Mr. Roland rose on a point of order with regard to proceedings in Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, October 8, 2008, and cited Rule 23(i) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly. This rule states that a Member will be called to order by the Speaker if the Member imputes false or hidden motives to another Member. A point of order must be raised at the earliest opportunity. Mr. Roland rose after reviewing the unedited Hansard for October 8, 2008. I find that he raised the point of order at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Roland felt that Mrs. Groenewegen, by questioning the process of negotiated contracts and by referencing himself as a Member for Inuvik who supported the project and also as the Premier and the Chair of the Financial Management Board for the first eight months of the 16th Assembly, was directly questioning his motives with regard to the capital project under discussion in Committee of the Whole. I will quote Mr. Roland in stating his point of order, found on page 3 of the unedited Hansard for Thursday, October 9, 2008:
“Mrs. Groenewegen…in questioning the Finance Minister, asked this question: ‘…was the MLA who approved the negotiated contract the MLA for Inuvik, the Premier and the Chair of the Financial Management Board?’…by putting that line of questioning out there, she has tried to, in fact…. I would feel that this is written now forever in the record books: [she states] imputing a motive on my behalf that I had a position to make something happen.”
After the point of order I did allow for debate and heard from both Mr. Roland and Mrs. Groenewegen.
When speaking to the point of order, Mr. Roland stated: “In fact, by her line of questioning she was indeed imputing a false motive to the process and my role as the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, thereby putting into question my role as Premier and Finance Minister of the day.”
Mrs. Groenewegen, rising to speak to the point of order, offered the following rationale for her line of questioning in Committee of the Whole:
“I’m not a Cabinet Minister, so I’m not privy to the processes that would actually take place behind closed doors in the confidentiality of the Cabinet Room with respect to a Member declaring a conflict or how they’d be involved. I listened to the deputy minister outline the negotiated contract policy, and he said that would necessarily include a letter of support from community leaders, including MLAs. I then wanted to understand that process better. I did not intend to impute any motive. I still want to clearly understand how this project came about.”
Members may recall that in prior rulings I have been unable to find a definite authority to assist me in providing rulings of this nature. Previous rulings, both my own and those of previous Speakers, have relied on a careful review of the transcripts of the proceedings in question and the comments offered by Members when providing the opportunity for debate.
The comments that led to the point of order took place on the floor of the Chamber during Committee of the Whole. I relied on the unedited Hansard for October 8, 2008, to review the questions raised by Mrs. Groenewegen during the committee consideration of Tabled Document 93-16(2). I do find the following comments by Mrs. Groenewegen, found at page 62, to be helpful in providing context for her question:
“To my knowledge, this is the largest capital project ever built. Could we get some rationalization for why it was a negotiated contract as opposed to a competitive process? Were other means of procuring this project considered, like breaking it up into smaller pieces? On a negotiated contract, when the process has been described previously as having to meet with the agreement of the MLA, the mayor and the Cabinet, was the MLA who approved the negotiated contract the MLA for Inuvik, the Premier and the Chair of the Financial Management Board?”
I also found Mrs. Groenewegen’s explanation, at page 4, unedited Hansard, from Thursday, October 9, 2008, to be of assistance. She stated: “That’s not something I knew. So I was asking questions. I was not trying to answer them or impute any motive.”
In making my ruling, I am guided by citation 494 in Beauchesne’s Parliamentary Rules and Forms, 6th edition. I quote, “…it has been normally ruled by Speakers that statements by Members respecting themselves and particularly within their own knowledge must be accepted.” I do accept Mrs. Groenewegen’s comments at face value, and therefore, colleagues, I do not find that Mr. Roland has a point of order in this instance.
Before we resume Orders of the Day, colleagues, I leave you Members with the following words from Marleau and Montpetit’s House of Commons Procedure and Practice, at page 504: “Nevertheless, while it is the Speaker who is charged with maintaining the dignity and decorum of the House, Members themselves must take responsibility for their behaviour and conduct their business in an appropriate fashion.”
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Strategy for Teacher Education in the Northwest Territories: 2007–2015 Action Plan has been approved and that priorities have been set for the upcoming year.
The two primary goals of the strategy are to increase the number of aboriginal teachers and to increase the numbers of aboriginal language teachers throughout the Northwest Territories. We currently have 109 aboriginal teachers and 30 aboriginal language teachers across the Northwest Territories.
