Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I’ve waited until today to raise this point or order because I wanted to review yesterday’s Hansard. On Tuesday, May 11th, during his Member’s statement, Mr. Ramsay said, and I quote from page 5 of unedited Hansard of that day, “Minister Lee has been given her marching orders by Cabinet and she is being too arrogant and too ignorant to see that by pursuing this direction she is doing untold damage to her reputation as a people’s politician.” Mr. Speaker, I submit in the accusation of being arrogant and ignorant are clearly abusive and violate Rule 23(k) that states in debate, a Member will be called to order by the Speaker if the Member uses abusive or insulting language of a nature likely to create disorder.
In the same statement, Mr. Ramsay also said, and I quote from page 5 unedited Hansard from May 11th, “It is a gross misrepresentation of the laurels of this government to be fair and equitable to all they serve. All of this for what? To divide people on racial lines to save $2.5 million a year.” Mr. Speaker, these comments impute false or hidden motives to Minister Lee and the government as a whole, which is a violation of Rule 23(i), and moreover, Mr. Speaker, any comment that suggests the government establishes policies based on racial considerations is abhorrent, irresponsible and should not be tolerated in this House. Thank you.
To the point of order. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do look forward to a resolution of this at some point in time, but it wasn’t my intent to hurl insults or be abusive or insulting to my colleague, Ms. Lee. Mr. Speaker, I take my position here as a Member of the Legislative Assembly very seriously. When I use
words in this House, those are words that I get in conversations with residents, constituents, people who bring issues to me, and if I do believe that a certain Minister is acting in an arrogant fashion, an ignorant fashion, it is my duty and my obligation as a Member of this House to come here and tell them that. I do look forward to your ruling on this point of order.
To the point of order. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We spent a fair bit of time a number of months ago at Blachford Lodge talking about how we’re going to interact with each other, the importance of being respectful, to use proper language, to avoid the hurling of insults. I would assume and I would trust that whatever a Member hears on the street doesn’t necessarily feel or she necessarily feels obligated to repeat in this House without any kind of filter or editing to make sure that it fits the decorum of this institution that we all work in. The Member made a point of reiterating the very same allegations that he’s just been called on a point of order on.
I, as well, look forward to your ruling. If we’re going to allow the tenor of the debate, the tone of the debate to deteriorate to the point where we can start hurling those type of insults and invective back and forth across the floor, then it’s going to be a very difficult process to have meaningful debate within the context of consensus government that we all agreed was important and that we wanted to make sure we could maintain.
To the point of order. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to add that as Members of this Legislature we do have rules of debate. Sometimes our debates get heated. We are passionate people. We are passionate about the issues that we are fighting for and the people we represent. As the Members of Cabinet, we understand that we need to be accountable and answer questions and we should have a healthy debate on the merits of the policy as they are presented.
I think name calling, I can’t imagine that I could get away with calling any Members on the other side ignorant. That’s not a very nice word. Arrogant. And to suggest that the government is doing anything on racial lines, those are serious words. I think we should be mindful of the words that we are using. I ask you to look at this order and decide on the interest and the good of the integrity of this House.
To the point of order. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to add a little bit to this debate. I think what I heard Mr. Ramsay expressing, certainly in terms of the description of the Minister, was, it might have been a little out of line, but he was suggesting that he was describing her actions. Again, that’s up to you to determine whether or not that was correct.
As to the statement about the government being fair and equitable and the division of people along racial lines, I have to say that I don’t believe that’s impugning the motive of the government. I think that’s an interpretation of a policy which is before us at the moment and which we are debating. I have to say that I have to side with Mr. Ramsay in the belief that this policy is divisive and whether it’s racial lines or ethnic lines, but it’s certainly implied in the policy. I’d like to encourage you to consider that in your ruling.
To the point of order. If there are no other points of order, I’d just like to take this under advisement and I will review Hansard and what’s been said.
Point of order.
Excuse me, I’m making a ruling here. Again, I’ll repeat, I will take this under advisement in regard to what’s been stated here with regard to the point of order and what’s been said here in the House and, more importantly, what’s in Hansard. With that, I would like to have an opportunity to review that and I will come forward with my ruling.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have waited until today to raise this point of order because I wanted to review yesterday’s Hansard.
