Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Improving skills for living and working is one of the ways the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to maximize opportunities for our residents and pursue the Legislative Assembly’s goal of a diversified economy. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment makes significant investments in skills training and employment development to ensure that northern residents can meet the demand of northern employers.
The Northwest Territories Labour Force Development Framework -- People, Partnerships, Possibilities -- is the result of northern partners coming together to find common ground to ensure our people and our economy are strong now and in the future. The framework is the territory’s new tool for working together towards improved labour market outcomes.
Although our labour market conditions remain fairly strong during the global recession, there were a number of challenges ensuring employment opportunities were available for Northerners. Much has happened over the past four years to overcome these challenges:
enhancement of the Northwest Territories Literacy Strategy, especially in the areas of youth and labour market literacy;
strengthened apprenticeship programs including supports to women and Aboriginal
people to successfully complete trades programs;
Aurora College expanded community-based delivery of programs in areas such as teacher education, labour market and industrial training and student wellness;
a new NWT Nominee Program to support employers in meeting skills gaps; and
targeted supports for community and economic development in our rural and remote communities.
Mr. Speaker, on May 25 and May 26, 2011, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will host a labour force symposium for key NWT stakeholders. At the symposium, ECE will launch a new Labour Force Development Framework and stakeholders will have the opportunity to:
share labour market information linked to programs, services and supports;
highlight the connection between skills development and regional economic development activities and projects; and
discuss potential structures for, and functions of, a territorial coordinating body to champion the new framework.
Mr. Speaker, all levels of government must continue to invest in and support this framework so we can achieve the shared vision. Together we can build a productive future for our people, our communities and our economy. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A strong volunteer sector contributes directly to sustainable, vibrant and safe communities, one of the priorities of this Legislative Assembly. I would like to speak today about the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs’ work to support the volunteer sector in the Northwest Territories and about the importance of volunteers to our communities.
MACA offers a number of programs intended to support residents in their volunteer efforts. Through the Volunteer Organization Development Contribution Program, MACA provides cost-shared opportunities for volunteers to seek training or gain knowledge. Funding under this contribution program was increased in 2009-2010 to provide financial assistance to a greater number of organizations. Amongst other items, funding supports registration cost for volunteer workshops, training and courses, instruction and consultation fees, and travel costs directly related to attending or hosting and volunteer organization development event.
Another volunteer program delivered by MACA is the Youth Ambassadors Program. This program has provided a guided and structured volunteer experience for youth since it was first piloted during the 2007 Canada Winter Games. Most recently, four youth ambassadors traveled to Los Angeles where they demonstrated traditional northern games during the LA Times Travel and Adventure Show as part of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s Spectacular NWT program that promotes the NWT’s potential visitors.
Through the Youth Ambassador’s Program, MACA is helping youth to develop life and job skills, and to build confidence through public interaction, mentorship, and the assumption of responsibilities.
In addition to these programs, MACA hosts the annual Outstanding Volunteer Awards to recognize and promote volunteers in our communities. This year’s awards ceremony is scheduled for June 10th during the Northwest Territories Association of Communities Annual General Meeting here in Yellowknife. While the 2011 awards will be presented to three individuals and one group, the Northwest Territories is home to many volunteers, each of whom deserves recognition for their hard work and dedication.
Volunteers provide an essential service to our communities. They are the volunteer firefighters who keep our communities safe; the neighbours who help the elderly with groceries, shovelling snow or chopping wood; and the coaches, referees and mentors who help us stay healthy through sport and physical activities. I encourage my colleagues and everyone across the NWT to volunteer by supporting a local community group, coaching a local sports team, or helping an elderly neighbour. Give back to your community and give back to volunteers. If you know someone who donates their time in your community, nominate them for an outstanding volunteer award or thank them for their hard work.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has come to our attention that the amendments to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act concludes the consultative process tomorrow, which again shows the lack of respect for the Aboriginal claimant groups in the Northwest Territories for the land claims and the people of the Northwest Territories to have the decision-making process in the Northwest Territories for the people of the Northwest Territories, and simply leaving the decision-making process up to the governments, whether it’s the federal government or a panel of so-called specialists. We’ve been talking about the McCrank Report or talking about the reports done previously.
