Debates of February 25, 2005 (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share with my colleagues details of recent commitments by the federal government that will support community governments and their infrastructure needs. The signing of the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund Agreement between our government and the federal government, along with announcements regarding the allocation of $5 billion in federal gas tax revenue funding under Canada’s new deal for cities and communities, are welcome news in the Northwest Territories.

The municipal rural infrastructure fund will provide an investment of $16 million in infrastructure funding to the communities of the Northwest Territories over the next four years.

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This funding is a positive movement for both the federal and territorial governments to help address the needs of our communities in the areas of water, wastewater and solid waste. As a result, this will help improve the quality of life for our residents. I would like to take this opportunity to share with Members some of the highlights of the agreement.

The municipal rural infrastructure fund will be allocated on the basis of 55 percent to the non-tax-based communities and 45 percent to the tax-based communities, which is consistent with the previous Canada-NWT infrastructure fund.

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The federal contribution of $16 million will be matched by our government, along with an additional $7 million from the tax-based communities. The federal budget address earlier this week committed to renewing the municipal and rural infrastructure fund when the current five-year program has ended.

In addition, earlier this week, Canada announced how it plans to allocate the $5 billion in gas tax revenue funding among all provinces and territories. The federal government will provide the Northwest Territories with a targeted amount equal to 0.75 percent of the total funding available. This will result in new infrastructure funding for

Northwest Territories community governments of $37.5 million over the five-year period beginning in 2005.

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Northwest Territories communities will receive $4.5 million in 2005-06 and 2006-07. That amount will increase to $6 million in 2007-08 and jump to $7.5 million in 2008-09. The program will reach its ongoing stable funding base of $15 million annually in 2009-10.

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I am pleased to report that MACA officials began discussions yesterday with Infrastructure Canada towards negotiating the bilateral agreement with Canada for allocation of the funding to the Northwest Territories communities.

The allocation of the federal gas tax revenue reflects the efforts and lobbying of the three territories, who took a pan-territorial approach to the federal government’s new deal for cities and communities. In partnership with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, we supported a funding allocation that reflects those unique needs and pressures of northern and remote communities.

We are all acutely aware of the infrastructure deficit facing Northwest Territories community governments and the department is aggressively exploring options to assist communities to identify and leverage funding for community infrastructure. We welcome the infusion of additional funding for community infrastructure by the federal government because it supplements the limited own-source revenues to which community governments have access. Both of these recent commitments by the federal government are positive steps that will certainly assist our government and community governments to address current needs and shortfalls in infrastructure. I look forward to continuing work with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities on implementing these two commitments in a manner that is fair, transparent and meets the needs of community governments. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House today to attend the Canadian Northwest Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Partnership Ministers’ meeting in Victoria. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on August 22, 1921, with the signing of Treaty 11 by Chief Monfwi in Fort Rae, my people started on an historic journey to find and define their place in Canada. We’ve recently marked some very important milestones of this journey, including the signing of the Tlicho agreement and passing of legislation in this House and the House of Commons.

Last year, this Assembly passed the Tlicho Community Government Act and I hope we will be passing another milestone later today. Mr. Speaker, a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of sacrifices went into getting the agreement and legislation developed and in place. The pride that the Tlicho people have can be measured by the number of Tlicho citizens with us here today in the gallery.

The Tlicho agreement is modelled for a future self-government agreement between First Nations and Canada. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have time in this forum to thank everyone who worked on making these agreements a reality. I would, however, like to recognize the fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and children who made the best of the situation whenever their loved ones were away from home working for their people. We owe them a lot of debt and gratitude and thanks for all the missed birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.

I would also like to recognize those elders who did not live to see this agreement come to pass. You are in our thoughts and prayers on this joyous occasion, and your spirit and guidance got us to where we are today.

