Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister responsible for the Anti-Poverty Strategy. I mentioned in my statement that I would be asking him for an update. That’s my first question.
Can the Minister advise where we’re at in terms of our Anti-Poverty Strategy and Action Plan, what we are doing, what we have done and what we are doing? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, the GNWT established an advisory committee to help us lead and prepare the development of a territorial action plan. They have been working throughout the summer, they’ve been working on a number of different initiatives, including the development of a plan and they’re hoping to bring the draft plan to a roundtable that we’re planning for December.
Also, over the summer with the participation of this advisory committee, the GNWT allocated the $500,000 that was supported by this Assembly to support the different anti-poverty initiatives. We had 18 applications; we supported 14 of those. Thank you.
Thanks to Minister Abernethy for that response. I think I and many others are looking forward to seeing the action plan finally come to the public.
I mentioned in my statement about a report from 2013, and there’s a number of recommendations in that report. One of them is that there is a need for a federal northern food security innovation fund, and the intent of that fund is to help jumpstart and sustain community-based, community-led food initiatives across the North. This is something which, I think, definitely needs to be addressed.
I’d like to know whether or not the Minister, when he talks with his federal counterparts, if he ever raises the issue of food insecurity in the North, particularly in the NWT. Thank you.
Thank you. That wasn’t actually one of the agenda items on the last Health Minister’s meetings that was in Banff earlier this summer, but it’s certainly an initiative and certainly an important topic, and I’d be happy to raise it with my territorial counterparts to see if we can get a little bit of a northern wave on this one. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. I think it’s really an important topic and I think it’s probably a much bigger issue in Nunavut than it is here in the NWT, but we definitely have our problems here.
Another recommendation that was from this report talked about food programs for breakfast, school breakfast programs. My brain is still dead from yesterday, I guess. Breakfast programs in schools is something which the GNWT has put some emphasis on. I believe it is one of the things that is being considered by the Anti-Poverty Strategy Working Group.
I’d like to know from the Minister if that is indeed correct and if there will be a focus on providing adequate funding and adequate resources to run school breakfast programs. Thank you.
Thank you. In the action plan, the territorial response for the framework, there was some money identified by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to put towards food initiatives. I will get the specifics and share that with the Member, but I will also point out that in the $500,000 that we allocated a number of the initiatives that we did support were based on food security. We had a healthy living application that was submitted, we had Growing Gameti’s Wellness that was supported, which actually supported the largest community garden outside of regional centres, there’s a community soup kitchen in Liidlii K’ue. We also supported the Inuvik Community Kitchen Program and Taste Makers nutrition education program. So a number of the initiatives that were supported fall clearly under one of the five pillars of anti-poverty and we have been supporting food security. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister again. It kind of leads into my last question. Another recommendation from the report was that there needs to be an investment within infrastructure within the communities related to food security and provision of foods, specifically construction of community-identified resources as community centres and/or community freezers. So I’d like to say to the Minister, I’m really glad that we have this $500,000 that is being used.
Is it intended that this $500,000 will be an annual amount, and will it be eligible to be spent on things such as community freezers and centres to help increase food security? Thank you.
Thank you. The $500,000 is part of the base, so it will be available every year. It’s application-based. So we are open to any application that comes in. The catch is the applications have to fall clearly within one of the five pillars identified within the framework to improve the lives of people throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about concerns with employment rates, so I have questions for the Minister responsible for employment. In this particular case, that would be Mr. Lafferty.
Could Mr. Lafferty provide some examples of true unemployment figures in several of our communities, and I’ll allow him to pick his own examples of what the true unemployment figures are in some of our northern communities, please.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The detailed stats I don’t have in front of me, but I can provide that to the Member. We have been closely monitoring the stats that have been coming in, whether it be nationally or even our own Northwest Territories jurisdiction. We’re coming out with some solutions to deal with those matters as we move forward with the federal government as well. So those are some of the programming that we need to put more emphasis on to deal with those individuals at the community level. Mahsi.
Thank you. By way of example, the last figures I can find, of course under our NWT Bureau of Stats, is Beau-Del was at 54 percent, Deh Cho 50 percent, Sahtu 55, South Slave 63, Tlicho 39 percent and YK at 79, and that’s sort of territory-wide for the Minister’s benefit.