I think it’s important for this government to declare where we stand on the list of outstanding issues and the items that were being discussed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government about Indian and Northern Affairs. What exactly was the list of items? How will those items affect the regulatory system in the Northwest Territories and those groups that do have land claims?
The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act came into force and effect to ensure that we implemented those land claim obligations into a regulatory system that meets their requirements, and ensure that the Tlicho Government and their land claim agreements are also enacted.
I think it’s important for the Government of the Northwest Territories to come clean and say where exactly we stand as a government when it comes to making those major revisions to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act in regard to the regulatory system in the Northwest Territories. Do we support regional boards or don’t we? Do we want to have one system of regulation in the Northwest Territories by a centralized board? Do we accept the land use planning provisions that are in those arrangements? Do we allow for the environmental assessment to have an independent process so that it’s independent from government, it’s independent from industry, and it does give us the decisions that are there for the benefit of the public, the people of the Northwest Territories and communities?
At the appropriate time I will ask questions of the Minister of Environment on where this government stands when it comes to the changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a society we need to cultivate and promote our strong northern candidates for positions of leadership in education. Through its Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, ECE is placing top priority on improving the academic performance of Aboriginal students, and rightly so. Grade standings, competencies, and graduation rates among Aboriginal students remain unacceptably low in comparison with non-Aboriginal students across the NWT. Here in Yellowknife 50 percent of our students are Aboriginal.
Regional consultations note that strong teaching and program administration is key. Looking closely at our biggest success stories, it’s the teachers and school administrators with long northern experience that are making the biggest difference. In Weledeh, Kalemi Dene School exemplifies this. Checking the staff list you see teachers with decades of service improving and refining culturally relevant, locally knowledgeable programming. Leadership has been critical.
Kalemi Dene’s principal is well known for her 18 years-plus of Aboriginal teaching experience, her master’s in education, the recognition of her excellence through national awards and national Aboriginal mentorship programs, and above all, her inspirational leadership and commitment. Given her credentials, numerous Aboriginal students in the district and lack of Aboriginal personnel in upper management positions, many were shocked when the recent staff position for a Yellowknife education district assistant superintendent position passed over such an exemplary candidate in favour of a southern hire, especially in the case of an assistant superintendent. Others and I saw this as a missed opportunity for progressive leadership and succession planning.
Northern students and their teachers need strong role models. Northern hiring practices need to place great weight upon the value of long northern service and accomplishment. Staffing policy at the education boards is a matter of board policy. Yet, incredibly, no affirmative action, northern hire, or appeal policies are in place in at least one board. However, this government contributes about 80 percent of the funding to boards and can rightly take a strong role in urging policy.
I’ve raised this issue with the board and the Minister. We need to learn from this experience, work with our partners, develop and promote the excellence of our local candidates. Mr. Speaker, let’s get it done. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week, May 9 to 13th, is National Nursing Week, and today is International Nurses Day. I would like to take this opportunity today to highlight the valuable services that nurses provide to all residents of the Northwest Territories. This year’s theme of the National Nursing Week is “Nursing – The Health of our Nation.”
According to the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, there are 434 nurses registered to practice in the Northwest Territories. Their work helps to improve the health of our territory in substantial and meaningful ways. Whether it is new graduates from the Nursing Program here at Aurora College or veteran nurses with many years of experience, these people are activists, advocates, caregivers, innovators, and researchers who seek holistic ways to build healthier communities. On a day-to-day basis they do this with the use of skill sets gathered and maintained through education and practice that are governed by a rigorous code of ethics. We have nurses with many different diplomas, degrees, certifications and specializations who work in a range of locations. This includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, public and community health centres and nursing homes. Some may work with patients and the public directly in our homes or public offices, while others have practices that involve management, administration, and work with other professionals.
There are occasions for nursing care throughout all ages and stages of our lives. These are often periods of our greatest transitions. Many of us can recall examples of when nurses have played vital roles in meaningful moments of our lives or the lives of friends and family members. This week is an opportunity for us to stop and think of those moments, to consider the many ways the nursing profession benefits us, and appreciate it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the nurses throughout the Northwest Territories for their dedication and commitment to all of the residents of this great territory. To each and every one of you nurses working and living in our cities, towns and small remote communities, thank you for your contributions. They are truly appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The words “oil spill,” which we’ve heard far too often lately, strike fear into the hearts of residents, and for good reason. An oil spill always provokes concern for our water, our animals, and the safety of the public.
