Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to focus on one of the successes that has come from the education renewal and innovation framework. The Northern Distance Learning program, otherwise known as NDL, is a way to offer higher-level academic courses to high school students in small communities, to help prepare them for post-secondary. By the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, this program will be available to students in up to 20 small communities across the territory.
The Northern Distance Learning program began at East Three School in Inuvik, under the leadership of the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council. The program proved that, when students had opportunities to interact with each other, had access to in-class support staff, and had dedicated, knowledgeable teachers, they were able to be successful whether sitting beside each other in the same classroom or separated by hundreds of miles.
There are currently 75 high school students in grades 10, 11, and 12, from small communities enrolled in Northern Distance Learning, taking academic, "-1" courses in mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, and art. Mr. Speaker, the course completion rate for traditional correspondence courses is just 30 percent. However, the completion rate for Northern Distance Learning courses is approximately 75 percent. This is a game changer, Mr. Speaker. Two years ago in Ulukhaktok, for the first time in the community’s history, three students graduated in their community, with the courses they needed to advance directly to university. This was a historic moment for the community.
---Applause
It was made possible by a combination of Northern Distance Learning and a lot of hard work by those dedicated graduates. The expansion of the program also into the South Slave allowed Laney Beaulieu, a student from Fort Resolution, to stay in her community and complete the courses she needed to get into Western University in Ontario, where she is currently studying medicine.
Marie Lennie, a current Northern Distance Learning student from Deline, voiced her support for the program in an online video made for one of her NDL classes, saying, "The experience so far is great,” she said. “I’m learning new things every day and succeeding in getting quality education without the need to move somewhere else for schooling. I highly recommend NDL for other Indigenous students who want a better education."
In addition to creating new learning opportunities, Northern Distance Learning is now also being used to allow parents in small communities to attend parent-teacher conferences with teachers in Inuvik. The first conference was held this past December and connected parents, teachers, and in-class support staff spread across different communities.
Mr. Speaker, finally, I want to celebrate Northern Distance Learning’s first ever Post-Secondary Bridging Experience that was held this past October with a group of 12 NDL students. The Northern Youth Abroad program organized and supervised a trip to Calgary, to help students get a better sense of what to expect in a post-secondary setting outside of the Northwest Territories. Students visited the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and Mount Royal University and took part in workshops and activities that will help prepare them for the transition to post-secondary life.
Akesha Hardisty-Norwegian from Fort Simpson commented, “I really liked the planning part because there is not much help in small communities. When they do help, they do not have as much info as what we got on the trip. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. It helped raise my awareness and confidence going into post-secondary.” Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to share that, on November 22, 2019, Akesha was accepted to the University of Alberta in the combined kinesiology/education program for September 2020. Others are looking at post-secondary options across Canada in psychology, architecture, justice studies, veterinary medicine, and recreation management.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that we have to do a better job delivering equitable education across the territory, and Northern Distance Learning is helping us level the playing field by giving students in small communities opportunities that did not exist only a few short years ago. The data and the individual experiences show us that this program is working. We still have a long way to go, and the achievements of Northern Distance Learning students are proof that we can and will continue to improve educational outcomes across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to talk about an experience I recently had. I left the Legislative building after a very busy week. I decided I would see if I could drop in at the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation healing camp located behind the Yellowknife field house. As I began the walk along the trail, I came to the bridge. There were the teepees and the canvas tent. As I walked up to the canvas tent, I heard some voices and knocked on the door. There, I was greeted by a familiar face, who is a counsellor, and other camp staff, who were all so welcoming. As I sat there, it brought me back to my childhood and to my happy place as a child where everyone gathered together and everyone was happy. As I sat and talked with the staff, they told me what they did. They had their roles as we did when we lived in our camp. The staff there are there because they care. Little did I know that was exactly what I needed that day. No one asked me about my feelings. No one talked to me about why I was there. We just talked and laughed and provided. Before I left, they provided smudging. Although this is not my culture, they were very respectful to me, that I could just watch.
Mr. Speaker, this made me think about a time I went to a counsellor in the hospital, in an office, that I had booked for myself. After I testified in the missing and murdered Indigenous women inquiry, I thought, "This is what you need to do to debrief after an emotional, stressful situation," because this is what I learned in school for my career, and this is what I told people to do in my past career. I feel now I was doing them a disservice. Not all the people in the NWT may benefit from one way of counselling, Mr. Speaker. Let me tell you that I did not leave that counselling appointment feeling as good as the way I felt after I left the healing camp after just one visit. I actually left feeling worse that I opened up and I got nothing in return.
