Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure today to wish one of the most respected elders of the Mackenzie Delta a very happy 97th birthday.
Gwich’in elder Peter Kay Sr. from Fort McPherson is to be commended on healthy living and for taking care of his family, and also living the Gwich’in cultural lifestyle.
Mr. Kay’s livelihood, active living and positive outlook on life and family have given him the opportunity today to spend precious time with his family at 97 years young.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Assembly. Please join me in congratulating Peter Kay on his 97th birthday.
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about what I see as a lack of support in the smaller communities for people suffering from mental illness. This is a problem which has come into very clear focus in Hay River in the last month. I am very interested in this Mental Health First Aid program which is rolling out in a couple of small communities and I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services what the plan is for the roll-out of this. If he could just describe it for us briefly and give people some hope that maybe there is something coming here that will help smaller communities deal with issues of mental illness.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Mental Health First Aid course is something that our department is offering to professionals from the regions and communities, that they go back to their communities to put on workshops on mental health that would be open to the citizens, teachers, anybody that wishes to learn more about mental health issues at the community or regional levels.
I mentioned that two communities have so far had the opportunity to partake in this: Tuktoyaktuk and Fort McPherson. What’s the agenda, what’s the schedule look like for taking this important training, workshop information to other communities?
This week we are running the course again, the Mental Health First Aid course. It’s going to be offered to all the regions, and some of the major communities that I notice on the list – I don’t have the list here with me - but I believe one is Hay River. Somebody from Hay River is here. For sure someone from Smith, Yellowknife, Deh Cho, Sahtu, and the Tlicho communities are here taking that course that they will take back to their regions.
I see this as only being helpful. When there is a crisis of mental health issues in a community, what are we doing about protocol so that everybody knows what the plan is? You don’t hear very often of people being medevaced because there’s a mental health crisis. You do certainly when there’s a physical illness, you hear that but, when there’s a mental illness and there’s a crisis, you don’t hear of what the protocols are for dealing with that.
We live in a severe climate and environment, and when you’re in the smaller communities, if we do not have those kinds of protocols and infrastructure in place, it can be a dire consequence for the person that’s ill and those trying to help them. Is there any work going on in the department to come up with a protocol so that everybody knows who is in the social services or health care profession and the policy or whatever services are in those communities what the plan is?
Laid out in the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan was the attempt to try to remove the stigma of mental health so that individuals are able to work freely with people who are afflicted with mental health issues. It’s a very, very difficult area.
As the Member indicated, you can’t just, you know, if somebody gets hurt, a physical injury, people know what to do. There’s a certain process. You get the person into the hospital. Mental health cases are different.
We are trying to train people. We are trying to set up a system where individuals are able to identify mental health. We’re trying to set up a system where individuals are able to deal with mental health issues. It’s a very difficult situation that we are starting to get more heavily involved at this point and by the time we get rolling into the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, we should be able to develop some protocols on how to deal with mental health cases as well.
Because of the remoteness of some of our communities, I would like to ask the Minister if he is aware if there is still any kind of a crisis helpline that is available for people that they can call into when they are experiencing difficulties and what role does our government play in sustaining such a service.
I don’t have that information with me. I don’t remember if the crisis line is still open or not. I can verify that information for the Member and advise the House whether or not that crisis line is still open.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, in my Member’s statement, I talked about anti-bullying legislation. It’s unfortunate that tragedies usually put a lens on subjects such as this. I think the public and also Members need to be reassured that we’re working towards good legislation.
My question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is: Maybe giving us an update, what’s happening in the department as we’re preparing for this anti-bullying legislation for the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since the motion was brought forward to this House, my department has been working on various other jurisdictions to identify, or do a complete review of the anti-bullying legislation in other jurisdictions, as well, and developing a safe school proposal, which will be developed, and implementation of a safe school plan as well. Those are the areas that my department has taken on the initiative.
There are two major projects or pieces of proposals that will be introduced in the spring session. In the spring 2013 session we want to introduce the bill and also, at the same time, develop a territorial-wide plan to denounce bullying in NWT schools. That is part of the plan as we move forward.
I think what the Minister indicated here is that it sounds like we’ve got legislation ongoing here and there’s talk about a safe school plan in a bill format. I guess the question I need to ask the Minister is: Why are we doing both at the same time? Should one not follow the other?
The legislation can set a clear definition on this particular anti-bullying legislation and mandate the need for policies and training. Also, ground involvement of effective resources is required to address the complex issue of generating safe schools in the NWT to meet the challenge of both legislation and comprehensive territorial-wide to prevent bullying in the NWT schools are needed. Both pieces are needed as we move forward on a comprehensive plan that we are currently working on. We are moving forward on those two initiatives.
The Minister indicated a safe schools plan. I guess the question we should ask is: When will this be implemented? Are we seeing this early on in 2013 or in the latter part of 2013?
Mr. Speaker, part of the plan is to introduce the safe schools plan completed and implemented at the beginning of the 2013 school year. That is the overall plan, so we are moving forward on that.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is all very good information, and I think many parents, many students out there are looking forward to seeing this come forward. As the department is preparing the final steps, the final journey, so to speak, and the consulting piece and where amendments are going to be taking place, who is going to be invited to the table to be doing this in the consulting phase, and will Members have an opportunity to be a participant?