Just this Monday, Enbridge Pipelines confirmed the spill of approximately four barrels of oil near Willowlake River north of Fort Simpson. The leak was reported by Chief Timothy Lennie of Wrigley, who had discovered it. Unfortunately, Chief Lennie’s exposure to the oil has affected his health. He has reported that his eyes are burning and that his throat is sore. In addition to the effects that Chief Lennie is now suffering, we don’t know how many animals will be affected either by direct contact with oil or by drinking any contaminated water. The chief has also reported that he had found one duck soaked in oil. Although four barrels seems minor compared to the 28,000 barrel leak in Alberta last week, it is important that we take any leak very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, Chief Lennie has met with officials from Enbridge Pipelines, but has not heard from our GNWT or the federal government. We have oil spill emergency plans, and I’m sure it involves meeting with leaders and communities to advise what steps we as regulatory bodies are taking to monitor the leak.
Chief Lennie has many concerns and questions, but no one is taking the time to contact him or his community. I think it is disrespectful as the leak is in his backyard and he has band members living in the immediate vicinity. He has health, environmental and safety concerns that are not being addressed by our government. His band has limited resources and capacities to deal with this situation and requires our help, yet there’s no one talking to him. He also wishes to investigate possible compensation issues, but he does not have the resources to even begin this type of discussion.
We simply must, as a regulatory agency, be proactive and be involved in this incident, Mr. Speaker.
I will be asking questions of the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about the recent federal election. I’d like to congratulate Mr. Dennis Bevington on his re-election as Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic. I’d also like to thank the other candidates who so greatly put their names forward to run: two former colleagues of many of us here today, the Conservative candidate, Ms. Sandy Lee, and Liberal candidate, Mr. Joe Handley; Mr. Eli Purchase of the Green Party, and Ms. Bonnie Dawson of the Animal Alliance Party.
What an election does, Mr. Speaker, is it gives the candidates an opportunity to debate the many issues that face this territory, and I would like to thank them for their efforts in that. Canadians now have a majority Conservative government in Ottawa.
I’d like to congratulate Prime Minister Harper on his successful campaign. As a territorial government, we are heavily reliant on the federal government to provide us with the financial resources to deliver the day-to-day programs and services we provide to the residents here in the Northwest Territories. That’s roughly $900 million on an annual basis, Mr. Speaker. Having a majority government, in my opinion, will be an opportunity to foster and grow our relationship with the federal government. Finally there is stability back in Ottawa. We know who we will need to work with over the next four years, and this is great news for our government to have that type of stability.
Three elections in six years was not conducive to us advancing major files in Ottawa. The residents of this territory have elected Mr. Bevington, a New Democrat, who will now be sitting in opposition, and hopefully Mr. Jack Layton, the leader of the New Democrats and leader of the official opposition, will allow our veteran Member of Parliament to play a prominent role in that opposition.
The reality is the Northwest Territories is the only province or territory in this country today without an MP in the governing party. That means, Mr. Speaker, that we must work that much harder as a government to get our issues and concerns addressed in the nation’s capital.
We have many big issues to deal with, such as the Mackenzie Gas Project, the Mackenzie Valley Highway, ensuring the $150 million commitment to the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik road gets done, devolution, and finding help for the urgent infrastructure needs for the residents of Northland Trailer Park here in Yellowknife. As soon as the federal Cabinet is sworn in, we need to ensure as a government that we’re able and ready to advance our concern and our issues with the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Miltenberger, the Minister for Health and Social Services, for attending the grand opening of a long-anticipated facility in Hay River that’s been under construction. On April 28th we had the grand opening of the Hay River Supported Living Day Program Centre. Prior to that, Mr. Speaker, we had the official opening of the campus, the rooms, the homes where the clients reside.
I would like to just say that since the campus opened two years ago, it has helped people with disabilities live productive, independent, and meaningful lives within the community and our territory. It is equipped to house up to 12 residents, including two beds for respite care.
With the opening of the Day Program Centre, programs will now be offered to both residents and clients from the surrounding area of Hay River. The centre will provide residents with an opportunity for personal growth, life skills, and peer and social supports.
The opening of this facility in Hay River is about repatriating Northerners to the North, something that we’ve talked about for a long time. It is important for many reasons. The jobs of the caregivers are jobs which are provided to northern residents. The economy associated with those jobs and those activities stays in the North. Most importantly, the clients who we were before referring to southern institutions now have an opportunity to stay in the North.