What job creation programs has this department created under the tenure of this Minister, and can he provide some examples of how many new jobs have been placed on the ground and where?
Mahsi. The Member is asking for more detailed information and I can certainly provide the breakdown of the stats. Again, I don’t have the breakdown of the stats in front of me, but I can assure the Member that the Canada Job Fund is an area that we’ve negotiated with the federal government to deal with those individuals at the community level where there’s high unemployment at the community level. Not only that, there’s also a Labour Market Development Agreement where we’re currently negotiating with the federal government to provide more flexibility for those individuals that are on EI as well. So these are some of the areas of programming.
The Small Community Employment Program is another initiative that this government has been very successful to date. So I can forward that detailed information to the Member. Mahsi.
Thank you. Although actual employment rates are trending downwards, we’re going south, as I said, literally and figuratively. We’ve noticed that the federal government has slashed the EI program, which is going to now fall onto the territorial government to pick up the slack. As I said earlier today and I’ll just make one more point, which is the Yellowknife rate of unemployment is closer to 3.4 percent, and of course, as we all know here, the community unemployment rate is closer to 30 percent, if you’re lucky to be that low.
The reality here is, and my next question leads into, if the Minister can’t offer any details, maybe he can speak to what specific programs he’s seen initiatives create new jobs in territorial communities and provide some examples. Thank you.
Mahsi. I thought I did that in my last answer where different programs, Canada’s Job Fund is a national program. Specifically for the Northwest Territories, we are receiving funds towards those individuals that do not qualify for EI and we’ve created some incentives, as well, where we have $500,000 in addition to other provincial jurisdictions because of our uniqueness, our remoteness and the highest unemployment in the Northwest Territories. So that’s one particular program.
There’s also the Labour Market Development Agreement. There’s the small communities programming, employment programs that we’ve initiated. These are just some of the programs that are available. There’s on-the-job training within my department too. I can have the breakdown to the Members, all those programs that relate to this particular initiative.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll gladly take any one of those commitments, all or some or who knows what I’ll get, but I’ll certainly welcome every single one of them. Since, as I highlighted, the changes to the EI program, it now makes it more challenging for our northern workforce to find consistent, meaningful employment options. We’re now talking that you have to find well over five months of actual work to qualify for EI. Now, in a robust, working economy, not a problem. I accept any changes. But what is the department prepared for in this new shift where they’ve extended the hours one must have to work but community options and employment options are not keeping pace with this immediate demand? Feel free to use any briefing note you want to answer this question too. I’m here for the facts.
We’re fully aware of all of these different stats and the calculation that has been changed by the federal government. It is a federal government administered program, the EI, so I will provide the facts that the Member is alluding to.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier, my questions are to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs regarding loose dogs in the communities. It’s a common site in one of my communities at least, to see people carrying sticks. I myself have taken walks and you feel safer carrying a stick. At the local communities, some of them being small and remote, some of them are settlements, some of them are hamlets, some of them are band councils.
My question to the Minister is: What tools are available for remote communities to help manage dogs if they have issues in terms of loose dogs in their communities?
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few years ago we strengthened the Dog Act so the communities have the legislative authority to deal with the dog situation in their community, and we also fund them through the O and M allocation to deal with that if they choose to.
Currently, the Minister has indicated the Dog Act was recently updated. What enforcement options exist within the Dog Act? For example, I think some communities, whether they’re settlements or maybe hamlets, they have perhaps at their leisure with the O and M dollars that MACA commits to hire a bylaw officer. What if some of those communities don’t have bylaw officers? What enforcement options exist within the Dog Act for those communities?
We’ve given them legislative authority to deal with this. If they have bylaw officers, they can empower them to deal with the dog situation. If they don’t have bylaw officers, they have the authority to appoint someone as dog officers and deal with the situation, and they are funded through the O and M funding to do so.
It seems, once again, we put great effort in updating legislation and regulations, but then we really leave it to the communities. The Dog Act is basically left for communities to enforce the dog control measures, so my question again to the Minister is: Does MACA offer any training or guidance to communities on dog control matters?
Through our School of Community Government we do offer some training; however, we offer some bylaw training, I believe. I am not sure if dogs specifically are on there. If not, I will find out and relay that information on to the Member.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think there could be a workable solution in terms of trying to bring MACA and communities together and try to take a constructive approach in terms of dealing with this matter that’s pretty common throughout the NWT.
Would MACA consider partnerships with veterinary schools to bring clinics to small communities in the NWT?
Part of MACA’s mandate now is to deal with the communities. We work with the communities. We leave all the decision-making up to the communities, which I believe is the way it should be, and it’s something that the communities have wanted for a long time and have grasped. They’ve taken that on and done an admirable job doing so.
If there’s a need in the community to bring some veterinarian in to work in the community, that again would be a decision. We’ll work with the community and help try and facilitate this.
At the end of the day, as I’ve said for the last five or six years, the ultimate decision is the community’s, as it should be.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, the cost of living in the Northwest Territories has escalated to a point of crisis. My questions today – and I understand the government is working on an Energy Strategy – will be to the Department of Finance Minister.
My first question is: Has the government talked to the federal government about northern residency deductions and increasing that allowable tax deduction for Northerners so that more money can go into their pockets to assist with cost of living?
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not recently.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker, I didn’t hear that response.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Could you redo your response to Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Miltenberger?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Member opposite. Not recently.
In the cost of living issue currently before us, why would the Minister of Finance not be talking to the federal government about this situation to allow a bigger tax break for Northerners, especially when we have a declining population?
I would be happy to share with the Member the analysis that was done last time this issue was discussed among the three territories. There’s a benefit to higher wage earners, but overall, the general consensus from the three territories was it’s not something that would directly benefit Northerners overall or the territories as a whole. I would be happy to share that information with the Member and we could always revisit it once again as well.
If that analysis has been done before, what is the Department of Finance doing currently in taxation to help the Northerners with the cost of living to put more money into their… Are there ways that we can reduce taxes to help people in the Northwest Territories currently?
We have a very stable tax regime. We have committed not to raise taxes in the life of this government or the previous government for that matter. Income tax, corporate tax, we haven’t affected the taxes on motive or non-motive fuels, and we have as a government, if you look at our list of subsidies, at least $200 million worth of subsidies that we put on the table across government to support and assist Northerners.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance is looking at things they’ve studied before. They say we’re stable, we haven’t changed anything. That’s right. We haven’t changed anything. We’re looking to promote 2,000 people to come to the Northwest Territories.
What’s the indicator to bring them here? What is the government going to do to promote the Northwest Territories as a place to live and reduce the cost of living? Maybe we don’t have to stay the same. Maybe we reduce the cost of gas taxes so that people can come.
What is the government going to do in the future to encourage people to come to the Northwest Territories?
We’re going to continue to talk about our own employees negotiating very competitive wage packages where some of our teachers, for example, are some of the best paid in the country. We are going to be talking in an Energy Charrette about the need to look at the issue of type of generation, and we’re going to indicate as a government that we’re prepared to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to deal with the generation issues that have a direct effect and impact on the cost of living tied to energy requirements that the Territorial Power Support Program we currently have does not benefit businesses, so the businesses in the small communities bear the full cost of power generation, which can be an extremely onerous burden.
We started our work on increasing the population by 2,000 people over the next five years. That work is well along the way. So, we have a whole host of things that we’re doing to address these issues.
I point out that we still have one of the best quality of life in the territory and some of the best social programs, best education programs, best support for seniors programs anywhere in the country, so we have a lot of attributes.
There are a lot of internal things we need to do, and I touched on those yesterday, in terms of being able to go south for those hard-to-fill positions and give our staff the capacity to hire while they’re down south on the spot. We’re going to do things with industry to do job fairs and those types of things collectively down south as we both go ahead to try to address the issues that face us.
We have hundreds of job vacancies that we’re trying to do a better job at. We’re investing $22 million over three years to put housing into the small communities, market housing, so that these hard-to-fill positions are not going to be not filled because there’s not proper housing. We’re onto phase three of decentralization to get positions out into the communities, out of the centre, tied to devolution, tied to our interest to make sure that we spread the government presence as broadly as we can across the Territories.
So there’s a whole host of things that we’re doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
