Debates of October 20, 2006 (day 12)

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

Supplementary To Question 149-15(5): Application Deadlines For Student Financial Assistance

This is just so much good news. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that there are a number of students who are already enrolled in their classes for this semester, as we speak now, who did miss the previously imposed deadline. They have gone to school; they're there. I want to know about retroactivity. Once the regulation goes in place, will the Minister consider those who had missed the deadline, had to enrol anyway, and are facing financial hardship? Can we have a retroactivity, a period of grace, for those who are enrolled at this time? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 149-15(5): Application Deadlines For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're aware that there were 23 this year who applied after the deadline and the current regulation doesn't allow any consideration past that deadline, but the new regulation will allow it and as long as the regulation gets changed before the end of this semester, a person will be able to apply for consideration.

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

Supplementary To Question 149-15(5): Application Deadlines For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So just to clarify then, the 23 students who filed their applications late who are enrolled in post-secondary education right now, with the time frame and the anticipation the Minister has of getting the regulation in place, they need to know that there may be an opportunity for them to apply for financial assistance for this semester they are currently enrolled in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 149-15(5): Application Deadlines For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've just been assured by the Minister of Justice that he will ensure that we have the regulation in time for students to get consideration this semester.

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Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today my question is with respect…will be directed to the honourable Premier. Yesterday I spoke about housing issues in the Nahendeh riding, particularly Fort Liard where this particular fall season, when the teachers came they actually had nowhere to go. It just speaks to some of the things that we did hear, too, Mr. Speaker, in our pre-budget consultations; particularly not so much housing for staff, but staff housing. How do we address that? Is the government looking at it and what kind of program would they have for that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 150-15(5): Lack Of Staff Housing In Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're very aware of some of these issues that appear in some communities, and certainly the issues in Liard have been brought to our attention. Mr. Speaker, there's a couple of things we want to do. One of them, of course, is to give the local leaders in the community more authority to be able to determine how the houses are to be allocated, the sequence for repairing, for replacing and so on. Mr. Speaker, I think it doesn't matter if it's a teacher's house or a house for someone else who's in need of accommodation. We need to have the maximum amount of input from local leaders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 150-15(5): Lack Of Staff Housing In Communities

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think I addressed it in writing; I think the government did say that we're not in the business of providing housing for staff, and I can see that there may be some difficulties if they have to provide housing for all staff. But I think one of the ways that other jurisdictions, particularly like B.C., got around it, Mr. Speaker, is they provided temporary housing for staff accommodations. Is that something this government is prepared to look at, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 150-15(5): Lack Of Staff Housing In Communities

Mr. Speaker, certainly one way of dealing with the shortage of housing for teachers and for other staff is to bring in more market housing. We have two units, I think, in Fort Liard. We're prepared to bring more market housing units in if there's demand for it. In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, what we would like to see would be to have, in the community, a housing board and we're working on that with the local leadership. If there's a housing board and teachers need temporary accommodation when they first arrive in a community, then we would like to work that through the local leaderships so they have a say on how the teachers that they need in their communities will be housed even on a temporary basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 150-15(5): Lack Of Staff Housing In Communities

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of market housing, there was a commitment made by our government to provide a duplex for October delivery in Fort Liard. Is that still underway for the community of Fort Liard, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 150-15(5): Lack Of Staff Housing In Communities

