Debates of March 10, 2005 (day 53)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say first of all, that the appointment of the chair for either of the boards under the Mackenzie Valley Management Act is the responsibility of the federal government. So, Mr. Speaker, having said that, as I said yesterday, I have communicated my preferences to Minister Scott in the past, I have written a letter to him, and last week I attempted to contact him -- I believe it was on Thursday -- and waited for his call. Yesterday I tried to contact him. I did not get to speak to him. I was told that he's in Edmonton or in Alberta today for the memorial for the RCMP officers, but that he would get back to me tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 586-15(3): Appointment Of The Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board Chairperson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can understand that the decision is a federal appointment, but in the spirit of good faith between the federal government and our government, I would expect that they would at least have the courtesy to phone our Premier and find out what the political agenda is here and work with that. I'm wondering if the Premier can let us know how the appointment was made. Was it Minister Scott's call directly, or was the Secretary of State for Northern Development involved, and that happens to be our MP, in this decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 586-15(3): Appointment Of The Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board Chairperson

Mr. Speaker, I can say that I was very surprised, taken aback; in fact angry, yesterday, when I found out, when it was on the 5:30 news, that CBC had gotten this information before we did, before I did and before anybody in our government did. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know for sure who was involved in the announcement, if it was an announcement made. CBC certainly had it. But I did, as well as calling Minister Scott, call our MP and Minister for Northern Development, Ethel Blondin-Andrew. She called me back this morning and certainly apologized for not letting us know. She explained that she thought that we had been told and agreed that from here on she was going to be more diligent in making sure the department is letting us know ahead of time before we hear this sort of thing through the media. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 586-15(3): Appointment Of The Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board Chairperson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That gives us little comfort, I guess. What is done is done. I am wondering, perhaps, as a government, we could look at writing a letter and maybe the Premier’s office can put together a letter and each and every one of us Members in this 15th Legislative Assembly could sign it, outlining our concern over how this appointment was made and the fact that we had to find out on the 5:30 news last evening that the appointment was made before even the Premier knew about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 586-15(3): Appointment Of The Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board Chairperson

Mr. Speaker, I will certainly talk to the Members about that and consider doing a letter which either I would send or could be sent by all Members. This cannot continue to happen, Mr. Speaker. This is why we have to have devolution, because we cannot have these kinds of decisions being made in Ottawa and us finding out after the fact that the decision was made, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, fortunately, Minister Scott is going to be here next week. I think all of us will have an opportunity to speak with him. I certainly will speak with him about the way this was handled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I asked the Minister responsible for the FMBS if he would consider striking the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, he advised me that he was not willing to do this because, in his opinion, he did not want to interrupt the healthy and positive process that is currently underway and that he had an agreement with his colleagues at FMBS. Is the Minister suggesting that a plan put together by a few people in FMBS, who we still don’t know who they are, that has been approved by FMBS, should not be the subject of scrutiny by what I feel would be an unbiased objective and independent panel of qualified individuals? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, scrutiny of what Members of FMB decide should not happen on this floor, as Members have been questioning us to the integrity of what has been happening. As I informed the Member and other Members on this issue, that once we have got a plan together to move forward, we would be bringing it to committee. In fact, a document will be going to committee in the very near future about where things are going right now and what our plans are for trying to improve our system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the plan when it does come to committee. Just on the affirmative action policy, Mr. Speaker, the honourable Minister Roland did mention that the MAP program and the applicants that the MAP program does accept undergo a rigorous assessment process. Mr. Speaker, I understand part of the process is a series of tests. Will the Minister confirm that these tests that are there for the northern applicants were actually designed by a highly-paid consultant from the South who doesn’t even live in the North, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will go back and see where the assessment was put together; if it was, in fact, from a consultant whether northern or southern. I think it is important to remember, whether you are north or south, your ability to get the job should be one of the most important measurements taken. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the assessment process also involves gathering of information from up to 15 peers. These 15 peers are allowed to provide some comments anonymously on a person’s application. To me, Mr. Speaker, this sounds like a very subjective process with no accountability. We have talked about transparency in the human resources department. Can the Minister explain that this is obviously a non-transparent process and what will he do to address the process of screening applicants to make it more transparent? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again, the area of the MAP program is being looked at to see how we can open it up and ensure that northern residents are having a fair opportunity to advance within the government. As we go through this first issue we have to deal with around human resources, we will be able then to take on these other areas with more horsepower, I guess you can say, to begin to look at this and hopefully bring solutions to Members of this House and to our workforce. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the final supplementary of Minister Roland that the information that was gathered from the 140 people that were interviewed and applied for the MAP program, if that information is available to Members. If not, why not? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 587-15(3): Management Assignment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on many occasions when we are looking at gathering information, whether it is about a program or survey affecting employees, we tend to try and have one section of that being open for anybody to make comment. Some people are very concerned that they may say something that would be brought back to bear on them as they are in the workforce. So there are some sections of our internal surveys that employees are told right off at the start that there is a confidentiality portion. We will have to look at that as we go through this. So with the information of what the Member is raising here, I will take that information, go back and see, in fact, what the process is and what happens with that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Premier in his capacity as the Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the visit to the Northwest Territories over the last couple of days of Naim Ahmed, the consulate general from the American consulate in Calgary to the Northwest Territories, and the initiative that the American government has taken to create virtual consulates on the web site for the Northwest Territories as well as Nunavut and the Yukon. As we have heard this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, sometimes we wonder whether we are on Ottawa’s radar screen. At least we know that we are on Washington’s through this move.