There will be various consultations that will take place with the stakeholders, prior to putting forward the legislation to addressing the bullying. From December 2012 until January 2013, the consultation will take place, and they will consist of, of course, Regular Members, their input, and also those involved within the education field. The NWTTA, divisional education councils, district education authorities, superintendents, principals, teachers, the parents, and also those parents, students and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Corrections Division, Justice, RCMP. A variety of organizations will be part of the stakeholders that we’ll be consulting with.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I’d like to ask him some questions around the issue of financial liability at Giant Mine. With the environmental hearings that were held a couple weeks ago here in Yellowknife, a number of constituents have spoken to me about Giant and about the financial situation that we are in as a territorial government. My first question to the Minister would be if he could advise me and advise the public and my constituents what is the nature of our partnership with AANDC, the federal government department responsible for the cleanup at Giant Mine?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a federal waste site that they’re remediating. We are in partnership with them. We’ve booked about $27 million, the federal government in the neighbourhood of $300 million, as initial figures. Clearly, it is one of the biggest waste site remediations in the country, so it is fundamentally a federal responsibility.
Thanks to the Minister for that explanation. I have to say, I’m a little bit concerned when I hear the Minister say that $27 million is an initial figure. I have to say, I’m a little concerned when I hear him say that it is basically a federal responsibility. I’d like to know from the Minister: Do we anticipate further financial requirements on this government to do with the cleanup of Giant Mine? If the $27 million is an initial figure, what are we in the long haul for?
We have committed to that amount of money. This is a federal responsibly. In fact, as we take over devolution, the signed devolution to take over land, water and resource development, Giant will be a separate issue that will stay under the purview of the federal government. At this point, the hope is, the plan is that that money will be sufficient. If there’s any more money required, once again, this is a federal responsibly.
I appreciate the Minister’s response. He says that it is a federal responsibility. A question from my constituent was pretty much relative to devolution and our current situation and the situation following devolution. My question to the Minister would be: If it is basically a federal responsibility, once devolution occurs will the federal government be able to come back to us and tell us as a territorial government that we will have responsibility for cleanup there?
As I indicated, this particular waste site, Giant, is separate and not included in the devolution agreement. It is going to stay within the responsibility of the federal government to maintain and clean up and do all the things necessary to bring it back to proper use.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my last question to the Minister would be, again, about money. If we are committed at this point to $27 million, and that we – as the Minister says he hopes we don’t use more than that – are we going to see a supplementary appropriation sometime down the road to go beyond the $27 million that we’re now committed to?
There is no such anticipation at this juncture. Our involvement is for a lot of the ancillary land and commitment to try to assist to the extent that we have with the $27 million. At this point, that is the extent of our commitment and there are no indications as Finance Minister, nor am I aware of any at this point that would require any further contribution on the part of the territorial government.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member’s statement on the seniors fuel subsidy, I wanted to ask the question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. At this point in the Northwest Territories we have a very large population of aging senior citizens and elders, as we call them, and of course, we hold them in high regard. We respect them and we try to do our part in serving their needs and looking after them as our parents and sometimes as our grandparents.
With that, with winter coming on, it is concerning that some elders are being told that they are ineligible for this fuel subsidy. What are some of the main reasons applications are turned down? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Part of the eligibility is those individuals have to claim household income, who are all living in the house, and sometimes there is a denial in subsidy due to the fact that some individuals are working within the household. They are making fair enough money that can go towards the fuel, as well, to heat the residence. Those are some of the examples, but it is all based on household income of the elders who are living in the residence.
Each individual would have to claim what they are making. It is not only our program. There is Housing and other programs that are based on household income as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, it is customary to try to be inclusive in terms of our communities. One practice is ensuring that we uphold the whole principle of extended families. In some cases we have children and grandchildren living with their grandparents. We try to maintain that practice. What solutions has the department considered to accommodate elders who have extended families living with them? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we did add the zoning, I believe, a couple of years back, by $10,000. We are always exploring areas that we need to improve our programming. I did instruct my department to look at some options to deal with those individuals, children or grandchildren that are living with their grandparents, how we can remedy the situation so they can be eligible for home heating subsidy. We are exploring those areas. I believe we are at the final stages of going through those options. I will be presenting that to the Members once that is available.
It is reassuring that the department is exploring some options in terms of trying to remedy the situation. It can be very bleak in terms of looking forward to this time of the year, especially for elders as they prepare for the winter. What is the current budget for the seniors fuel subsidy at this time? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I have to provide the detailed information to the Members, but there is a threshold income and also the type of fuel and by zoning. I will provide all of that information to the Members so they are aware of what is within a subsidy area. I will provide the actual budget for the detailed information. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Nadli, your final, short supplementary.
Mr. Speaker, this is kind of a long-term dilemma that traces this government, because we have an aging seniors population plus, at the same time, rising costs for fuel. Is there a long-term strategy that this government and especially this department is examining? Thank you.
Part of the changes that we make from time to time are reflecting on high cost of fuel or high cost of, let’s say, food in the community. With respect to this seniors home heating subsidy, there is an increase in the cost of heating, the fuel. That will reflect on the zoning which we did a couple of years back. We increased the $10,000 on each zoning. From time to time we will be making those changes. I appreciate the Member referring to this important piece of work that we will continue to monitor. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
