haven’t taken place, when people continue to suffer in all of our communities with the high cost of living? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in the area of our Strategic Initiatives committees, we’ve been focusing on areas where we know we can get results sooner, and that is where the programs we’re directly involved with, the way we’ve designed them, the way we implement them and those issues. We’ve also worked with the federal government on a stimulus package to help offset some of those costs so we can get some of those projects in place that would help stabilize or lower the cost of living in our communities. We’ve also put in place the $60 million in alternative energies, again, to put in place, to stabilize our electricity rates around the Northwest Territories. So there are a number of factors we’re involved with in the area of cost of living, to try to mitigate that specific area.
The Minister of Finance himself had an economic roundtable around taxation initiatives, again, on revenue sources in the Northwest Territories and met with businesses and individuals around that issue, and he presented his work in that area. So there have been quite a number of pieces of work that have been done. But specifically on requesting relief from the federal government on some of the larger tax issues, those would not simply be an issue that we can put and effect change on by making a direct request. Those are areas where, for example, it would be of general application where we would make an approach to our colleagues, other Premiers or other Finance Ministers across the country and try to implement on that basis. Thank you.
I guess for folks out there paying the bills, it’s hard for them to relate to a lot of what the Premier has said. I mean, for most people, they just relate to what they have to pay every month. In fact, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier today, people are paying more for everything. I think the onus is on the government to come forward with a comprehensive, meaningful consultation with the public on what exactly you are doing to help address the high cost of living.
You can talk about all of the electricity rate reviews you want and everything else that you’re doing, but there are some things that this government is doing, Mr. Speaker, that are detrimental to the cost of living here in the Northwest Territories, and I think the government has to come clean on exactly what they’re doing and lay it out for us. We haven’t heard anything from the Cost of Living Strategic Initiative Committee, and I think it’s high time that they put something on paper and showed us exactly where the results are. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as for direct information, we, at the request of Members, set up a process so Members could be involved in those initiative committees, and that started to happen, but they’ve since changed their approach and said no to that. As I stated, the Strategic Initiatives committees start some of the work of what we will look at and what changes we can make, and then it becomes the Ministers responsible for the department. So, for example, in transportation, where that affects the cost of living in our communities across the Northwest Territories, on the size of planes that can come into communities delivering goods and services, highway reconstruction that leads to a safer, more accessible system, the Mackenzie Valley Highway, for example, we know and there’s proof in that kind of work that over the long term will see a stabilized or reduced cost across the Northwest Territories.
As for day-to-day business that we’ve done, for example, a result of the work the Minister of Finance did there was no tax increases as part of this budget process. So let’s recognize that we’re trying to do what we can and all the initiatives that we work on flow through back to the main estimates set before the House now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect to the Premier and the work of Cabinet, I’d be embarrassed to be associated with a Strategic Initiatives committee that’s done absolutely nothing, Mr. Speaker, in two and a half years. I’d like to ask the Premier if he would even consider, given the high cost of living here and the fact that people are upset, they’re leaving the Territory, I’d like to ask the Premier if he would consider a special committee with Cabinet Ministers and Regular Members to look at the high cost of living. I’m talking about things that are deliverable in the next year and a half, not things that are 10 or 15 years from now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, that sounds like what we pretty well had in place under strategic initiatives and having Members be a part of that process. That avenue is still open to Members, if they want to get engaged at that level. It’s still open to them now. If you want real action, not another discussion, not another consultation process, that action can come to this House. In fact, a response directly to the energy rate review regulations piece of work. If we’re going to make fundamental change to the Northwest Territories, for the whole Northwest Territories big picture, make a difference as early as next year, if this Assembly wants to take action. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you. Today in my Member’s statement I talked about the issue of organ transplant policy or, I should say, the lack thereof, and the difficulties some people have had following through in the process. That is pre-op care and certainly the medical travel process, as well as the follow-up from the post process, whether it’s about getting medication signed off, whether it’s getting the proper travel, about getting them back on time including loved ones. So, Mr. Speaker, I don’t necessarily blame the Minister in any way specific to this problem, but the Minister is well aware of this particular issue. So I’m asking the Minister of Health and Social Services, would she do a review of the lack of policy in this particular case and see if we can set something up and perhaps maybe announce a direction by Organ Donor Week that is coming up in April? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government supports organ and tissue donations. We are involved with Canadian Blood Services, who is currently in the process of establishing a national registry so that it would help connect donors with people who need organ transplants.
The Member brought the matters that he is talking about today to my attention a few months back. There was a little bit of a hiccup there, but we did resolve that. The fact is, organ transplants are very rare in the Territories. Our residents do receive organ transplants, but a donator being from the NWT is very rare and I think that is one of the reasons why the process didn’t go as smoothly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t think there is a need for changes in any of the policies, because our Medical Policy is very generous and anybody who needs a service at a hospital or medical facility is entitled to coverage for their medical travel and associated costs. So that will be the case going forward. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as rare as compliments are from this side of the House, I should make sure it is very clear that the Minister was extremely helpful on this particular case straightening out. I think that needs to be acknowledged in this particular case. It can’t be forgotten. But the issue I am trying to raise, without trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, is the fact that we don’t have a clear policy. Because when this particular family -- and I am aware of another family just starting in the process of the same type of issue -- is the lack of clarity on this. So we need a clear policy that says if you are either a donor or you require a transplant, it follows this particular process that everyone understands and is clear. That is what I am asking for, if the Minister would engage in that type of initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, anyone from the North who is interested in donating an organ, they will have to go through a very complicated medical procedure for any organ donation. That is definitely a medical and hospital care and so they are entitled to all of the coverage and medical travel that they would require. The benefits are there. Programs are there. I will make sure that staff know that that is an eligible service. The policy allows it. We just need to make sure that it is enforced. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister is referring to the Medical Travel Policy as the one-fit solution to every problem, Mr. Speaker. In this particular case, their loved one who had to be their escort was denied. They had trouble getting down for the pre-op surgery in advance of the actual surgery. They had troubles being booted out of the hospital in Edmonton and being told that if they didn’t get back on a certain date, even though the hospital in Edmonton had said they had to stay for a follow-up, they were told that they were going to be cut off. Now, again, I don’t sort of saddle the Minister with this particular problem, but that is the issue that I am trying to raise. Would the Minister help work and develop an organ transplant policy specific to this issue? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the length of stay of a person who needs any medical procedure is determined by the providers and the physicians and health care professionals that oversee that. From time to time we have people who question how that is applied, but that is a normal part of our delivery system. We work to sort that out as they happen. My point is, anyone who is going to be donating an organ that requires, obviously they would require hospital and medical services, they will be covered. They will get the benefit of all services. Whether it be medical travel or any associated services, they will get that. I will make sure that our staff is aware that anyone else who is good enough to donate an organ, that they will get the assistance they need. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the spirit and the intent of what the Minister is saying, but, Mr. Speaker, the issue really came down to things like the doctor said that this particular person needed an escort. Medical travel denied it. It took the Minister’s intervention to say, wait a minute, this is wrong. Down in Edmonton, the hospital said this person had to stay due to a follow-up because of the tearing of tissue if they moved too much. Medical travel denied that too. That is why I am asking for a clear policy that lays out when even doctors say something is necessary, they follow through that. Would the Minister see that issue as for what I am trying to lay out and see if we can work out a clear policy that helps people through the system? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Member is giving me too much credit. I don’t usually intervene and order anybody to approve an escort. I believe we have a program in place where it has a clear guideline as to who is eligible for medical travel and a medical escort. There are occasions, not just in organ donation procedures but in other medical procedures. There is sometimes lack of agreement on what is needed. That is just par for the course that we need to… That is part of health care’s delivery system that is managed by human beings. There is a difference of opinion as to what constitutes a need for escort. But my point, Mr. Speaker, is that anybody who is going to donate an organ for transplant, that is a medical procedure and they will get all of the services that are available within our health care system. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regards to my Member’s statement in regards to the government programs and services, the implementation of the new programs PATH to CARE, HELP to STEP, it was put in place to hopefully improve the system that we had in place, but more importantly, to assist homeowners by taking advantage of these programs. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Housing, has he seen an improvement in this program. Does he know exactly if there are faults in this program? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, there are challenges to some of the programs that we deliver. We are working to take steps to address some of the challenges, with the gap being one of the biggest ones, and hearing from Members across the floor is one that they have all identified. We have seen breaking it down in four programs has helped overall. We are spending a large amount of money on the HELP program, which is trying to get people into homeownership through a supportive lease-type program. We have about 228 of those units out there. There have been some improvements to the delivery of the programs but, as the Member pointed out, there are obviously some challenges and we are looking to try and address those. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I think the programs that we have, if they were implemented properly, we would be able to assist more people, especially with the Reduction of the Cost of Living. I think if we can find ways to assist people to do retrofits to their homes, improve their heating system, improve their electrical system, bringing their homes up to code, making them safe, that is the type of stuff I think this government should be supporting. I would like to ask the Minister, is there an appeals process for individuals who may not like the result of having their application refused, considered through a different method, instead of having to come to the MLA or go to the Minister. Is that something that is contemplated in this program?