Mr. Speaker, our site is among, I understand, 30 of these virtual sites that the American government has set up. I would like to ask the Premier about a reference to significant associations in educational, trade and military areas that the American consulate has proposed we share. I would also suggest, Mr. Speaker, that we share significant associations in the areas of energy, missile defence, caribou and their migration into the ANWR range and freshwater. Mr. Speaker, does this mean that the NWT is now part of American foreign policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak for the consulate general or for the ambassador and their motivation setting up the virtual consulate. They do, I assume, want to share information and be able to communicate. Mr. Speaker, in my view, we are clearly not part of American foreign policy. We have our own views, our own government and federal government. That is where our interests and our loyalty lie.

Mr. Speaker, we do have issues though, that we must deal with, with our neighbours. Those are issues like climate change, environment and, as the Member has said, caribou migrations and sovereignty and security and so on. There are things that we should be exchanging.

Mr. Speaker, we have to recognize that we are very, very much a part of a global communication system. Internet has done that for us and I think this is one more step the American government has taken. The sites they have are across Canada, not just for the Northwest Territories, by the way, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier’s inclusion of a number of areas of international concern and interest that we share. I wanted to ask the Premier if he would undertake to create a dialogue that we could have directly, as people of the Northwest Territories, with the American people and their officials on these significant associations. Certainly I would put caribou, missile defence and, in the not-too-distant future, Mr. Speaker, what will be a contentious issue; that of fresh water. Can the Premier help us get together with the Americans and talk about these issues? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to do that and in fact Mr. Speaker, I did go over to Sir John Franklin High School yesterday to take part in the orientation for the students and the introduction of this virtual consulate. I did take the opportunity, even though I didn’t want to hone in on the students' projects too much, to send a message to Ambassador Cellucci and I did, while waiting there, get a reply from him, as did a number of students.

Mr. Speaker, I think all northerners, if they have questions and they want to make their views known, should access the site; it is there. I don’t have the Internet address for it right now, but I would be happy to share that with Members as well, if you want to communicate with the American consulate in Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I very much look forward to the opportunity to take these issues on with our American friends. I do call them friends; our nations do have their differences, but we have so much in common. This is where I wanted to ask too of the potential that this web site has to engage in even greater trade and exchange. The American market is the world’s biggest consumer of energy and diamonds, we’ve got lots of that, and they are great consumers of our hunting and fishing products. Can we use this new link, Mr. Speaker, to further share in our interests with the Americans for those products on the market? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can, because it is open and…Of course, the communications are through the embassy, but I am sure that they would, at our request, forward these on to other people who may have interest in it as well.

Mr. Speaker, it’s a good tool to use. I think that one drawback that I saw yesterday is that anyone else who wants to log on can also view your dialogue that is taking place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, the on-line chat sites and dialogues that go on serve a certain purpose. I am wondering, in light of the fact that His Excellency Mr. Cellucci is, I understand, soon going to be retiring as the ambassador to Canada, we will have a new American ambassador. Would the Premier consider being among the first in Canada to extend an invitation for the new American ambassador to visit the Northwest Territories in person? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am very interested in who the new ambassador will be. The announcement is, I understand, to be made in the next week or two and I have been working very closely with the Consul General. I might add that this is the second trip that the Consul General has made since his appointment several months ago. He was here in November and he is back here again, so there is definitely very much interest by the American government in the potential for tourism, mining, diamonds, oil and gas and so on in the Northwest Territories. We want to keep up that relationship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, further to my statement. Mr. Speaker, I believe, by all accounts, the Women and Children’s Healing and Recovery Program being delivered by YWCA is very well regarded. I believe that the Minister thinks of this program really well, as well.

We have learned lately that this program may be halved in its funding and I know that any kind of decisions like that have been done by mistake. I know that if the Minister knew that this was going to be the impact of his budget cuts, this is not what he would have supported, because I know that Cabinet and government understand that this is a very important program. Could I ask the Minister whether he would be prepared to see if the cuts to this program being proposed could be minimized or less than what is proposed? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 589-15(3): Women And Children’s Healing And Recovery Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were cuts proposed that were laid out in our business plan and in the draft main estimates; the details which were shared fully with the committees. It was also initially reviewed by the COs and the authorities and we reviewed the areas where we anticipated we could meet the targets that we set as a department.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the specific cuts to Yellowknife; there were some cuts to the wellness funding, but Yellowknife Health and Social Services has about a $33 million budget. They already inject additional funds over and above what wellness funding is there. There have also been meetings with NGOs in the community, but there is sufficient latitude. If Yellowknife Health and Social Services determines within their global budget that they want to identify funds within that $33 million, they have the capacity to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 589-15(3): Women And Children’s Healing And Recovery Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the Minister has just stated has always been my understanding, but my information is that the Health and Social Services Authority is not willing to use any of their global budget to enhance this program. I could also tell you, Mr. Speaker, in all of the discussions that we had in Social Programs committee or in any other areas, it was always understood that any reductions that we were agreeing to were monies that were not being used. It was money that -- what is the formal name for that -- was underused. The funding for this program was at $554,000; it was my understanding that the cut would be as much as what was not used last year, but the information that I now have is that the program is being cut by half of what they need.

I don’t know if the Minister understands, but I don’t believe it was ever understood that we would agree to that much of a cut. This program is being cut by half of what they have spent. My understanding was that they were being cut for what they didn’t use. Could the Minister revisit this? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 589-15(3): Women And Children’s Healing And Recovery Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be happy to review and take the concerns of the Member to the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. As I have indicated, they have already had meetings with the various NGOs and their own officials to look at the targets and the budget figures that we have for the coming year. At the Member’s request, I would be happy to visit that with the Health and Social Services Authority for Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 589-15(3): Women And Children’s Healing And Recovery Program