Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask that between now and whenever there is action taken, maybe all the whole Northwest Territories needs to be looked at. I’m asking right now for the Sahtu communities. Between now and then, what can this department do to advise people in the five Sahtu communities about this cancer-causing bacteria? What things should they look out for? What things should they be seeing a nurse for and asking for? This constituent of mine is being treated as we speak today for this specific bacteria. What do other people need to be aware of in their own Dene language to say yes, I need to get checked out because this is dangerous? What can the Minister advise us in the House that he can do between now and when we get the real action done on the screening?
The department can communicate with the health and social services authority in Norman Wells, and in turn, the health and social services authority can advise people in the community. I think the department and nurses are aware of what the symptoms would be for the H. pylori, so they could have the people come and communicate with people to see if individuals could come into the health centre to be tested. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills.
Colleagues, we are going to take a 15-minute break here, and we will continue in 15 minutes. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. It gives me great pleasure to recognize the leadership of Deline: elder Andrew John Kenny and I see also up there self-negotiator and a good man all around, Danny Gaudet from Deline. Steven Taniton was also there and Leonard Kenny; they had to do some other errands. Hello to Chief Tutcho and Peter Menacho.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I indicated earlier Ms. Yvonne Norwegian was a chaperone from Jean Marie, and she’s in the gallery. I’d like to welcome her to the proceedings of the House. Good to see you here.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, titled “A Legacy for the North: Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Annual Report, 2008-2009.”
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Industry Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, titled “Northwest Territories Marketing Plan, 2012-2013.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask all our visitors if you have a cell, please turn the ringers off. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 32.1(1) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document, titled “List of Interactivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011.” Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Colleagues, pursuant to Section 23 of the Official Languages Act, I wish to table the Office of the Northwest Territories Languages Commissioner Annual Report, 2010-2011.
Ms. Sarah Jerome, Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, planned to be in the gallery today for the tabling of her document. Due to flight cancellations, Ms. Jerome can’t be here today and I’d like to send her regrets to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS seniors are valued and respected members of our communities who have contributed throughout their lives and deserve our support;
AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada has announced its intent to reform the Old Age Security system;
AND WHEREAS reductions to Old Age Security benefits and/or increasing the age of eligibility would negatively impact future NWT seniors;
AND WHEREAS poverty, the lack of jobs and employer-sponsored pensions, and low incomes already impact many seniors in the Northwest Territories, creating the need for the GNWT’s current Senior Citizens Supplementary Benefit Program;
AND WHEREAS reductions to Old Age Security would put pressure on the GNWT to replace those benefits, putting additional strain on our government’s ability to deliver social programs;
AND WHEREAS research by the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that the current Old Age Security system is affordable and sustainable over the long term;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly opposes any reductions to Canada’s Old Age Security benefits;
AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly recommends the Premier of the Northwest Territories champion this issue to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to ensure that Old Age Security benefits are not reduced for current or future NWT seniors;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are allowed to speak to this motion. I don’t think the intent was to have the motion speeded up in the House today, because of the seriousness of the issue that is before not only the NWT but all residents of Canada.
I know that the federal government had intended to change our Old Age Security system. Canadians want decent pensions, not more years of working. I know that the federal government said that it made plans for this budget, but they had indicated that now the changes will be in future years to come.
With that, I think our GNWT has to get on the right side of this issue. We have to be proactive. Our own government should be lobbying on behalf of the NWT seniors and advocating that changes to the Old Age Security system is not something that we need or want.
It is very serious in Canada. The budget is coming out. Hopefully there is nothing there, but I think that we have to be more proactive, like I said, and get out there to Ottawa and lobby. We are asking for our Premier to start those initiatives, working with the Minister of Health and Social Services and our Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I would like to thank Member Menicoche for bringing forward this particular motion. He is quite right in the context of being concerned about our seniors. Of course, this motion speaks to the fact that we want to support and protect the seniors in future years to make sure that the Old Age Security benefit is there for them.
Mr. Speaker, doing a bit of research, I pulled up information that the parliamentary budget officer has done. He did a study called the Federal Fiscal Sustainability of Elderly Benefits. What he has noted here, in short, without quoting it at length, is the fact that he notes that, yes, it will increase in costs in the next few years, but it has a steep decline. He also points out that it is a sustainable benefit and the fact that changes don’t necessarily need to be made. He does highlight a few areas, most particular where he talks about, he says elderly benefits are financed from the Government of Canada’s general revenues. He points out that elderly benefits program should be assessed in a broader framework of fiscal sustainability, which requires the government debt cannot ultimately grow faster than the economy. He wants to tie these two particular things together to point this out. I think it is a very good, valid observation.
The elderly in our community and in the North as well as, of course, across Canada, have done so much for bringing this to where we are today. I think that this motion here reaffirms our commitment and support to our seniors community as well as our future community.