On Tuesday, May 11th, during the question period. Mr. Abernethy said, and I quote from page 27 of the unedited Hansard for that day: “So what she is saying, that they are not covered, it is not completely true. It is doublespeak. She is saying one thing when really she is trying to say another…”
Mr. Speaker, the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines doublespeak as, “language used to deceive, usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth.” Mr. Speaker, the term strongly suggests a deliberate misleading of the House and as such violates Rule 23(j), which states that in debate a Member will be called to order by the Speaker if the Member charges another Member with uttering a deliberate falsehood.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask for your ruling.
To the point of order. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, have a definition of doublespeak taken from a dictionary, as well, that says, intentionally deceiving language, not an outright lie or a tactful euphemism, but a systematic use of ambiguous, evasive words and sentence structures to say one thing but mean something else, commonly associated with the bureaucracy, military and politics. It is often practiced in commerce, also a calculated attempt to: (1) avoid or shift responsibility; (2) distort reality by making the bad, negative or unpleasant look good, positive or pleasant and vice versa; and (3) confused by using unfamiliar or concocted jargon, an example, see collateral damage as an example. It’s also called doubletalk or doublethink. The noun: evasive, ambiguous language that is intended to confuse. It comes originally in 1957 from a book by George Orwell and it’s often referred to as doubletalk, as well, which is meaningless speech which consists of nonsense syllables mixed with intelligent words, also sometimes known as gibberish, deliberately ambiguous or evasive language also called doublespeak.
Mr. Speaker, in responding to some of the things that the Minister said yesterday, I felt that she was clearly using ambiguous language that wasn’t clear and I think doublespeak fits that term. I look forward to your ruling. Thank you.
To the point of order. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Whether by the definition that I read or the definition that the Member read, I believe to say that someone is doing that in this House is in violation of Section 23(j). Mr. Speaker, I ask you to rely on a ruling in the House on February 21, 2003, pages 231 to 260, in which a former Member for Monfwi, which then at the time was North Slave which is now Monfwi, accused former Premier Joe Handley of travelling on a separate road from the truth. He didn’t say that the Premier lied. He just said that he was travelling separate from the truth and that was found to be in breach of this rule.
Mr. Speaker, it is a very serious allegation for any Member in this House to allege that another Member is either misleading the House or misrepresenting the facts or lying. That’s really important because Members have to be able to rely on the information that the Ministers give and that we can’t have Ministers or Members giving deliberate falsehoods. The Member, by reading the Webster definition that he just read, he’s reconfirming the notion that he is saying that I am actually misrepresenting or lying and double speaking. Mr. Speaker, if only because he doesn’t agree, that doesn’t mean that somebody else is misrepresenting. That only because he doesn’t agree with one interpretation, it doesn’t mean that what that person is saying is ambiguous.
At no time in answering my questions yesterday did I ever say anything that is not true. My point about the supplementary health for the lower income people, I focused on the fact that the program would expand to dental and eye care. That is a statement of the fact and to say that I...
Ms. Lee ...
...not lie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say lie.
I would like to remind Members that we are dealing with a point of order that has been specifically stated. Could you keep your frame of discussion to the point of order? So, to the point of order. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak briefly to this. The Member did indeed use the term “doublespeak” yesterday. I think it is my impression, or my reading of his use of the term was that this Minister frequently does say things that can be taken in two different ways. When we are trying to have a discussion that clarifies things, that does not do service to the issue. Whether or not the Minister does that on purpose, I am not saying, but nevertheless, she does tend to use things that can be interpreted in two different ways. That does not add clarity to the issue under discussion. My interpretation is that by using the term “doublespeak,” Member Abernethy was simply expressing his frustration in this lack of clarity being brought into discussion by the Minister. Thank you.
To the point of order. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have any more to add to the point of order. I just want to withdraw my very last word, which is that it was a lie. I didn’t mean to say that. I withdraw and apologize. I wouldn’t call any Member here to say that they are lying. I apologize. I withdraw and apologize. Thank you.
I accept your apology. To the point of order. Similar to my last ruling, I will again take this under advisement. I will review the debate in the House in regards to this point of order. I will come back with my ruling.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to announce that the Corrections Northern Recruit Training Program is coming to Fort Smith.
This program supports the “Attraction and Recruitment” goal of the GNWT’s long-term strategic plan for the public service: “20/20: A Brilliant North.” The goal is to create a public service that reflects the diverse cultures of the NWT while promoting the development and advancement of our own people.