Whenever Tlicho people get together for special occasions, we dance. There will be some dancing going on today to celebrate the conclusion of the debate on the Tlicho Government Agency Act, as the last part of the puzzle.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you and my colleagues in this Assembly for your support of the aspiration of the Tlicho people. It shows that consensus government can work.

It is a new day for my people, Mr. Speaker. We have authority over our own affairs. We have the ability to protect our language, culture, heritage and environment. We are ensuring the future for our children and grandchildren as a distinct society within a cultural mosaic that is Canada. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided).

Today I would like to talk about day care options in the communities that I represent in Nahendeh. In Fort Simpson there are adequate options available to organizations and private businesses that may wish to rent space to provide day care services. The question that day care operators in Fort Simpson have is related to the adequacy of the subsidy of each child and the amount available from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for renovations and purchasing new equipment.

The department will have to seriously look at the level of subsidy and other supports that are provided to day care operators in larger centres to ensure the long-term viability of this operation.

Mr. Speaker, the other side of the picture for day care in Nahendeh are the situations in the smaller communities that I represent. Simply put, there are no facilities in these smaller communities for anyone to set up a day care facility. In these communities, Mr. Speaker, we must rely on Granny to provide these day care services.

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This is the available workforce, so we need to adjust our systems that regulate the provision of day care to allow communities to use the resources and people that are available to them. Whatever happens out of any new day care funding that may come from the federal government, it is important, Mr. Speaker, that we adjust our programs to meet the day care needs of the parents at the community level. Day care solutions made in Yellowknife, based on southern Canadian best practices, may not work in the NWT’s smaller communities. We need solutions that meet the needs of parents and keep the children safe and happy.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we need flexibility on the part of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to make this happen. Mahsi cho.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will speak extra loudly today. Mr. Speaker, earlier, this Legislative Assembly announced the appointment of the first members of our new Cultural Enhancement Commission, which I have the honour of chairing, as Deputy Speaker of this House.

As Members know, the Legislative Assembly was built prior to the division of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and, of course, it was reflective of the NWT at the time. Following division, during the 14th Assembly, there was some concern about how representative the building was of the cultures of the new NWT and there was a general recognition of a need for a more coordinated approach to cultural enhancement.

This includes things that we usually think of, like art work and displays of traditional crafts, but also involves things like the landscaping around the building and the impression that people get as they come in the front entrance. Of all buildings in the Northwest Territories, the Legislative Assembly needs to be representative of our people and cultures. NWT residents from any community should be able to see some reflection of themselves in this building and surroundings, where we make decisions on their behalf everyday.

Every year, thousands of tourists visit the Legislative Assembly. We need to take advantage of this opportunity to share our values and diverse cultures with people from all over the world.

Mr. Speaker, the building and surroundings also impact us as Members. I am sure all of us can recall the first time we walked through the door as newly-elected MLAs and the awe and sense of responsibility that we felt. I am also sure that, from time to time, all of us who represent constituencies outside of the capital have welcomed the reminders of home and our constituents that are placed in various locations throughout the building.

Mr. Speaker, we often take our public buildings for granted. We might notice generally the feeling we get when we come in the door, but we rarely consider the thought and small details that go into creating those impressions. They don’t happen by accident; they take planning and that is why I believe that we are making a very positive step by establishing the Cultural Enhancement Commission.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the newly-appointed commission members. They are Mr. Gerald Antoine, from Fort Simpson; Ms. Annie Felix, from Tuktoyaktuk; Ms. Beverly Masuzumi, from Fort Good Hope; Ms. Colleen McDonald, from Yellowknife; Mr. Sonny McDonald, from Fort Smith; and, Mr. George Tuccaro, from Yellowknife.

This is a very strong and knowledgeable group, who will represent the people and the cultures of the Northwest Territories very well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being Education Week, I would like to wish all educators, parents and students success this week and through the end of the school year.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 21, 2005, I was fortunate to attend the opening of the Akaitcho Technical and Trade Centre in Yellowknife. Although I did not have the time to tour the facilities that afternoon, a quick visual look at the classrooms was very impressive.

Mr. Speaker, larger centres, such as Yellowknife, are fortunate to have corporate sponsorship in donations to facilities such as the Akaitcho Trades and Technical Centre and the Kimberlite Trade and Technical Centre, Mr. Speaker.

I raise this issue, Mr. Speaker, because in smaller communities we do not have the facilities for pre-employment trades for our students. In the Beaufort-Delta there is a mobile introduction to trades training that is offered to the communities of Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson, Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk, where an instructor travels to these communities to offer, as an example, carpentry.

Mr. Speaker, this is good for communities with road access, but what about communities such as Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour and Holman? How are they being served for opportunities for introduction to carpentry, electrical and other trades, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, in order for our students to prepare for college or university, or the workforce, it is important schools in smaller communities have facilities such as Akaitcho and Kimberlite trades and technical centres.

Mr. Speaker, I know this government does not have enough funds for capital infrastructure to build facilities in smaller communities, but we should allow all students outside of our large centres a chance for pre-employment trade, when or however this government addresses the needs of smaller communities, to have proper facilities so that they can be exposed to pre-employment trades in preparation for college or university.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, seeing government and industry cannot build trade centres in every community, maybe they could provide some funding for students to travel and take advantage of trade centres outside of their communities, maybe once a week each year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to use my Member's statement today to clarify some recent comments I made in regard to the $1.4 million in additional funding for the 10 new RCMP officer positions throughout the Northwest Territories.

According to the Government of Northwest Territories and the Department of Justice, two new traffic positions are headed to Hay River and one to Yellowknife. I didn’t want to downplay the importance of traffic positions or where they were to be located but, according to the RCMP in Hay River, there are no new traffic positions coming to Hay River. If the Department of Justice is insisting that there is -- and I know the Finance Minister had it in his budget address that they are coming -- are they or aren’t they going to Hay River?

What I was hoping to do was draw some attention to the fact that drugs are our biggest problem and, in my mind, our greatest social ill. Families are being destroyed and ripped apart by the ravages of drug addicts. Crack and cocaine are ruining many beautiful young people and adults in our territory. When I saw that we had found additional money and were looking to fund 10 new RCMP positions throughout the Northwest Territories, obviously I had some concern over what these new resources were going to go for. In my mind, more of it should go to combat drugs that are coming into the Territories.

The only thing I saw in the Finance Minister's budget address, with any reference to drugs, was a dog and handler that was to be located in Yellowknife. I had some questions about the fact that it was here in Yellowknife, which is at the end of the road system. A large portion of drugs entering the Territories are being driven here. Why couldn’t we look at putting the dog and handler in Fort Providence at the ferry, or at the weigh scales in Enterprise?

We need more police officers; that’s a fact. We should also find some additional funding for dedicated drug dogs to help us tackle the drug problem. Traffic positions are obviously important and I don’t deny that, but I have to question if we’re doing enough to get the drugs off our streets. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Good statement.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the year 2000, a legislative review panel was appointed to recommend changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Safety Act of the Northwest Territories. In 2002, the panel’s report, called “Act Now,” was received by the Ministers for the WCB both here and in Nunavut. Mr. Speaker, it’s interesting to note that after all that time and that profile and expense, that this report was never tabled in this House. The terms of reference provided for a legislative review, and that panel was to also present the views heard by the stakeholders during a very wide-ranging consultation.

There were some 85 recommendations in the Act Now report and the principal recommendation, the number one direction that this panel gave us, Mr. Speaker, was to engage in an operational review of the WCB. Commitments were made to have that done, but we have yet to see anything, Mr. Speaker. The system was seen on an operational view by many, Mr. Speaker, to be an adversarial system between the WCB and injured workers. A feeling was often expressed that the system was not there to work on behalf of injured workers, but rather to protect the bottom line and the fund of the WCB. Workers often felt that they were not treated with respect and, Mr. Speaker, ran into areas of difficulty with medical interpretations, rulings that contradicted medical opinions, things that left injured workers perplexed, Mr. Speaker, and on a never-ending treadmill with the appeals process.

Mr. Speaker, our WCB, in many areas, is a very progressive organization. I am very impressed with the work that it does on behalf of youth and worker safety training and the smoking initiative. But there continues to be, Mr. Speaker, a chronic need for addressing the problems of claims implementation and our appeals mechanism in the WCB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to once again register my concern with the fact that the division of RWED will result in the creation of 28 new jobs at a cost of $2.8 million every year. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the department needed to streamline and separate their mandates between exploring resources to protecting the environment. But that didn’t give the government the right to reproduce themselves 28 more little positions in offices. Mr. Speaker, I don’t accept the Minister’s position that this had to be done in order to better respond to the work of preparing for the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, for example. I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, there just has to be more prudent things to do to prepare, than to create more government jobs.

Mr. Speaker, this was an $80 million department that split into two, and surely they could have done this from within. Mr. Speaker, people out there are asking where the resources are for all the people up and down the valley who want a forum to speak about their worries and concerns about the pipeline development. There are other priority items that have been chronically under-funded within the mandate of this department, Mr. Speaker. That is, I have to wonder what the tourism industry could have done with $2.7 million in extra funding on a yearly basis.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t think the Members and Cabinet know how frustrating it is for the Members on this side to hear the government saying over and over that they can’t pay for this and that, and they have to cut funding to social agencies. They can’t fund indoor facilities in Nahanni Butte or Kakisa…

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…or many, many places.

Yet when they want to reproduce themselves, it’s no problem. Three million dollars every year in perpetuity. Mr. Speaker, I don’t think the Minister and Cabinet have their priorities straight and I need to state that again very clearly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m certainly glad to finally see the Cotton Ball Club has taken their cotton balls out of their ears today. There were lots of cotton balls there. Okay.

Mr. Speaker, I’m rising today to talk about multi-year funding once again. I brought this issue to the floor of the House back in October last year, and I’m bringing it again because of the news article in today’s Yellowknifer regarding stabilized funding needed for non-profit groups. Mr. Speaker, there’s one quote out of this that I think is critical to emphasize before I continue, which talks about the struggling NGOs and volunteer organizations. It’s based, in large part, on how they’re funded, not the funding. It’s about how they’re funded, not their funding; I say again, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government tabled, almost three years ago, a social agenda and it talked about multi-year funding for NGOs, Mr. Speaker. It’s time we live up to that commitment and promise made to these organizations, Mr. Speaker. How much more time must go by before we address the need we identified that would make their life better?

Mr. Speaker, we need to support them. We support them and I know I support them, Mr. Speaker, so let’s start working like a family and let’s start working like a business and let’s make their life a little better.

Mr. Speaker, NGOs are the heart and soul of our community, yet we make them struggle year after year, funding application after funding application. In my experience, we’ve never cut anybody off, yet it’s a key role of this government to create hot air and administrative paperwork for these organizations that’s not necessary. Mr. Speaker, NGOs do what they do best and it certainly isn’t providing paperwork for government just because we want more paperwork, Mr. Speaker. Let’s uncuff these NGOs. Let’s take them out of that hamster wheel of administration, on and on and on. Their purpose is to serve the people, not to serve paperwork.

Mr. Speaker, it’s time we start dealing with this. This would take a serious amount of stress off those organizations. It would take away the duress because they’re waiting for the 11th-hour phone call to finally get the word that their funding is coming. Mr. Speaker, they cannot do long-term planning because they have staff they can only promise a job to until March 31st every year.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I’m going to say that this government must live up to its commitment it made and, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions at the appropriate time for the Premier to deal with this issue finally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to talk about our delicate and diversified northern environment. Mr. Speaker, as everyone is well aware, the next step in the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol Agreement has been met with some opposition and question as to the validity and the expectations from all the parties and partners involved.

Mr. Speaker, this agreement and the implications of the agreement will have a direct effect on us all. I’d like to mention something a constituent, who is an environmentalist in his own right, mentioned to me with respect to the protection and the acknowledgement of how delicate our northern environment really is. He could not stress more the need for all residents to realize the delicacy and intricacy of our northern environment and he emphasized the need for information sharing on this topic, because we are always on the front page of the briefings that global climate change agencies and watchdogs review every day.

My friend also made the analogy that we, in the NWT, are like a large piece of litmus paper for the rest of the world when it comes to environmental infractions. By this he means that when any environmental infractions do take place, be it here or anywhere in the world, the effects are not only immediately noticeable in the northern hemisphere, but also long term and, sadly, irreversible in many cases.

So, Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to let the residents of the NWT, industry, government, tourists, everyone know that when we’re out on the land, keep this important thought in mind, because what you do in this very delicate and intricate northern environment North of 60 or anywhere in the northern hemisphere will remain with us for a long time. So when you’re out there, do good. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize Dallas Stelmack and Matthew Lakusta, both Grade 8 students from the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River who have served in the House as Pages this week. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to recognize two Pages from Fort Providence who were with us for the duration of this week, Murina Sabourin and Rebecca Landry. I want to thank them for coming over to help us out. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize two Pages from Tu Nedhe, Nicole Abel and Olga Aviugana, who have done a lot of good work here this week and hopefully we’ll have them back again some time. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would also like to extend a thank you to all the Pages who served us this week in the House. Especially I’d like to mention two from my constituency, Johnathan Williams and Reiss Kruger, who have been here and have done a great job for us this week. Thank you to all the Pages who have been here this week.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the placement of remand inmates in cells here in Yellowknife as opposed to Hay River, I would like to ask the Minister if the reason for that is because the Yellowknife correctional centre has empty beds and empty cells that need to be filled here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We can accommodate the prisoners who would be housed in the remand facility in Hay River in the North Slave Correctional Centre. There is room for them. We don’t have to move them here. This is being undertaken as a cost-savings measure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, besides there being room, what else is better about putting the inmates in remand in Yellowknife rather than Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of better, I don’t know if it’s a question of it being a better setting. The issue is really one of having two facilities when we can accommodate the prisoners with one. That’s where the savings are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this change in operations results in a loss of 5.5 positions in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, with the recent review of the North Slave Correctional Centre, is it not true that there is a human resource plan to look at adding more positions for corrections officers in Yellowknife while taking 5.5 out of the South Slave? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can’t say whether there’s going to be any positions added to the North Slave Correctional Centre or whether a request will come forward for additional staff. I haven’t seen the human resources plan. I know the department has been working on one with the assistance of an individual from British Columbia, but I haven’t yet been provided with that report if it has been finished. There have been some recommendations by corrections officers who have worked for the federal system out of Fenbrook Institution in Ontario. They did recommend that we increase some staffing in some areas, but we haven’t responded to that one. We have been waiting to see what the final human resources plan will look like. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that over building infrastructure in Yellowknife should not constitute losses in the regions and other communities.

Hear! Hear!

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Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minster’s commitment that he will not be taking 5.5 positions out of my community and adding corrections positions in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 482-15(3): Closure Of The South Mackenzie Correctional Centre Remand Unit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that we’re not talking about adding. Even if we were talking about adding positions in the North Slave Correctional Centre, it is not in the remand part of the facility. I’m not aware that there have been any concerns about staffing in that area, and my understanding is that the vacancy in beds could be filled up without there having to be an increase in the numbers of staff. At this point, the two are not the same. If we’re talking about an increase in staff in the facility as it stands, it would be the same as an increase in the overall staffing at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in the general correctional officer area. We’re not talking about changing staff in the remand section. Thank you.