Debates of October 19, 2006 (day 11)

Mr. Speaker, the work of this board is very important. It’s very important that we have representation on it. In order to fill that position and get on with the important work the board has, I have agreed with the Minister that we will provide him with more than one name. If he feels he doesn’t want to just rubberstamp the one name we give him, we will give him more names. Mr. Speaker, I appeal to all the Members of this House to think about other names that we could put forward to get this board fully represented and on with its important work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I sense he’s been feeling left out lately.

Aw.

In my Member’s statement, I outlined the run around that our constituents must go through in attempting to pay their rent for social housing. Mr. Speaker, we want them to pay their rent, but the number of hoops that we are putting them through I think would be a discouragement to anybody paying their rent. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment inform this Assembly what he intends to do to reduce the apparent bottleneck in income support offices and speed up the transmittal of rental calculation information to local housing authorities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mrs. Groenewegen is right. As we have seen this program move from one department to another, the subsidy program has definitely shown us or caused us some problems with that transition. We have formed a working group that involves everybody right from my deputy minister to the head of the Housing Corporation and regional staff to try to deal with issues like the one that the Member brings forward. As we heard about them, we try to address them on a case-by-case basis. I am not sure if the Member’s constituent needs to come into the office every month. In this transition, some of our ECE offices have been looking at all the clients to see whether or not they might be put on a bi-monthly or tri-monthly system of coming in. That is certainly one thing we could do to try to ease the situation. I would certainly appreciate the opportunity to see if we can’t work with the Member and her constituent to address these circumstances. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this day of modern information technology, has the Minister given any consideration to a shared computer information system that would allow the ECE office to transmit the rent calculation information to the housing authority in a more timely manner, somehow that they could both access the same source of information? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly challenge my department with that suggestion. If it would speed up the process, then I think it’s something we should take a look at.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me whether all income support workers in the NWT are now trained to do rent calculations, and how are communities without permanent income support workers, how is the rent being calculated in those communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Two questions there. The Minister may answer one or both. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because of turnover, I can't say that today every single employee has complete training. We may have some new employees who may not have completed training, but there is regular and ongoing training. There was a training session for income support workers just last week, and we do ensure that our supervisors work with new people to provide training in the regions where necessary. I believe that all of our employees are up to date. We work to ensure that happens. In most communities where we do not have a full-time or part-time worker, the service is provided by visits that workers may make to the community, and through the provision of 1-800 services. We're also trying to work very closely with the local housing authorities and are discussing whether or not we could work with one of their offices to perhaps deliver the programs in those communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.,

Supplementary To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think that people are very interested in being timely in paying their rent. They don't want to have a bad record of rent payment, but I think we are making it somewhat difficult for them and I will certainly look forward to any report of streamlining or enhancing the system that would help this group of tenants in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I don't know if I heard a question there, but, Mr. Dent, you may have heard a question.

Further Return To Question 135-15(5): Social Housing Rent Calculations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of the Income Security Program, we are, in fact, trying to streamline all of our processes for delivering subsidy services to our citizens. I have committed to reporting to the Standing Committee on Social Programs as we work through that process. I'd be happy to commit to delivering the same information in this House.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I made a statement on the youth crime in Inuvik, and my questions today would be for the Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell. I'd like to ask the Minister if there's anything that we can do as a government to have consequences for youth and/or their parents for criminal offences. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I know that this is of particular concern right now in the Inuvik region. I know that the Member and Member Roland also attended a community meeting that was, I believe, hosted by the mayor to have some discussion and talk to the RCMP about what they are doing and what the community justice folks are doing in the community. I think there is some good programming. I think it is going to take certainly the community to come together to work on this issue, but they need tools and they need help. I think that's where we need to come in, Mr. Speaker.

I can tell you, just back from my discussions with my provincial colleagues and the federal Ministers, this is something that a number of jurisdictions have raised, as well. We do have to find a way, there has to be a mechanism in our young offender legislation to allow us to deal with the situations where offenders are incorrigible and do need to be incarcerated. It's not the majority, but we do need a mechanism for this, Mr. Speaker. So I can tell you it is a national priority and we are talking about some reworking of the young offender legislation to accomplish this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of light sentencing going on with the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the sentencing is hoping to give these youth a chance and another chance and another chance, and it obviously seems not to be working. I'd like to ask the Minister if we have the authority to introduce legislation that may supersede this act and set our own policies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