I believe we need to look at every opportunity, not just talk about it but let’s do it, talk about it, and observe and respond to every opportunity where we have as the Government of the Northwest Territories to care for our people and residents with special needs here in the Northwest Territories.
I would like to thank the government. I know the Minister has only been in this position for a short while, but this entire government played a large role in seeing this facility built in Hay River. It is fully functioning now and I believe it is serving the intended purpose and I believe it is a very good day for Hay River and the North.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is an incredible need for intense alcohol and drug treatment programs to be based here in Yellowknife. Alcohol and drug abuse, as we’ve all seen, continues to have a profound impact on this city and the North in every single community. This problem, as we all know, is longstanding, but right now, wherever I look, people are united in wanting to take support and action on this particular issue. We have seen what easily could be defined as a rare and united consensus on taking action on this particular issue.
It is not often that a very respected Supreme Court justice advises this government that rehabilitation services are needed in the communities, such as John Vertes did in March. As well, the business community has been calling for action for some time. Our government needs to heed the advice the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce has been offering, and I will remind the government that in April the executive director, Tim Doyle, told the media that in our capital city’s downtown area alone, the human cost and the business cost are incredibly huge. He is correct in his assessment and comments.
In Yellowknife the burden of the downtown issues are many. However, substance abuse is the cornerstone of many of those problems. And if that’s not enough, then there’s the territory’s chief coroner comments -- that’s Cathy Menard -- and the jury’s recommendations after the death of Raymond Eagle. The coroner’s jury recommended a rehab centre for substance abuse in Yellowknife and a halfway house to help the people cope with alcohol and drug problems.
If that’s still not enough, we have the good advice of the Members of this House. Even the Standing Committee on Social Programs recommended in its Report on the Review of the Child and Family Services Act that “alcohol and drug treatment be readily accessible and convenient to all communities.” In response to that recommendation, this government has accepted that point. However, they shamelessly qualify their acceptance by saying “subject to the availability of resources.” That is why I’m here today: to focus resources to help the people of the Northwest Territories. Because I, like many us here in the building, am here to help those who cannot help themselves.
I can tell you from experience, when I worked years ago at the corrections centre as a corrections officer, that many good souls were lost to the ills of drugs and alcohol.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
What I found, working at the corrections centre, was that when many of these souls did dry up and cleaned up from their alcohol and drug problems, I would find that they rid themselves of those drug and alcohol demons and they were truly decent people. Clearly there is a problem.
By now what I’m trying to say is this territory needs better options. We need a treatment centre in Yellowknife and it should be a program that includes treatment for crack, meth addiction, as well as prescription abuse. I remind the Health Minister that this is truly an important issue in the public that needs addressing.
Later today I will raise the particular issues of what experience has taught us, that we may not be able to build a centre immediately but we can commit today to a plan of action on addressing these particular issues that is significant not just here in Yellowknife but to the territory as a whole.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation has policies that guide them as they attempt to reduce the housing needs across the Northwest Territories. These policies are designed to address three areas of core need as identified in social housing across this country. Those areas of core need are: adequacy where families have structural, electrical, mechanical or architectural issues with their houses; suitability where families do not have enough bedrooms to accommodate their family sizes; and affordability, where more than 30 percent of the gross income is being used to house their families.
In Tu Nedhe the majority of the needs are adequacy. This means that the people in Tu Nedhe have adequacy issues with their homes and cannot afford to complete the repairs without the assistance of the NWT Housing Corporation.
I believe that the Housing Corporation must change its policies to allow them to address the issues of houses across the NWT that have adequacy issues. I do not feel that the Housing Corporation should continue to build any new homes in Tu Nedhe.
I think that the NWT Housing Corporation should begin the process of going from door to door using local program officers, and work towards addressing the greatest needs in Tu Nedhe according to the Housing Corporation’s own document, the 2009 Needs Survey. I am very concerned, as are the constituents of Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution, that more new houses will be built for a few lucky people to get into those units when the majority of the people who are homeowners cannot afford repairs and watch their houses fall into disrepair and eventually beyond economical repair.
I feel the first step towards addressing this serious issue is to decentralize NWT Housing Corporation staff so that they can begin to build files on these clients and take them through the process and avoid the potential of having huge deferred maintenance issues with the homeowners across the territory.
