In regard to the Minister’s response, I would like to know if she would be committed to letting her staff know this, because it’s not happening. With my experience, this has not been given as an option, maybe due to the high turnover of staff. Would the Minister consider going and letting her staff know that this is an option? Thank you.
Absolutely, and I’m sure all the staff in the Department of Health and Social Services are watching us today. The Member talks about this unique mental wellness facility, and I would like to go down there and have a visit and have a look at some of their options. It is something that we will look into. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that answer, as well. Will the Minister have her department work with the Indigenous groups in each of the regions so they can provide them a list of counsellors that they have? Because I do know that we do have counsellors, traditional counsellors, especially in my community of Inuvik. We have different counsellors with Inuvialuit, we have different options within the Inuvialuit, and so do the Gwich’in in my community, that will provide elders and other options. Would she commit to having her department get that list so, when people are needing counsellors, they can also contact them? Thank you.
There is another "yes." Yes, of course, our department can work with Indigenous groups to ensure that we have a clear picture of community-based options, so that they are assured that our staff are aware of these options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions were going to be for the Minister of ITI, but listening to the Minister of health say “yes” all the time, I might ask her instead.
---Laughter
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my statement, fishing is one of the most challenging and dangerous occupations. As such, we must ensure that our fishers are provided safe working conditions and the tools to make that happen here in the NWT. My first question for the Minister of ITI is: the NWT fishing revitalization strategy focuses mainly on production of fish and is silent on safety; can the Minister confirm if it includes the supports to improve fisher safety, and, if so, what are those safety supports? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Safety is something that we take very seriously and is a focus of the Commercial Fisheries Revitalization Strategy. A key component of the strategy is addressing equipment and standards, which will promote safer fishing practices throughout the NWT. As with most things, we have many partners in this effort, including the marine training centre in Hay River, the NWT’s Fishermen’s Federation, NWSCC as well.
I’ll ask the Minister: are there any funds that will be put towards ensuring fishers have access to safety equipment, such as the emergency position indicating radio beacons, which can help locate fishermen or vessels if something happens?
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we do have funds available through existing programs, which can be accessed for this kind of equipment. They would include the SEED program, or Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development policy, and the Commercial Fisheries Industry Support Program. I can also confirm we have provided funding for GPS equipment in the past, and we’re going to continue to make this part of our discussion as we go through the process of revitalization.
Does the Minister’s department work with DFO and/or the WSCC to ensure vessels are inspected and are seaworthy and have the necessary safety equipment to meet safety standards?
Yes, we work with WSCC and Transport Canada, who is the regulator of fishing vessels, to promote safety for all of our fishers, and again, the revitalization strategy works to implement mandatory training and supports fishers to bring their equipment and their vessels up to standards, and we are going to continue to work going forward to ensure that the safety is improved for all fishers on the lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister be willing to throw another $500,000 for grant money for the fishers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
While I can’t say “yes” on this one, however, I would have to look to my colleagues to approve any supplementary asks that I may have going forward. If we determine that we do need more funding, we will be coming back to the Assembly to look for that funding, and I hope that the Member will say “yes” at that point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I spoke today about the need to provide more accessible and affordable childcare by investing in spaces in which childcare can be offered. Has the Minister considered providing childcare space in new or renovated schools as a way to provide suitable space for childcare in communities across the NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, part of our mandate is to better utilize GNWT infrastructure for early childhood programs, so that’s a definite consideration. Right now, our capital standards don’t say anything about childcare spaces in schools, so we’re not mandated to build them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re prohibited from building it, either, so it’s a discussion that we’re currently having. Thank you.
I’m jumping on this bandwagon. I’m particularly interested in the possibility of providing childcare space at J.H. Sissons school, which is in my riding, and which is going to be rebuilt, starting in the near future. Is it still possible to talk about providing childcare space in that school? Thank you.
I hate to stop the fun, here, but the answer for that one is “no,” unfortunately. The contract, or the engineering and design contract, was awarded in June 2019 and that work has already commenced. At this point, it's too late to include childcare space in that plan. However, in the future, if we have room available in the school, that could be used for childcare space, but dedicated space is not in the plan right now and it's too late to add that.
Okay, let me be the first to call the Minister a party pooper. What I'm interested in knowing is: in the event that it is possible to build childcare spaces in schools, what would that look like? Would it be on a partnership model with respect to service delivery? Would the partners need to bring money to the table? What are the Minister's initial thoughts on how this would work?
Right now, we're open to anything. This is very early in this Assembly, and this mandate item, I think, spring 2021 is when we look to have a plan formed on what this would look like. Of course, we're open to partnerships. I mean, that's sort of been the mantra of this government. Every community is different, and so we have to look at the specific communities. Perhaps the GNWT is the only game in town and we could provide that service, but that is all yet to be determined. Right now, I won't say no to anything going forward in terms of what we're going to consider.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. Can the Minister tell us what kind of research is being done on this topic, whether there is a jurisdictional scan, for example, to see how childcare is provided in other remote and high-cost locations? Thank you.