Other goals include preparing education assistants, aboriginal secondary teachers and program support teachers for NWT schools and increasing the number of aboriginal school administrators, college faculty and administration, Education, Culture and Employment consultants and management.
The action plan includes actions such as employing elders in residence to support students, increasing funding by $300,000 to develop an online library database to support community based programs and implementing a student recruitment program throughout the territory.
Last April marked the first year for graduates from the Bachelor of Education degree program at Thebacha Campus through a partnership with the University of Saskatchewan. This is a strong partnership that will continue to strengthen and evolve to meet the needs of the students and future teachers of the Northwest Territories.
This fall committees will be reviewing proposals for community based teacher education programs and aboriginal language and cultural instructor programs.
The goal is for each region to deliver community based programs, as is currently happening in Behchoko, on a rotation to ensure the goal of a representative workforce is accomplished sooner. The Behchoko model will be used to inform future community based programs. Behchoko has included a unique healing and wellness component that may be of interest to other regions.
We anticipate nine students will graduate from the two year Aboriginal Language and Cultural Instructor Program in June 2009 and five students to graduate from the three year Teacher Education Program in June of 2010.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate our graduates and all those who have worked and are working to make the Teacher Education and Aboriginal Language and Culture Instructor programs a success.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the years, through my leadership positions in Nunakput, there has been a deficiency, an inequality and a crisis far beyond most community based concerns. This is a housing situation.
Although I recognize I may sound like a broken record, I cannot emphasize enough that whatever housing concerns are experienced in other parts of our great territory, they are compounded manyfold in the Nunakput region. There are houses all over Nunakput communities that are unfit to live in, places such as Yellowknife or Inuvik. Former leadership in Paulatuk has frequently told me that operating and maintaining certain decrepit homes is merely throwing good money after bad.
In addition to the decrepit conditions of the units, communities have the enormous problem of overcrowding. Overcrowding in housing units is a symptom of a much larger systemic problem and has caused many community problems. Too many times I see ten to 12 people staying in a small unit. As I visit these units, I grow increasingly frustrated and concerned. I wonder when the government will commit seriously to adjusting these deficiencies. There are many families in Nunakput who have doubled up and even tripled up because of simply having no place to live. That’s a shame of this government.
Recently Ulukhaktok was recognized for developing and providing housing for the teachers in northern community based solutions, but these community governments are tight on cash and shouldn’t have to be carrying the weight alone. This is a Housing and Education territorial responsibility.
Don’t get me wrong. We see all the units being built all over this territory, and they’re welcome, but they are barely making a small dent. Making matters even worse, some units are being decommissioned as other units are being built. In other words, we are only breaking even.
Mr. Speaker, this problem has been going on far too long. The buck stops in this House. The government has to make changes.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
This has to be the government to make the changes desperately needed in the communities’ housing conditions.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In its recent insightful submission on revenue options to the government, the non-government organization Alternatives North notes that the revenue options discussion paper does not mention the role that services and programs can play in attracting and holding people in our communities.
Coincidentally, this agrees strongly with the tone of the message I received at my Weledeh constituency meeting last week. This message was that while many people are noticing the rising cost of living, they also are still appreciating the incredible characteristics of our jurisdiction that make this a great place to live and raise our families.
In a nutshell, Mr. Speaker, people raved about the close community they enjoy; about the extremely high standard of education and educational opportunities they have; about the national-level standard of sports training, competition and accolades our youth and athletes enjoy; about the incredible regional, national and international travel opportunities our people experience, and I could go on.
We need to raise the profile on these perspectives and learn from the lessons they reflect. Quality of life is as important, perhaps even more important, than quantity. This does not deny the need to raise revenue, however. Many communities in the NWT do not enjoy the same quality of living as we do here in Yellowknife, and closing that gap is an area this government needs to focus on.
Better and increased programs and services should be a goal that goes hand in hand with reducing the cost of living for Northerners. But to achieve these roles we cannot place the fiscal burden of those programs and services directly on the backs of our citizens. Many people cannot afford increased taxes, and nobody wants to see a sales tax. Taxes such as these place a burden on peoples’ incomes, which are stretched thin enough as it is.
Some potentially fruitful options we should pursue are focused mechanisms to tax migrant workers or companies who hire them and those with very high incomes and resource taxes on non-renewable resource development and industries.
Finally, we need to provide the long term security and foresight that instills in our residents confidence for the long term by instituting a heritage fund and a taxation and royalty regime that ensures we gain fair and full benefits from our non-renewable resource development.
Let’s listen to our people, embed our decisions within the full context of today’s challenges and move progressively in ways that diversify our economy and ensure a good quality of life and secure future for everyone.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week I was asked by a Member of Cabinet why I’m pushing so hard to have Stanton open its operating room for local dentists so that they can perform dental surgeries on young children who require major dental work, work that cannot be performed safely in local dentists’ offices. Why am I pushing so hard, considering that the department has already addressed the financial issues and has opened up time in both Inuvik and Hay River? The reason: because it’s the right thing to do.
I’ve seen disks of photographs compiled by Lesli Fisher in Hay River that show a large number of very young children who require significant dental surgery. Quite frankly, the photos are disgusting. Due to the delays in providing services, the teeth and oral health of these children have become so bad that you can actually see pus oozing out of the sores in the mouths of these very young children. If you see these photos, you’ll want the same thing I want.
What I want is to get rid of the backlog of children as quickly as possible and stop future suffering of the children in need. I encourage each of the Ministers and the Premier to view these photos. Once you see them, I expect that you’ll want the same thing I want.
I would like to acknowledge and applaud the Department of Health and Social Services for the work they’ve already done on this file. Unfortunately, I feel they have stopped short. I recently talked to an individual intimately involved in the dental surgery program in Hay River. She is extremely pleased they have reached the point where surgeries are being performed in Hay River and Inuvik. However, she has indicated that the sheer quantity of children who require the service is a bit on the overwhelming side. It would be a benefit to all children, as well as to dental clinics in both Hay River and Inuvik, if the workload could be shared and more time could be available, specifically more time in Yellowknife. Actually, any time in Yellowknife would be a good start.
So once again I ask: why is the Minister of Health and Social Services resistant to opening up more time in Yellowknife to get Yellowknife dentists so that they can contribute to the solution? Money isn’t the issue. The cost of the GNWT allowing the services to be provided in Hay River and Inuvik is the same as providing them in Stanton. The original budgetary concerns have been addressed.
By not allowing these services in Yellowknife, the department is telling the residents of Yellowknife that they have to pay more out of their own pockets for things like travel and accommodation. Why? This makes no sense.
The solution is easy. Make time available. The Minister has already indicated that they have only one day out of every eight weeks available to Stanton. That’s a starting point. Make that, as well as any dropped time, available in Yellowknife, and we’ve gone a short distance towards fixing the problem.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I’ll be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services some questions on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize some births and marriages in the Nahendeh riding.
I’d like to congratulate the following couples, ladies and gentlemen all, for taking the big step and the commitment of marriage. The couples are Jonathan and Dahti Scott of Fort Simpson, Jocelyn Kierstead and Kurt Tsetso, James Tsetso and Christine, Willy Michaud and Amy, Wesley Hardisty and Patricia, Cheryl Tanche and Nathan. And from Fort Liard, Virginia Bedine and Willy McLeod.
And let’s take a few moments for a few births in the community of Fort Simpson. To Trish Isaiah, Christine Wrigley, Andrea Grossetete and my niece, Tanya Hardisty. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Today I want to use my Member’s statement to encourage the Minister responsible for coordinating initiatives related to homelessness to support this very important initiative. I first raised the topic of public washrooms last week. Since then I’ve learned that I have support and recognition of this problem from many of my colleagues. I also have the support of many businesses that have spoken out on this issue, and certainly a number of residents who feel it is a serious issue that needs serious measures to deal with. So I recognize that, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly hope there will be a Minister who recognizes that too.
Yellowknife needs public toilets in our downtown. Nobody expects that this alone will completely solve all our problems when it comes to urination, defecation in the downtown public areas. However, the installation of public toilets can be undertaken relatively quickly and certainly will achieve results. We need to link this to improvements to our housing, treatment for mental illness and addiction to drugs, and this would lead to all types of long erm solutions.
I’ve taken a quick look at what other cities across Canada have done. This is a standard challenge facing many urban communities in our country regarding the significant homeless population. Worth noting, Mr. Speaker, even in the city of Yellowknife, the library downtown has had to take steps because they can no longer offer their washrooms — it’s just public washrooms — because it’s caused significant problems, and they continue to lose their contractors because of it.