The Arctic Indigenous Wellness healing camp fulfills a broad focus of counselling needs: grief and loss, anger, depression, family, relationship, emotional, spiritual needs, and anything that a client comes to them with. They provide breakfast to the homeless but only until March 31st because that is what they are only funded until by the City of Yellowknife, which is great. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.
---Unanimous consent granted
This shows that we need a variety of ways to heal or options like the Indigenous Wellness Foundation healing camp or similar options in all regions now. We need to work to have this type of model in all communities, the same as we do counsellors who work in the health system currently.
Mr. Speaker, it reminded me of what the residents were telling me when I was campaigning. They wanted a local healing and after-care support, not a building with western-trained professionals but our own traditional people who will support us and nothing more than a tent and a teepee and Mother Nature as their office. They were the ones who elected me, and I will not forget them and forget what they told me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On September 29, 2019, four experienced fishers lost their lives on Great Slave Lake while they were making a living. I mention the words "making a living" because it seems that the fishers who provide a necessary food supply for NWT and our country are the most vulnerable workers there are, and we are not recognizing this. No one should be at risk while engaged in their livelihood. Certainly, it is time to recognize this issue. The fishers have not been recovered, and families are left in grief. Extreme weather on the lake and seasonal changes prevented a recovery of those fishers and the vessel. In addition to bad weather, there were equipment and safety failures that also prevented this from happening but also, more importantly, the lack of safety gear to help the fishers survive what we can only assume was the capsizing of the vessel.
Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries and Oceans made their best efforts to try to recover the vessel, but it was impossible, considering the weather and depth of water the boat was found in. We acknowledge their effort to assist the fishing families and the South Slave communities who aided the grieving families.
Mr. Speaker, some of us watch the Discovery TV series, the Deadliest Catch, and are aware of the danger of fishing the waters of the Bering Strait. What we don't know is that this program illustrates that fishing is dangerous no matter where the fishing takes place. Great Slave Lake is a large, dangerous lake to the uninitiated. The fishermen take their lives in their hands daily when they work on the lake. There have been many tragedies and losses of life on Great Slave Lake over the years, and that is not changing. We need to ask why.
Mr. Speaker, the International Labour Congress recognizes that fishing is the most challenging, hazardous occupation and identifies that the failures to protect the fishing community through convention and regulations on work conditions are a violation of basic human rights. We need to improve the safety of this work, and we have an obligation to our fishers.
Mr. Speaker, the commercial fishing revitalization strategy which was produced by ITI in the past Assembly places heavy emphasis on the production and sales of fish but very little or no emphasis on fishing safety. Are we willing to trade more lives to meet the production targets set by this strategy in this government? We need to address that. I'll have questions for the Minister of ITI later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I identified an important change to the NWT Dental Auxiliaries Act that I would like to see the Minister of health make to improve access to and delivery of oral health services for residents of the NWT. As the Member for Kam Lake, I speak for my constituents. Every dollar spent by this government, whether in my constituency or across the NWT, impacts the cost of living for the people of Kam Lake. However, I also feel a responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of all residents of the Northwest Territories.
In 2020, the Department of Health and Social Services will spend half a billion dollars on healthcare for NWT residents, and these costs continue to rise. One of the key factors driving the department's cost is that Health and Social Services is stuck in a reactive cycle of paying for emergency care rather than preventative care. Enabling dental hygienists to be self-initiated creates a more client-centred system. It allows dental hygiene services to make their way into less-serviced areas, addressing a need that has long been recognized by other jurisdictions in Canada and is desperately needed in our remote communities. With this amendment, new dental hygiene practices can emerge in the less-traditional settings. Dental hygienists could set up mobile practices to visit clients who are homebound or set up practices in community health centres.
Over the last five years, government spending on dental extractions has cost Northerners $300,000 and over $1.1 million on medical travel. Improving access to dental hygiene services will reduce the need to provide costly emergency health services, such as medical travel and day surgeries. With prevention, we can reduce the demands on our health system to treat diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease caused by untreated oral health disease.
I have spoken to dental hygienists in the NWT who want the authority to be self-initiated. Mr. Speaker, repealing Section 6 of the Dental Auxiliaries Act would remove the requirement that dental hygienists operate under the direction and control of a dentist.
I am willing to consider bringing forward a private Member's bill to enact this change, but I am anticipating the Minister of health's full support of this change. It costs the government significantly less to make these small system changes to improve oral health outcomes throughout the territory than it does to continue to provide services using a model that is not responsive to the needs of the NWT residents. This is an example of good government that places the needs of the public first, and I look forward to making this change with the Minister's support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many of our conversations around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD, are centred around making sure mothers stop drinking during pregnancy, but, in fact, there is much work to be done. The science has shown for years that there is a causal relationship between FASD prevalence and fathers drinking. Putting all of the responsibility on the mother means we are not fully addressing the problem. We need to build up support around our mothers, not isolate them.