I will leave with this, which is the fact that if all goes well, every one of us will be a senior one day, if we are not there already. It is important that we always, again, stand committed and behind those who tread the path before us. I will support this motion.
Once again, I thank the Member for Nahendeh for bringing this initiative forward so we can empower our Premier to send a northern voice and a northern perspective to Ottawa to ensure that our views are heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion. Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Member Menicoche for bringing this motion forward and Mr. Hawkins for seconding it.
I can’t believe that in this day and age we are creating a lot of fear-mongering. Why are we waging a war against our seniors and our elders? It is disheartening. We are not sure where the federal Minister or Finance is going with this, why the perceived crisis. One has to ask: Is there another agenda out there for the public pension system? We don’t know. Again, if you are going to look at savings of any plan, you have to look at the revenue on it. You have to look at program spending. That is for true sustainability and some management has prevailed. I am not sure if the federal system is looking at those areas. Raising the age of benefits is not one of those solutions.
People are living longer, Mr. Speaker. We know that from our statistics. This country of ours has survived a large economic crisis. I commend them for that, but if you look at the bigger picture, security benefits for seniors here is just a small piece of the overall economic situation to focus this attention on raising the age. It doesn’t make sense on the math. As Canadians and Northerners, we have other dire economic cobblestones on our pathway we should be focusing on, as I said earlier, sustainability, sound management and not raising this benefit. I will be speaking in favour of this motion for our government to be stewards for Northerners, seniors and our elders. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. To the motion. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We appreciate the intent and concern voiced and articulated in the motion. However, we also want to be very clear to the people we represent, that there is nothing imminent here, that we know of, for Old Age Security. It is good to be proactive, but any changes contemplated could be as much as 20 or 25 years down the road. It behooves us all to look at how we are doing, managing for retirement, but we want to reassure the elders today that they can go to bed and wake up knowing that they are not under any imminent threat, that this will be some time coming. We want to be clear about how we manage ourselves. We want to protect the benefits to seniors, but we definitely want to be measured and careful not to cause concern to the people, the elders today that are here and that are going to be with us over the coming years. I thank the Member for the motion and deserves recommendation to government, and Cabinet will be abstaining.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I will allow the mover of the motion to conclude with his closing comments. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The intent of the motion is to be proactive. I am calling the government that we have to get down to Ottawa. We have to talk to the federal Ministers of Finance and Human Resources and Development to let them know that our government does not support their initiative at all. If we’re not heard, we will never be heard at all. It’s often been said that with Legislatures silence is assent. It means if we don’t say anything, we agree with it. So this motion is calling on our government to speak to our federal counterparts and let them know that our Northwest Territories, the MLAs on this side of the House do not agree with any changes to the Old Age Security system. As well, I would hope our Cabinet will develop a policy when they deal with the federal government. Thank you. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Menicoche.
The Member is seeking a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.
Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Moses, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Blake, Mr. Dolynny, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Nadli, Mr. Hawkins.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. McLeod – Yellowknife South, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Ramsay, Mr. McLeod – Inuvik Twin Lakes.
The Legislative Assembly recorded vote results: in favour, 10; abstentions, 7. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Yakeleya.
WHEREAS the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act recognizes nine Aboriginal languages as official languages, including: Chipewyan, Cree, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tlicho, in addition to English and French;
AND WHEREAS Section 11 of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act says, among other things, that any member of the public is entitled to communicate with and receive services from any regional or community Government of the Northwest Territories office in an Aboriginal language spoken in that region or community, where there is significant demand;
AND WHEREAS Aboriginal language speakers who are attempting to access government services such as medical treatment are sometimes forced to depend on relatives who speak their language, but who are not trained as interpreters and who cannot translate specialized terminology, resulting in worry and possible misinformation for patients;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories formerly recognized the need for a central body to provide Aboriginal language services by establishing a territorial Language Bureau;
AND WHEREAS the Language Bureau served the people of the Northwest Territories for nearly 25 years, with expert interpreter-translators who conducted research on specialized terminology and writing systems, as well as providing interpreter-translator services;
AND WHEREAS the Language Bureau was disbanded in 1997, eliminating 20 positions which have never been replaced;
AND WHEREAS qualified interpreter-translators in private business are not always available in Northwest Territories communities;
AND WHEREAS there are no longer any formal training programs for interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS there is no central body monitoring the quality of Aboriginal language interpretation and translation;
AND WHEREAS there is no central clearing house for research on specialized medical or legal terminology or writing systems;
AND WHEREAS the Standing Committee on Government Operations in its report tabled in this House on May 28, 2009, called for the establishment of a secretariat as a central agency to develop government services in the Aboriginal languages and conduct long-term planning;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories in its Aboriginal Languages Plan tabled in this House on October 27, 2010, called for the establishment of a secretariat with responsibility for oversight of GNWT Aboriginal language services;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has now established a Secretariat for Francophone Affairs;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories consult and develop interim measures to improve Aboriginal language services, with the full involvement of existing interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories communities who speak different dialects;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories consult and develop interim measures to improve Aboriginal language services, with the full involvement of existing interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories communities who speak different dialects;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories seek such additional funds as may be required for the secretariat for Aboriginal language services from the federal government, as a matter of urgent necessity and equity;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The motion is in order. To the motion. I will allow Mr. Yakeleya to comment on the motion.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This motion is restating what the Minister talked about earlier in the House, to support and give the nudge to the government that this is a priority. People in the communities would really appreciate this, because this would give justice to our people when we have Ministers, bureaucrats or any other government agencies that come into our communities. They know they will get the proper information, the terminology will be right and these translators would do great justice to the Aboriginal language services, to the Aboriginal Languages Act.