Mr. Speaker, yes, that is still our intention to have that unit delivered this fall; hopefully in November.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are in following up to my Member's statement with regard to the whistle-blower legislation, Mr. Speaker. I believe my question will be directed to the Minister of Justice. Yesterday, I believe, in the House, the Premier confirmed that there is a discussion paper in the works. Well, I guess it could be either Minister Bell or the Premier, whoever wants to answer. But I was a little taken aback, in a good way, that in fact this legislation is in the works, and I have to reiterate, once again, how many times during the course of my work that I get calls from constituents or whoever that has a concern, and without fail, every person is afraid of speaking out for whatever reason, rightly or wrongly, whether it's about their job, or their contract, their business, government policy or whatever. In a free and democratic society like Canada, which is supposed to be one of the most advanced, I don't think we should be tolerating that and we should do all we can to improve that situation. So I am encouraged by the Premier's statement that this is in the works, but he stated that it's in the works for the fall and this is already the middle of October. So I'd like to know if he could give us better information on the timing of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Honourable Minister of Justice. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the responsibility for the discussion paper and whistle-blower legislation rests with the Minister of Human Resources, so, Mr. Speaker, I'd ask that be referred to him.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 151-15(5): Whistle-Blower Legislation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Premier stated and comments raised in this House by Members, the whistle-blower legislation portion has been discussed a number of times. The Member for Range Lake has made this an issue on a number of occasions, and we have taken that and begun to work on it. I'm, very shortly, going to be presenting my Cabinet colleagues with the beginnings of a discussion paper and then if I get approval at that stage, I'll be coming to the Members with that discussion paper and see from there if we go out for public discussion on that basis, and then, from there, begin preparation on legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(5): Whistle-Blower Legislation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would presume that the end result of this process would be that there will be legislation required. But as it is, it's in a very preliminary discussion period so I would think that you don't have to have all the t's crossed and i's dotted before people could participate and really engage in the discussion about something I think that's more important for the North in the small communities. So would the Minister be encouraged to hurry up, and could we possibly see this within the next month or so, so that we can engage our people into full discussion? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 151-15(5): Whistle-Blower Legislation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of working in a consensus-style government, yes, we are prepared. I believe we can have something to committee probably within the next month. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for Mr. Roland as the Minister responsible for Human Resources. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member's statement, due to a change in billing procedure from our health care insurance provider, employees and their families are inconvenienced, in some cases considerably, because they have to pay up front for doctor-prescribed supplies; whereas before, this was all handled through the pharmacist and direct billing. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what kind of notice and what kind of reasons were provided by the health care insurer for this change in our billing procedure? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue we were made aware of recently as the members of the public and our employees were contacted, human resources as well as Members, regarding the change that was put in place by the public service health care plan administration. We became aware just early this fall with regard to changes. They were posted on their website, of the changes effective. The notice went out on their website in April to become effective in August. We became aware of it recently. We're paying much closer attention to that website of any further changes coming up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a mystery, I guess, as to why this change in billing procedure is happening. Constituents of mine brought it to my attention, I think it was either very late in July or early in August just as this came into effect. So it came as a surprise. I made enquiries at that time and still haven't got any answers. So I guess the question that I'd like to see if the Minister can help me with is why this change in billing procedure. Why are our employees and their families being inconvenienced this way?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in checking into this and having the department contact the administration for the public service health care plan, we've not come up with any satisfactory responses in that area. We have notified them that we are not happy with the changes that were made and would prefer to have it as it was, and at this time we've been informed they're not willing to go back to it. It references the drug identification numbers, I believe, as a way of how they work it through their programs and have payments put out and established, and it's on that basis what we're informed of. Unfortunately, we're not, again, getting a favourable response at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate, too, it has something to do with supplies and medically described items that have this DIN, or drug insurance number. So there's obviously some administration or bureaucracy that is falling through the cracks here. I would like to ask the Minister what kind of direct appeal has been made to the health care insurance provider to sit down and fix this, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public service health care plan deals with about 1,600 pharmacies across the country and deals with other organizations as well as ourselves. We've made contact with administration for the public service health care plan. We've informed them of our displeasure in this area in the changes and that it's not satisfactory, and trying to see if they would be willing to reconsider going back to the method done previously. At this point, we are still not getting very much response in that area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Mr. Speaker, considering that there’s been, for those families and employees affected, considerable reduction in the level of service, considerable increase in inconvenience, and to our own government because we’ve got more paperwork to process now, is the premium that we’re paying, the cost that we’re paying for this health care coverage, is that at least being reduced, considering the impact on the level service to us, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 152-15(5): Change In Billing Procedure From GNWT Health Care Services Provider

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m not aware of any changes to the premiums, but I will look into that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier and it gets back to my Member’s statement from today in terms of intergovernmental relations between our territorial government and Ottawa, the federal government. I want to say quite clearly that I find what happened with the recent raft of federal cuts quite disturbing from an NWT perspective that is, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe it’s fair that Ottawa continues to take our resources day in and day out, and it’s at about the present tally about $400 million a year and if the pipeline happens $9 billion later it’s going to be over a billion dollars a year that the federal government is going to take from the residents and the territory. Mr. Speaker, I do find this quite disturbing because we are on a fixed income here in the NWT. We get $800 million from the federal government every year. We have not got the means nor the ability to replace the dollars like a province could. I don’t understand why we weren’t consulted. I don’t understand why our government didn’t take a position, or if they did take a position how come they didn’t communicate it with us, the Regular Members? Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Premier, what has the Premier done to communicate to the federal government that the recent round of cuts, and for a variety of very solid reasons, should not have included the dollars that are flowing into the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 153-15(5): Federal Government Budget Reductions

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member; all of us were offended by having these cuts just announced. The federal government told us that this was treated like a budget, that it was all done in secret, and we weren’t the only jurisdiction. All jurisdictions across Canada were not given any information on it. It was a surprise to everybody the day it happened.

Mr. Speaker, since that time we have been trying to get clarification on all of the different budget cuts and some of it we still don’t know because there’s no detail when it comes to things like cutting departmental efficiencies in DIAND. We don’t know what that means and we’re still seeking information. Some other areas we have a little more information.

Since that time, Mr. Speaker, we have expressed our concern. I’ve done it personally with the Minister of DIAND. The Minister of ECE has written with regard to literacy cutting and the Minister of MACA has talked to his counterpart. Mr. Speaker, I am sending a letter to both Minister Prentice and to the Prime Minister emphasizing our concern about these budget cuts.

The Member is right; we are on almost like an allowance, but the big issue is that we don’t get our fair share of the resource revenues. While the cuts are important, it’s the big picture of resource revenues that we need to get our share of money from our resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.