Often municipal governments are asked to take a partnership role but certainly not the lead role, because that belongs to the senior government — in this case our Health Minister, our Minister for the homeless, but certainly the territorial government. However, many Canadian cities have been able to access additional funding sources from that senior government and use partnerships through businesses and NGOs. Many municipalities have purchased special purpose self-contained cleaning units for public washrooms. There are several kinds of standard units readily available out there, and they range, starting at approximately $50,000. Some communities are able to hose those lanes and doorsteps down all year long. But that certainly is not the case here in Yellowknife, and that’s why we need a self-contained unit, so people can go on the coldest days and use the washroom.
At this time may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?
Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, it is a significant issue, and many cities are working hard on this. I want to compliment cities like Winnipeg. It is a winter city, and they are trying to deal with this problem. I have even read that they have had architects come forward offering free service to design a public washroom to help deal with this problem.
Mr. Speaker, I’m going to close by stressing that access to public washrooms is also a health issue. If the Minister has never heard of infectious disease, then let me be the first to tell her about it. There are certainly her officials who can remind her about what problems this can lead to. This is very important to our community. It is very important to the growth of our community. It’s certainly important to the health of our community.
Later today I will be asking questions to the Minister responsible for the homeless, who hopefully will understand the significance of this file.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Today I would once again like to talk about the Great Elders Facility in Fort Resolution. I have raised this issue in the House more than once. I have asked questions about this facility, but with all my efforts it seems the community and the department are still not able to find a workable solution that satisfies both. This is an ideal facility that has potential to provide very valuable and much needed service to the community of elders.
Mr. Speaker, from reviewing the responses from the Minister to my questions asked previously in the House, from listening to concerns of the chief and council in Fort Resolution and from many conversations I’ve had with elders, I believe I may have an understanding of what seems to be the problem. It boils down to a difference of cultures. One culture is concerned with accountability and all that is associated with it. This culture allows itself and its actions to be governed by the ideals of accountability. Included in this is a complex set of policies, legislation, liabilities, regulations and certification, with varying degrees of accountabilities and authorities. The other culture is concerned with caring and all that is associated with it. Included in this is the simple notion of somehow, some way, we’ll get it done. Elders care is one such example.
Unfortunately, the kind of elders care I am talking about is not recognized by the department. The care of community elders by grandchildren, family and friends does not fit into the regimented structure of the department. What has to happen is the department has to realize that the communities are the ones best suited to develop and deliver the service and programming for what is needed. The department needs to be flexible with its approaches, and the department needs to seriously re-evaluate the value it places on exploring community based solutions.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the department must exercise its creative side in this matter and not hold steadfast to regimented policies, legislation, regulations that may very....
Mr. Beaulieu, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I believe the department must exercise its creative side in this matter and not hold steadfast to regimented policies, legislation, regulations that may work very well elsewhere but not for a small community of 500 in Fort Resolution.
I may have questions for the Minister later on today.
Thank you Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this morning I had the opportunity to sit on a panel at CBC to consider the performance of our Premier for his first year in office. The short amount of time did not provide enough time to share all the thoughts I had on this matter.
Last night at the Aboriginal Sport Circle Gala former NHL coach and player Ted Nolan gave the keynote address. A theme he presented from his years of working on or with a team is that we have to learn to win with what we have.
We have a team here. We have chosen our captain, our linesmen, but we have to work with other players that the northern constituents chose to represent them. We have to trust the judgment of those we represent, that they chose us on the basis of our experience, skills and traits they saw and respected. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We all have our supporters and detractors. But for better or worse, Mr. Speaker, this is the talent pool that we have to work with, right here in this room.
I personally have a philosophy of giving credit where credit is due and to use my voice in this role to try to capture the questions and sentiments of the people and the public. In my role as a Regular Member I look for the passion and strength of all Members so that we can be the best we can be. We all have a window of opportunity to effect positive change for the community’s region and the communities we represent.
Although I was only able to give the Premier a C grade for his first year in office, I know my assessment could be enhanced by leadership that respects the value and contribution of all Members, including mine. For my part, I will continue to ask questions, offer comment and opinion and, if accepted by the Premier, bring my input to bear for the benefit of advancing our agenda and his agenda for Northerners.
There is room for improvement on all of our parts. Let’s, as Mr. Nolan said, learn to win with what we’ve got and respect all members of the team.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I travel to the communities in the Sahtu, the people talk about help they need at the community level with their families, especially with the elderly people. They talk about their hope that they have some support with wellness workers. They thought that when they had the Sahtu health board, they would get this kind of help. They thought that with the health board they would initiate on the land cultural programs. They thought that people in Colville Lake would get help, and they would have on the land programs for the people and the issues they had to deal with.
