Debates of May 15, 2007 (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I outlined in my Member’s statement today, I have concerns with the status of the negotiations that are going on at Aven Manor here in Yellowknife. I also mentioned the concern of the level of support the department is providing the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority in conducting those negotiations. Can the Minister inform the Assembly on the status of the negotiations with the union representing the workers at Aven Manor here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is highly unusual that we would get into a negotiation process in the Legislative Assembly. We have been working with the Department of Health and Social Services on this matter and we will continue to work with them cooperatively and hopefully have a successful conclusion to the whole negotiation area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister confirm that the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority has the ability and financial backing of the department to negotiate an agreement with the workers at Aven Manor? Wage parity is the one critical issue that needs to be solved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think, again, as we are in the midst of negotiation, that to raise it in this forum puts pressure on both parties, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. As I stated, we are working cooperatively with them and hopefully we would have a successful conclusion to this. The issue of wage parity has come up all across the government in a number of areas where we have contracts in place supported by NGOs. That issue has to be looked at by the government at some point. I guess, when first called upon to look at this area of wage parity, our NGOs at the time said we can do it better and cheaper. The government did it in the day. Now it has turned around to say give us the same. At that point, we would have to look at it, as government overall, to say if we are going to be the same, then maybe we should all be in the same hat. But at this point, we are working cooperatively with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and hoping for a successful conclusion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister willing to direct the department and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority to do everything within its power to make sure that all contract negotiations are concluded before the summer months? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking me as the Minister of my department to get directly involved in the negotiation process. Right now, the employees are the employees of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. We have a contract with the Aven Manor and are employees of that facility. They are continuing to have their negotiation process. We are watching what is happening. As well, we are working cooperatively with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could I get the Minister’s position on adequate funding for NGOs in regards to wage parity? Is this an issue that the department feels that should be solved? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 78-15(6): Contract Negotiations For Aven Manor Employees

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Member is asking for my opinion on a process that is underway right now in negotiation. I am not prepared to give that at this point. I am prepared to work with my department, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, to hopefully come out with a successful conclusion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask questions today to the Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Dent. Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of jobs advertised in the local media. Mr. Speaker, one of my favourites was manager of total rewards. It got me to thinking that perhaps the employees of the government were accumulating points to redeem for some toasters, camcorders or iPods, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Human Resources, a department that has, as I mentioned the other day in the House, six managers managing six people. Of these new positions, how many of them are new? What does the job of manager of total rewards entail? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Human Resources, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member asked how many new positions were new. All the new positions are new. Of the positions advertised, two are new. The rest are existing positions. I think, Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the amalgamation of the Department of Human Resources was staffed with 188 people. Over the course of the year and a bit that has happened since then, the staffing component has dropped. So these are not additional positions. These are positions that have been outlined in the Hackett report and recommended for inclusion. We expect that, from 188, the department will, over the next little while, be down to the recommended 170 positions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Hackett report, it also says that the Government of the Northwest Territories is completely out of whack with an organization of comparable variety where you look at employees per transaction. In a normal government operation, you look at seven. We have 24 employees per transaction, Mr. Speaker. What exactly is an organizational design specialist? Is this just to organize the 170 employees at Human Resources, or is this position government-wide organizational design? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Hackett report did say that the government organization was out of whack with comparable size organizations, but we have taken their advice and will very shortly be at exactly the structure and number of employees that they recommend. So, Mr. Speaker, we have used their guidance to move to where we should be. An organizational design specialist would work with other departments, as well, to talk about how their structure should be established.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have mentioned, in the Department of Human Resources there are six managers managing six people. I would like to see somewhere….I know it is not mentioned in the Hackett report, but how can we keep hiring manager-type positions, positions where we are going to have to pay more to have these folks employed at Human Resources? Why do they all have to be management positions? What is the ratio of management positions in Human Resources to actual on-the-ground employees in that department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said, the structure of the Department of Human Resources will be just as recommended by the Hackett report very shortly. That would mean that there will be the number of managers that were recommended as well as the staffing levels.