Mr. Speaker, a formal appeals process doesn’t exist at the moment. They would be able to appeal to the program advisor or to the district director. In my office, we have had cases of people bringing their issues and their concerns forward. We have tried to address some of these. We usually follow up with questions to the district office. As far as an official appeal process, there is not one in place right now. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest complaints you hear from people, on the application process, is the fairness of the program. They see people getting the program year after year, but they continue to apply year after year and get refused. It all comes down to how the program is being administered and the fairness of the program. In regard to that I’d like to ask the Minister exactly what the process is to ensure there is transparency and fairness in this program so the people who do apply are seeing results rather than applying year after year and seeing other people taking advantage of the program and not being able to be approved because they get frustrated from filling out applications. I’d like to ask the Minister, with regard to transparency and fairness, what the department is doing to look at those types of situations.
We’re always reviewing how our programs operate and getting feedback from clients out there, and Members, as part of that process. Of course, we’d like to have an application process that’s as transparent as possible, because there are a lot of people out there stating exactly what the Member has said. They have concerns in that they apply and apply. And we hear about it, and obviously Members across the floor hear about it. We just want to assure people out there that we do want to be as transparent as possible. If they have issues with their application process, we’re always willing to listen. Upon hearing this, if we can use these to improve the delivery of our programs, I think that would be very beneficial to us as Members of the Assembly and to the people out there who are delivering the programs.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With that, I am also hearing from the Minister that he realized that there has to be a mechanism in place to assess programs and services annually or every so often, to see what’s working and what’s not working. I’d just like to ask the Minister if there is going to be some sort of assessment process or assessment of the programs to see how it’s working, and if something is not working, what we can do to change it to improve the programs so that we can improve on what we have. Will he consider looking at assessing the program and try to find ways to improve this program?
We usually try to do an assessment of the programs fairly regularly and see what’s working and what can be improved. I can commit to the Member that I will have discussions with the officials and see when the next review of the program is, and I’ll advise Members of that and seek input.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier, on a poverty eradication plan. I appreciate the Premier’s remarks earlier, in efforts to take the next steps there. Recognizing that there is overlap, once again, between ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services, I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment some questions, really, on the opportunities we’ve got and what we’re doing to coordinate the approach to fighting poverty.
The first question I’m wondering about is what is assessed during a client’s interview for income assistance applicants. Does the process not only look at the financial eligibility of the applicants but does it also look at the context of need? For example, their educational history and opportunities for upgrading, personal and psychological support services, if there are mental health issues and other health issues and needs.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the assessment the client service officers do provide to clientele is a variety. Not just on the financial aspects, but also on the individual’s needs. Whether it be providing them with more productive choices, if there’s such training opportunity for them, and so forth. It’s all based on the core needs of those individuals that are accessing assistance.
We are indeed, in our child and family services work, hearing a lot about some of those issues. My next question is really related to those that are coming out of jail. In many cases, people fighting poverty end up in our jails. There seems to be an opportunity to take advantage of this by making sure there are good educational programs while people are in jail. Certainly, as they are coming back into society, transition things like referrals and upgrading, referrals to housing upon release, referrals to behavioural support such as anger management, parenting skills and health education. Are these services provided at this time?
We do have counsellors at the corrections area as well. Also just working with those individual clients, the inmates, upon their release, rehabilitation development stages. We do have a team that refers them to the outside link. Once they leave the facility, we just don’t ignore them; we have contact with the community they’re from to see how they’re doing and if they’ve moved on with their lives. Not only that, we try to set up as much arrangement as we can with the client services department as well.
What is the process for placing someone back in the community after addictions treatment is completed? Is there counselling that takes into account employment services, housing and other basic needs?
This particular area consists of interdepartmental avenues with Health and Social Services and Housing and our Department of Education, Culture and Employment, through the income client service officers. So we continue to work together in that respect. There is a process in place where when inmates leave the facility, planning takes place to certain contacts in the communities. So we do what we can to provide those services from our departmental perspective.