Right now it will give more weight and this government will not only pay lip service, but when we have official meetings of this government for the people, that the people can feel comfortable enough to say we want to say it in our own language and we don’t need to have a hit and miss on the interpretation. It’s being properly translated the way we want to do it.
So this motion here speaks to having a secretariat developed, again establishing the Government of the Northwest Territories, and to know that if they say language is important to the people of the Northwest Territories, this motion is putting the money into the mouth of the government, so important that we’re going to establish a secretariat for the Government of the Northwest Territories to recognize all the different Aboriginal languages and give respect and dignity to those languages. Then when we go back into the communities, the older people, the elders, people who want to hang on to their languages will know that this government really is working towards providing this service, other than just having English spoken in our communities. They can feel comfortable enough to go to the hospitals or the health centres and know that proper terminology will be used, or they can go to the legal system, a special facility or courts, whatever programs Justice has, even the RCMP, and know that these services are going to be provided.
So this is giving a nudge to the government and we’ll see how this motion plays out in the next four years. We’ll see if we continue to get lip service or if there is actually going to be some work done on this. Let’s see how strong this motion is with this Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank Mr. Yakeleya for his motion. Last term, when I was chair of Government Operations, we reviewed the Official Languages Act. I was very pleased to hear about the languages secretariat at that time. What happened is it stimulated and supported our Aboriginal languages throughout the Northwest Territories. There was a significant decline in support for our Aboriginal languages once that department was disbanded. It was also said, even to this day, that the best support for languages are those employees who are in other departments to this day. I’m with Mr. Yakeleya in that I believe that we should and must consolidate our languages again into one department so that we can continue to support it and build on it for the benefit of all the people in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
[English translation not provided.]
In terms of this motion, Mr. Speaker, I speak in favour and support it. As Dene, we are an oral society. We have legends, stories and histories that go back thousands of years. In some respects our elders play a very prominent role in educating our people in terms of the youngsters and youth in our communities. For some time it’s been concerning me that government has a policy they call the Official Languages Act, but I believe more needs to be done. At the same time I also acknowledge that it can’t only just be government, but equally so it has to be parents and families and communities that take the strong initiative to ensure that our languages survive and are enhanced and become more strongly prevalent in the communities. For those reasons today, I will speak in favour of the motion.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be speaking in favour of this particular motion. Mr. Menicoche mentioned about the work done last term. I was on that committee as well. We heard a lot from people about the challenges before them about their languages. I believe the re-establishment of the Language Bureau is probably one of the most needed steps out there to help support these language groups.
I often believe that languages to survive need to be relevant, and to be relevant they need to be supported. Many of the challenges we heard in the communities when we travelled was medical terminology and justice terminology. We cannot forget the fact that modern day terminology constantly evolves. By way of example, when I say that although my wife doesn’t speak an Aboriginal language, she speaks a Chinese one, and how quickly they are to grasp on modern technology, and they define it themselves, and create it themselves and it becomes part of their language, these modern names. I think that’s one of the things that this Language Bureau would say, is wait a minute, we don’t have a word for this, we will develop a word for this. As they develop words, they also make the language relevant, which is meaningful to the young people who have to learn this. They need to learn this. A Language Bureau would set up a criteria, work with Aboriginal elders and build a foundation that can be reinforced and built upon. It would be the buttress of what languages need. Right now they’re by themselves and they don’t have that type of support.
The other element of this is, once the Language Bureau is re-established, I certainly support further integration of Aboriginal languages within our schools and it must be enhanced. If a child can’t go to the store and buy a jug of milk in their own Aboriginal language, even being able to say what the word “milk” is – if they’re not using it in their own language, and not using it in their daily lives, and they’re not using it in the home – it’s just a sad case that we have this state before us of which they are significantly declining.
In short, this motion I think is the foundation of where we need to go to help build upon the existing state of our languages. The sad state is they are declining. This is the reinforcement I believe they need.