Mr. Speaker, in my region there’s been a lot of deaths. In my communities there’s been a lot of hurt. In my community of Tulita, over several months, I experienced a number of families’ deaths. We are expected to take three days off and then go back to work or tell our kids — or sometimes we don’t even tell our kids — what’s happening. We expect them to go back to school in typical fashion to learn while they wonder what is going on with them. How come no one is talking about their grandfather, their brother or uncle?
The people in the Sahtu want an on the land program. Our elders have been telling us: go on the land; it’s for a purpose. But somehow we fall into an attitude that we’ve got to have accreditation from a university. That has shut a lot of doors on my own people with expertise. That shuts them out of true healing.
I am going to ask the Minister if she would support a pilot project like Tl’oondih, Nats'ejée K'éh or even wellness centres. Have people on the land. Let our people do our work. We can heal ourselves. Let’s give the power back to our people.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak again today about diamonds and how it is that the Government of the Northwest Territories is currently sound asleep when it comes to diamond policy, strategy and vision.
It has been ten years of mining diamonds in the Northwest Territories, and we just have not been as successful as we should have been. I believe we still have tremendous opportunity through the review of the diamond policy, strategy and a firm commitment from this government that diamonds and the secondary industry here in the Northwest Territories are going to be fully supported.
Yesterday I spoke of the feasibility work being done on the development of a diamond bourse, or exchange. This work is being carried out by the Government of Ontario. I was very interested in hearing the Minister of ITI’s response to my questions yesterday about the development of a diamond bourse. We as a government had officials at these meetings, but I am having a difficult time understanding exactly what we are doing there.
It is obvious to me that the Government of Ontario is interested in a diamond bourse located in either Toronto or Ottawa. How did we let Ontario get out in front of us on this? They have one mine, which recently opened. We have four operating mines and have been in the business for well over ten years.
Yesterday the Minister stated that they determined that we would get more value added by making sure that rough diamonds were made available for the secondary industry. This has happened, and we still do have a cut and polish industry here, but things could be much better. A diamond bourse would put Yellowknife squarely on the world stage as the diamond capital. My fear is that we are out there actively observing and helping another jurisdiction like Ontario scoop our own opportunity. The sad thing is we aren’t doing anything about it.
I would like to know when this government is going to wake up and realize the opportunities that exist with diamonds. In the absence of a resource revenue deal with Ottawa, it is incumbent upon us as legislators to ensure that we get all of the benefit we can from these mines before they are gone.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay.
Before I go on to the next Member, I would like to draw Members’ attention to the visitor’s gallery, to a former MLA, former Cabinet Minister and former Premier; Mr. Richard Nerysoo is in the House. Welcome.
Members’ statements, the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Aboriginal organizations have invested a lot of time and a lot of money in regard to negotiating land claim agreements where they had to pay back to the federal government in excess of almost $9 million in the case of the Gwich’in. Almost $75 million is outstanding on the Dene/Métis claim.
Mr. Speaker, there was an office built here in Yellowknife. There was total outcry about the private sector in regard to a federal building that was being constructed here in Yellowknife. They, the federal government, took the responsibility on and sought an independent review to look at the market disruption in Yellowknife in regard to the private sector and the amount of retail space and the effect that this facility was going to have in the long term on market disruption in Yellowknife. But in regard to office space in Inuvik it’s basically full speed ahead. Never mind your tens of millions of dollars you invested buying up for the private sector in Inuvik to consider going into the retail business.
This government has an obligation — and not only an obligation but a fundamental right — to live up to the land claim agreements, the memorandum of understanding, and to ensure that there is an economic footing for the land claim organizations to move forward and improve the quality of life of their people.
With that, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking questions of the Premier on this matter.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
Unanimous consent granted.
Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure to recognize the president of my tribal council, Mr. Richard Nerysoo.
Mr. Speaker, thank you. During my Member’s statement today I talked about the concern from a public health point of view. I wanted to highlight the fact that public washrooms are needed because of health reasons and, most notably, infectious disease problems. Recently the City of Yellowknife received a briefing from a contractor through various sources. They talked about the need for public washrooms and the problems that are caused without them.
My questions will be directed to the Minister responsible for the homeless. Ironically, it’s the same Minister for Health and Social Services, so maybe she could blend her answers equally. My question for the Minister is: what is she doing in recognition of the homelessness problem in this city and trying to solve the problem of lack of public washrooms for that community that exists in the downtown of Yellowknife?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the homeless, Ms. Lee.