The Foster Family Coalition of the NWT has done great work flipping the narrative around, and I will table a report by them later today, but it isn't the end of the conversation around FASD awareness. There is much work to be done to prevent FASD and to end the stigma for those living with it. National studies suggest that 4 percent of our population, or roughly 1,800 people, are living with FASD. These people need support and structure in childhood and throughout their entire lives. We need to ensure that our front-line workers are sympathetic to the complex needs of these individuals, not just our healthcare workers but our teachers, our Housing Corporation employees, and our general population. The most effective way to do this is through advocacy and continued conversations that break down stigma. I will stand in this House and continue to talk about FASD awareness for that reason, to break down stigma, Mr. Speaker.
Currently, the GNWT relies on data from the rest of Canada, but I wonder how that information holds up to northern realities. We don't have any data on prevalent rates in the NWT, and so we can't know if we are successfully addressing this issue. It is difficult to advocate for an issue when we are only guessing at its scope, Mr. Speaker. In 2018, the department released its Disability Action Plan, which indicated they would review existing data sources to validate the prevalence of risk factors in incidents of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Without northern data, I don't see how we could possibly achieve this. I believe it is important that our department implement, at the very least, some basic research on prevalence. We've come a long way in the last couple of years, developing an adult FASD diagnostic clinic, and there is even training going on in Yellowknife right now on FASD and neurodiversity for social workers and caregivers, aimed at improving client relationships.
It's good work, but we have to keep going, Mr. Speaker. I would love to see more screening for those in the justice system, reduced wait times for youth diagnostic clinics, housing strategies, and stronger language in our departmental action plans around FASD. I hope we are on track to some of these things, but I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Our government continues to promote hydrocarbon development through a May 2018 strategy document; in fact, Cabinet wants to spend $1 million over three years to promote oil and gas development. One thing that has not changed in our post-devolution oil and gas regime is a cap on absolute liability for spills or accidents. This cap is found in the Oil and Gas Spills and Debris Liability Regulations that set absolute liability limits of between $10 and $40 million, depending on the location of the spill or debris caused by onshore oil and gas development. Mr. Speaker, that means that, if you can't prove fault or negligence, the public pays for whatever disaster may be created. Such liability caps are definitely not a good idea, given the recent disaster in the Cameron Hills, where our government failed to ensure adequate financial security.
In reviewing changes to the oil and gas legislation in August 2019, one of the recommendations from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment was that there be "a comprehensive review of oil-and-gas-related regulation, with the express purpose to increase the cap for absolute liability." There was never a response to that recommendation. The same caps were in place in federal legislation for the offshore for over 30 years. The Auditor General of Canada recommended in 2012 that the caps on the Canadian offshore be reviewed and removed. This was done in 2015, through the Energy Safety and Security Act, where the "polluter pays" principle is expressly incorporated, and there is now unlimited liability for at-fault operators and an absolute liability limit without proof of fault or negligence that has been significantly increased to $1 billion. Countries such as Norway and Greenland have no such liability caps. As a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that cost British Petroleum more than $90 billion in fines and settlements, lost tourism revenues alone totalled more than $23 billion.
Clearly, the liability caps set in GNWT regulations for oil and gas operations are not consistent with the "polluter pays" principle, other jurisdictions, and international experience. Why has Cabinet not changed to remove the liability caps in more than five years since devolution? I will have questions later today for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obtaining licenced childcare is a significant problem in NWT communities, and in Yellowknife, as well. Parents face long waiting lists for space, and the cost is through the roof. In fact, I know of families who get themselves onto waiting lists as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
A large part of the problem is finding a building for childcare that meets building and fire code requirements. These are exacting standards to ensure our children are safe and, of course, I have no quarrel with putting safety first. The fact is, however, that it is next to impossible to find space for rent that meets these requirements. Renovating buildings to meet the code is expensive. There is often hazardous material abatement involved, as well as improved fire separation walls and floors.
Mr. Speaker, if there is no appropriate space for licenced childcare in Yellowknife available, what are the chances that there is appropriate space in regional centres, or even in the smaller communities? This is a significant problem, because 11 communities don't have established childcare spaces. One potential solution to this space crunch is to make childcare spaces available in schools when they are being renovated or rebuilt. I think this solution offers significant economies of scale, which will also reduce the costs of operating a childcare facility, and ultimately savings for parents. To be clear, I don’t want teachers or government employees to staff these childcare centres. That challenge would be taken up by a non-profit or community group. My request is only for the space itself, and my specific request is that the government take an immediate and close look at providing childcare space at J.H. Sissons because it is due to be rebuilt in the coming years.
Mr. Speaker, the waiting lists for childcare in Yellowknife are very substantial, and they represent a significant barrier to recruiting staff into jobs, not only into government jobs but private industry as well. People think long and hard about coming here because childcare is so unavailable and unaffordable. The bottom line here is that, in order for NWT residents to access childcare, the government is going to have to lead in providing infrastructure. The cost of constructing or renovating buildings is beyond the reach of non-profit budgets. Investing in childcare spaces in schools may be the answer. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Members’ statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today is directed to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, specifically with their hiring practices. As Indigenous peoples in our communities, we want our people who go out to get educated to come back to our communities, simply because they know the people, they live in the community, and they have families within our communities. They also volunteer with sport programs and volunteer for other functions, such as carnivals and what have you, especially with the minor hockey programs. We’ve got some that volunteer to that, and that minor hockey is going by the wayside, so we’re really lucky to have people in our community that will take it on and keep it going. From a recent hiring practice, it’s just like a slap in the face to our community, when locals are not hired into prominent positions.
There’s a former renewable resource officer that states that one does not need the level of experience for a "III" position, statement that they need at least five years’ experience, as they advertise. It’s also a known fact that there are many in management in the ENR who mostly likely don’t qualify, but that hired through the process of it’s-who-you-know. I’m astounded the Minister did not step up to the plate when called upon to keep the local hires in my community.
I’ve been made aware of the hiring of RRO3 position does not have to require five-year experience, as stated in the job ads, no experience running the snow machine and total lack of bush skills. The two locals that applied for advancements were not considered for the positions. Instead, the department looked for faults in them, in those employees, and thus were not hired. I’m appalled and disgusted with the Minister and the department, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to recognize Rassi Nashalik and Be’sha Blondin from the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, they’re directors and Elders there; Wilbert Cook, he’s the executive director; and William Greenland, who is a traditional counsellor there; my husband, Jozef Carnogursky, who is here; and my daughter. I guess she’s stepped out. Thank you.
Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I’d like to recognize some friends from the National Advisory Council on Poverty, who we met with this morning, Scott MacAfee, Sylvie Veilleux, and Arlene Hache. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize our two pages visiting from Lutselk'e today, Isabella Nataway and Kelsey Lockhart, and their escort, also with us, is Rita Catholique. I’m not sure if she’s in the gallery, but we say welcome, and you guys are doing a good job. Mahsi cho.
Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome my constituent, Be’sha Blondin. Thank you for all the very great, healing work she does in our community. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Diane stole my recognition, but I’d also like to recognize my constituent, Arlene Hache, and all the members of the advisory council on poverty. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the Northwest Territories, and we do things a little differently up here. The way we live, work, and govern together is different than Southern Canada. It is a product of a different history.
The fusion of traditional knowledge and innovative technologies means the history of our people and the sustainability of our land are at the forefront of our decisions and that each decision balances where we are going and how far we’ve come.
The Northwest Territories is a land of remarkable beauty, with strong and resilient people. More than half of us are Indigenous and exercise constitutionally protected rights to land and resources, through modern treaties that cover 70 percent of our territory.
Regardless of ancestry or place in origin, all Northerners access the same public services, such as healthcare, education, and transportation. We must all work together to ensure those services are sufficient and effective. We share a vision of a self-sufficient Northwest Territories, one that is a role model for Canada and the world, where all people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, live, work, and prosper together.
Without political parties, we put a high priority on collaboration, cooperation, and information-sharing to make decisions together, both in the Legislative Assembly and with other governments, including Indigenous governments at the regional and community level, municipal governments, and band councils providing municipal services. Our partnership approach to government is unique and evolving. It is far from perfect, and we have our growing pains, but we are a small enough population to know that respect and relationships are key to making it work.
I believe we have a collective will to grow and evolve and to fairly share the benefits and responsibilities of governance at the community, regional, and territorial level. We have a vision of our public and Indigenous governments working together to make decisions about the land and its resources. These decisions balance economic growth with environmental protection so that the land continues to sustain for future generations.
I believe that the GNWT has to show both leadership and humility and be willing to make the difficult concessions necessary to settle outstanding land claims, resource and self-government agreements in this generation, not the next. The settlement of land claims and a spirit of reconciliation will bring with it stability and an even more collaborative way of governing. The settlement of outstanding claims will also bring with it an influx of federal dollars and further opportunities within communities as they draw down programs and services and we become role models in reconciliation and cultural resurgence.