As part of the mandate commitment, as well, we're working on the Early Learning and Childcare 2030 Strategy, and so there is some work that has been going into that. I don't have the specifics of that, but I can find out and share that with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier today about breaking down the stigma around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I believe the first and most important step in doing that is to make sure we are working with the right information. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. How many people in the Northwest Territories have been diagnosed with FASD?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Stanton Territorial Youth FASD Family and Community Support Program has been in existence since 2010 and, as of January 2020, has provided assessments of 93 children. Of those 93 children, 63 have been diagnosed with a FASD diagnosis. The implementation of the adult FASD diagnostic and support program has occurred over the past year. The first diagnostic clinic took place in January 2020, and one adult has been diagnosed with FASD. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That totals 64 people who have been diagnosed with FASD in our territory, despite federal numbers estimating there are 1,800 people living with FASD in our territory. We have a long way to go in getting these diagnoses. Having worked first-hand in the criminal justice system, I can tell you that diagnosis ultimately affects sentencing, it affects conditions, it affects housing. Given our unique situation in the North, does the Department of Health and Social Services have a plan to conduct its own research on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the Northwest Territories?
The department does not conduct FASD research directly. The GNWT is a member of the Canadian Northwest FASD Partnership, which provides financial contribution and sets out priorities for the CanFASD Research Network. The research network conducts research on behalf of the Northwest Territories and other provinces and territories. CanFASD researchers are currently leading 25 major projects related to FASD prevention, intervention, and diagnosis. Being involved in a wider partnership such as these provides the Government of the Northwest Territories with reliable and valid information to improve outcomes for those who are affected with FASD.
I am aware, and I am thankful for all the work that CanFASD does, and I also know there is much work being done. I believe there are 150 people right now in Yellowknife receiving training regarding FASD. However, there is much work to do, especially in regard to diagnostics. My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is: what is the average wait time for a diagnosis for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the Northwest Territories?
There are presently 38 children on the wait list for the youth FASD program, and the wait time varies. As an example, nine of these children are waiting to be old enough to get into the clinic, and 11 do not have confirmation of any alcohol exposure, which is required for them to go through the diagnostic process. As the adult FASD clinic has just started, a wait time has not been reported.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure I will have many more conversations on getting that information for the adult wait times and removing some of the barriers for children getting into those diagnostics. I recognize there needs to be a stigma broken down that allows both mothers and people with FASD to self-disclose, but I was hoping the Minister of Health and Social Services could speak to the current barriers, to make sure we can improve access and get those wait times down, and get more people into the diagnostic clinic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member is correct. There is a stigma surrounding FASD, and it is a barrier for individuals and families accessing diagnostic services. The Member asked: what are the barriers? The Northwest Territories' geographic remoteness creates challenges in ensuring equitable access to diagnosis. Medical travel is also a barrier for accessing diagnostic services, and can be particularly challenging for families with children with complex needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the very agreeable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who sets regulations for onshore oil and gas resources and also promotes such development. The Oil and Gas Spills and Debris Liability Regulations set absolute liability limits of between $10 and $40 million, depending on the location of the spill or debris caused by oil and gas exploration and development. Can the Minister explain why there are these liability caps in place and what public purpose they serve? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member mentioned, there is only a cap on liability when the person or entity who holds the authorization is not proven to be at fault for the spill or discharge, or other similar event. The cap balances the right to swift compensation against the lack of proof of responsibility, and ensures that funds can be accessed promptly, without having to prove fault or negligence on the part of the operator. If an operator or any person is proven to be at fault for a spill, there is no legislated limit on its financial liability and no cap on what they would need to pay to rectify the situation and compensate those affected, to the extent of the fault or negligence proved against them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the Minister for that, but she didn't actually explain what public purpose they serve. Basically, they shield private companies from liability and, in this day and age, we need to be adopting a "polluter pays" approach. I'd like to know if the Minister can explain whether Cabinet intends to respond to the recommendations from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment from the last Assembly. That committee recommended "a comprehensive review of oil and gas related regulation with the expressed purpose to increase the cap for absolute liability." Can the Minister explain: is she or the Cabinet actually going to respond to that recommendation?
As the Member stated, in the 18th Legislative Assembly, ITI committed to such a comprehensive review of the PRA and the OGOA. I am pleased to confirm that the review has begun, and it is ongoing. The results of that review will inform our next steps regarding this suite of regulations. In addition, we are working with the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations on implementing the statutory measures that were passed by the 18th Assembly aimed at making the industry more transparent and responsive to the needs of our territory.
I think that was actually a yes. Just as we have millions of dollars of environmental liability from Cameron Hills hurtling towards us, because we failed to make sure that there was proper financial security in place, these regulations that the Minister is talking about are one page long. She doesn't have to do a big review. She can change them tomorrow if she wants, just gazette the new limits. Can the Minister tell us: is she clearly committed to increasing the absolute liability caps in the Oil and Gas Spills and Debris Liability Regulations?
