Debates of October 23, 2006 (day 13)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of alcohol and drug treatment programs comes up almost on a weekly basis in our communities where children are running around and families are disrupted by the abuse of alcohol and drugs now. The complexity of drugs now in the Northwest Territories makes it really hard. So in terms of the Minister catching up on some of the issues here in terms of Nats’ejee K’eh, in terms of other treatment programs, we need to have specialized treatment programs. I am looking for the option for the Minister to come to this side to our region and look at mobile treatment centres. It’s a good option. The funding seems to be okay. We can have an option to look at it, almost to the point where we could look at piloting such a program in the region as the Minister of Justice has done with the correctional institute. Can I ask the Minister to come back to the table with that type of flexibility? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(5): Mobile Alcohol And Drug Treatment Centres

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Member’s statement he made a number of comments on the issue we face in the Northwest Territories and what we need to do as a government; provide the tools. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, in this area of programming -- and I can speak from experience -- it starts at home with the individual. If you want real change, it has to start at that level. As a government, we have to have the necessary tools in place to ensure that people can deal with the issues that are before them. In this specific case, I would have to get up to speed as to where the department is in the area of alcohol and drug programs. I know in the past, we have looked at a mobile treatment plan. I have to see if that is still in the works and how effective that was. Once I have that information, then I would be able to look into it a little further. At this point, I don’t feel I can give a serious commitment as to what needs to be done. Once I get further updated, then I can respond in a more appropriate manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister 100 percent; it starts with us. We have to start taking some ownership and responsibility. That’s what the community has been asking for for a number of years. They want to take the responsibility. We have the Department of Housing to help out. We have the Department of Education that can help out. We are looking at a comprehensive program, not just the individual where they are taking from the community into Nats’ejee K’eh or some other treatment centres…

Do you have a question, Mr. Yakeleya?

Supplementary To Question 157-15(5): Mobile Alcohol And Drug Treatment Centres

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Can he look at these types of options and come back to my question in terms of yes, we can do this, it’s feasible and it can get done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(5): Mobile Alcohol And Drug Treatment Centres

As I stated earlier, once I get up to speed in the area of particular programs in the drug and alcohol area, if we are working on that initiative, I would gladly sit down with the Member and look at what options are there, what plans may come up, and work with the Social Programs committee in this area as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 157-15(5): Mobile Alcohol And Drug Treatment Centres

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What are the plans of the Department of Health and Social Services in light of the newspaper or CBC report in terms of Nats’ejee K’eh? Where will people go?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(5): Mobile Alcohol And Drug Treatment Centres

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the plans are almost completed as we go through this process, but, as I stated earlier, I need to meet with the departments and get some indication as to where they are with the work. At that point, we would be prepared to sit down with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing Project

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a number of questions to the Minister of Transportation and it’s with regard to a road issue that is very dear to the people of Thebacha and Fort Smith. That is the incomplete chipsealing of Highway No. 5 from Fort Smith to Hay River.

This has now been incomplete for years. There has been some work done. They put it on very thinly, the last application, almost with a butter knife. It is breaking up as they put it down. There is another significant track that’s unpaved and it goes through the park. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider approaching Parks Canada, who I understand as well has an infrastructure budget and is prepared to consider those types of projects that go through their parks, as something they are possibly interested in cost sharing. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider contacting parks in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we will do that.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Supplementary To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister please indicate to the House what kind of time frame he would be able to, in the next two weeks or so, have his officials draft a letter for his signature? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department does have a condition rating of all the highways in the Northwest Territories including Highway No. 5. In our rating, Highway No. 5 has come back as a highway that is safe and reliable. There are some areas that we have included for attention in terms of chipseal. There are two sections is particular that we are looking at. We will certainly take the recommendation from the honourable Member to speak to the parks people and see if we can look at some cost-sharing initiatives. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Supplementary To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that commitment. If the Minister could just indicate the time frame that he would be looking at being able to get his officials to have that letter drafted for his signature, it would be of great comfort to the constituents of Thebacha. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will commit to having that letter drafted within the next couple of weeks and have it sent out. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Supplementary To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask the Minister if he would commit to the involvement of his staff regionally, because we are going to be sitting down with the new parks superintendent and, of course, the band and the Metis president. This is a very important issue to Mayor Martselos to talk about how we could possibly do this at the regional level as well. Would he commit to his staff being involved when that meeting is set up? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 158-15(5): Highway No. 5 - Chipsealing

