Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to relay the personal experience of a constituent whose unfortunate workplace injuries have resulted in a two-year odyssey of frustration, delay and uninformed support.
In September 2008, my constituent suffered a workplace accident resulting in severe damage to his ribs and spine. He is left with six to nine permanently detached ribs, nerve damage and great chronic pain with no hope of surgical correction. He can never again resume full duties and must make the choice between pain and debilitating narcotic medication.
He has experienced an apparently endless series of applications, highly legalistic processes and tribunal appeals with inadequate case support and denial of access to legal advice. He’s even had to pay fees for access to his own records. Along the way he’s waited, at times, for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission medical advisor’s determinations and learned that according to the compensation standards of WSCC policy, his psychological pain is the basis for compensation but not his physical pain. In the end, he has been offered lifetime compensation equal to 5 percent of his former earnings.
For help in navigating this maze, he has relied on the help of an excellent worker’s advocate and now worker’s advisor, who works flat out but lacks the expertise necessary to unsnarl many legal questions. As a result of my inquiries, the agency finally informed the commission that funding was available to provide legal advice with the Minister’s approval.
His Appeals Tribunal hearing was in March and he’s still waiting to hear the WSCC’s reaction to the decision. While past WSCC statement and ministerial correspondence said the medical advisor determines the percentage of impairment as the basis of compensation, he’s learned that actually this is just advice and can be varied according to circumstances, something else the commission didn’t know or admit. He has now filed a human rights complaint to challenge the distinction between psychological and physical pain, and tries not to take too many of the pills that are the best comfort the WSCC seems able to give.
Mr. Speaker, when accidents happen in the workplace, workers are required by law to seek relief through the Workers’ Compensation benefits and support system. They depend on the commission for help in their times of greatest needs.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
They depend on the commission for help in their times of greatest need. I have been impressed with this person’s patience, dignity, intelligent approach and calm in seeking meaningful relief. Because of his perseverance, he is often breaking new ground and doing so partly in recognition of the standard-setting impact he may have to help others that follow with similar issues. He continually asks the question: if this is what’s happening to me, how many more people like me are there out there? That’s a question I’ll be looking into with questions to the Minister. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This summer in the Nunakput community of Paulatuk, Darnley Bay Resources Ltd, a mining exploration company based in Toronto, will be continuing their studies of ground surveys and taking seismic readings of the community, a section of potentially mineral rich land bordering Tuktut Nogait National Park. Similar to projects all across this Territory, this project has experienced slowdown due to the global economy. Fortunately, this project has again built some momentum and financing to move forward.
Nunakput needs this project. Paulatuk needs this project, Mr. Speaker. Nunakput realizes this project is still in the early stages. That’s why we’re getting involved to ensure that economic development projects such as these progress.
In addition, along with the development of this project, concerns of the community regarding wildlife and environment must also be protected. I believe Paulatuk could benefit socially and economically from this Darnley Bay project while maintaining and protecting the traditional way of life and the environment, Mr. Speaker.
As I mentioned previously, in our Nunakput communities, every year we go through the same thing: people having to leave the community. The primary reason is the lack of real jobs and opportunities in their hometowns. This is going to be a serious problem in the future. Our communities are going to places where we go for holidays in the summer. Communities are empty of our youth. This government needs to get active to assist remote communities with serious programs so jobs can be created for our residents that have to leave their homes.
One concern raised by a constituent is this government doesn’t really care about small communities. The residents leave the communities just because of the federal transfers. All regions must be treated equally, Mr. Speaker. The unique conditions and the economic limitations are considered, while allowing resource and various programs all across the North. The unemployment situation in the communities is a serious issue and we’re failing, Mr. Speaker. The lack of opportunities for our youth in the communities of Nunakput, we’re almost failing them too.