No, Mr. Speaker, we don't. We can't introduce legislation that would override this federal legislation. But let me talk about a couple of things nationally. There's a Manitoba proposal; there's an advanced number of principles they'd like to see adhered to in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They would like to see and recognize that deterrents should be, and can be, a valid youth sentencing principle. It really isn't today, and this change could be made. We could also talk more about permitting repeat young offenders to be detained in custody. Another thing, Mr. Speaker, we could do is to limit the presumption of entitlement to bail. I think we could all recognize we have to demonstrate that people aren't a threat to society before they should be allowed out on bail, not the other way around, Mr. Speaker. So we have talked about some reverse onus provisions for bail, where it relates to young offenders who we're having a very difficult time with. So there are a number of things underway, but, no, we can't come up with legislation that would override the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know I'm all for rehabilitation. I think the offenders are going to have to want it, and it seems like recently there's been a whole new philosophical approach to crime prevention and rehabilitation for young people. I'd like to ask the Minister, has this approach worked? Have there been less crimes committed because of this approach, or are we in worse shape? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Mr. Speaker, it's a very difficult question. It's hard to know, in terms of cause and effect, what exactly has happened. It is something that criminologists study and something that we've looked at as a department. When we changed from the old young offenders legislation to the new YCJA, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, obviously the philosophy did change. It's less about custodial sentences. I think the idea is right. We may have swung too far, though, Mr. Speaker, and I think that's what we're seeking to address now. Programming is important, but there are cases where we need to ensure that public safety is upheld and we're going to need to make sure that there are custodial sentences. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to stress the vital need for a public library in Behchoko. As we know, the public library plays a vital role in the communities. Learning and enhancing reading skills and opening minds to new ideas are all positive effects that the libraries can provide. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Can the Minister tell me what funding he can make available for a public library in the community of Behchoko? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 137-15(5): Funding For Public Library In Behchoko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has no capital funds in its budget for any libraries in the Northwest Territories. Having said that, I've offered previously to meet with the Member and representatives from Behchoko to see if there's anything that we can, perhaps, look at in a joint proposal. But at this point, this government doesn't have any money for any library for capital expenditure. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 137-15(5): Funding For Public Library In Behchoko

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm curious on the funding for these libraries across the Northwest Territories, whether it be Yellowknife, Hay River or the Fort Smith Area; the public libraries. The Minister just indicated that there's no funding from the GNWT as a contribution to these libraries. I'd like to know where this funding is coming from to support these libraries because it's under education. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 137-15(5): Funding For Public Library In Behchoko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For instance, the library in the city of Yellowknife was built by the City of Yellowknife and it's run and operated by the City of Yellowknife. So what has happened in those communities that have libraries, the communities themselves have generally been responsible for providing them.

Last year, ECE helped six communities expand the services that they deliver through their school libraries to open them to the public. Where we can find ways to assist communities to do that, when we have the funds we're prepared to jump in. But when it comes to building a brand new library, this government is hard pressed to deliver its current capital program and we haven't been able to expand any of our capital programming to build new libraries.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 137-15(5): Funding For Public Library In Behchoko

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister's willingness to sit down with the Tlicho Community Services Agency or the community government of Behchoko. He outlined the six communities that receive funding on special projects. It would be great to have Behchoko as the seventh community, possibly for next year as a project. So when could the Minister meet with the Behchoko community government or Tlicho Community Services Agency on establishing a public library in Behchoko as a partnership? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 137-15(5): Funding For Public Library In Behchoko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to meet with the Member and see if we can find a mutually convenient time in the very near future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement this afternoon I talked about the residential school support and residential school in the Northwest Territories and of the impacts. I'd like to talk more about the issue with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, in terms of what type of support his department or the Government of the Northwest Territories is doing in terms of supporting the people who are dealing with the residential school issues, whether it be on a national front, or territorial level, or just through the ADR process. Can the Minister advise the people as to the type of support he's giving the former students of residential school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Members are aware, the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to make sure that we coordinate support services for residential school survivors. What we're hoping to do is provide a government-wide support system for emotional support, for financial counselling, for helping claimants fill out forms, if necessary. We want to be ready to respond to family violence, including elder financial abuse, and ensure that we're offering victim services. ECE has been assigned the lead and, at this point, a coordinating group has been formed which includes Education, Culture and Employment, Justice and Housing and Social Services. From that support group, we will be looking to branch out, to bring in other agencies, and develop an action plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the residential school survivors in the Northwest Territories will be very happy to hear what the Minister has to say in terms of support. Again, this government, slow it may be, however, it's doing the right thing for our people in the communities. We are giving the support to the survivors. I would ask the Minister, would he look at more specific areas in terms of helping the survivors, because there are generations of survivors, in terms of the education system, in terms of curriculum, and informing our school children, our children, that this is part of our history? So how is this going to be in the history in terms of our school now in terms of the real truth coming out for residential school experiences in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors