That detailed information I need to get. I don’t have in front of me that information. I’ll get that information for the Member.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice if we cannot review cases where individuals have been incarcerated, as I mentioned earlier, 15, 16, 17, 18 times for violent offences, if we cannot review files of that nature in an effort to try to get dangerous offender status on those offenders if they reoffend.
This is an area that we may have to explore with the federal government. Again, it’s under jurisdiction of the federal government. I do take the Member’s note that this is a concern to the Member and...(inaudible)...counterparts as well.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Premier and I, with staff members, met with the majority of the leadership in the Sahtu. We talked about the devolution. I appreciate the people in Deline for hosting us and thank the Premier for taking me down to Deline.
I want to ask the Premier, as he heard the leadership speak on devolution and the Sahtu’s position in terms of going forward we want to work together, however there are some serious concerns with the present draft AIP as it stands now. I want to ask the Premier about chapter 22, whether that chapter will be altered or ceased in terms of the benefits. If we sign on and go ahead with this agreement, chapter 22 in our land claim will no longer come into force. This would now be the GNWT’s section. I want to ask the Premier what type of other assurance we have that our land claim will be protected.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for rising on the issue of the agreement-in-principle. We did travel together and took part in the meeting. I must say that I viewed the meeting as a glass half full. I’m not sure if the Member was looking at it as half empty. There are challenges and issues that were raised at the meeting. As we had opportunity to speak with them, we recognized that challenge. There are issues around the agreement-in-principle that as I spoke to the leadership and heard from the leadership that we feel we can work forward on by signing the agreement-in-principle. They feel -- and we respect this -- that they need to bring in two of the other districts to finalize their position. We were asked for support and we look forward to that.
The agreement-in-principle states in many places the protection of land claims and the existing processes that are established. The section that was raised, as the Member has highlighted, was one that is a provision I believe we would have to sit down and talk with them about through this transfer and there would have to be a meeting and agreement in place on how to proceed with that. I’ll have to get more detail on that as we go forward.
I was of the view that glasses are always half full. Certainly our glass would be full if we did sign on to this agreement here.
I want to ask the Premier in terms of us in the Sahtu getting ready. We need to look at some very serious concerns with this draft AIP and how it’s going to affect our land claim and our governments in terms of going forward. The leadership has asked the Premier, and I want to ask the Premier and his Cabinet colleagues, about continuing to move on this file here with the Sahtu to look at another opportunity to have more discussions in the Sahtu with the whole leadership at the table where we can then talk about this AIP in the future with how to proceed going forward, working with the GNWT. We’re looking for funding.
As I responded earlier at the meeting, the leadership there was represented by the Norman Wells group, Deline and Tulita. They asked that we support them in the next meeting. They’re aiming for March 7th and 8th, I understand, to bring Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake into the meeting so they can deal with some of their internal matters around the districts and how they are represented at a regional level. Then I understand they’d be having a decision shortly after that as to signing the agreement-in-principle.
We’re continuing to work with them and, as I stated at the meeting, we’re supportive of their request for additional funds to host that next meeting, so we’re looking at seeing how we could support them in that.
Mr. Speaker, certainly the leadership was happy again to have the Premier there and listen to the people. I want to ask the Premier, in terms of going forward with the Sahtu, they certainly want to make sure the communities were not going to be excluded in the management or administration of public lands and resources and other interests that could be pushed out or overlooked. We want to know if this government here is serious in terms of how do we implement the strong chapter 6 of this agreement where it talks about true partnership, because right now we are not seeing it here. We want to ask the Premier on that issue.
I respect the Members who rise on issues and present a certain case on behalf of their constituents in communities.
In the matter of partnerships and working together, I think we can point quite clearly to a number of big pieces of legislation that this government has been working on that we have worked hand in hand with in developing legislation. I would say this is one of the first for the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Look at the Wildlife Act that’s being worked on, worked in partnership co-writing the legislation. Look at the Species at Risk Act. That’s another piece of legislation that has had partnership, true partnership from Aboriginal organizations in writing that. You look at the Water Strategy that we’ve undergone since we started the regional leadership approach, that they have been working hand in hand with the Government of the Northwest Territories on a Water Strategy for the North.
When you look at section 6 of the agreement-in-principle, there is clear intent that we need to establish the mandates and how we will negotiate with one another in that jurisdictional area of sharing. We’re very open to that and, in fact, that is why it’s in this agreement-in-principle, because we have, in the early days, worked with the Aboriginal groups and governments to put that kind of language in this very AIP. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to look at true partnerships, you know, the Sahtu would have already signed this agreement. We are not there yet. We need to really look at this, look for what it is. Chapter 22 will be impacted in our land claim, those issues that were negotiated in 1993-94.
Mr. Speaker, that’s what I’m asking this government here when you look at this deal, in terms of going forward, we want to ask, again, the Premier here in terms of how do we look at establishing true partnership. It’s not there yet. How do we do that? In chapter 6 it points to where in the protocol agreement, then we can work together in terms of putting this deal satisfactorily to both parties.
I guess I can agree with the Member on the fact that we’re almost there. We’re getting there in the sense that at the recent meeting we had, there are issues that came up around quite a number of issues, whether it’s day-to-day programming we’re involved in as a government, some of the self-government discussions that are ongoing, and then the agreement-in-principle pieces as they stand themselves. As I’ve committed to the leadership in the Sahtu, that we would support them in the next meeting of March 7th and 8th, and would be ready to be in attendance there, as well, if the request was made, when they have the whole group of the Sahtu.
In fact, in further discussions that have happened since then looking at the protocol work that was initially done and the principles of that protocol work and seeing if that’s another avenue that we could initial off as we go towards the signing of the agreement-in-principle in the hopes that they would join us in coming to the tent and help us with this work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was the excess heat in the Power Corporation in Sachs Harbour. Mr. Speaker, will the government give small and remote communities, especially in Nunakput with the highest operating and logistical costs, their fair share and seriously evaluate the use of excess heat recovery in the system? Is it possible for the government to help the community out to get the excess heat? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for that question because it gives me an opportunity to say that the Power Corporation is always interested in working with communities in trying to extend the benefits of our Corporation into those communities. In fact, there is some work that’s being done, for example, in the Nunakput riding of Ulukhaktok and looking at the plant there and the work that needs to be done at that, and looking at the past work and some of the heat distribution work that was done then. We’re looking at that.
For the community of Sachs Harbour in particular, if the community would like to go down that, we would invite their request in correspondence, and I’d take that as an initial step by the Member here asking that. We would gladly be prepared to sit down with them and talk about what it would take to look at having residual heat in that community. Thank you.
I already take that as a yes and I thank the Premier.
In the community of Sachs, Mr. Speaker, the fire department is right beside the Power Corporation. It’s about probably as far as from me to the Premier. What we’re trying to do is get the excess heat system put into the fire hall so we can be able to have a heated fire truck. Mr. Speaker, I really look forward to working with Premier and the community to get this project underway.
Mr. Speaker, just on another note, will the government stop allocating the project and resources such as excess heat recovery systems to the communities that have at least administration and logistical coordination, and prioritize them according to the community at the highest cost to generate the heat? Thank you.
I’ll have to look at Hansard to figure out what specific part. We’re working with communities who have come forward and have done a fair bit of legwork. As I’ve said to the Member, we’re very interested in working with communities. I know that Municipal and Community Affairs has worked with communities and the Arctic Energy Alliance and communities have come up with energy plans and we’ll work with them. As the communities have worked with MACA, the Power Corporation, again, is open to looking at these requests to see what can be done and working with them on their energy plans as well. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I really look forward to working with the Minister and the Power Corporation to get this project started. If we could have a timeline before the end of sitting, that would be good for me. Thank you.
If the Member could help set up communications with the community, I would gladly speak to the chair of the Power Corporation and inform him of our discussions here and a commitment to have an initial discussion about what it would take and what’s required to move this forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about multi-year agreements and I highlighted the one between the NWT Seniors’ Society and the Department of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, multi-year agreements certainly outline and develop a stabilized funding source and it takes significant stress off NGOs, which should be doing the work that they always intend to rather than filling out long, protracted agreements year after year.
Under Minister Miltenberger, at the time, it was a great step forward for NGOs, and I had hoped that it would have been the hallmark moving forward. Mr. Speaker, my question to the now Minister of Health and Social Services is: is the intent of the Department of Health to renew the multi-year agreement with the NWT Seniors’ Society? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government and the department, in general, support multi-year funding arrangements, but right now our department is under fiscal pressure and we are reviewing all of our arrangements with NGOs. While we are going through, we are not able to commit right now to multi-year funding, but I want to assure the Member that we do support that policy. We are just having to review what we are doing right now. Thank you.
Any multi-year agreement does not put any funding situation into stone. It certainly recognizes there are changes in government and, therefore, there would be a need to change the agreement to reflect the circumstances, perhaps even the fiscal circumstances the government is under on that day. What stops the Minister specifically from funding a multi-year agreement with the NWT Seniors’ Society, recognizing there may be special clauses to recognize fiscal circumstances the territorial government is in and they may have to re-evaluate? At the end of the day, you could still sign a multi-year agreement providing them the support and dignity this organization deserves. Thank you.
As I stated, GNWT and the department does support multi-year agreements when the funding allows. Of course, we would not allow for multi-year agreements on things that are proposal based. Right now, as I stated to the Member, the department is engaged in budgeting analysis, we are under pressure, and we are reviewing all agreements and for that reason we are right now just doing one-year agreements. Thank you.
On one hand the Minister says she supports this, but then on the other and she says she doesn’t. Mr. Speaker, administratively, would the Minister agree that it makes a lot more sense to have multi-year agreements in place rather than doing the same work year after year? Thank you.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, I did indicate that I do, in principle, support multi-year agreements, but right now we are reviewing our arrangements and agreements with various groups. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, thank you. To be clear then, the Minister is saying in this House that she won’t support a multi-year agreement to the NWT Seniors’ Society which has an excellent proven track record and are able to fulfill all requirements spelled out in the agreements with the Department of Health and Social Services. Is that what the Minister is saying or is she intending to review the possibility of them having a multi-year agreement?
Mr. Speaker, absolutely that is not what I’m saying. We do support multi-year agreements. We have not discontinued multi-year agreements indefinitely. We see the merit in that and we will continue to do that, but for right now we are reviewing our agreements with various organizations to see how we are spending our funds. So that’s where we are and we will make decisions about multi-year soon. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is working in concert with the federal government to attract new Canadians to Yellowknife. It’s not surprising that newcomers will need help in orientation and service to make a successful transition, settle down and hopefully become residents. Unfortunately, recently the ECE immigrant settlement coordinator position became vacant, leaving people at a loss. The federal government, though, has an immigration officer in Yellowknife who, funnily enough, will not accept inquiries from the public, again leaving immigrants without a source of guidance and support. Not what we’re looking for, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask the Minister of ECE how is it possible that the one federal person in town could refuse to deal with the clients that are here because of the federal/territorial program we put in place? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an area that we need to find out what’s happening. We did have a position in place but now it’s vacant. There is a toll-free number that people can access. We did send out notices and e-mails to all the relevant stakeholders to notify them that this is the contact information, contact person. So the information is out there, Mr. Speaker, but I will find out the situation about the concern that’s been brought to our attention. Mahsi.
I appreciate the Minister’s comments and information that some mitigation is happening here. My understanding is that immigrants can’t even get past security to visit the federal immigration officer on matters on immigrant settlement support. Until we re-staff our position, this person is obviously the sole source of knowledge on settlement support programs. Until this position is re-staffed, will the Minister call upon our federal partners to fill in and let people past the front door of the Greenstone Building to seek the support they obviously need? Thank you.
Yes, we will consult with our colleagues at the federal level and see what the status is on the situation. We need to rectify the problem. If there’s an issue, then we need to follow through with it. So I will follow up with our federal counterparts. Mahsi.
Thank you very much for that commitment from the Minister. That’s good work. I want to state, too, that I realize that this has happened fairly suddenly without much notice on the part of the person in the position. I also understand that the recent incumbent, however, may have resigned because the workload was too much and the office couldn’t keep up with the demand. Given our special effort to attract new Canadians to our communities, we must, in good faith, give people the support they obviously need and want in order to become residents. Being a year now, will the Minister commit to reporting to the committee on this matter so we can assess program success and needs? Mahsi.
This particular position, I need to gather more information from the college itself because this is a college position. I will take the opportunity to meet with the standing committee if they wish to do so. My office is always open to briefing the committee members. I will gather this information. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to visit with the Minister further about this. I’m not sure it’s a college position. I guess given that people are left hanging right now, can I trust that the Minister will be in touch with our federal partners quite soon on this to fill that need? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the question has been asked in the House. I did commit to it, so we’ll follow through as soon as possible with the federal counterparts. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
