Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in his capacity as the Minister responsible for income support programs.
I think everybody in this room is aware that we’ve recently implemented a new financial system and I think we’re probably all aware that implementation of software generally causes problems, as does any programming change; there are bugs to be worked out and so on. My constituents have, unfortunately, experienced the effect of some of those bugs from the system. So I’d like to ask the Minister what has been the impact of SAM, the new financial information system, on the provision of income support payments to their clients. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular area has been a real true challenge since the SAM system has been implemented dealing with income support clientele. At the same time, we try to expedite the process itself on to the communities. We deal with 33 communities, so it’s quite challenging. But at the same time I think we are improving our system as we go along.
There have been some certain circumstances where there's been some delays that the Member is alluding to; we’ve remedied the situation, but there are others out there as well. But we’ll do what we can as a department, whether we issue manual cheques in the meantime. But it is a system that has created some challenges at our doorstep and we must overcome those challenges and we are working with it. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister for that answer and I appreciate that the department is working their way through the problems. But when a problem does occur, when an income support payment to a client is delayed, I’d like to know whether or not the department has protocols or policies in place to help the staff work their way through a particular delayed payment. To me the most important thing is to ensure that the clients get their monthly income support payment as soon as possible. So does there exist something within the department protocols or policies that the staff can use to ensure that clients get their payments within a reasonable time frame when a system problem is encountered or some other delay? Thank you.
Mahsi. This particular issue is very complex. With our caseloads, they’ve almost doubled, dealing with the income support clientele. At the same time we have our resources, experts in these areas that deal with individual clients in the communities and there are certain areas where they need more information. That kind of delays the process itself. We stress to the clients and we stress to the communities in the Northwest Territories that we require all the documentation before we issue, whether it be subsidies or cheques or SFA and so forth. So it’s all depending on the documentation. At the same time we deal with the system itself, but there are processes in place where individuals assist each other, the clientele in the communities, the superintendents, the client service officers, and our first priority is the clientele so they can have food and shelter in their communities.
Thank you. I accept that answer from the Minister, but my concern is not with a problem where the client has not provided all the information that’s required for the officer to make a decision or to approve the payment. My concern is when it’s a system problem or when it happens to be a staff error, which, heaven knows, unfortunately occurs. At no fault of the client, some of them have had to wait until well past the 15th of the month in order to get their monthly income support payment. In my mind, that’s not acceptable. So I’d like to ask the Minister what date, when during a month should a client expect to receive their income support payment. What is an accepted amount of time that they must wait?
The timing would vary in the communities. At the same time we certainly don’t want clients to wait as long as they could. We try to issue, whether it be manual cheques if the system is down. In small communities we certainly deal with issues pertaining to the technology or the Internet system. We have to keep those in mind as well. If those happen, then we go with the manual cheque run. We do what we can to deliver service into the communities. There are some glitches. There are some challenges before us, but we continue to work with it.
Twice now I’ve heard the Minister say that we issue cheques. I understand that cheques are mailed out, that people can’t go and pick up their cheques. I have a bit of a difficulty with two things: one, that somebody has to wait for a cheque to be mailed -- goodness knows Canada Post is not the most efficient organization in the world -- and the other is that we have to issue cheques. So one way to speed up payments to clients, in my estimate, is to allow for electronic direct deposit to a client’s bank account. I know that doesn’t work in all communities, but is this something, can the Minister advise, that ECE will put in place to speed up payments to clients?
I’m glad the Member raised that issue. Those are the key factors that we’ll take into consideration on a going forward basis. Like I said, there’s always room for improvement and those are areas we will continue to make progress.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about possibly our Territory breaking out, embarking onto a new vision of opportunity. I talked about perhaps the opportunity of our WSCC working more closely together with the Yukon WCB. We’ve heard many times over, from our constituents, about the cost of rates and the services provided, and one of the troubling factors that keeps rising always is the fact that we have a small base of population to do these types of calculations.
The WCB in the Yukon, I can’t tell you if they’re in favour of this idea or not, but one thing I can tell you is that when I was in Whitehorse recently I know the discussion of joining perhaps the multi-jurisdiction idea has never been discussed. My questions will be directed to the Minister of WCB specific to this embarkment of uncharted territory, I’d like to define it as.
Would the Minister for WCB let this House know if this concept has ever been discussed about working together in a more close-knit environment of a pan-territorial WCB?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not aware of any discussions that have ever happened before about combining WSCC with the Yukon. We have a good arrangement with Nunavut and, obviously, this is going to have to be a venture that works well for us and Nunavut before we even think about entering into any kind of discussion.
I think the opportunity really lies before us as breaking out of our normal way of doing business. I mean, the demands on public government to find new ways to be more efficient, to be smarter with the money we’re given, and certainly to be more responsive to our constituent needs. Here lies an opportunity before us that we could do this. I’d ask the Minister of WSCC if he would consider engaging this type of dialogue with not just his Nunavut counterpart but also extending out to the Yukon Legislature to their WCB Minister and perhaps maybe opening up a dialogue for this type of venture.
We can always open up a dialogue, but if it’s not a deal that makes sense for the ratepayers of the Northwest Territories and employers of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, then this is something we won’t even consider. It has to make sense for us. There would be a whole lot more to it than just asking them to partner up. There would be a reorganization of staff and everything. It would be quite a complicated process. Bottom line is that is has to make good business sense for us to even consider partnering up with the Yukon.
I think the Minister misunderstands my point. I’m not talking about subsidizing the WCB of the Yukon Territory. I’m talking about finding a joint partnership where perhaps we can create a pan-territorial WCB that could work for the three of us. If it means that we could streamline our legislation that works cooperatively, if it means that we could streamline our administration, perhaps that’s the route, or perhaps it means our investment of our money that we collect through the WCB rates. That’s the type of thinking that I’m suggesting that we take that approach as opposed to subsidizing in a way that doesn’t make sense to the bottom line of our present system. I know that it’s uncharted territory and it certainly couldn’t be done at the will of one MLA or even the will of one Minister, but I’m asking the Minister if he would be willing to engage in this type of discussion and certainly keep all Members informed and apprised to any potential developments of if this idea could become a real initiative.
I’ll commit to the Member that I’ll have a discussion with my counterpart in the Yukon and see if there’s any interest on their part. Maybe they think it’s not a very good idea, otherwise I’m sure the discussions would have happened a long time ago. I will commit to the Member that I will at least raise it with the Minister and see if there’s any appetite for it.
Mr. Speaker, I have returns to the following written questions: Written Question 2-16(4) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on October 19, 2009, to the Hon. Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, regarding on-the-land alcohol and drug treatments; Written Question 3-16(4) asked by Mr. Bromley on October 26, 2009, to the Hon. Floyd Roland, Premier, regarding details on contracts awarded to former Ministers; Written Question 4-16(4) asked by Mr. Bromley on October 26, 2009, to the Hon. Floyd Roland, Premier, regarding contracts to former Members of the Legislative Assembly and senior staff; Written Question 6-16(4) asked by Mr. Ramsay on October 26, 2009, to the Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding the total cost of Ecole Allain St-Cyr expansion; Written Question 7-16(4) asked by Mr. Krutko on October 28, 2009, to the Hon. Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, regarding the breakdown of health professional visits to Tsiigehtchic; Written Question 8-16(4) asked by Mr. Bromley on October 29, 2009, to the Hon. Robert C. McLeod, Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, regarding vacancy of public housing units; Written Question 9-16(4) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on November 2, 2009, to the Hon. Robert R. McLeod, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, regarding renewable energy and cost of living initiatives in the Sahtu region; Written Question 10-16(4) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on November 4, 2009, to the Hon. Michael McLeod, Minister of Transportation, regarding infrastructure in the Sahtu region; Written Question 11-16(4) asked by Mr. Krutko on November 5, 2009, to the Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding income security services in Tsiigehtchic; Written Question 12-16(4) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on November 5, 2009, to the Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, regarding the GNWT Science Agenda; and Written Question 13-16(4) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on November 5, 2009, to the Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding Sahtu students’ academic achievement levels.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Colleagues, before I go on I’d like to draw your attention to the visitor’s gallery and the presence of former Member Mr. Leon Lafferty, who is in the gallery.
Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, and the committee wishes to report that Bill 2 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has completed the review of Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, and Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Summary Convictions Act, and wishes to report that Bills 4 and 7 are ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 7-16(4), I wish to table the following document titled Breakdown of Health Professional Visits to Tsiigehtchic 2008-2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 8-16(4), I wish to table the following document titled NWT Housing Corporation Public Housing Vacancy Status. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
