Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak on the topic of child and family services. The 16th Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Programs undertook a comprehensive review of the Child and Family Services Act, highlighting the importance of this area and the need for fundamental change in how we do business.
While there will always be room for improvement in child and family services, I am pleased to be able to report to this Assembly some significant progress arising from the standing committee recommendations. But first I want to pay tribute to the social workers who provide child and family services. Theirs is undoubtedly one of the most demanding jobs in the public service. As the dean of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work said recently, “There are lots of reasons why children need protection, such as physical and sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, addictions issues, poverty and homelessness. The social worker has to make sense out of all these pieces, and that’s incredibly complicated, sensitive and difficult to do.”
The sad fact is that there are children out there who are in need of protection. We all have a shared responsibility to ensure that this happens, government, communities and families. But it is the dedicated women and men who deliver on that responsibility who make extraordinarily difficult decisions on a daily basis, and they desperately need and deserve the support of the communities in which they live and work.
Mr. Speaker, our efforts to protect children from harm begin with promotion and prevention. In its report on the review of the Child and Family Services Act, the 16th Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Programs flagged some key recommendations, which formed the foundation for all subsequent recommendations. In addition to highlighting the importance of prevention and promotion, these focused on setting up child and family services committees, making sure that alcohol and drug addictions treatment is readily available, and developing a comprehensive Anti-Poverty Strategy.
One of the cornerstones of prevention and promotion is the Healthy Family Program, which by the end of this fiscal year will have expanded to all regions and will be available in 15 of our communities. The Healthy Family Program is designed to support parents and children from birth to age five and promotes nurturing parent-child relationships. The program is a key component of the renewed Early Childhood Development Framework and is a foundational program for child and family services. The 2014-2015 Main Estimates include $700,000 to stabilize and enhance this program.
But that’s not the only way we reach out to children and their families. Social workers can offer children and families in need a variety of preventative supports such as counseling, in-home services, respite care, parenting programs, assistance in addressing financial situations, access to alcohol and drug treatment, and so on. Parents and families can and do access these services on an entirely voluntary basis.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the annual report, tabled last week, demonstrates an increase in the percentage of children who are now receiving these services in their home communities.
A number of the recommendations made by the 16th Assembly Standing Committee on Social Programs dealt with the policies and procedures guiding child protection interventions. I am pleased to report that the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual is undergoing a major revision. The new manual, which will be completed next year, will reflect contemporary best practices, and will incorporate the recommendations of the previous standing committee. The 2014-2015 Capital Estimates include funding for a new Child and Family Information System, which will greatly enhance our ability to do file audits and track individual cases.
Parents also need help understanding how the system operates, and toward that end the Department of Health and Social Services has produced a series of plain-language pamphlets explaining how to access services, what their rights are, what happens in court and what plans of care are all about.
The recommendations of the previous standing committee have also been taken into account in revisions to the department’s training program for child protection workers. Training programs for the supervisors and managers of child protection workers have been enhanced and continue to be expanded. Training in child protection work has even been extended to the administrative level; for the first time ever, some chief executive officers and senior administrators from regional health and social services authorities received training on the Child and Family Services Act in December of last year. These training initiatives will continue on an ongoing basis.
Mr. Speaker, the chair of the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Programs, Mr. Moses, has commented that addictions and poverty are not only issues in and of themselves but they are often the root causes of child protection concerns. For that reason, I believe that this government’s support for the Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness will, over time, lead to further improvements, not just for those struggling with addictions but more broadly in the lives of children, parents, families and communities. The same can be said for this government’s initiative to reduce poverty. It too will help prevent children from becoming in need of protection.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, some real progress has been made in child and family services, but we still have a long way to go. Later this session I will be speaking to the matter of next steps after the auditor’s report has been tabled in this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mr. Speaker, our government is in the final stages of entering into a memorandum of agreement with our federal counterparts that will see Northerners servicing RCMP assets in the Northwest Territories.
In the past, the federal government’s southern contractor arranged services for the operations, maintenance and minor renovation of RCMP houses, detachments and other assets. There are 112 RCMP facilities in 24 communities. With the contract due for renewal, we saw the opportunity for a more economical alternative.
Over the last eight months, the departments of Justice and Public Works and Services have worked collaboratively with our federal counterparts to determine the best way to deliver these important services.
The Department of Public Works and Services has an established, decentralized northern workforce with years of experience in the operations and maintenance of government infrastructure. We have strong working relationships with local resources who support the delivery of these services in our 33 communities. Our northern workforce is in the best position to maintain northern RCMP facilities.
The benefits of having these services provided by those most familiar with our communities, and often challenging northern conditions, cannot be underestimated. We expect to see improved responsiveness and maintenance to the RCMP through the expanded use of local and northern resources in our remote communities. Drawing from GNWT resources and contractors located in our communities and regional centres will improve the maintenance program’s efficiency.
There will be improved contracting and employment opportunities for local and northern businesses as our maintenance and minor project needs expand.
We expect to see improved energy management with opportunities to invest in initiatives such as biomass and other renewable energy and conservation options.
Adding 112 RCMP assets to the portfolio of buildings and facilities PWS already operates and maintains is an opportunity to create jobs in our small communities, a priority for our government. Five new positions are being created through the agreement to help meet these new responsibilities, including jobs in Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson, Norman Wells, Hay River and Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, this shared initiative with the Department of Justice will better support the delivery of RCMP programs and services in our communities while responsibly managing our expenditure growth. We will enhance contracting opportunities for small businesses and create employment in our regions and smaller communities where they are needed the most.
We look forward to seeing this initiative in action starting in April, and will continue to seek opportunities to collaborate with other public agencies to improve the quality and efficiency of government programs in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.
Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, addiction to drugs or alcohol is the number one issue facing many northern inmates. The Department of Justice is taking steps to enhance addictions programs through the corrections service.
Recently this Assembly supported the South Slave Mackenzie Correctional Centre through the hiring of three new staff to develop and deliver an intensive addictions program for inmates. Inmates wishing to participate are accepted into the program based on several factors, including their readiness for change. The first intake for this new program was on October 24, 2013. I am pleased to report that, to date, 17 people have now completed this program.
Mr. Speaker, not only do we recognize the need for addictions treatment, we also understand the importance that culture and traditions have in the healing process. This new program has a strong cultural component. Inmates participate in on-the-land activities, learn traditional skills, and take part in smudges and feeding the fire ceremonies. They receive one-on-one addictions counseling and work with corrections staff to develop goals, build communication skills, and improve their ability to resolve conflict. A small ceremony is held for those inmates who complete the program to acknowledge this achievement.
Over 28 days, corrections staff work with these inmates to build a therapeutic environment focused on substance abuse treatment. Mr. Speaker, as with all programs, it’s important to make sure the method we are taking is effective. That is why we are using a comprehensive approach when it comes to our evaluations.
In addition to initial acceptance evaluations, facilitators complete final reports for each inmate, outlining their progress and potential for reintegration into the community. As well, all inmates provide program evaluations in order to garner valuable feedback on their experience. Counsellors use this and other information for program improvement.
The approach of the new drug and alcohol treatment program at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre is consistent with the philosophy and goals of the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, and reflects our commitment to the Assembly’s vision of strong individuals, families and communities. The program makes the important link between traditional and western therapeutic and wellness approaches. As well, it provides mental health and addictions services that are relevant to the needs of the inmates participating in the program.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice will be offering this program three times a year, allowing inmates the flexibility to identify when they are ready to make a significant change in their life. I am hopeful that this addictions program provides the assistance these inmates need to make a new start for themselves and their families and, ultimately, makes our communities safer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mr. Speaker, culture and language support our identity and help strengthen the common goals of NWT communities. I am pleased to announce that, through the work of the Department of Human Resources, the Government of the Northwest Territories is now able to offer certificates of recognition to our employees in each of the 11 official languages of the Northwest Territories. Certificates of recognition are presented to employees who have shown dedication and commitment to the public service and include both long service and retirement.
These employees have reached significant milestones in their careers and it is important for the GNWT, as the employer, to recognize these worthy achievements. Being able to celebrate these achievements through their language and culture offers employees an opportunity to connect with their heritage and be proud of what they have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the translators at the Francophone Affairs Secretariat and the Aboriginal language translators contracted for this work. The Aboriginal language translators are well known throughout the NWT for their translation expertise. Many of the translators worked closely with elders to ensure consistency in the finished material. Having the opportunity to work with these translators and seeing the passion for their culture and the pride taken in appropriate use of their language has been a very positive experience for the department staff.
Preserving, promoting and celebrating our official languages in our daily work helps keep our unique culture and heritage alive for future generations. The dedication to official languages is a direct tribute to the hardworking and diverse cultures and peoples we have here in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, whether an employee has a language connection through family history, or they are celebrating a culture they have grown close to through their time in the North, use of the official languages in our work environment like certificates of recognition allows employees to be connected and proud of the diverse values and cultures of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I spoke about the timeline for replacing Moose Kerr School in Aklavik. Today I’m continuing this theme.
Moose Kerr was constructed in 1969, exactly the same time Samuel Hearne High School was built in Inuvik. Samuel Hearne was demolished and replaced a couple of years ago. My constituents would like to know why Moose Kerr School is still standing. At 45 years old, it’s overdue for replacement.
The Minister of Education stated in the House last week that Moose Kerr School is slated for replacement or major renovations in 2019. That’s five years from now.
I’m concerned about potential safety hazards at the school, specifically whether asbestos poses a risk to children’s health. Asbestos was routinely used in building products until the 1970s and 1980s, so a building like Moose Kerr School, constructed in 1969, very likely contains asbestos. Indeed, Samuel Hearne was built at precisely at the same time and in the same region of the Northwest Territories and it contained asbestos. It can be supplied by inference that Moose Kerr School contains asbestos as well.
There is scientific consensus about the harmful effects of asbestos. Whenever a material containing asbestos gets disturbed, the tiny microscopic fibres are released into the air. When they are breathed in, they can become trapped in the lungs and stay there for many years. Over time, the fibres can cause serious health problems such as lung disease and cancer.
Over a decade ago, the Department of Public Works released an Asbestos Management Plan. Surveys and site investigations were performed to determine which Public Works’ buildings contained asbestos. The intent, then and now, is to manage asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs as they are called. Until such time as removal becomes practical or necessary, a detailed inventory of ACMs was prepared for each building and is apparently maintained through periodic inspection reports.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Information is also kept about the condition of the asbestos and the need for repairs, abatement or maintenance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Public Works later today.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak about something which does not directly affect my constituency, but I have listened to the questions and the statements of Members from small communities for far too long, and today I’m going to jump in on the issue of nurses and RCMP in small communities.
Hay River has the good fortune of a well-staffed RCMP detachment and a well-staffed health authority, so we don’t face the challenges of small communities, but I understand the concerns that exist when you do not have these services in the community.
When we look at other jurisdictions in Canada like Ontario and Quebec, they have provincial police forces. The RCMP is not under contract to everyone. I don’t know why we cannot get creative here in the Northwest Territories, why we cannot pick respected people out of communities and train them, maybe through some kind of a partnership agreement with the RCMP, send them to Depot, deputize them as special constables or community constables and have them there. Yes, when the RCMP do go to visit in the community, they could work with them.
But I know that in British Columbia, for example, there is a First Nations police training institute, so obviously there are First Nations, as well, that have reserves and so on that have some form of policing there that is not part of the RCMP.
I just think we need to get more creative. When we say we can’t have a nurse in the community because there’s no RCMP presence there, we have school teachers in the communities and there’s no RCMP presence there. I mean, what’s the difference? Furthermore, if you want to take it a step further, we can’t have a nurse in the community because there’s no RCMP but we have everybody else who lives in the community without an RCMP presence. I mean, what is that? Some kind of a double standard that we have here?