I believe we can achieve the goal of settled land claims, but only if we make up our minds to do so and are willing to make the sacrifices we will each have to make to get it done. When we do reach that goal, we will have set a world class example of reconciliation that is a model for the rest of Canada and beyond. We are deciding our own future together, Mr. Speaker.
The North is a place of opportunity and a land of history, driven by people with passion. We want those of you out there beyond our borders, those who are community-minded and hardworking with an adventurous spirit and respect for the land, to be part of the future we are building.
Mr. Speaker, the North continues to be a place of unrivalled opportunity. We are open for business, adventure, and life. We want to grow our population and our economy. During the budget address, the Minister of Finance stated the primary economic driver for the NWT economy will be government investment. I would agree that this is the case, at least for the short term, until we further diversify our traditionally resource-based economy.
As long as government investment is driving the economy of the Northwest Territories, the GNWT has an obligation to ensure that we maximize the benefits of this investment for Northerners. This is what we meant when we agreed that adopting a benefit-retention approach to economic development would be a priority of this 19th Legislative Assembly. This means we cannot settle for 40 percent northern participation in the construction of major infrastructure projects such as the Tlicho All-Season Road. I think most Northerners would agree that they would rather see the road take a little longer to build with 100 percent of associated business contracts going to northern businesses than to see it pushed through quickly with southern firms reaping the profits.
These are the tough decisions that we as leaders and legislators need to make. We need to take any and all steps necessary to grow northern businesses and to ensure that Northerners are the primary beneficiaries of the investments we make. We need to ensure that, when we let contracts or enter into public/private partnerships, the terms and conditions of those agreements are predominantly favourable to northern businesses.
This means we have to scale down our expectations and timelines, recognizing that capacity is an issue for the Northwest Territories. We need to ensure that impact and benefit agreements are just and enforceable. We need to make sure that construction projects include components of training and retention for northern workers, tradespersons, and businesses. We need to break down the tendering process, to provide additional opportunities for northern businesses. We need to ensure that our procurement policies do not unfairly and inadvertently place undue burdens on northern businesses, Mr. Speaker. We need to access federal funding in a way and in timing that facilitates our needs and is not, as my colleague from Yellowknife Centre has said, the "tail wagging the dog."
Most importantly, we set the parameters for the scale and timing of government projects such that they are realistic and northern-friendly. As politicians, this means we may not get everything done within the four-year window of our term. It means that we may not be there to reap the political credit of the projects we put into play, but we have a bigger responsibility to do what is right for the people of the Northwest Territories and for our children's children.
We need to do more to ensure our fiscal climate facilitates investments. Our current corporate tax rates are the antithesis of Robin Hood. Small- to medium-business tax rates are higher than the rest of Canada, and corporate tax rates for larger businesses are lower than the Canadian average. I am pleased to see that the Minister of Finance is committed to reducing tax rates for small and medium businesses to rates comparable to the rest of Canada. This will undoubtedly support small-business growth. At the same time, we want to continue to attract larger businesses to the North. Consistent corporate taxes for large resource sector businesses will provide sustainability and predictability for our people.
As I thought of the current fiscal situation of the GNWT, I couldn't help but remember 1986's The Money Pit starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. If you don't remember it, it's the story of a young couple who use their life savings to buy a dilapidated old house in need of major repair. This creates strain on their relationship that all homeowners, I'm sure, can relate to.
Well, Mr. Speaker, look at the fiscal situation we face together at the 19th Legislative Assembly. It does at times feel like we are in the daunting first phases of a house renovation that has the potential to become a major money pit. We have an underfunded health system that is overly dependent on supplementary appropriations and puts children at risk, an education department in need of a passing grade, and a Power Corporation dependent on government subsidies to keep the lights on and power rates affordable, and we're all running on a hope and a prayer that the Housing Corporation can keep the roof over people's heads through the winter.
However, in this chaos, there is opportunity. We are in a fiscal situation that requires the government to dive deep into how it is doing business and to be brave enough to admit that we can do business better, stretch our dollars farther, and evolve our business practices.
We may find racoons in closets in the process, we may argue on paint colours, and we will most likely never agree on the style of the couch, but we are all here because we all agreed that we love the bones of this house, Mr. Speaker, and that is what connects us and makes building this dream home together worthwhile.
I have faith in this Cabinet to deliver, but you have to be in the driver's seat. If you sound identical to the Minister who held your seat 150 days ago, then the odds are that you are not following through on your end of the promise to deliver change. Take risks. Shake up the way things have always been done. Break the mold. Be bold.