Mr. Speaker, we certainly will involve our regional staff in our discussions with parks. We will also consult with them as to any prior discussion that may have been held and be able to relay that information to the Member. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, my previous statement, I would like to ask the Justice Minister a question. When we call the RCMP station, they forward the information to Yellowknife. (Translation ends)

…Member’s statement, the community of Behchoko has serious concerns about the safety of its Tlicho speaking residents who do not have the ability to access RCMP in their own language around the clock. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister prepared to do to ensure our citizens have the ability to communicate with the RCMP around the clock in the Tlicho language? Mahsi.

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

Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. This is an issue the Member has raised a number of times. We’ve had discussion in committee about the challenge. I think it’s particularly heightened in the Tlicho region where there are many unilingual speakers. We want to make sure they have access to the RCMP. So it is something we have raised with the RCMP. I am prepared and have indicated to the Member that we would go into the community and talk about policing issues, along with the Minister of MACA. We will be doing that shortly after session. I think we need to propose a number of potential solutions and discuss how they may work. One of the things we know is that Justice has piloted a program called Can Talk, which involves translation of something like 150 languages for court services and other justice programming. It is something we have offered to the RCMP and I will follow up with those discussions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, in light of the recognition of the Tlicho language as one of the largest aboriginal communities and we also speak our language, I am glad the Minister recognizes that. We are faced with a dilemma in the community where there is a lack of communication between the departments. a lack of understanding. Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, could the Minister commit to hiring a full-time Tlicho speaking, whether it be receptionist, clerk or dispatch, at Behchoko detachment for after hour services. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, I think it’s best that we sit down with the community and talk about some options. Obviously the concern is after hours and we need to come up with some sort of 24-hour mechanism in order to do it in a cost-effective manner. We have looked at solutions like this translation service through the telephone. I am not sure that that would be adequate. It’s possible we can work with other departments and talk about the need maybe at the health centre. Potentially there is translation there that we could borrow. Mr. Speaker, I will say that this is a problem. We can’t go by the number of asks, because I have a feeling that many people would not come forward with concerns when they know the service isn’t available. So I think the first step is to go to the community and talk about how we might provide a service like this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the opportunity arises in a partnership, we are always happy to join forces with departments or the Ministers. On this particular issue, the community would like to see some results, whether it be this year or next year, but the sooner the better. So I would like to ask the Minister if he’s willing to make a commitment in this House, whether this will be part of the business plan cycle for 2007 to implement for next year. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, I can’t make that commitment on behalf of the RCMP. Obviously we don’t provide them direct operational advice. We can’t indicate to them where they have to put their resources, but I will raise this with the RCMP. I will come to the community and I will give the commitment to the Member in this House that we will work to find a solution. I know this is a need in the community and I do appreciate the region’s support in this regard. So we will work with the region to try to address this problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was getting to in my Member’s statement, I was talking about this government not taking a sit down approach when dealing with the federal government. Mr. Speaker, we need year-round access to our mining corridor and, Mr. Speaker, we need a Transportation Minister to deliver that message. So to start to get to some of the answers to these questions, can the Minister tell me if his Department of Transportation has any preliminary estimates or any information on how much industry has spent this spring and summer because of the loss of their winter road access through flying in all the materials to the mines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can’t guarantee the accuracy, but my information that we have through our discussions with a joint venture group has indicated that the costs, because of the winter road situation to the mines, will run around $100 million. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in Yellowknife, it was plus five degrees. I checked the weather before I came downstairs, it was plus three degrees in Yellowknife and it was plus nine in Hay River. So I am getting at the fact that the climate is changing. Does the Minister of Transportation have any estimates on what it would cost to turn the Ingraham Trail into a year-round road, not of paving or chipseal quality, but simply a year-round access road to the diamond mine corridor? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a firm number on what it would cost to build an all-weather road. We have been working with a joint venture company, stakeholders that utilize this winter road and had looked at a number of options including an all-weather road. I think there were 18 different scenarios that we were looking at as options. They narrowed it down to two or three. We haven’t scoped it all out. An engineering firm has been hired to do some of the early assessments. We certainly will work with them and support them, but I don’t have a firm number at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines