Debates of October 18, 2005 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is National Students Against Impaired Driving Day.

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In over 600 high schools across Canada, including the NWT, students are actively engaged in spreading a message that calls for a healthy and responsible outlook towards this serious social issue. Regrettably, impaired driving continues to be a serious and chronic problem in the Northwest Territories and in other parts of Canada. Despite years of intensive public education, more severe penalties and increased law enforcement, the offence of impaired driving remains the most common crime in the country.

This behaviour continues to cause an inexcusable amount of human suffering and costs individuals and societies a staggering amount of money. On average, 21 people are killed, and hundreds more are injured, every week in this country due to the senseless and thoughtless actions of impaired drivers.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, progress has been made in recent years to reduce the incidence of impaired driving in Canada. However, there is still a long road ahead before the day arrives when this problem can be eliminated.

This government acted on its responsibility to contribute to a solution for this problem when it implemented amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act last year. These amendments have greatly increased penalties for offenders and introduced other measures that address this important issue. In August of this year, as part of its broad strategy to reduce impaired driving, the Department of Transportation brought in a Graduated Drivers Licensing Program that gives new drivers more time to gain the skills, knowledge and experience needed to safely take their place on our streets and highways.

It’s encouraging to see that many young people have embraced the view that drinking and driving is not acceptable, and are actively involved in promoting that view to their peers and others.

These young people are taking part in activities that are organized each year at this time to observe this special day. This highly commendable event serves to focus attention, especially among teens and young drivers, on the serious consequences of getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcohol.

Mr. Speaker, here in Yellowknife, members of the St. Patrick’s High School chapter of Students Against Drunk Driving organized a number of special events to mark this day. This SADD chapter, which has now been operating for over 10 years, has been a strong voice for responsible behaviour, and for measures to step up the fight against impaired driving.

I know Members of this House will join me in applauding the attitude and actions of these young adults. They have made a real difference already and will continue to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Charles Dent will be absent from the House today, tomorrow and Thursday, to attend a federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Social Development meeting in Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about concerns I have with the NWT Housing Corporation. It has recently occurred to me that there are so many unresolved questions and issues about the functioning of this corporation/department, that we need to turn some serious attention to its operations. Today, I will just provide a broad overview of the issues, as I see them. I don’t have a lot of detail to offer today, but I have research looking into specific questions for me, and I will also have questions for the Minister at some point in this House.

We vote approximately $30 million per year for the operations of the NWT Housing Corporation. Do these dollars actually go to address what we constantly refer to as the critical shortage of suitable housing in the North, or do they go to a myriad of other activities, most of which, I maintain, are questionable at best and abysmal failures at worst?

How much of our financial resources that we commit to the NWT Housing Corporation go to a bloated, overstaffed headquarters? Why do we need so many people in headquarters? Why doesn’t the number of positions in headquarters go down when the corporation decides to contract functions out? How many initiatives are undertaken by the Housing Corporation without proper budgets associated with them? For example, the Novel project. Were there funds budgeted for travel, consultation, consultants, so that the committee with the responsibility of the Housing Corporation could have input, or is this initiative forging ahead on an ad hoc basis?

We hear that the mandate of the Housing Corporation is changing. What is it changing to? Who is setting the priorities and direction for these changes? What about the housing policies and the rent scale? Why have we never been able to address the hardship that is caused when there are overcrowded housing situations in communities, and employed family members can’t live in a public housing unit with a client without their rent changing to the point of making it impossible for the tenant to pay their rent even on a temporary basis? Yet, we can have people performing illegal activities at a housing unit selling drugs and bootlegging alcohol for which there is no declared income. We are paying their rent.

Hey!

We haven’t been able to even partially close the gap of free rent for elders over 60 in public housing, and there is virtually no support for seniors living in their own homes trying to maintain independence and make ends meet.

Why are we spending millions of dollars on seniors’ complexes like the one we toured in Tuktoyaktuk that is heated and lit 24 hours a day, seven days a week, costs thousands of dollars to keep the lights on, and no one has ever lived in it? Unless they reprofile the facilities, the same could be said of Fort Resolution and Deline. Mr. Speaker, could I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I want to know how the capital money and operating costs of these facilities was spent, and so completely missed the needs of the community. How much did the marketing housing initiative cost? How many units are empty, and how many is the Housing Corporation subsidizing the cost of because they failed to have an accurate business plan or market analysis plan formed before jumping in with both feet?

When was the last time the Housing Corporation performed an analysis of their rent supplement units that were built in communities at 20-year sweetheart deals where the rents are grossly over-inflated? Why is the Housing Corporation always embroiled in controversy over their procurement tactics, making deals, putting out RFPs or tenders, only to turn around and do something completely contrary? Why is the Housing Corporation involved in things like product development and software development, which is far outside of their mandate? If we have a critical housing shortage in the North, how about getting back to the issues at hand: to finance meeting the mandate of the Housing Corporation to provide suitable housing? I have a long list of places where they can start looking for that money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today in support of a public awareness campaign that will be launched at noon in the Great Hall tomorrow by the Yellowknife Foster Family Association. Mr. Speaker, as much as it is our fervent desire that every child have a safe and healthy home, sadly this is not the reality in our society, especially so in the North. When there is a child in need of alternative care, often we rely on foster families to step in and fill the need. In an effort to raise awareness and encourage caring individuals to become foster parents, and to encourage leaders to work within their communities to provide support to families in need, Yellowknife Foster Families Association is launching a Foster Doll Awareness Campaign. As long as we need foster families, it is in the best interest of the children that they are placed as close to their own communities as possible. In order to make that possible, we need foster families in as many communities as possible, Mr. Speaker.

Starting tomorrow, until November 2nd, I will be joining a number of other individuals and leaders representing various sectors of our communities, who will each look after a foster doll with widely differing cultural, language and social backgrounds.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that my foster doll is a 12-year-old girl named Pat, who is originally from Tuktoyaktuk. She has been in care for four years, and she suffers from FAS effect. She is very shy and polite, but has high energy and is missing her mother very much.

Mr. Speaker, part of my duty in being involved with this project is to take her around to places that I go to. That means that although I cannot bring her to this chamber, she will be going to a lot of meetings with me, including the FASD conference being held this weekend. I will also be writing mini journals to keep a record of her travels and experiences.

In doing so, Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that people will see, and become more aware, of the need to honour the needs of our children in care. I will be able to show my appreciation to the foster parents in our communities who, like my colleague from Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen, who was once a foster parent, opened their homes and hearts to take care of children who really need not only a safe home, but love of a family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss an important issue that is of concern to my constituents and the residents of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the recent decline of the caribou. The decline in the number of caribou, in particular the Cape Bathurst, Bluenose West and Bluenose east herds. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted a photo census survey in July 2005. The numbers, to date, for Cape Bathurst are 10,013 to 2,362 from 2000 to 2005; Bluenose West, 74,273 to 20,801; and the Bluenose East, from 104,000 to 66,584 from 2000 to 2005, respectively.

…(inaudible)…and the Gwich'in and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources held a joint meeting in Whitehorse recently, where ENR provided a slide presentation on the recent 2005 caribou photo census survey.

Mr. Speaker, prior to the start of this session, Mr. McLeod, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes, and I were briefed by the Department of ENR in Inuvik on the slide presentation, which was the presentation they intended to take to the communities in the Beaufort-Delta.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Inuvialuit Game Council, Gwich'in Renewable Resource Management Board, and the Department of ENR traveled to Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk to discuss this 2005 survey.

Mr. Speaker, the decline of the caribou numbers is of concern to the Beaufort-Delta and, as well, the rest of the Northwest Territories. I have spoken to an elder, and one item of interest is probably migration changes, but, most importantly, may be the survey process; for example, helicopter use or fixed wing may be one of the many factors for caribou migration patterns.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is a concern to all residents, and I compliment the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in traveling with the aboriginal claimant groups to discuss the 2005 survey. I look forward to seeing the recommendations from the consultation process, and also the next photo census survey that will be conducted in 2006 of these herds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(Translation not provided)

(Translation)…day care in Fort Smith was emphasized yesterday by my colleague from Range Lake.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I received an e-mail from one of my constituents: a single parent attending the Aurora College in Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, there are currently three of my constituents who are attending school in Fort Smith, and they have families. I am proud to say that these students are studying to become teachers, and that they are very concerned about the closure of the day care. This is a cause for concern.

I ask, Mr. Speaker, where these students will turn for the needed childcare service, after the closure of the day care on the 28th of October. There are three students that are in school and were there to help them but, Mr. Speaker, these are parents who are new to the college system. Why must we put the burden on them as they seek advanced learning?

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment admitted in the House that the NWT needs a strategy to deal with infrastructure of more day care centres. When he talked about this strategy, he said while the solution involves community partnership, he will ensure that his department staff will be available for the communities, and to work with the community leaders on finding results. If these results are part of department's concern, why is the day care centre in Fort Smith -- one of our central communities serving our college students -- being permanently closed in 10 days?

We are here to help and serve the students in terms of the day care. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago I was elected as the representative for the Sahtu region. In the past couple of years, the highest area of concern in my region has been affordable housing units, along with the number of houses being built in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying, "Home is where the heart is." People have a lot of concerns in regards to…

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I'm certainly hoping that that wasn't for me, Mr. Speaker.

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I was very surprised, Mr. Speaker, when I saw the recent housing survey results in the Sahtu region, that the Sahtu had the highest core need of all the regions, at 28 percent. The good news, however, Mr. Speaker, is that the Housing Corporation has dropped that from 35 percent since 2000. For example, in Colville Lake, 76 percent of homes are still in core need; by far the highest in the Northwest Territories. Wrigley is next, at 50 percent in core need. One hundred percent of Colville Lake homes have problems with adequacy. There is lots of work to do in our homes in the Sahtu region. Core need in Deline is at 42 percent; 37 percent in Fort Good Hope; 36 percent in Tulita; and 9 percent in Norman Wells.

Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go; however, there is some good news, I understand, from Housing Corporation, that we have a fully staffed up district office to help our communities, and that programs now need to be looked at that will fit the communities' needs and their various ideas in how to best bring down these numbers.

Mr. Speaker, I know there is a lot of work to be done in housing; however, in my time, I have seen the numbers decrease. There is some support in the Housing Association, so as much as I want to talk about the work that needs to be done in housing, I also want to say thank you to the Minister and his staff for bringing down these numbers in the Sahtu region. Again, I want to thank the staff there. Thank you.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the important Taltson hydro expansion project this government is working to develop over the next few years. Mr. Speaker, I cannot express the important significance of this initiative enough. Not only does it affect the residents of Tu Nedhe, the people of the Northwest Territories, but also all of Canada because of the potential positive impacts to our environment if addressed with some degree of urgency by this government.

Mr. Speaker, currently there are three mines -- Diavik, BHP and De Beers --operating in the Tu Nedhe area. All are using fossil fuels to operate in our delicate northern environment, with a possibility of three more mines, the Gahcho Kue, the Jericho, and the Dry Bones coming on stream within the next five years. These mines will also be operating on fossil fuels unless we, as a government, place more stringent demands on industry to incorporate the policy and hydro initiatives into their long-term plans.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that the environmental benefits to be derived from this hydro development surely outweigh the cost to be incurred by industry should they be required to hook up to the hydro line. This gap will continue to grow, given the rising costs of energy; in particular, fossil fuels.

Mr. Speaker, these industries alone are taking $1 million each day from each mine, with approximately $3 million a day from the Northwest Territories, leaving northerners with some crumbs, a few rough diamonds, and a lot of low level jobs and tons of greenhouse gas emissions; emissions that will be directly attributable to the extinction of one of our true northern icons, the polar bear, in less than 50 years if we let this practice continue.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to stress to this government that we can no longer sit back and be driven by industrial practices which seem to dictate what directions we, as a government, should take. We have to be more aggressive in finding agreeable solutions that will keep the NWT at the helm when developing environmentally sound and respectful solutions that do not lead to the demise of what this last great frontier personifies: that being, respect for the environment, respect for the wildlife, and a continued traditional northern way of life. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. One of the key messages included in the pre-budget consultation report that your committee had the pleasure of introducing yesterday was about the importance of early childhood development programs. We all know that this is an upfront investment. When we make an investment in our children, it certainly pays off down the road.