I urge the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation to shift resources from new construction to renovations of existing units, and expand those resources...
Mr. Beaulieu, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I urge the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation to shift resources from new construction to renovations of existing units, and expand those resources by using a decentralized model by putting program officers and project officers in the communities where they are delivering the programs.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Several months ago the federal government tabled a budget that included $150 million for the Tuk-Inuvik highway, not Highway No. 7, finally linking Canada coast to coast to coast. The result of many years of lobbying and hard work from the community, the leaders in the Beaufort-Delta, my office, and other organizations.
Unfortunately, with calling the election, the budget was not ratified in the House of Commons. However, the residents of Inuvik and Tuk and all over Nunakput are hopeful that the commitment with the first budget with this new federal government that this project will provide employment for the Beaufort-Delta, reduce the cost of living for the residents of Nunakput, and will be a vital piece of infrastructure for the industry in the region. Once the highway is built, many contractors and their employees will benefit from maintenance contracts to keep the road open and in good operating condition.
We’re all facing a delicate situation here that needs to be coordinated in a focused approach, to ensure that the funding commitment from the federal government does not fall through the cracks. The Tuk-Inuvik highway is an important first step for building the Mackenzie Valley Highway. It is important that we remain focused on the prize, and that it does not fracture along regional lines and confuse messaging to the federal government.
The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline is another important consideration that makes building the highway down the river more feasible for Canada to consider.
I’m urging the government to work with me, the leadership of the Beaufort-Delta and other organizations that work tirelessly for funding in this important project and important infrastructure for the whole territory. This will create jobs for everybody that we haven’t had work in the Beaufort-Delta in the last four years. Everybody is finding there’s a lot of struggling going on.
I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to use my Member’s statement to speak about two accomplished Yellowknife women. Arlene Hache and Lyda Fuller are both well-known non-government organization leaders at the Centre for Northern Families and at the YWCA. Both of these women work diligently and tirelessly on behalf of all NWT women and families who are in need. These talented ladies have just demonstrated their skills and commitment at a national conference: the first ever Canadian Forum on Housing and Safe Communities for Women. They were presenters at several sessions.
A few years ago both the Y and the Centre for Northern Families collaborated with the Yukon and Nunavut women’s organizations to research women’s homelessness in the North. That research was compiled into a valuable report entitled, You Just Blink and It Can Happen: A Study of Women’s Homelessness North of 60. Ms. Hache and Ms. Fuller presented that research project at one of the conference breakout sessions this past Monday. In addition, Ms. Hache presented at another breakout session on Tuesday on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder and Women’s Health, and she was a panellist for the closing plenary yesterday.
The NWT is blessed to have such accomplished, nationally recognized women working to provide better living situations for NWT women. Housing is a huge issue in all of our communities, and the work that these ladies and their organizations do on behalf of northern women provides the NWT with a vital part of the continuum of housing that we need in the North.
Many women move here to the NWT capital and then become at risk. When they do, their saviours are the Centre for Northern Families and Ms. Hache, and the YWCA and Ms. Fuller. For Ms. Hache, a resident of Weledeh, and Ms. Fuller, a Frame Lake constituent, their goal is to provide the following for their clients. This is a quote from Susan Scott, who is the author of a book entitled, All Our Sisters, “Home is about safety. A home where they can sleep unmolested, where their children are safe and their treasures secure.” I hope that this government agrees with that goal and that we will soon see that goal accomplished.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s graduation season and many students are preparing to move onto the next phase of life. They will be entering into the workforce. Who will hire them and where should they apply?
This year in our Sahtu communities there will be 22 high school graduates and nine Aurora College graduates. All these graduates have one thing in common, it is the commitment, the commitment to start something and finish it. As the government, we need to show our students our commitment and our support for their achievement.
We have an aging workforce in the GNWT. The 2009 Public Service Annual Report tells us that 25 percent of the employees are expected to retire in the next 10 years. That translates to nearly 1,200 employees who will need to be replaced.
We have increased the graduation rates. We have made improvements to boost our education attendees. We have had regional education forums and heard from our own people about getting good academic education. So let’s support our students with a job this summer. The ones who graduate from Aurora College, let’s put them in a position to begin a career in line with their training. For the high school graduates, let’s reward them with jobs so that they can have money for colleges or universities next year.
