Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier today with questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The 58 percent failure rate on case files in income security with a $15 million annual budget is horrifying. In over half the files, we don’t know if public money was properly accounted for. So we’re failing in our basic duty to get the best use of funds and put them where they are most needed, but we are also failing in our intent to reduce the potential for human suffering.
Part of the department response to the report says ECE had not finalized its audit tool at the time of the audit but that it would be completed by January 2013. What’s the status of the new audit tool? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First of all I’d just like to thank the office of the Auditor General for doing the overall review of the income security. As you know, income security, the framework itself is quite large. It’s a very complex file. At the same time, the nine recommendations that came to our attention as some of the areas where we knew would need some improvement. So we are working towards that.
As I stated before, we are developing an action plan to deal with all of the recommendations brought forward, and one of them is the tool that the Member is referring to. We’re going to be compiling all of the information and have an action plan with target dates. Some will take some time, but all in all we will be presenting to standing committee in April. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’m going to skip the second question, because the Minister jumped me on that one and he’s answered that, and go back to the first one. There is an audit tool that was to be completed, according to the Minister’s response, by January 2013. What is the status of the new audit tool? Mahsi.
Mahsi. There is development of an audit manual for the program auditor. That’s part of the process that we’re going to be developing over time and, again, this will be part of the process. There will be short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and objectives to follow through with the recommendations, and we are taking those recommendations quite seriously and we will be implementing them. Thank you.
Thank you. I can only conclude that the department’s response to the Auditor General that the audit tool would be in place by January 2013 has not been done. So I welcome the Minister to correct me on that, if that’s the case. That would be obviously disappointing.
In my statement I outlined the case of a local social service agency that sends one of a few staff members to accompany clients to appointments if they find out one particular income support worker has been assigned to the application. Based on their experience, they know the applicant is in for a rude and demeaning experience. So complaints have been made about this to the Minister. How is it possible that such a notorious situation could persist and what steps will the Minister take to investigate this complaint and finally correct the situation? Mahsi.
Mahsi. As I stated, this is part of the whole complex issue that we’re dealing with. The recommendations that are brought to our attention, we will cover those areas and we will be developing an action plan to deal with each and every recommendation that is brought forward. Again, we’re taking those recommendations quite seriously. Those are the complex issues that came to our attention.
Again, the files that we deal with are very generic and they’re very complex across the Northwest Territories. I appreciate that the Auditor General came down, provided guidance and provided direction for us to improve our programming. That’s what we’re doing. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve dealt with a constituent on an issue with the Minister’s office, where paperwork was repeatedly lost, bills, proof of income and the like. Meanwhile, a woman seriously disabled by a tragic accident was left without food, piling up debt and shivering in the cold, literally. So, again, how is this possible, and what does it take, and where is the dignity in this? Can the Minister answer that question? Mahsi.
Mahsi. We do take those case by case and quite seriously. If there are, whether it be missing documentation and so forth, we need to follow through with that. My client service officers through our department work closely with the clientele. There are some challenges that we’re faced with.
As you know, income support is a very challenging file. Every day our client service officers are challenged. I’d just like to encourage them to continue working with the clientele even though they may be frustrated. At the same time, we have to provide those supports to the clientele and we provide those positive engagements continually. So I did instruct my senior staff to provide those words of encouragement to my client service officers so they can provide those valuable services continuously. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement in my language in terms of the Aboriginal Languages Month. So my question is to the Minister. We all are concerned that our languages are in decline and we know parents have a role, families, communities and, of course, government. So we have regional districts and then, of course, headquarters and departments and the Minister. I want to know where is the effort to preserve and enhance the language. Where is the concentration and effort? At which level is the most priority? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the Aboriginal languages, official languages, there are various roles whether it be the parents, the grandparents, the teachers, the community members, the leaders. So there are various roles and within my department, as you know, there are various initiatives, whether it be the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, the Language Strategy, and there is another symposium that’s coming up next week. We want to identify the second phase of an Aboriginal Languages Secretariat.