Let's do things differently up here, and, even more importantly, let's get things done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off my budget address, my reply to it, by an experience I had this morning with my youngest daughter, Sine, who is eight years old. It was a pleasant surprise. I had my notes in hand. I was scrambling to get my address out and what I wanted to say today, and I was greeted with a "happy birthday." She helped make breakfast. It brought me right down. It humbled me. It brought me down a couple of notches, and that's what we all need, I think, once in a while, just to be humbled and realize what we're doing here.
She told me, "Daddy, I see some grey hair now, but I still love you. You should dye your hair. It looks like you're working on something." She looked at my notes. She said, "Don't worry about mistakes, Daddy. I still love you." I thought I should share that with you.
It really made me think when I was writing this, it made me question: what are we all doing here? What are we doing here? What are we really doing here? I looked at my daughter, and we're here for our children, for future generations, for the people that we serve. My great-grandparents who raised me, they told me one key thing is to always leave a place or job in a better condition to when you left it, and that's what I want to do here. That's what I plan on doing in my job as an MLA. We have three and a half years left here in our term, and that's not a lot of time. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.
Mr. Speaker, my initial reaction to this budget address delivered by the Minister of Finance last week was one of dissatisfaction. On the face of it, this budget appears to be largely status quo and, as I've heard my other colleagues mention as well, with little or no extra money being invested in the smaller communities. I could also characterize this budget as a safe budget that stops short of any bold or interesting proposals. That, however, is not totally surprising given the current financial outlook for our government. One thing for sure, though, when I looked at the specifics of this budget, is that one question keeps popping in my mind: do we, as a government, have vision going forward?
A little bit of humour: this budget, when I first read it, made me think of a food analogy. There is a traditional German rabbit dish called Hasenpfeffer. It's a gourmet dish. You put some spices on it. It's a gourmet dish, and you serve it. After thinking about it, I'm a Dene man, looking at it, it's just simply rabbit soup. It is what this budget is. It's plain. In our language, we call it "gah chaze," in case you were wondering. Again, we should always take things with a grain of salt, and we should always look through the smoke and mirrors of any government proposal, and always think realistically.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with our Finance Minister, who said in her budget address last week that this is a land of opportunity. I would like to go a little further than that and state that we live in a G7 nation, in arguably one of the most resource-rich areas on the planet. What bothers me the most, Mr. Speaker, is, through all this, many of our residents are still living in poverty all over the territory. I am not good with that. We still see a disproportionate number of our Indigenous populations in jails, with high levels of unemployment, with little prospects for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I, for one, did not sign up for this. I did not sign up to see our neighbours to go without, with no reasonable end in sight. Again, I will say it again, we should feel humbled and privileged to sit in this House. I have said before that, for the remainder of this term, we have job security, and a lot of the people we serve do not. We need to create opportunity for our neighbours in our small communities and regional centres.
I did want to mention something, as well. I wanted to thank the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, I'm going to say it again, about showing some innovation in their policy changes, and namely for allowing small businesses to run out of their public housing units. I think that's a great idea. To me, this is huge, because it gives hope to those living in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, I believe, through all of this, the best way to restart our economy is through business. As my colleague from Yellowknife North mentioned the other day, we have a very small tax base. Small businesses create jobs, and we need to assist those who have aspirations to create new businesses to help them thrive. Our government needs to be a catalyst in this endeavour.
I remain hopeful, though, Mr. Speaker, that our priorities in the small communities will improve. We still have resources in our territory. However, I want to make it clear I will not support any development unless we see more of our Indigenous and northern partners involved, in terms of business and jobs. I am also hoping that we see some resolution with our partners in the Akaitcho, Dehcho, and Metis very soon. We need to have them and our other Indigenous partners at the table with us for any new development. Along with any new business opportunities in the North, we also believe in responsible development, and we will make sure that we will take care of the land and move forward in an environmentally conscious way.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, I do not and will not support any business endeavours that will see money or resources leave the territory. My belief is that every dollar in the NWT that is lost is harmful to our economy. No more. I am tired of seeing foreign entities taking jobs and contracts and seeing their monies leave the territory, leaving little for Northerners. Parasites act in such a manner. I know that may sound extreme, but I really believe that.
I also want to say something about networking, Mr. Speaker. I want to give kudos to our Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment for promoting our territory and trying to bring some investment dollars into our territory. I know that some of us around this room might receive some flak for taking the time to travel outside the territory for our jobs, but I think it's necessary. We need to engage with industry and business leaders. It's very important, because you never know, that one conversation we have could lead to an important business or job opportunity. If I travel to a conference, that's what I always set out to do; and, if a handshake turns into two or three jobs in a small community, that's huge, in my opinion.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to say something about cost of living. Past Assemblies left some legacies, both good and bad, that we have inherited here in the 19th Assembly. Keep in mind the note I said earlier, about trying to leave a workplace or a job better than when he left it. One legacy I do not want to leave future assemblies is leaving our NWT families with an exorbitant, high cost of living. This government needs to do whatever it can to keep our residents in our territory. People are moving away and, in turn, we are losing funds like territorial financing from the federal government; we need to be innovative in doing that.
Mr. Speaker, I am also not proud about this system we are creating. What I mean by that is that we have created a system where, right now, it is easier for people to quit a well-paying job, go on Income Assistance, and live in public housing, rather than live and work with little financial struggle as some people can in a wage economy. For example, you have a single parent with a very well-paying job trying to support a family in a smaller community, and they will just barely get by. I don't like that. I'm not good with that.
We have created a system where those on Income Assistance would be in a better financial situation than that of someone who is employed with a well-paying job. This has got to stop. I looked at the budget here the other day, as well, during Justice, and I'd like to see some more partnerships down the road. I'm not sure how this would look, but I'd like to see a line where, instead of funding the RCMP, I'd love to see a police service being funded in the Akaitcho region, or maybe in the Deh Cho region, or the Tlicho region, down the road, moving away from this RCMP model, this colonial model and moving forward in that fashion. That's just another side note; I'd love to see that somewhere down the road.
I would also love to see, eventually down the road, more freedoms, in terms of more control of our courts, our health, and our education systems. Before we even start talking about that, we will need to finalize our agreements with Akaitcho, the Dehcho, and the Metis.
I firmly believe our end goal in this Assembly is to see more successful businesses, which will, in turn, create more jobs; and hopefully, at the end of all of this, we will see more people get off Income Assistance.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to let everybody know that I do not support this budget in its current state. The small communities, again, have been left out, and that's my position. When I looked at this mandate, you see a picture of someone on the ice with their hands out like this, but, I hope, at the end of this Assembly, this person will not be left wondering; this will be a representative of our small communities saying, "Oh, my God, you've left me out in the cold." Again. So I'm hoping that's not the direction we're going. I do not want to see that. I want to see our people thrive, not just survive. Our ancestors in the past worked very hard for what they had, and I believe that is what they would want for us, as well. Back in 1899, Treaty 8 was signed in Fort Resolution, in Deninu Kue, my home town. We need to honour agreements like this, and I'm hoping we can move forward to help people flourish, in the words of that agreement, as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the river flows. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people of the Northwest Territories voted for change in our last election. People are struggling, especially in our small communities. They have no jobs, no hope, no future. They feel that their territorial government is not listening and not responding to their concerns.
Across the NWT, including my riding of Nunakput, we heard the status quo is not working. The government is not doing enough. Our people are counting on them to help. They told us, as MLAs, we should be starting to direct the government, and not a handful of bureaucrats in Yellowknife.
We have heard from Indigenous leaders that the relationship between the GNWT and Indigenous governments is at an all-time low. We have heard from current and former Indigenous leaders that the GNWT is the problem, not the federal government. We have heard that Indigenous governments are not going directly to the territorial government; they're going directly to the federal government in regard to the frustration and despair with the status quo. I heard these sentiments in my riding, when we were meeting with leadership, and when we're bumping into them in Yellowknife.
We are 20 years into the 21st century, but our approach to the negotiation and implementation of land, resources, and self-government agreements is still from the last century. It is the failed status quo exemplified. The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984 and, to this day, we are still trying to negotiate self-government, Mr. Speaker. That is outrageous. I was 11 years old when they signed that agreement in Tuktoyaktuk, and we're still waiting. The Indigenous governments are seen as adversaries, or, even worse, subordinates, instead of partners in our own land. The GNWT has tried to run things in the territorial level, leaving Indigenous governments, for the most part, as bystanders. We are here today, a cash-strapped government, Mr. Speaker. We have at most no ability to increase our revenues. We can't control our ballooning expenditures. We are out of borrowing room. We spend 64-cent dollars on social programs, yet the social problems keep getting worse. We have growing environmental and climate problems. We have a flat-lined economy, Mr. Speaker. That is inherited status quo for another four more years. The same will put us in the poor house, Mr. Speaker.
The budget numbers and the social, economic, and environmental indicators are harshly clear. We have a mandate of 22 priorities and no real way to pay for those 22 priorities, Mr. Speaker. After 50 years of trying to go alone, our territory, we have shown the territorial government can't go alone. We have to have partnership with Indigenous governments and with our federal government, Mr. Speaker. No government can do that. For us, we think otherwise in self-disillusion if we think that way. Our goal is devolution. The agreement was signed in 2013 for the NWT to take the responsibility of our land, water, resource development, to allow Northerners to build and grow the North. We have not achieved that promise yet, but, Mr. Speaker, we can.