Mr. Speaker, we have to show our students that it pays to get an education, and that if you are making a commitment, it means something. We need to instil the value of good, honest work. These students deserve the best from us and this government.
Mr. Speaker, our students are entering into the workforce. I trust it will not be as scary as they think it will be because they will know we are with them. We are the leaders. Let’s show our leadership today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Northwest Territories Deh Cho Bridge Project – 2011, Department of Transportation, and commends it to the House.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations held its public review of the report of the Auditor General of the Northwest Territories Deh Cho Bridge Project – 2011, Department of Transportation, on April 19th and 20th, 2011. The committee thanks the Auditor General, Ms. Sheila Fraser, and her staff for their work in preparing the report and in assisting the committee with its review. The committee also thanks the deputy minister of Transportation and his staff for their participation, as well as officials from the Financial Management Board Secretariat and the Department of Justice.
The committee’s mandate includes reviewing reports of the Auditor General of Canada, and making recommendations to the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The committee wants to ensure that the GNWT demonstrates its accountability to the public.
The audit was undertaken at the request of the Legislative Assembly in March, 2010. It covered the period between September 2000 and October 2010. The Auditor General’s work for this report, “Northwest Territories Deh Cho Bridge Project – 2011, Department of Transportation” was substantially completed by October 29, 2010. It was tabled on March 1, 2011, during the Fifth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Bridge construction was in progress throughout the audit and it remains under construction with a target completion date of November 2011.
Phase I refers to the period between 2000 and 2010 when the Deh Cho Bridge project was referred to as a public-private partnership (P3). Phase II began in April 2010 when the GNWT formally assumed full responsibility for the project, including construction management.
The Auditor General found that the project was not a P3, in that no significant risks were shared with the private partner. The project’s risks increased substantially when the GNWT authorized construction without a fully developed bridge design. After taking over the project, the Department of Transportation (the department) had a framework in place to manage the key risks, but the audit found weaknesses in the risk matrix. In the auditor’s view, significant risks remain in the areas of scope, schedule and cost.
The focus of the audit was to determine whether the GNWT adequately managed the risks of entering into a P3; and, whether, since taking over the project, the department had established a framework to manage the key risks associated with the project’s quality, schedule, scope and cost. The audit considered only the actions of the GNWT, not other aspects of the project such as the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation (DCBC) or contractors.
The audit report makes three recommendations related to the Deh Cho Bridge and future projects. The committee agrees with the recommendations and supports the department’s response to them.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to return the rest of the reading of the report to my honourable colleague, Mr. Robert Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I’d like to thank our committee chair, Mr. Menicoche, as well.
As the audit report explains, the purpose of a P3 is to shift a portion of the risks of a public project to a private sector partner who brings technical and financial capacities to the project. A P3 procurement strategy carries risks in that the public sector must establish a working relationship with a suitable partner and clearly negotiate each party’s obligations to the project.
In the case of the Deh Cho Bridge, the audit found that the project was not a P3 because the private sector partner had no equity to invest in the project, and limited capacity to manage a project on that scale. The GNWT assumed more and more risk as the cost of the project increased, without shifting any significant risks to the private partner as anticipated in a conventional P3.
As a sidebar, the Auditor General’s report presents an exhibit of the perspective of the community of Fort Providence and its relationship with the GNWT throughout the Deh Cho Bridge project. The committee does not want to preclude the possibility of future partnerships between communities and the GNWT in the area of infrastructure projects, but stresses that an approved process must be followed, consistent with the Auditor General’s recommendation that the GNWT establish a senior project oversight committee to provide advice on the steps required to develop a major project and act as a forum for discussing project objectives, risks, procurement and other relevant matters.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the GNWT finalize a public-private partnership policy. This policy should include provisions to ensure that:
the GNWT undertakes an analysis of its full financial exposure;
the roles and responsibilities of the GNWT and its partner(s) are clearly defined;
due diligence is carried out on the partner’s capacity to fulfill its roles and obligations.
risks and opportunities are proportionately shared; and
the GNWT establishes a clear understanding of a community’s objectives and abilities when entering a partnership with a community.
Cabinet should provide a timeline for the finalization of the public-private partnership policy within the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, at this time now I’d like to pass the report on to Mr. Abernethy, my colleague from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