It takes some time to move. When the department was created, we had 188 people that came in from various departments. Trying to move those positions into the exact right position for each employee and to fit into the organization has been somewhat challenging. It has required retraining, staff moves and it takes some time to go through the process without a wholesale layoff or mass firing, which was not something that we wanted to do. So it takes a while to get to that structure, but, Mr. Speaker, we are very close to being there now.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister could make me feel a little bit more comfortable today if he could tell me that the Department of Human Resources today is working on a comprehensive human resource strategy or plan long-term that is long overdue by this government. Are they working towards that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 79-15(6): Department Of Human Resources Strategic Direction

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has worked with some departments to prepare the long-term plan and stands ready to work with other departments as they are prepared to work with us. It is an offer that is out there. The department would agree that it is something that we need to do. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I mentioned this in my Member’s statement regarding an Aftercare Program. Is there currently an Aftercare Program in place? That is my question for Health and Social Services. (Translation ends)

I would like to focus today on the Aftercare Program where we send out community members or even individuals going for treatment for a month, 28 days, whether it be down south or Hay River. The Aftercare Program is vital to recovery road. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, can the Minister please outline programs that are currently in place in the communities to support those with addictions returning from their treatment? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are quite a number of programs that we are involved with right from when an individual comes forward requesting support in this area of alcohol and drug addictions counselling through our framework and the revisions working with NGOs, this government and Members of this Assembly. There are a number of areas we have tried to focus on, and that is improving access in communities through community wellness workers as well as mental health and addiction workers and working with those that would come through. As well, in a number of communities -- and I have to admit, it is not in all communities -- there are groups. For example, there is the AA program that follows aftercare as well as one of the other methods. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the statistics show that 36 percent of the overall population and 53 percent of people aged 15 to 24 consume more than five drinks per day, Mr. Speaker. These stats are compounded when we include those dealing with suicides, accidental deaths, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, education and employment. Obviously, what we are doing is not working. Has a review been done in each community to look at the success rates of the aftercare programs currently in place? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know this is a sensitive issue and a very critical one in the Northwest Territories. This area is going to continue to be a problem, as we heard the Members speak about this issue today. I can go into a long process on my personal experience, but rather than that, I will go into some of the work we have done and what we are trying to do. There has been work done by previous governments as well as the Department of Health and Social Services working around how our programs are working. We have heard it, as I sat on the other side of the floor, from the social programs side, heard about how our programs are ineffective. When the government was going through downsizing, we are losing facilities. The question came around, should we build facilities or should we invest in people? We have worked through a number of organizations again with NGOs and Members to try to come up with a process that would work. We believe investing in people is going to make a difference. While we haven’t, as of recently, gone into each community to look if our Aftercare Program is working. What we have is, through a number of efforts, try to look at the whole program area from start to finish and hopefully to full recovery of individuals. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the program delivery in communities, there is always room for improvements. The current system may not be enough. It may not be working for the communities. As a follow-up, would the Minister consider working with the communities to develop better strategies and programs such as aftercare programs to deal with addictions and investing in people as the Minister puts it? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we are working with communities. In fact, in March of this year, there was a group that met to review our progress on our core service plan in the mental health and addictions area. New direction has been given for the next five years that we drafted. Hopefully by mid-summer, we can look at how we would proceed from here. We are working with Health and Social Services authorities, NGOs, aboriginal groups and other stakeholders to come up with a new direction in this area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Just to conclude my question for the Minister, I would like to focus on the next step. Can the Minister commit to providing resources necessary to deal with these community-based strategies? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 80-15(6): Alcohol Treatment Aftercare Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has been investing substantially in this area in talking about investing in people. For example, in 2006-2007, up to 77 positions or $6.6 million in funding to support the delivery of counselling programs in Health and Social Services authorities. That means 45 community wellness workers, 24 mental health and addiction counsellors, as well as eight clinical supervisors. We are working on putting the package together through the Chalmer’s report, through the Stay the Course report that followed up on that and working with committee and NGO stakeholders. We are moving down this path towards improving the system.

Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, it is going to start in the home as individuals make their decisions. We can come up with the programming, but if people don’t take that initial step to get help…We are there to offer them help once they take that step, but we need them to realize they need to take that step. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for Human Resources. If there was personal information including leave balances, salaries and social insurance numbers of MLAs and, in fact, of GNWT employees viewable through a PeopleSoft system which all GNWT employees had access to, I would like to know from the Minister if that occurred. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 81-15(6): Information Available On The GNWT PeopleSoft Human Resources System