Mr. Speaker, creating jobs is the best way of having vibrant communities, but Nunakput needs job creation in unique and difficult challenges.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, this government must do more to assist regions to develop the capacity and infrastructure to attract industry, investment and jobs. This government needs to place more attention to resources in small communities and remote communities regarding economic development programs. Mr. Speaker, this program needs to develop a coalition of partners and stakeholders in the Nunakput region due to the unique set of challenges, and promote and coordinate a truly northern, regional and intergovernmental approach at rejuvenating our economy in Nunakput and all across the Territories in the small communities, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to recognize Mr. Ron Ostrom, director of marketing with NWT Tourism and also Janine Carmichael with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an organization powered by entrepreneurs. She is a representative for Western Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Welcome everyone in the gallery today. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement of Darnley Bay project and the lack of jobs in the communities, I have questions for the Premier. Can the Minister identify the actions that this government is taking to keep small and rural communities alive and growing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We could probably take up the rest of the question period if I were to go into a lot of detail in that area. A number of things that we are highlighting, Mr. Speaker, a number of things that we are doing and one of the areas that we have been working on with Members of the Assembly is the electricity rate review and implementing our recommendations that will affect the commercial cost of doing business in our communities. The fact that within the Department of ITI, we have put more focus on small businesses in our smaller communities as well as traditional activities in that area, as well, to offset the cost of living. We have a number of subsidies in place that help people in our smaller communities with the cost of living; an increase, for example, of our Territorial Power Support Program. In this day and age, we know we have to do more but we are challenged with our ability from our side to implement some of these changes or enhance some of our services because our revenue base isn’t growing. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, it is really good that we are giving 70 percent off to Sachs Harbour, finding a way to be able to buy some food in Sachs. It is such a high cost of living in the community. It is a good government. I am happy we work together. That is one thing. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to working with the coalition of Regular Members to businesses and aboriginal partners to develop new strategies for small and remote communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Member has actually highlighted another area this government has taken an initiative on. It is forming a committee, between Regular Members and Cabinet, on small and remote rural communities. I would say that would be an avenue that we could use if that group wants to seek some input as to what options they may be able to work on and present back to the Members of the Assembly. I think we have an avenue there. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, what success can the Minister point to for this government that we are making for families and youth that want to live in small, remote communities, or what should the Members expect to see from the government that will encourage families or the youth to remain in our small communities and not move to Yellowknife or Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there are quite a number of programs that we have in place that assist families in remaining in their communities; for those that are employed, our wage package as well as our northern allowance to help people stay in those communities. As well for those that our housing packages and our support under Income Support is another area. The fact is we have enhanced our capital plan over the last number of years to try to get as much infrastructure into our communities and throughout the Northwest Territories. We have invested significant amounts of money as the Government of the Northwest Territories who try to level off the playing field, so to speak, of the cost of living in our smaller communities. One of our other things now we have expanded is on our Youth Employment Initiative, which will again allow support in our smaller communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The wages are good for working for the territorial government but not everybody in the community has government jobs. There are about three or four jobs in each community. And income support is not enough. People are going hungry during the third week of every month. Mr. Speaker, all I am asking for the Premier is to see if we can work together to get work for the people up in the Beaufort-Delta in the small communities, with meaningful long-term employment with the diamond mines or the oil and gas section. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, a committee on Rural and Remote Communities is looking at how we do business as the Government of the Northwest Territories in a whole number of areas, and again, I am sure that that committee will be happy to pull their resources together to look at these types of initiatives to see what we can do.
Let’s not forget, Mr. Speaker, for example, our capital plan, what we are doing to keep people in businesses operating in the communities of the Northwest Territories, our infrastructure program with airport expansions, renewal of many of our infrastructure habits. For example, in Tuktoyaktuk we did the access to the gravel pit, things like that. We have put money on the table to keep people working. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I found the timing of the Premier’s statement today rather interesting. I get the impression that the pressure is on, Mr. Speaker, because we have a resolution passed by the NWT Association of Communities and recently the Premier, the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs and the chair of the Caucus were all recipients of not one but two congratulatory letters from two Canada-wide anti-poverty organizations.
One of the organizations said in the letter, the NWT is the first of the Canadian territories to prioritize anti-poverty and as such demonstrates leadership for the other provinces and territories who have yet to act, which is great. The other one says as well, we certainly strongly encourage the territorial government to commit to a process involving all key stakeholders that will result in a visionary, comprehensive practical plan for combating poverty.
Those things are great. The congratulations are welcome. I am really glad that we seem to be a bit on the leading. I would like to ask the Premier when Members on this side of the House and when the community partners, the Anti-Poverty Alliance people, can expect some action, the scheduling of a first meeting. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the anti-poverty strategy, the work that needs to be done, as I just made a statement earlier, we are going to work on forming this group as well as set the time frames that we would need to respond by. We will go to committee members and Members of the Assembly to seek their input, as well, on some of the timing and how this should work. Right now we are very early in establishing the specific work plan and the membership of this advisory group. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Premier and we are early in this work, but I guess I have to say we are behind the eight ball, because we are 30 days away from a comprehensive response by the government. To the Premier, I would like to know what he intends will be the make-up of this committee. Will the Anti-Poverty Alliance members be an integral and respected part of this group? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we are looking at across-the-board representation to seek membership in the advisory group. We will have representation from across the field of organizations involved in the anti-poverty work that happens here in the Northwest Territories. I don’t have details to that but, again, I’m prepared to have our staff sit down and pull as much as we have together and have that presented to Members for their input. Thank you.
I thank the Premier for that. I guess I would have to say that it is the Anti-Poverty Alliance that initiated this and Members simply accelerated the process to a certain extent. So I would hope that the Premier is going to get in touch with the Anti-Poverty Alliance. That was the request they put forward way back in December, after all. I sense that in some cases developing this strategy may not be considered a high priority, but there are, as has been noted, many reports which show the correlation between poverty and living conditions. So I’d like to know from the Premier, he talks about getting things going and getting things started and we have no dates, we have no details, but what kind of a priority does Cabinet place on this strategy? And, you know, I’d like a bit of a shorter time frame than “soon.” Thank you.
Thank you. There are times when I take action and I’m told I behave like a dictator, and then there’s times when I take the time to try to consult and I get told you’re not doing it fast enough. So which is it? It’s getting a little tiring at times. I’m not sure if I’m coming or going, depending on what Member is saying what in this House or in a meeting.
This is important work. The simple fact that it’s at this table and we’re going to put the energy and the resources and we’re going to bring the people in to come up with something in the Northwest Territories that works for us here in the Northwest Territories, and I have to recognize the efforts of Members who have helped bring the Anti-Poverty Coalition together and present the work that they have. We’re going to work with them, one of their representatives, or have a number of their team as part of the representatives, but unfortunately right now I’m being absolutely forthright here in saying that we’re in the early days and to get that information I’ll have the staff pull what we have together, present it to Members in committee, Social Programs, and copy other Members and seek your input and we’ll put a two-week turnaround time to get some of that input from what we have now. As I say, it’s very early, so there might not be much on the bones at this point. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. I apologize if I got his blood rushing to his head, but I really am trying to....
---Laughter
Oh.
I’m really trying to get some timing and some idea of when we might get progress.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier mentioned in his statement that the government will establish an advisory committee and I’d like to ask the Premier whether this committee will only advise or if we will actually be using the people who volunteer for this group to actually do some work for us and to speed things up. Thank you.
Thank you. The blood is always pumping.
---Laughter
Many would say I’m passionate about my work. Mr. Speaker, the area that we want to pull together and the people together and the time frame, as I said, this is an important initiative for us. We’re reacting and acting with the Members, in a sense, to pull all of this information together.
It is early for us in response. You know, I apologize if the Member feels we’ve been delayed in doing this, but we are here, we are moving forward with this. I say that with the opportunities before us we’ll be able to pull a plan together and that’s where we are right now, is the advisory group is to help us pull the plan together and once we have a plan then we have to talk about what we can implement, then we will pull the people together and hitch them up to the team and make them work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier in follow up to my Member’s statement earlier today. First off I’d like to applaud Cabinet for taking this unprecedented move to develop a joint working group…
---Applause
…to find workable solutions on an issue that is clearly of significant importance to Members of this House and residents of the Northwest Territories. I strongly agree that working together on this is important and in the best interests of all people in the Northwest Territories. This is definitely a positive step.
However, I do have some questions on process. Mr. Speaker, the working group that has been established has an incredible opportunity and significant importance. Could the Premier commit that this working group will be given the authority to set real and official direction for future changes to supplemental health programs, and that their recommendations to Cabinet will be fully considered? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the Supplementary Health Program and policy is of vital importance to residents of the Northwest Territories as well as to this government. Hence the number of times we’ve taken this back and reviewed it, and at this point worked with members of Priorities and Planning to come up with this approach to a number of initiatives within that program.
We have to start from a basis. The existing program as it is and the policy as it is, and the work that’s been done to date, we’ve highlighted and worked with committee as to the key areas that we need to move forward on and I believe the Member raised those points in his Member’s statement. But at the same time, we’re also listening to the Members of the Assembly and when there’s talk of parody with NIHB is one of those items that we seriously have to take a look at.
I would say that the working group, as it does its work, recommendations that come back will both go to members of Priorities and Planning, and Cabinet will take that work seriously and have a look at what can be incorporated, how can we amend this and make it work for the future. Thank you.
Thank you. I’d like to thank the Premier for that response. I really do appreciate that they’re going to listen to the recommendations of the working group.
The second question is if the working group makes a recommendation that is contrary to the direction that the Department of Health is taking right now, can the Premier please ensure to us today that the committee’s direction will be adhered to, or will the Minister actually have a veto over what the working group is suggesting or recommending?
Thank you. The working group is that, a working group. The recommendations that would flow out of that would go through Priorities and Planning as well as back to Cabinet. Cabinet would have that ultimate decision as to what gets implemented. It’s not a department has that final authority. It is a Cabinet position that would be taking to look at changes that would have to occur within that policy. Thank you.
Once again, thank you to the Premier for that. I’m also happy to hear that he’s going to give Priorities and Planning an opportunity to look at that and make recommendations as well. I think it’s important to the operations of the working group that the operations are transparent. Given that the Minister of Health and Social Services is responsible for the final design and ultimately the implementation of the Supplemental Health Program, it’s important that she be open to recommendations from this committee. Based on that, I’m a little worried that if the Minister of Health and Social Services were to become the chair, it might be perceived in the public that this is a rubberstamp, which we don’t want. We want this to be transparent and clear. I’m not saying that she’s biased, but I’m concerned that that might be the perception. So would the Premier commit to assigning a chair to this committee that doesn’t already have ultimate responsibility for implementing the recommendations of this working group, this new working group? Thank you.
Thank you. There are a number of occasions and I know the supp health policy has brought heated debate here into the Assembly, but no policy goes through under just one Minister.
The Minister, under department advisement and their work, brings forward a policy, goes through to Cabinet. Policy, as our protocol is, we hand it over to committee for their input and it comes back to Cabinet for potential other changes to the policy that gets sent out.
So in this case we have agreed to three Members of Cabinet and three members of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning that need to get together and I believe they’re trying to pull those people together before we leave the capital as session is drawing to an end. So they’re trying to pull a work plan together and under their advisement we’ll be looking for how that should be structured, if it’s co-chair or if it’s a chair. I mean, co-chairs are a possibility.
Again, this is not a Minister or a department running the show. This is going to be a Cabinet decision as to what policy gets put in place at the end of the day and remind people even our last policy that was signed, it’s the Premier-of-the-day that signs off on the policies. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Premier, and I appreciate all that and I understand what you’re saying, it’s just last night after the announcement came out I had some constituents and other residents of the Northwest Territories talk to me and I spent a lot of time defending what we’re doing and that we’re working together and are coming together to work as a working group to find some reasonable solutions.
One of the things that came up a couple times is some people don’t trust, necessarily. What we’re talking about is restoring public confidence. Unfortunately, some people have labelled this as Minister Lee’s plan. I think to increase some transparency and return some public confidence, it might be better to have Minister Lee as a Member and not a chair. I’m just suggesting that it might be appropriate to appoint a different chair than Minister Lee. We don’t know who the chair is, but if the Premier could make some recommendations that the chair be somebody other than the Minister of Health who will ultimately implement this program.
I think this is one of, well, maybe not the first time, but rarely do we have brought up in the sitting of the Legislative Assembly who should be the chair of a working group or committee.
We will sit down, as I said. They are trying to pull the people together. If it’s co-chairs that go through it, we’ll go through it.
Since it’s been raised about the work of a Minister, well, the Minister was directed to deliver some work. That work has been debated for quite some time. It’s Cabinet overall that looks at those policies with input from Members. Again, the same process will be used. We will have to use the expertise that’s in the field and, of course, the experience of Members as well to make sure that we develop a program that does work and is deliverable.
As for appointment of who the chairperson would be, I’m not prepared to say that at this point. I think we should get the committee together and get some feedback from them as to should it be one chair or co-chairs.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