The six-week program provides the basic skills Northerners need to be eligible for entry-level jobs in our correctional facilities in Hay River, Yellowknife, Fort Smith and Inuvik. It is a targeted training program for Northerners to promote development and excellence. And it’s a big part of our long-term northern recruitment plan. We are looking for northern residents who care about their communities and want to make a difference in the lives of offenders. We plan to provide more opportunities to northern residents and encourage them to consider careers in our justice system. This maximizes opportunities and strengthens the role of communities in prevention and enforcement, especially in dealing with chronic offenders.
This training has already been delivered twice in Yellowknife. To date, 19 individuals have graduated from this program and 15 of them are employed with the Corrections Service. Many of the graduates are aboriginal and all are long-term residents of our Territory. They have more than just basic knowledge of how to work in corrections; they truly understand what it’s like to work in NWT communities. They’re uniquely qualified to support the reintegration of our offenders back into their communities.
But we’ve had trouble getting recruits from outside Yellowknife. It is important that our Corrections Service reflects our Territory in all of its diversity. So we are taking this program and reaching out into the communities.
Thirteen recruits from Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife have been selected for the first program in Fort Smith. When the program ends, these Northerners will be ideally suited to work as corrections officers and youth officers. This training program, which is overlapping with one being run in Yellowknife, draws heavily upon our existing staff from Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife to manage the program south of the lake and to deliver all the program training elements. We owe these staff a sincere bid of thanks as they help us to meet our goals to train, recruit and retain northern staff.
Mr. Speaker, training and recruiting the right people from the North for the right jobs is critical in helping us continue to provide and maintain high quality programs in correctional services. Our recruitment approach is assessable, relevant and enhances our existing programming. It is truly made in the North for Northerners. I look forward to welcoming the new graduates to the Corrections Service after they finish their program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide information on the new and improved NWT licence plate that will be available to the public starting July 1st of this year.
The Department of Transportation has been working closely with groups across the NWT, and has consulted with the RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and the Royal Canadian Legion, NWT Tourism, commercial carriers, manufacturers and other Canadian jurisdictions to update our licence plate and bring it up to current design standards.
Our shift to a new licence plate began when the discussions with the manufacturer of our current plate indicated they would cease to produce licence plates and that any other option to continue with the old plates would come at a considerable increase in costs. This, Mr. Speaker, combined with the fact that the 25-year-old tools and dies used to manufacture our current licence plate no longer met industry standards. We identified this as an excellent opportunity to examine our new options for our licence plate.
The polar bear design was first used in the Northwest Territories in 1970 and has become recognizable across North America. It is unique in the world and for the last 40 years has created an important branding opportunity to promote the Northwest Territories. The new licence plate will maintain our unique polar bear shape. Also updated on the plate is the tourism slogan, which was previously “Explore Canada’s Arctic,” but has been changed to “Spectacular,” the new NWT Tourism slogan. The slogan on the plate has changed a number of times over the years and aligning it with the current tourism campaign will help in our marketing and our branding efforts.
Mr. Speaker, road safety is our top priority for the department and updating our licence plate is a key way of ensuring the safety of our road users. The new plate features a modern reflective coating, which improves night time vehicle visibility by up to 700 percent. This is valuable for law enforcement as they will be able to identify and read the licence plate in low light conditions. Safety benefits will be seen by every road user as vehicles will become more visible, even if a vehicle is disabled without lights at the side of a road. Other jurisdictions across Canada have benefited from this improved visibility and now it is time for our drivers to receive this enhanced safety feature.
Beginning July 1st, when an individual enters or renews an existing vehicle registration or registers a new vehicle, they will be issued a new plate. New licence plates have a nominal one-time fee of $10 to cover the increased costs of using these new licence plates. By introducing the licence plate fee, we will ensure that funding needed for other important programs is not diverted for the purpose of producing licence plates.
The full rollout of these new plates will take place over 18 months, so every NWT licensed vehicle in the Territory will have a new plate by December 31st, 2011.
In addition to the improved reflectivity, Mr. Speaker, another important improvement is to note that the new licence plate is more environmentally friendly. We eliminated the toxic paint used on the previous plates and reduced the weight, which made shipping more efficient.
In conclusion, the department has developed this exciting new graphical licence plate that will improve road safety very much into the 21st Century and proudly market the Northwest Territories on every registered vehicle. The department has received excellent feedback on the new design from interest groups and stakeholders across the Territory. Mr. Speaker, I’m proud of this new licence plate and it is a plate that all of our residents can be proud of as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Today I once again wish to speak on the issue of housing programs for seniors in Tu Nedhe. Last year we lost three of our oldest residents, plus six or seven other elders who have passed. With each passing there is a tremendous loss of wisdom and experience. I feel I lost a part of history and community knowledge, as I visited regularly with six or seven of these seniors during my visits to Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e.
This presents a loss of 20 to 30 percent of our most respected elders and some of these elders have been waiting for homes to be upgraded when they passed away. Fortunately some of them have had much needed work completed on their homes prior to their passing.
For the elders in Tu Nedhe, housing is a top priority when it comes to support being provided by this government. I have raised the issue of seniors’ housing many times in the past. I know the corporation is working on this and today I wish to confirm things.
Seniors are a special sector of our population and sometimes they are overlooked because they don’t speak up. Many elders that I am talking about were raised in a different time and have strong feelings of personal pride and getting things done without asking for help. Also, we must realize that English is not their first language.
We need the NWT Housing Corporation to be more proactive in dealing with our seniors. In the past I’ve suggested putting a higher priority on seniors’ applications and I’m wondering if this is being done today.
In a few weeks I will again be meeting with the seniors in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e and again these seniors will first tell me how they are feeling and then they will tell me about the problems they are having with their house. This is the norm and it says a lot about the state of the housing programs and our seniors. Our seniors need attention when it comes to housing issues.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is paying respect to the people who have passed away, and their families and friends, since the last sitting of this Assembly.
We lost a really important elder in our community of Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Jimmy Komeak passed away April 2, 2010. Jimmy lost his parents at an early age and was raised by Peter Panaktalok. He married Jean and had seven children. He started with the RCMP in Cambridge Bay in 1941 and was a well-known reindeer herder in the Mackenzie Delta area. Jimmy will be sadly missed for his sense of humour and always teasing.
Out of Ulukhaktok we lost Mr. Philip Katoayak. He passed away February 14th. He was born to Simon and Effie Katoayak. Simon is now deceased. Philip lived in Ulukhaktok, his daughter in Gjoa Haven. Philip Katoayak loved spending time on the land and he’ll be sadly missed by his mom, Effie, and his sister, Hannah.
This last week we lost a real piece of history in the Beaufort-Delta, Ms. Bertha Allen, nee Moses. She was born in Old Crow in the Yukon to Caroline and Steven Moses. She was well-grounded in the Vuntut Gwitchin culture and traditions of her grandmother, and had great plans for her to do the work that honoured her. The strengths of the Vuntut Gwitchin upbringing allowed her to experience All Saints Anglican Residential School from 11 to 16 years of age, with a few negative impacts that allowed her to help students that were struggling within the system.
Her many accomplishments included forming the leading of the NWT Native Women’s Association, holding leadership positions in the NWT Status of Women Council and the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Bertha was also inspirational in improving the health and social services, through participation in various boards and agencies. She received the Governor General’s Award for commemoration of a Person’s Case in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
After, she had received the Governor General’s Award for the Commissioner Volunteer Award, the highest level of national health and welfare of Canadian volunteer award and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award. She was named to the Order of Canada and her last accolade was when she accepted the Governor General’s medal. When she accepted these awards she brought acknowledgement to all women who helped her along the way. She is survived by her son Gerry Kisoun, Shirley Kisoun, Yvonne Camsell, Judy Mahoney, Dennis Allen and Donna Kisoun.
Last April 5th, Ronald Storr passed away in Aklavik. He was my uncle. He’s survived by his wife, my Auntie Marjorie; his son Ronald Storr Jr., and son Chris, and daughter Phyllis Kasook, and many grandchildren. Myself and Minister McLeod attended the funeral. It was a beautiful service and I put my uncle to rest.
To whoever lost family members these past few months, I pay my respects to you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Can I wait?
The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to respond to yesterday’s fiscal and economic update which was provided to this House by the honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger. I listened very intently to the Minister’s statement, both for what he was saying and what he wasn’t saying.
It is my belief that our financial well-being is in grave danger. The Finance Minister does state that the economy shrank last year, as evidenced by a declining gross domestic product. What he fails to say is investment in our Territory was down 24 percent last year. We lost a net of 900 jobs and close to 500 people left the Territory, for a net decline in population.
I’m not an economist or an accountant, but when faced with these types of declines, doesn’t it stand to reason that our revenues would be adversely affected? These kinds of numbers will undoubtedly result in declines in personal income tax, payroll tax, corporate income tax, and not to mention eventually the grant we receive from Canada.
I don’t believe we can continue to, as the Finance Minister states, hold the course on spending. The Government of Canada has agreed to increase our borrowing limit by $75 million to accommodate the debt from the Deh Cho Bridge. However, we are skating very close to open water when it comes to our debt limit. We are still unsure of the disposition of the Opportunities Fund and how that money will eventually be booked.
Some very frightening items are on the horizon. Firstly, the Deh Cho Bridge, which has approximately $93 million left in construction costs and yet we have in place only a $3 million contingency. This is completely absurd. There’s little doubt that this bridge will cost millions of dollars more. As well, an early spring brings with it a heightened fear of a bad forest fire season, which would require additional millions of dollars. With the numerous capital projects underway around our Territory, like the Inuvik schools, any slippage is going to really hurt us.
I do have to give credit to the government for its capital plan and the fact that we have been getting projects underway, stimulating the economy at a time when it needed it the most. What we are not doing is being more productive in planning and preparing for the challenging times which, looking at the statistics, are going to hit us sooner rather than later.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Like the last government did, we can’t leave a mess for the next government to clean up. My recommendation to government is we should not start any new initiatives. Finish what we started. We should look at reigning in expenditure growth. Instead of 3 percent, how about zero percent? We should get moving on the work conducted by the Program Review Office. Shelve the divisive changes to supplementary health. People will leave and we can’t afford to lose any more residents. Continue with vigour our marketing and promotion campaign to attract new residents to our Territory, and we need to get more investment dollars into our Territory, especially any opportunities for federal positions and investments should be thoroughly explored.
We have one budget and a little over a year left in the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly. The opportunity will be there for each and every one of us to make a difference in what state we leave the Territory’s finances in for the next government.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today’s worries are focused on the Minister’s proposals on supplementary health, but we should not lose focus on the problems that devalue the quality of our current health services.
One such challenge is access to diagnostic services. Long waiting lists for essential testing and treatment is an issue familiar to every Member. Literally hundreds of patients are waiting as much as two years for audiometric testing, colonoscopies, bone density testing and other essential diagnostic services. Patients who get through the diagnostic line-up then join the line to see physicians. Wait times of one and even two years are not uncommon in such disciplines as internal medicine, oncology and orthopaedics. Prompt care in these cases is often critical to ease suffering and halt the advancement of the disease. Lack of specialists means more patient trips to the South, a terribly inefficient use of funds. Or we drop the service, such as access to pain clinics.
For our regional residents, the lack of specialists at Stanton Territorial Hospital means no services for visitors. Patients needing care that can’t wait, such as midwifery services and physiotherapy, are going without.
The inability to recruit and retain professionals is a chronic problem. Many patients simply can’t find a regular family doctor. The Territory has not had a resident psychiatrist for at least three years. Locum placements are an expensive band-aid on the lack of resident physicians. While the Minister proudly announced the launch of the department’s $100,000 recruitment website recently, high turnover and lasting vacancies in critical positions persist.
Despite the government’s professed commitment to the preventive approach, limits to approve procedures have often prevented my constituents from getting treatments that will save the system thousands of dollars in the long run. The limp answer I get in these cases is it’s not on the list; of course, with unexplained exceptions.
Patients who do get care and are paying their own medication costs don’t get their money back on legitimate claims. On what should be a routine matter with the Inuvik office, one Weledeh senior is now on her fourth go-around with the same recurring months-long-no-refund problem corrected only through repeated recourse to the Minister of Health herself. No doubt we can take a lesson on the future of co-payments from this case.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Health services are at the top of every Canadian’s list of priorities and Northerners are no different. Our residents receive many excellent services from our dedicated and often over-tasked health care professionals. My constituents still speak highly about the treatment they receive for emergency and catastrophic health issues. It is our preventative and diagnostic programs and access to specialists that are failing. Let’s see some real progress on these very real issues.