A number of organizations, including the NWT Status of Women Council and Alternatives North, made note of the need for this government to continue to lobby the federal government for a fair allocation of childcare dollars to the NWT. Mr. Speaker, as the NWT Status of Women Council wrote in their submission, access to childcare is an essential factor in achieving economic equality for women, and in maximizing the potential of the NWT labour force. Early in their new term, Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government announced a $5 billion commitment for a national childcare system. It is my understanding that the federal government -- the Minister Ken Dryden -- continued to insist, though, that the Government of the NWT accept a per capita allocation of this funding. This is not acceptable.

Hear! Hear!

The costs of providing childcare in the North are clearly higher than in other parts of the country. The Government of the NWT has been working closely with other territories to hammer out a deal with Canada that would provide adequate base funding to make a real difference in providing this critically needed programming in the North. We have seen the federal government recognize our unique health challenges, such as with the Health Care Accord reached last fall. The Early Learning and Childcare Agreement that has been in place in this government since 2001 serves as a framework for the strengthening of licensed programs for children.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that our Minister, Charles Dent, will be in Ottawa this week to meet with his territorial and provincial counterparts, as well as Minister Dryden from Canada. I would urge Minister Dent and this government to continue to press the federal government to fund childcare programs in a manner that recognizes the higher cost of providing these services here in the NWT. Anything else is not acceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The subject I would like to speak about today is the proposed new Workers' Compensation Board office complex that is currently being entertained by the WCB. The Minister responsible has not presented any type of rationale or business case for this happening. The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development is finally going to be briefed next Wednesday, a day before this session concludes. It is only because, Mr. Speaker, we asked him for the briefing; he didn’t offer it.

Mr. Speaker, I do not take issue with the WCB wanting to have its own building if it makes financial sense to do so. What I am taking issue with is how the WCB seems to be going about it. I have heard that the WCB was asking the City for Bartam Trailer Park. I know that they are also interested in the old Gerry Murphy Arena site here in the City of Yellowknife. Seeing as the City had no waterfront property, the WCB has gone out for an expression of interest to source some land. An expression of interest, Mr. Speaker, obviously has guidelines that have to be followed. It would appear that the WCB did not even follow its own criteria and guidelines when it found a very nice piece of waterfront property. The only problem with this property, Mr. Speaker, is that it does not meet the zoning requirements as specified in their own guidelines in the expression of interest. The WCB is actively robbing the City of Yellowknife to rezone this piece of land. This property is located behind the existing development in the Saan/Quizno complex. From my understanding, the WCB is looking for 80 parking stalls and a rezoning of the property so they can build this new office complex.

Mr. Speaker, I have to ask, what about downtown revitalization here in the city of Yellowknife? The WCB is looking at taking 100 jobs. That is 100 jobs out of the downtown core here in Yellowknife and moving them to an area of the city that is already plagued by traffic congestion. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. I don’t know why we wouldn’t want to continue to maintain a central location easily accessible for injured workers. I want to know what efforts were undertaken to keep the office in the downtown core. There are options; even some that I am aware of that should have been explored. I am wondering why the WCB is bent on having a waterfront address.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I am wondering why the WCB is so intent on having this waterfront address. The last time I looked, employer premiums were increasing, and injured workers were still feeling that the process and the bureaucracy were treating them badly and poorly. How can the WCB justify the building of this waterfront castle? They even stated that they will maintain public walking trails within the vicinity of this new building, and all of this on the back of the injured worker and the employers paying ever-increasing premiums. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are some loud rumours out there that say Imperial Oil is seriously considering pulling out of the oil and gas project. The rumour mill says that, despite the potential $500 million that the federal government has put on the table, Imperial still contends that the demands from the access and benefit agreement negotiations are still too high. Imperial Oil has not budged an inch, and they are not prepared to offer any more to the claimant groups, from what I have heard. If something is not done soon, in my opinion, the current plans to establish a pipeline in the NWT will be in serious jeopardy, and put into a holding pattern for the next 30 years.

My concern is that this Government of the Northwest Territories has invested serious dollars into preparing for the pipeline. Almost every department has created at least one position in pipeline readiness and some of that in several positions. At last count, in the March budget, there were approximately 30 positions across the Territories devoted entirely or partially to the pipeline. This government has invested considerable people hours from the existing staff to investing heavily in the $1 million office in Hay River. MACA has doled out over $1 million of funding to communities to help deal with expected impacts of the pipeline, not to mention the money that has gone towards negotiations and pipeline agreements.