Last October, we met with northern leaders. We've had two breakfast meetings with the Dene Nation, the national chief. The goodwill is there, Mr. Speaker. The interest is working collaboratively together as governments to work together to get things done. The question we need to answer is: how are we going to move forward? Are we going to do a real partnership with them, with one another? At this time, it's time to come to the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit, the Dene, the Metis to set up collaborative leaders to the table to work together for the people, start dealing with the big issues in common interest, of which there are many, Mr. Speaker.
The Intergovernmental Council, the symbolic, non-inclusive, advisory body outlived its usefulness some time ago. The GNWT needs a vision for its future as a territorial government. The vision demands that GNWT give up some jurisdiction and control, Mr. Speaker. There are many compelling issues we can finally start to sort out together. For example, working together in collaboration, we can:
get more housing units in our communities;
ensure we never get another negative report on child welfare again from the Auditor General;
ensure graduation rates are actually for real;
renew our commitment to strong regions, communities, focus back on decentralization not centralization; and
create regional energy plans to put micro-grid technology in all diesel communities, all the projects in regional bases to make them economically viable in a timely manner. This is how we will lower energy costs in the communities.
We also need to co-draft crucial legislation on bills like water, forestry, mineral resources, and development, just as we work together on the Wildlife Act and the Species at Risk Act. We can create an expedited process and negotiate land resources, self-government agreements, freeing up over 140,000 kms, resource-rich land possible for development. Working together, we can develop a plan to maximize the benefit of the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic link to the communities to facilitate both government and private sector opportunities in Inuvik, to create equity in opportunities for the Indigenous governments.
We can work to identify both revenue expenditures efficiencies across our governments. We need to identify economic opportunities that may become evident once we start working together as governments in settling the land claims. Being an obvious one, a big one for me, Mr. Speaker, is opening up our Beaufort Sea, working with the federal government to get that opened up. That will create jobs. That will make money for our territory, and that's what is needed because we are broke.
Mr. Speaker, we need to have the courage to take this first step towards this real collaborative leadership approach at the territorial level with the Inuvialuit, the Dene, the Metis governments. I am convinced that, once we do this, we will realize the full potential of the 2013 Devolution Agreement, truly start building and growing the NWT, and our territorial budget will look much better than the way it looks now. We can make changes for the best, for the people of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. We have to work together to get it done. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Replies to budget address. Colleagues, before we carry on, I would like to recognize Grace Barathol and Renata Bullock, who are with us in the gallery today, special request by Mr. Thompson. Also, today is a big day for one of our Members. Mr. Norn, I would like to wish you a very happy birthday.
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going back to my Member's statement, when I was talking about providing this type of traditional counselling in all of the regions, I understand that each Indigenous group may want something else. We have heard this, and we heard it again from the Premier when we were going through the mandate. This camp has Dene, Metis, Inuit, non-Indigenous counsellors and does not discriminate from who wants services. Can the Minister tell me if they are looking at this type of a model? If not, can they look into expanding or funding to expand this Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, if they would like to, in other regions or to have them have funding to be able to go out and talk to other regions to work on a model like this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard a lot of questions in that one question. We are doing a lot of programming. The Member is referring to the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation. We have supported the foundation since it began. We also are supporting them and providing them funding for the traditional healing. Also, we are helping them with a proposal with the Indigenous Services Canada and also the development of community-based programming and working on a pilot project together. Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation. Some of their programming that they provide is very unique. I think that, if the Member could give me her walking map, maybe I'll take a walk down there and have a look and meet William and Rassi and Be'sha. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'm glad that they are working with them. When I visited the centre, the first thing they wanted to do was do a picture. We had a picture taken, and then a lot of people from the community were telling me, "I want that. I want to go there." Can the Minister confirm to me when they have clients, within the hospital or within the Department of Health, being asked to attend counselling, in matters, for example, when clients are admitted for suicidal ideation, overdose attempts, child and family service plans of care, are given the option to see a traditional counsellor of their choosing, for example, and Elder or other counselling services.
Yes, we are working in a client-centred way, meaning working with individuals to determine their best avenue to access support. Mr. Speaker, we also have staff who work to meet people where they are and help them to determine what is the best option for them. For some, it could be a form of counsellor, it could be also meeting with an Elder, so we do have options, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the clients and what’s the best avenue for them to receive any of their counselling services.