As you know, through the budget we discussed the Aboriginal Languages Secretariat as moving forward to consolidate all of the language funding that’s distributed to the language groups and having the language experts from the regions to tell us what’s more pressing and what’s needed, what’s important to the regional groups, to the communities. So those are some of the roles that my department, the community agencies, the community school boards and also MLAs are actively involved and we’ll continue to push that forward. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’d like to thank the Minister for his response. It’s been 25 years since the Official Languages Act has passed. How is that act helping in preserving the Aboriginal languages in the NWT? Mahsi.
I’m glad the Member asked that question. That is a very important milestone that we have encountered. Working closely with the federal government we’ve identified funds to offset the costs of preserving and revitalizing our Aboriginal languages, even all official languages. We’ll continue to work towards that. Within our own department we have just over $14 million when you compile all the funding that we distribute throughout the Northwest Territories. It does enhance our stand with respect to Aboriginal language, and revitalizing and preserving it.
This is an area we continue to work on with the school boards, agencies, language experts, language boards and the federal government. This past December and January we met with the Official Languages Minister at the federal level and there is continued effort to get an increase in funding. We’ll continue to push that forward.
When will the Minister declare that Aboriginal languages are on a serious verge of decline and also at the serious stage of extinction, and call for more resources at the community level?
We do recognize that some of the languages are on the verge of being lost. We are reaching out to the regional groups such as the Gwich’in. The Gwich’in Language Centre, the Gwich’in Language Board, there are various boards involved, promoting even more. We’ve identified funding, as I’ve indicated earlier. We want those individuals to be involved. Where should the funding be invested, which areas? Which areas are now working that we funded over the years? Where can we reinvest into those language revitalization or preservation? There are groups at the regional level that we work closely with and will continue to do that.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a final question to the Minister. I think he mentioned that there is an upcoming language symposium here in Yellowknife. What are the goals of the symposium and at the same time how did the department effectively…(inaudible)…
The language symposium is scheduled for next week. My colleague Mr. Nadli will be co-chairing with me on this. The expectation is, we want to hear from the general public, the experts in the field to give us direction, to give us guidance. We are going on the next phase of Aboriginal Language Secretariat on the long-range plan. We want to hear their input. Right now we’re at the first phase of the Aboriginal Language Secretariat. It’s just a basic approach and then we want to take on the second phase. That’s why we need their expert advice and recommendations on what we should be focusing on. Those are the expectations that we want to hear from the general public and also the professionals in that field.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, my questions today are addressed to the Premier, and I want to follow up on my statement and try to give voice to some of the concerns that I’m hearing from my constituents and some of the concerns that I have myself. When we were deliberating the budget, and also this week, between last week and this week, I’m hearing conflicting statements and getting conflicting information about where we’re going in terms of post-devolution final agreement and this consultation. I’d like to ask the Premier if he could elaborate for me and my constituents just what exactly the process is in this 40- to 50-day period that we’re coming up on. What is the definition of the process for consultation and, as he puts it, public engagement? If I could get some definition, some specifics, that would be great.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to hear from the Member that she supports devolution. I’m not sure where the conflicting information is coming from because I’ve been very clear in what I’ve been saying.
We have a communications and engagement plan. The plan focuses on engagement with three key audiences, following conclusion of negotiations of the Northwest Territories Land and Resources Devolution Agreement. We will be meeting with stakeholders and communities, Aboriginal governments who are not parties to the agreement, and Aboriginal governments who are parties to the agreement. What we will be scheduling will be community information sessions. Before the agreement is approved and signed by the participating governments, it will be shared with Aboriginal governments, stakeholders, and the public to explain its contents and benefits.
This period of public engagement and Aboriginal consultation is expected to take up to 60 days. Once the engagement phase is complete, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada and participating Aboriginal governments will decide whether to approve the agreement. Signing, the approving governments will finalize the agreement by signing it in a public ceremony. If devolution is agreed to, implementation will occur.
I want to make it clear that negotiations have been completed. This is take it or leave it. We will be explaining it to the public. There is no opportunity to go back and renegotiate a bunch of changes, if that’s what is put forward. If there is a groundswell of opposition, as the Member put it, then we won’t sign the deal and there will be no devolution. I expect there will be little incentive for the federal government to come back and start a whole new process of negotiation.