I think that this government could get a lot more serious about having some kind of a policing presence, whether it is a police force or something that our government creates. We have Canadian Rangers from almost all of the communities. That’s an organization that’s well trained, well equipped. That’s volunteers, in that instance, but there’s another organization that possesses some of the skills already that RCMP needs when it comes to search and rescue and the ability to be on the land.
So, I’m sorry, I no longer buy this theory. I understand that because of RCMP rules we may not be able to have detachments in every community, but we can have a police presence of some kind and we need to get way more creative about figuring that out.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d certainly love to join Mrs. Groenewegen’s support for nurses and RCMP in small communities; however, I’m going to talk about the importance of life on the land for our people in our communities, people who fish on the Great Slave Lake, people who hunt up in the Bear Lake area and on the Mackenzie River, people who hunt up in the Beaufort-Delta, people who live on the land. Yesterday I heard from Mr. Ramsay that there’s a lot of support from our community members who make a life on the land either fishing, hunting or trapping and one of the things that I wanted to speak about, that’s a way of life for people.
Now, the way of life today costs a lot of money for us to go out on the land and to provide for our people. As a matter of fact, in my community profile of the people consume on-the-land food, up to 75, 76, 80, 90 percent in Colville Lake, take food from the land. Our families are important for our hunters and trappers, and looking at the different programs we have, I don’t really see anything for trappers or hunters where they want to take their families to continue this way of life, to teach them the value of life, to teach them the values of the land and the animals and to learn out there. There’s not really a program set in place so the families can say yes, we want to take our family out, but rather they have to leave them back in the community because it costs so much to go out there and make their life out there.
At one time it wasn’t an issue because that was our way of life. Today life has changed over to somewhat of an economy-based life. Now the furs are taken for money so that they can continue on with this, so we’re at the real crux of our lifestyle in the communities. We continue on with the way of life, or we shift over now to an industrial wage economy like where that knowledge is becoming our way of life.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re almost at the end of it, but February is Heart Month and, unfortunately, every 26 minutes a Canadian suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. It happens without warning, to anyone, anywhere, killing more Canadians each year than car accidents, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer combined. Without help, sudden cardiac arrest victims have just minutes to live. Each minute that passes decreases their chance of survival by nearly 10 percent. It’s scary that the majority of people killed by sudden cardiac arrest have no history of heart disease.
Eighty-five percent of all cardiac arrests occur in homes or public spaces, public spaces like hockey rinks, community centres and Legislatures. The single most important factor in survival from sudden cardiac arrest may be early defibrillation therapy.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the early use of a defibrillator along with CPR, before the arrival of emergency services, can increase the chance of survival by up to 75 percent. An automated external defibrillator, AED, is an electronic device used to restart a person’s heart. It’s safe, easy to use, it’s small enough that it can be installed at locations in any community and it can be operated effectively by the lay public. If we have defibrillators installed in public spaces with people trained and confident to use them, thousands of Canadian lives can be saved every year.
Research states that in order to be effective, AEDs should be within 100 metres of the scene of a cardiac arrest so a bystander is able to retrieve it and return within three minutes, but currently there are no national guidelines on AEDs, nor is there a central registry of devices. Regulations and policies vary greatly across the country. Perhaps the best situation is in Manitoba where legislation regarding AEDs was recently enacted. As of January 2014, all public places in Manitoba that are listed in the regulations of the act will be required, by law, to have an AED on site, places such as community centres, golf courses, schools, airports, city hall, the law courts and the Legislative Assembly.
The NWT would be well advised to follow Manitoba’s lead. Legislation would enable increased community capacity to respond to sudden cardiac arrest.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
NWT legislation would provide clear protection from liability, would designate the public places where AEDs must be made available, and ensure that AEDs are registered and properly maintained so they’re ready for use when they’re needed. By setting in place protocols for distributing and maintaining these lifesaving tools, we can protect NWT residents from loss of life. We could be on the leading edge of health care for our residents.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to rise today to commend coaches, sponsors and organizers for hosting the Paul Stipdonk Memorial Soccer Tournament in Fort Simpson last weekend. Paul Stipdonk was a long-time Northerner and teacher in Fort Simpson. Paul loved working with the youth in the sport of soccer. He spent many hours of his personal time coaching, fundraising, refereeing, organizing and developing new tournaments and travelling to events.
With Paul’s passing away this past August, the Mackenzie Recreation Association asked the family if they could rename the youth soccer tournament in his name. The family was very much honoured and felt a lot of pride to have this tournament named after him. This is the fourth tournament that has been renamed to recognize outstanding individuals in the Mackenzie region. The other three tournaments are the Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament, the Scott McAdam Badminton Tournament, and the Lawrie Hobart Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Fort Smith.
This is Fort Simpson’s third year hosting the indoor soccer tournament for under six, under eight, under 10 and under 12 teams. The idea was developed by Michael Botermans, Paul Stipdonk and Shane Thompson, great contributors to the sports in our North.
This year the tournament saw teams from Fort Providence, Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, and the coolest thing was that for the first time there were teams from Wrigley and Trout Lake. The tournament is a bit different than the other ones hosted in the region. The teams are co-ed. The concept is for the youth to have fun, enjoy this sport, develop their soccer skills and make new friends over the weekend. There are no losers, no banners and no medals. This year everyone received soccer balls with Paul’s name on it and shin guards for all the athletes that did not have them. Fun and safety is a priority of the tournament. The categories all played round robin formats. There was around 135 youth ranging from the age of three and a half years old to 12 years old, 40 first-timers and four with disabilities.
A number of teams brought coaches and assistant coaches for the weekend. There were 35 volunteers, 350 hours of volunteer time and eight youth coaches and chaperones. The sponsors of the tournament, and I would like to thank them: Mackenzie Recreation Association, Village of Fort Simpson, Bompas Elementary School, Thomas Simpson School and students, PR Contracting, MACA, the Regional Youth Sport Events Program.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mr. Speaker, it won’t be long before students across the NWT begin their annual search for summer employment. Many students in our small communities are disadvantaged by the fact that there are not enough summer job opportunities in their home communities. Some of these students have been studying away from home and look forward to returning to their families for the summer months. They also want the chance for the important on-the-job training that will help them reach their employment goals and pay for their schooling. It will not be possible for many of them to find meaningful job opportunities in their home communities unless the government makes it a priority to put summer jobs in small communities, not just in regional centres.
In 2012 the GNWT hired 308 summer students, an increase of 9 percent from 2011. Almost 55 percent of our students in 2012 were northern Aboriginal students. Last year the government only managed to hire 280 students, the lowest number in three years and the lowest percentage, just over 50 percent of Aboriginal students in the same time frame.
I want to strongly urge managers in all GNWT departments, boards and agencies to make 2014 a record year for the number of northern and First Nations students employed in meaningful summer jobs, especially in smaller communities.
I understand that each department, board and agency makes its own decisions about summer student hiring based on their needs and budgets. Summer students need guidance and mentorship. This can make more work for busy public servants when you push summer student hiring to the back burner when there are more pressing program priorities.
Have the Ministers spoken with their senior managers and instructed them to make this a priority? I’m asking each Cabinet Minister in this Assembly to take a moment to show leadership and encourage your departments, boards and agencies to hire a record number of summer students this year. Set target numbers, make it a part of managers’ performance appraisals, make it a prerequisite for bonuses paid to senior staff, do more detailed reporting. Next year in the Public Service Annual Report I hope to see statistics that show our target for summer student hiring and how we did in meeting these targets, and the total percentage of NWT students seeking employment who were successful in getting jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Summer students are our future public servants. They bring fresh energy and fresh ideas, they can take on tasks that are important but haven’t been done because of workload challenges. When we give our students jobs in the communities, we keep them in the North and we help them to put down strong roots to ensure our communities continue to thrive and grow in years to come. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just before Christmas the governments of Canada and the NWT accepted the recommendations of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board regarding the plan to deal with the arsenic at Giant Mine in Weledeh. Today I rise to recognize their decision and point out that this is an example of the current regulatory system functioning in the way it should, functioning in a way that produces the best result for people.
The Government of Canada and GNWT finally have a plan for Giant Mine that makes sense. Previously, they claimed that the frozen block method was the final solution that paradoxically would keep the arsenic contained for an infinite period of time as long as they maintained the system. To the public, especially groups like the Yellowknives Dene and Alternatives North, this was unacceptable. Thankfully, the City of Yellowknife was listening and used the legislation to trigger a full environmental review. The review board subsequently held hearings and heard the public’s concern.
Recognizing that the proposed plan was only a short-term partial solution, the board refocused Giant Mine on an interim solution with stipulation with continuing research towards a complete solution within 100 years. In addition, the project will be subject to independent public oversight, similar to that for diamond mines.
With appropriate support, our environmental review process clearly can work. When federal and territorial proponents insisted they had a fine plan, the public review process forced them to think things through more carefully. Subsequent amendments sealed a much improved plan and a much more sensible mindset. With full understanding, we now also know we must never put ourselves in this situation again.
As we institute devolution, the travesty of the Giant Mine legacy is a front and centre reminder of what happens when we naively let resource extraction proceed without careful oversight to clean things up along the way. An important reminder as in just weeks we will assume clean-up responsibility for all operating mines in the NWT.
I would like to thank all who were involved in getting the Giant Mine Stabilization Plan in the Weledeh riding back on track. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the days get longer and the spring comes closer, the community of Hay River needs to prepare again for break-up. As usual, I need to stand in front of this House and dredge up a similar statement that I’ve made about dredging the Hay River, the requirements that are needed in the community of Hay River for dredging.
This dredging is required for industry, it’s needed for the commercial fishery, it’s needed for recreational use and also needed for the public safety. As breakup goes on, if we dredge the Hay River there will be more capacity for that water and ice to flow through the community, making the community safer.
I’ve been here for three years and I’ve had to make this statement and make this request to the Department of Transportation that we need to figure out a solution to the dredging issue in Hay River.
We now have a new Minister of Transportation and I’m looking forward to some questions with him and hopefully get some more results for the dredging of the Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On February 21, 2013, then Minister of Human Resources made a statement in this House that the Government of the Northwest Territories signed a memorandum of understanding agreement with the Union of Northern Workers. The agreement outlined procedures for employees to safely disclose allegations of wrongdoings within the government, known as the Safe Disclosure of Information, and the MOU was to take effect April 1, 2013.
Some of these highlights included providing employees with access to an independent mechanism for them to confidentially report situations where the employee in good faith believes that there has been a misuse of public funds, an illegal act, gross mismanagement or a substantial and specific danger to health and safety or to the environment. Also, it talks about providing employees, who in good faith make such a report, protection from reprisal by the employer ensuring that the interim provisions are not preventing an employee from accessing or fulfilling any obligations under any existing legislation, policy, process or collective agreement provisions, which provide a mechanism to address the employee concerns. There are other provisions to this agreement that have taken place and they just went through the first year of this agreement.
Our GNWT employees are our most valuable resource and the majority of them do work on the front lines. They’ve seen firsthand the operations of government departments and also the work that goes on within these departments. We want to encourage them to let us know what’s happening, both good and otherwise, who in good faith believe a wrongdoing has occurred and can bring those allegations forward freely in a confidential and safe manner.
The agreement also states that employees should never, ever fear reprisal from their employer by doing this and I support them in doing so. That’s why we went ahead and supported this agreement when we were discussing it in the 17th Assembly.
Finally, the Minister stated in his statement that there will be a safe disclosure coordinator as well as a safe disclosure panel and that they would report annually. I look forward to reading this report, but in the meantime I will have questions later today for the Minister of Human Resources to get an update on how this project has gone this past year since its inception on April 1, 2013. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve stood up in this House a few times to express my concerns about the mines not meeting their socio-economic targets, especially in the area of jobs. But rather than wasting today’s time and certainly the public’s time, I’m hearing Minister Ramsay defend why they continue to have failures in certain areas. Let’s build upon what we know and let’s turn it into a success.
Everybody in the Assembly here knows that mines perform a regular performance reporting and they write out and explain where they have met their key targets and components on the socio-economic agreements and those are between the government and the mines. These reports are publicly available, if you can find them somewhere buried in a website or whatnot, and they do even track trends and certain other items. But let’s use this opportunity not just to talk about trends, let’s build it into a measure that’s meaningful that people can start to understand it. Let’s use these annual reports to publicize clearly, meaningfully in a format that all Northerners, the everyday person can see and understand. We can do business not only better, but we can finally show them we are doing business, which would be an interesting shock.
This government measures, from time to time, culture, community, family, individual well-being, traditional and non-traditional economy. We even look at things such as net effects on government and sustainability. We can do it, so let’s start doing it now.
These are all very important things, but how do we know the mines are living up to their commitment, the ones that they contractually are bound to do that we sort of negotiated, but of course, we have no enforcement tool. Where I’m going with this is maybe it’s time that we start publicizing through a regular occurrence once a year, I say if we put in the newspaper in a simple format with some charts, some graphs and explain mine number A, agreement on employment, they’re meeting these targets, and we can demonstrate that to Northerners.
Quite often a Northerner will come to me and say, you know, the other day my family and I came from Edmonton. We got on that plane and we didn’t know anybody on that plane. Are they all mine workers? Are they hiring any Northerners at all? I think that’s a fair question, because a lot of Northerners think that none of those jobs are going to Northerners who actually live here.
What can we do? It’s time that the government starts publicizing mine commitments in the newspaper once a year, show people through graphs, statistics and black and white facts. Are they meeting them or are they not? Some are doing a great job and some are not.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the wake of accepting the meagre budget for the Mental Health and Addictions Plan, reluctantly, I must add, I have decided to give this topic a bit of sunshine today.
We have heard, been reaffirmed and even guaranteed by the Minister of Health and Social Services that our residents today are in better care in their most desperate time of need. We are told that in 24 hours or less if you come forward with addiction issues you’ll be whisked away to one of four out-of-territory fabulous resorts where you’ll be given state-of-the-art care, and this is all being done at huge savings compared to what we were offering at Nats'ejee K'eh.
Many of us from the Social Programs committee have visited the Poundmaker’s Lodge in St. Albert, and I agree, there appears to be a successful addiction treatment centre there. But, in reality, are there savings, or should it be about savings? Are we spending the right amount of budget dollars as we did before in addictions or are we spending more? Clearly, addictions, especially alcohol addiction being the number one social issue in the North, is it getting the right investment? I mean, surely this government must be spending enough money to remedy this huge social epidemic.
Well, we know that from past budgets Nats’ejee K’eh received a little over $2 million a year in funding, so we must be at least spending this or more to treat addictions. No? I mean, we waited over two years for mental health and addictions plans from this government, so we must be serious about investing some money to take a bite out of addictions, right?
Let’s take a look at the budget of this long-awaited Mental Health and Addictions Plan, shall we? On-the-land treatment program, $900,000. Check. Children and Youth Resiliency Program, $500,000. Check. Four lofty contracts for out-of-territory provincial treatment program, $1 million. Check. Cha-ching! It comes up to $2.4 million. Ironically, slightly more than we were given annually for Nats’ejee K’eh.
Where is the bit and the bite? Where is the real investment with addictions? Sadly, these numbers speak for themselves. When this government spends more in building one kilometre of new highway than dealing with the number one issue plaguing our generation, this is more than shameful. It’s embarrassing.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
