Debates of November 28, 2007 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this question is for the honourable Minister of Justice. Yesterday I asked a question with regard to the timeline of the RCMP in the community of Sachs Harbour. Can the Minister give me a day or date that they’ll have the officers on the ground in the community, because we’re policing ourselves in that community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Return To Question 37-16(1): RCMP Detachment In Sachs Harbour

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s persistence in this specific area. With respect to Sachs Harbour, the existing detachment that we are currently working on needs to be replaced, but the plan is to have a fully operational detachment by the spring of 2008. That’s what I can provide to the Member at this time. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Supplementary To Question 37-16(1): RCMP Detachment In Sachs Harbour

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can I have that in writing?

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 37-16(1): RCMP Detachment In Sachs Harbour

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will provide written documentation to the Member on the timeline of our detachment announcement, but right now it is scheduled for the spring of 2008. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to direct my questions today to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Going back to my Member’s statement on the transfer of rental assessments back to NWT Housing Corporation, I’d like to ask the Minister, there’s been a lot of concerns regarding this and it’s coming from constituents, it’s coming from a lot of people. I’d like to ask the Minister if a review has been done of the transfer of rental assessments to ECE from the Housing Corp? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Return To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I appreciate the Minister’s question in this area because it is a growing concern in the communities. We are serving 33 communities and there is currently a review that is taking place at this time. We have initiated community consultation with the regional representatives, LHOs at the community level, and right now they’re touring the South Slave area the 26th and 27th of this month. So that will wrap up our discussion with the communities and the committee will be meeting early in December and discuss those issues and concerns and come out with a solution to move forward. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for that information. I’d also like to ask him who is conducting the review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are various parties involved. We are involved as the ECE department with local regional representatives, the communities, LHOs, local housing authorities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following the review, if it’s recommended that the transfer be brought back to the NWT Housing Corporation, will the department honour that recommendation and transfer it back to the Housing Corporation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will be reviewing the document that will be produced and the consultation with the Members around the table, and then proceed forward because we have to consider also priorities and planning, the strategic plan for the next four years. So we have to take that into consideration, as well. So we will be reviewing the document that will be presented to us and then at that time we will have a clear direction. Mahsi.

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

Supplementary To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister again for the information and my final question I’d like to ask the Minister is that he said they’re doing a review. I’d like to know if the tenants are part of the review process, because they’re the ones most affected. Who will have the ultimate decision as to whether this program is transferred back now? Will it be the department or the tenants themselves? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 38-16(1): Transfer Of Rental Assessment To NWTHC

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the tenants will be consulted and the present summaries of the surveys will be available to them mid-December. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some more questions for the Minister of Transportation in regard to the Deh Cho Bridge process and project. I’m wondering if the Minister could provide for the House what currently -- and I’m speaking today -- is the government’s liability in the Deh Cho Bridge project? That includes the legal fees paid to date to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and any additional liability under the concession agreement that was signed September 28th. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Return To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current liabilities of the GNWT are $9 million.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister provide for the House what the current value is on the cost of the legal fees to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to request the parties of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation in terms of that specific information. I will be happy to share it with the Member when I do have that information.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, did the GNWT’s liability change after the agreement was signed on September the 28th to enter into a concession agreement with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Mr. Speaker, the position of the GNWT is that the concession agreement in terms of our liability will depend on the conditions that would apply and we’ll have more information up to date as we proceed with this project.

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

Supplementary To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister could provide the House exactly today what the GNWT is liable for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 39-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the loan guarantee is $9 million.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health, Ms. Lee, and it’s in regards to the community I represent and regards to Tsiigehtchic. Right now there’s no permanent nurse in the community and yet, Mr. Speaker, they have had situations where they had emergency responses by way of trying to deal with incidents in the community, but yet there’s very poor dialogue or basically who do you call or where do you go and what to do in emergency situations. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health exactly what is she doing in response to the concerns from the community of Tsiigehtchic in regards to emergency services being provided to that community when emergencies occur?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Return To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is well known that we continue to experience pressures in all of our communities, especially in small communities, in terms of being able to recruit and retain our nursing staff and other health care professionals. I do remember most recently that there were even more pressures in the community of Tsiigehtchic. The Beaufort-Delta Health Authority has, they try to do their best to respond to coverage necessary and the communication plan and I think until we can staff that community with nurses, that’s what we have to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the perfect solution will be to have a permanent nurse in the community, but right now that’s just a dream. So I’d like to ask the Minister exactly what are we doing as the Department of Health and Social Services to ensure that communities that don’t have nursing in place do have a response system to deal with emergencies in their community?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to have to work hard to recruit and retain nurses in our facilities. In Tsiigehtchic right now, I understand as of November 13th we have an agency nurse providing service there. If that is not available and they can’t do the full coverage, the responsibility is with the Beaufort-Delta Health Authority to make sure that people are aware of the communication plan. I understand there was some gaps in that about two weeks ago and the response letter went to the community from the authority to explain what was expected there. I don’t have the details with me in my folder, but I remember that the response went to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll provide the Member with that.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a crisis in the Northwest Territories when we have communities that don’t have policing, don’t have nursing, don’t have mental health positions, don’t have social workers, don’t have anything, yet we can talk about million dollar health care facilities and clinics that people can walk into. We don’t have that. So I’d like to ask the Minister, along with her staff, along with her regional staff, if she can make an effort to establish some timeslot on your agenda to go into the community of Tsiigehtchic with myself and meet with the community to find solutions to this crisis situation that’s occurring in a lot of other communities, but this particular community is in my riding. So I’d like to ask the Minister, could she commit to that here in the House today?