Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As many of us know, there is a shortage of foster parents and foster families in the Northwest Territories. When we have a challenge where a family needs help, and they’re travelling out of territory where services need to be provided, I find that very discouraging. We need to get more work and more programs to help these families out and look into it further.
I’d just like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services specifically what his strategy is to increase and recruit more foster families in the Northwest Territories.
The top recruiters for foster parents are other foster parents. Through this coalition and just the foster parents within the communities, some of the communities have groups that are head of the various foster parent organizations in the larger communities. They are helping the social workers and the child protection workers in the communities to recruit. Generally our recruiting is through foster parents and through child protection staff.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions about the recent report of the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development on Financial Insurances for Environmental Concerns. The commissioner reviewed Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Development Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, and others, and reviewed their protection of public finances. Unfortunately, they found major shortcomings. Costs have now accelerated to over $8 billion of public liability. That’s taxpayer dollars.
The number one factor was intra-northern resource development projects. We’re standing to inherit this very soon. The NWT alone likely has almost a billion dollars in liabilities right now that the federal government is working on.
Given the modest, I think it’s about $64 million for operations that have been negotiated for a land and environmental management regime, the clear shortcomings of the federal government as identified by the commissioner, and the likely unaffordability of the GNWT in light of such costs – I mean, those are 10 times what we expect to have for operations, 10 to 15 years’ worth of the net fiscal benefit we’re expecting – how is this being addressed in devolution negotiations?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The report was just released yesterday. From the accounts that I’ve read, most of the references were to other provinces or territories. The commissioner referred to mines in Nunavut and Labrador.
I should point out that we’re still negotiating the terms of devolution arrangements. Those considerations will be taken into account as we finalize the agreement.
The Northwest Territories is showing the way in terms of environmental protection with our mines. The three diamond mines have modern environmental agreements which had to put up the highest amount and levels of security for cleanup of the mines once they shut down. Certainly the Member is correct, as a smaller jurisdiction, when we achieve devolution, we’re going to pay a lot more attention to the inspections of mines because we have to make sure that we protect our interests.
The Premier is actually incorrect there. In fact, the report refers to the Northwest Territories extensively. We, of course, have some of the most globally featured dire environmental disasters from our mines currently ongoing. The report says that in 2011, 70 percent of site inspections required under operating permits were not done in the Northwest Territories, in fact. This is obviously of great concern and leaves these projects that are developing disasters that we know nothing about as we stand to inherit them. Uninspected and unregulated, we have no idea if these current operations aren’t contaminated sites in the making.
Will this government require that the federal government put that house in order, do its inspections, update the security amounts, and ensure security is trustworthy – all of which were identified as concerns by the commissioner – before we accept the transfer of responsibility for abandoned and operating sites?
If the Member wants to point fingers, I’d say he’s incorrect with regard to inspections of the diamond mines in the Northwest Territories. All three of the mines have environmental monitoring agencies that are tasked specifically to make sure the mines are operated in an environmental way so that all the environment is protected. Those environmental monitoring arrangements have been in place for over 10 years.
The Premier again avoided the question and did not answer the question. The facts are clear that 70 percent of the inspections in the Northwest Territories, the commissioner has said, were not done in 2011 when our diamond mines were operating. All I can do is quote the commissioner.
My last question is: Additional issues were identified such as security shortfalls, lack of good and timely environmental information to our management boards and our First Nations who have responsibilities for environmental review process, concerned about impacts on fisheries and oceans offshore and so on, at the same time we’re disassembling the environmental protection regime, so failure of the Government of Canada to address regulatory issues that have been identified repeatedly in reviews, including reviews that they’ve done. What is our strategy, and how will we protect our people financially and environmentally in taking over this faulty and diminished protection system?
As the Prime Minister indicated, the commissioner’s report is a useful piece of advice that will help guide future decision-making. That will follow through to the Northwest Territories once it’s devolved. The question becomes are we better off now than we are in the future. I’m saying that, with devolution, our government will have to pay much closer attention to all of these environmental requirements because we are a smaller jurisdiction and we have to make sure that our interests are protected.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke in this House about my concern with the Department of ITI and its Minister for not sharing a current roadmap of our outdated secondary diamond manufacturing strategy. Recently the Minister took to the world stage to drum up business for the North. Now, as noble as this may sound, the concern of many is what map or compass was he using.
The following questions for the Minister of ITI are to help understand what our course is in the diamond manufacturing area, what is its direction, have we cleaned up the mess from the first go around, and are we ready to proceed on this international stage with this second opportunity.
My first question has to do with the apparent secrecy of the recent signing of Deepak International Ltd. as an approved diamond manufacturer. Now, we are all aware that the Minister has the authority to designate this approved status of NWT diamond producers, but why did the Minister take it upon himself not to consult the Standing Committee of EDI, nor the Member for Range Lake where the manufacturing is taking place, prior to signing this agreement?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Travelling with me on the diamond and pipeline tour we had the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure. As to the Member’s belief that we negotiated this in secrecy and we didn’t let anybody know, on numerous occasions as I appeared before the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, when asked about the secondary diamond industry and what we were doing, I made it very clear that we were seeking investment.
When it comes to proprietary and confidential trade agreements with companies, that is something that has to be held in the strictest of confidence until such a time as it can be announced, and I would hope that the Member would appreciate that.
I do appreciate the Minister’s response to that, and I do concur that sometimes things need to be negotiated behind closed doors. However, imminent signing of agreements has customarily been shared with all Members, whether it was the diamond sector or oil producing sector. We just ask that the same courtesy be done with all Members on this side of the House.
We would all agree that our first attempt at the secondary diamond industry was a costly mess for taxpayers. That said, has the Department of ITI and its Minister seen to it that all related links to previous Government Certified Retailer’s Club of polar bear and polar ice diamonds be removed from public and industry stakeholders?
This government is taking its direction from the Diamond Policy Framework, which the last government brought into place in 2010 under the Premier in his capacity as the former Minister of ITI. I remember quite clearly pushing the last government quite hard to get that policy framework in place, which would establish rules of engagement for the government going forward.
Quite clearly, that Diamond Policy Framework states that the government will seek investment in a secondary diamond industry. Gone are the days when government would put taxpayers’ dollars at risk in the development of a secondary industry. Folks that want to get into the cut and polish industry here in the Northwest Territories are doing so of their own volition, and certainly, we believe that it can happen here.
If the Member goes back in Hansard over the nine years that I’ve been here, my vision for what a diamond manufacturing industry here in Yellowknife would mean and what diamonds mean is quite clearly stated. I do believe that we are going to be mining diamonds here in the Northwest Territories for decades to come. I believe wholeheartedly that we can have a flourishing secondary industry here in the Northwest Territories. I think this is a very positive step that the government’s taken and we’re not finished there. I think there’s a lot more good news that is going to come.
Again, I’m working very hard at trying to attract new investment into the secondary industry and into the exploration area so that we can find more diamonds here in the Northwest Territories and get more jobs and opportunities for people.
Again, I do appreciate the Minister giving a great policy statement on how good things are, and I appreciate the fact that there are great things on the horizon. But I asked a question, which was did we clean up the mess, and I didn’t quite think that the Members here nor, I think, the people of the Northwest Territories received that response.
But interestingly enough, one only has to Google key words like GNWT, Retailer’s Club and polar ice diamonds and see that we have today companies like Basal Diamond out of Montreal still selling our alleged government certified polar diamonds. Can the Minister explain how is it this retailer is still linking their products to our defunct government certification program?
I thank the Member for bringing that to our attention, and I’ll certainly have the diamond policy folks at ITI act on that immediately. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister for saying that. I’d also recommend they do a full sweep. There were many more out there in cyberspace.
I believe that it is paramount that the GNWT have a solid secondary diamond industry strategy and policy framework from which to rebuild this international brand. When can we expect the Minister to show to the Members and to industry that we, indeed, have such a roadmap?
Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier of the Diamond Policy Framework that the last government brought in, one that I pushed very hard to see happen. If the Regular Members want the government to take another look at the Diamond Policy Framework, I would be more than happy to work with the chair of the EDI and the EDI committee to see that through.
Certainly, from where I stand, the previous government did a lot of work in this area. The Diamond Policy Framework is there and it states quite clearly what we need to do and how we are to go about seeking that investment, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re getting out there, seeking investment. We want a vibrant secondary industry. We want that value added. As I said, as things progress here, we’ll certainly be keeping Members apprised of what is happening.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister of Health some questions on the replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre. I’d just like to ask exactly what is the process right now for the Fort Simpson Health Centre. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been dealing with the infrastructure people at Health and Social Services, and I’ve recognized that we’re, I think, at the very, very initial stages of looking at the health centre replacement in Fort Simpson. I don’t think it’s scheduled to be replaced within the next five years. Thank you.
Maybe I’ll ask the Health Minister to provide me the detail. I know that we have scheduled some planning study. I think it was for ‘13-14. If the Minister can confirm that, because I know that the facility did get an assessment by Public Works and Services saying that the planning study must be started soon.
Within the planning study, the department has allocated somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000 to complete a planning study. The planning study is scheduled to be finished by March 31st, this year.
If I can ask the Minister to provide me as much detail as he can with regard to the planning study, because I don’t want to be in a situation where we got… I heard through the grapevine that some beds might be reduced or we may not get a replacement facility but a much smaller facility. If the Minister can provide me as much detail, I’d like to see that.
I can keep the Member in the loop. There is no issue there. I’m hoping that this is a facility that will retain at least the number of beds that are in there, whether it’s the acute care or the long-term care beds, that the facility will be at least the size of the facility that is there now. Because the population of the people all across the country is not… The population is getting older and we do need that facility to be up to pace and not scheduled to go down. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I would like to see any planning studies or anything the Minister can share with me before the March 31st completion date, I would really appreciate it, as well as hopefully have an opportunity to come visit Nahendeh during that time as well. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, if the planning study is on schedule, is completed by March 31st, I will provide the planning study to the Member. I can also have the people responsible for the planning study engage the Member. Yes, after March 31st and we’ve had an opportunity to review the planning study, I will accompany the Member to his riding. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently we have had some changes in some of our policies and programs relative to seniors, some of the criteria for our programs for seniors. One of them, for instance, is that we are now charging rent for seniors. We have a rent scale for seniors in public housing.
I have some questions today for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. With the changes that have come into place, now that seniors are paying rent in our public housing, I’d like to ask the Minister how the income levels are set which determine the rent that a senior will pay in any month. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Member to repeat her question, if you don’t mind.
Certainly, I am happy to. With the changes that have taken place with regard to rent scales, now that seniors are paying rent in public housing, I’d like to know from the Minister how the income levels are set which determine the rent that a senior will pay in any one month. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the income levels for the seniors are whatever household income that they bring in with all the different types of income that they are eligible for. As well, we have a $1,000 exemption for the seniors. So $1,000 is exempted from determining their rent that they pay. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister for that. Most of our seniors in the NWT are on a fixed income. If they are on a pension, then they are on a fixed income and it changes very little. But courtesy of the federal government, the Government of Canada, periodically we get pension income increases due to inflation over time and there are adjustments to people’s incomes. So when a senior’s income increases beyond a certain level and puts them into a second level for their assessment of rent, I’d like to know whether or not when we know that seniors’ pension incomes are changing upwards, are the levels that are used to assess seniors’ rent also adjusted for inflation over time. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the income levels for seniors, especially those that are on a very fixed income, the rent assessment won’t change very much. We do have a scale where they are allowed to get up to a certain amount in increases before the rent changes. With the small increases they get with pensions especially, that really doesn’t affect the minimum rent or the rent that they will be paying. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for that. Unfortunately, I have to say to the Minister that if it really doesn’t affect seniors, that means that some of them are affected. I realize that we have a range of income and that most seniors fall in that range, but when they get to the top of that range and go over it and into the next bracket, it’s going to create problems. So there will be some people who are affected.
I’d like to ask the Minister if the impact of increases to pension and to fixed income, if he would look into that, if he would investigate the impact that it would have on our seniors who are now paying rent, and if the Housing Corporation would develop a policy to address it. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we have been investigating, from the beginning of this, how it is affecting our seniors and we continue to look at it. We work with the seniors again. They do have the benefit of the $1,000 exemption, and the bracket would take a significant increase for them to get into the next bracket.
However, the Member asked if I will investigate. I will look at it and I will provide information to the Member. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that commitment. It may not affect too many, but I think if it affects one of our elders or one of our seniors, then it’s important that we look at the impact.
One of the other things that I would like to ask the Minister, there have been instances relayed to me of inconsistencies in rent assessments between seniors, between different LHOs in our communities. So I’d like to know from the Minister what the Housing Corporation does to monitor rent assessments at the LHO level and between LHOs to ensure that there is fairness and consistent assessments across our territory. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, our programs are designed to be more consistent, so all three zones are treated equally. If the Member has specific examples of inconsistencies, I would be pleased to sit down with the Member and hear from the Member any particular cases and we will investigate.
With the new rent scale program, it is very consistent across the board. If there are any inconsistencies the Member pointed out, we would like to know about them so we can address them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