I want to thank the Premier for that very thorough response. I would hope that might maybe be posted somewhere so that people will be able to go and read it, if they haven’t heard it here.
The Premier has been very clear. Several times he has said it’s a done deal. I think that’s where I am finding it a bit conflicting. If it is a done deal, why are we bothering to go out and consult?
I’d like to know from the Minister, then, just for clarification, for those people who are not represented by an Aboriginal government, there’s public engagement. If I have a conflicting opinion, if I wish to see any changes, I think I heard the Premier say that’s not possible. Is that correct?
No, I didn’t say that we expect no conflicting opinions. We’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions, even here in this House. I’ve also said that we were going to put it to a vote here in this Legislative Assembly. If you have a conflicting opinion, you can tell us when we have our team going around to all the communities or you can tell your MLA.
So I guess the next question I have is: What is the Premier’s, what is the government’s expected outcome from this public engagement and consultation that is going to happen over the next two months?
Well, in an ideal world we would educate everybody in the Northwest Territories about the draft Devolution Final Agreement and we would have the comfort of knowing that everybody supports it and everybody would vote here and pass it.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. That’s a good expectation. I expect that we won’t have a groundswell of support against devolution. I think there is general acceptance and people are very happy about devolution. I guess if there’s no opportunity for people to suggest changes to the agreement and if the Premier is willing to put it to a vote for Members, can I ask the Premier why he was not willing to put it to a vote through a plebiscite to the general public?
Well, I’ve said it before that we are the elected leaders of the Northwest Territories. We are here to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. I think we should stand up and be counted. I don’t think we should be running a government by plebiscite or by referendum.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Much has been said about devolution today, including my Member’s statement on the protection of Aboriginal rights. I’d like to ask the Premier and the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, as well, about devolution and their definition of Aboriginal rights as it applies to the Devolution Agreement. My constituents include the Dehcho First Nations, which has an unsettled claim. Maybe from that perspective to see how their rights will be protected in this devolution deal just for the public’s digestion, as it were.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
In a normal situation, when it comes to treaty and Aboriginal rights, we have a duty to consult just like the Government of Canada does. With regard to devolution, we don’t feel that there is a requirement for us to have duty to consult because it’s our position that devolution does not infringe on treaty or Aboriginal rights. We have a significant amount of non-abrogation clauses that ensure we don’t infringe on Aboriginal treaty rights. To make sure that we are very cautious, to make sure we don’t miss anything, we will be doing our consulting with Aboriginal governments and making sure we adhere to our duty to consult requirement.
I’m sure part of that consultation process will be approaching the Dehcho and Akaitcho First Nations. What does the Premier see in laying out the assurances that devolution won’t abrogate or derogate any Aboriginal rights that they might be negotiating currently at this point?
We are still finalizing our draft communications and engagement plan, and our expectation is we will share it with committee. The principle is that when we go to the regions where the Aboriginal governments have not yet signed on to devolution, I expect that we will go to their communities with some representatives of the Dehcho First Nation Government and the Akaitcho First Nation Government. We have done it before so we would do it again. They’re the best governments to tell us and make sure we don’t infringe on any rights.
How long would our government consult or work with the unsettled claimant areas like the Dehcho and Akaitcho to have them be part of the devolution of the lands and resources to the Northwest Territories?
I think it will become very clear as soon as we finish our legal and technical review and we make that draft agreement public. It won’t be for an unlimited period of time. It will probably be a very short period of time, probably a year at the most, I would suspect. We’re still finalizing that part. Sometime before the end of this week you should know the answer.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Aboriginal groups that have signed on will get some money to help them to do that same kind of consultation work. What will be available to the Dehcho and/or Akaitcho to help them understand devolution as well?
We haven’t worked that out yet. We’d have to talk to the two governments, at least.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2003 there was a fatal accident in the Chan Lake area. The experience was much the same as what happened here recently. As I understand, back in 2003 there was a response that the government led, so MACA initiated a new policy protocol called Highway Emergency Alerting Protocols. Could the Minister inform this House exactly what they are?