If this pipeline comes, Mr. Speaker, all of this money will have been considered well invested. If this pipeline does not come, this money will have gone down the drain. This government has already stated that without the pipeline, we will find ourselves in a serious financial situation.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am very concerned what will happen to the significant investment in establishing numerous positions and spending a lot of money on getting ready for a pipeline that is simply just a pipe dream. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I had a good statement and some questions, but then I just realized that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment wasn’t here, so I will have to save those until Friday. I was trying to come up with a topic that I have been hearing a lot about in my time in Inuvik. One of the main complaints I had from Inuvik, and people that drive it, is the condition of the Dempster Highway.

Boo!

I have been hearing many complaints from people about the highway, and having the opportunity to travel that highway since 1984, this is the worst that I have ever seen it. It is worse than a goat trail. Many experienced drivers have told me that they travel this highway all the time. This is the worst they have ever seen it, because of the condition.

There have been a few accidents on the highway because of the condition of the road. I read with some interest the article that was in the paper regarding 12 kilometres left to pave on Highway No. 3. We would like to have 12 kilometres of dust control on the Dempster.

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We would like to have 12 kilometres without barrel-sized potholes, and 12 kilometres where we can put it on cruise control.

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Mr. Speaker, with all the traffic that is going to be on this highway within the next couple of years with the pipeline -- and there is going to be pipeline -- this government has to improve the condition of the road. There is some work going on it right now, but that work, Mr. Speaker, as far as I am concerned, is not enough. There is going to be more work that needs to be done on this highway. We have to keep these highways safe for all residents of the NWT, not just Highway No. 3. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a constituent of mine, and chairman of the WCB, Mr. Denny Rodgers. We welcome him to the Assembly. His daughter is one of our Pages today.

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Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure to introduce and recognize somebody in the gallery, my constituency assistant, Dan, from Inuvik; Brenda Dillon; as well as also recognizing Mr. McLeod’s constituency assistant, Meeka Kisoun.

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Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of my sisters here in the gallery, Mrs. Molly Nogasak. With her is her daughter, Priscilla Nogasak. I would also like to recognize Mrs. Brenda Dillon, CA for Mr. Roland. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize someone who has already been recognized, but in doing so, I may have to let out a personal secret, or whatever.

Oh!

In 1978, when I came to Canada and spoke no English whatsoever, my first best friend who taught me English was from Newfoundland, and her name was Rhonda Rodgers. Denny Rodgers is Rhonda Rodgers’ little brother who was in grade school. Now he is here as a chair of WCB, and his daughter here is paging. That really makes you think about how life runs its course as it should. It is a great pleasure for me to recognize Mr. Rogers in the gallery. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement, I talked about the housing situation in the Sahtu. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services on the facility in Deline. There is an elders' long-term care facility that is not being utilized, as Mrs. Groenewegen has indicated in her statement, to the fullest extent. This situation has gone on for a number of years. My constituents are asking for a resolution. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services inform this Assembly of the current status of the long-term care facility in Deline, and of any plans the department has for maximizing its utilization? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 142-15(4): Status Of Long-Term Care Facility In Deline

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a working group comprised of officials from the department and from the Sahtu region, as well as a community member from Deline, looking at the best use for this facility. Initially, there was a thought and suggestion that we should be looking at a long-term care facility. What has come out of the work that has been done there are a number of things. Firstly, in order to get a better assessment of the level of need among the elders, they did a thorough review in the region of every elder and their acuity level, which came back with information that indicated the first priority was an increase of home care, which we are working with the Sahtu board to deliver.

Regarding the Deline facility itself, for the most part, 10 of the units are currently in use as independent living units. The suggestion now is that we look at converting the remaining six, and modify them to four independent living units. If that is not going to be a feasible option, there is a possibility of using that section of the facility that is currently underutilized as a place to be able to locate or co-locate a number of services and programs that are already currently in Deline. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 142-15(4): Status Of Long-Term Care Facility In Deline