Debates of October 25, 2004 (day 27)

Mr. Speaker, I have outlined on many occasions in this House that there is an independent review of human resource practices that has been undertaken by corporate human resources to examine the practices across the Department of Justice. That will be completed within the next couple of weeks and that will identify whether or not there are any systemic problems with human resources in the department, particularly within corrections. If they identify any problems -- and I said if they identify any problems -- then the department will move to address them. At this point, Mr. Speaker, I have no inside knowledge that there are problems. I believe that the issues are being raised by individuals, and I do believe that a majority of the staff in corrections are satisfied with their jobs and the way in which the department is running. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 294-15(3): Issues At North Slave Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure that this issue can be explained by a review. I really would think that it would be better for the Minister to explain what sorts of steps are in place to make sure that these two people can do their jobs independently and not be accused of interference, because I think that would be in their benefit as well. The second thing, Mr. Speaker, he talked about an internal review…

Thank you, Ms. Lee. You keep referring to two individuals. The Chair is going to rule that question out of order.

---Ruled Out of Order

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is in reference to my statement earlier today to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell. In light of the recent developments along the Ingraham Trail with our discovery of more meat wastage by some hunters that are violating the Wildlife Act, I want to ask the Minister a simple question that if the department has taken steps or does plan on taking steps on increasing the presence of renewable resource officers along the Ingraham Trail to ensure public safety for residents who are living or hiking or hunting along the trail? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I want to give the Member every assurance that we have wildlife officers and the department has wildlife officers in all the regions, and we believe they do a very good job of enforcing the regulations under the Wildlife Act. We acknowledge that it is a difficult job. It’s a vast territory and admittedly we don’t have as many wildlife officers as we would like to, but we are constrained by resources. We were both surprised and, I suppose, concerned that barren ground caribou arrived so soon so close to Yellowknife and on the Ingraham Trail; concerned about the safety of people if in fact there is hunting from the road, which is not allowed. We are making sure that it is a priority of our regional staff to enforce the provisions under the Wildlife Act that speak to hunting from the road and speak to meat wastage. It is very important for us to remain in control of the situation and we do it in a couple of ways, both through enforcement, but also probably more importantly through public education. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to agree with the Minister that it is a vast territory and with the limited amount of officers we have, they each have a lot of area to cover. I notice that the migratory route is through this area of the barren land caribou and some years they don’t show up until late in season and some years they are close to town, other years they are quite a ways away. Because this doesn’t happen every year and it only happens for a couple of months out of the year, why doesn't the department, to ensure public safety, have a renewable resource officer or officers there on a 24-hour basis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I don’t know the hours that the officers are keeping in terms of monitoring and enforcement out on the Ingraham Trail. That is certainly some information that I can get and bring back to the Member. I guess the other point I would make is that we do see this as a priority, and obviously we are having discussion as a government and discussion with committee on an ongoing basis through the business planning process, and the issue of wildlife officers is very similar to environmental protection officers. We know we need more of them. It’s simply a matter of getting the resources to put more in the field, and then also making sure we’re making the best use of the personnel that we do have in the field regionally. So it is a priority for us. We are working on it and if the Member has any suggestions from his constituents about steps we need to be taking along the Ingraham Trail now that the caribou have clearly come down below the treeline, then I urge him to contact my office and we can certainly sit down and talk through those issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I commend the Minister for making this a priority of the department to ensure that the public is always safe along that Ingraham Trail, especially with all the wildlife that is going through there right now. With regard to the renewable resource officer human resource capacity in that area, I know that we’re fairly limited with the amount of officers that we do have, but I know that this time of year is fairly slow in the whole renewable resource sector, I guess. People aren’t out on the water as often and people don’t go hunting until the ice usually forms and stuff. So I want to encourage the Minister that when he does do some research into the department hours of the renewable resource officers, if they aren’t there on a 24-hour basis for the next couple of months, maybe they should implement that new policy for this particular circumstance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Justice. It wasn’t so long ago that we were very happy in Hay River to find out that with the retirement of Chief Justice Robert Halifax that, in fact, upon his retirement and departure that the Department of Justice agreed to have a resident judge in Hay River. I was just wondering if the Minister of Justice could update us, Mr. Speaker, on what the status is of that judge relocating to Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Justice, the Honourable Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 296-15(3): Status Of Resident Judge In Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since I have heard nothing to indicate, I would expect that Justice Schmaltz is expecting to take up residence in Hay River no later than April 1, 2005, which was the stipulation when she was offered the position. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 296-15(3): Status Of Resident Judge In Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further, for the benefit of my constituents, I wonder if the Minister could share with us what the rationale was for postponing the move to Hay River for one year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 296-15(3): Status Of Resident Judge In Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the rationale was that it would allow the new justice a chance to learn from her colleagues, to spend some time working with them and, in other words, having discussions after circuits and becoming more and more conversant with the role that she would be fulfilling. That would allow some time for some of that development to take place. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 296-15(3): Status Of Resident Judge In Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to know if there are any support positions associated with this judge’s position that would either be coming to Hay River or that exist in Hay River now that would stay there as a result of the judge coming to Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 296-15(3): Status Of Resident Judge In Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of that position, I guess I should be cautious. I’m not absolutely certain, but I believe that there is one support position directly for the judge that is tied to that. I suspect that the position is already in Hay River, but I would have to confirm that for the Member. Thank you.

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

I think that’s everything. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up where I left off with questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I’d like the Minister to explain why an LPN at Stanton can earn more than a registered nurse under the new re-evaluation that’s in place at Stanton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the highest end of the LPN classification is that it’s not classified higher than the starting salary of a nurse, so I’d have to look at the specifics. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to assure the Minister that that is indeed the case at Stanton, where, as I mentioned in my Member’s statement, a lady went back to school, had been an LPN for 20 years and now she’s an RN, and there are LPNs at Stanton earning more than she is as a registered nurse, Mr. Speaker. What steps are being taken to ensure that nurses who are working and getting paid in the specialty areas have the skills, knowledge and abilities to be there, Mr. Speaker? Can the Minister answer that question? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the jobs have been classified, the job descriptions rewritten with the skills, requirements and the education in an outline, and it’s my assumption that people in those positions meet those requirements. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let’s say for all things being equal, two grads from the Aurora College Northern Nursing Program, one goes into obstetrics and one goes into surgery. They have the same skill set, they just got out of college. One gets paid more because she’s in obstetrics than the other one in surgery, Mr. Speaker. What is Stanton doing to make sure that the nurses that are coming into the specialty areas have the skills, the certification and the knowledge to get paid and to be in that specialty area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if an individual wants to go into a specialty area, either nursing or going from being an MD to being a specialist, there are separate courses of study and training required. You don’t just walk in with your college diploma in hand and walk into the most complex or high-requirement job in the operation without any further training and time on the job. I’m not clear on exactly what the Member is suggesting. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to advise the Minister that that has happened and is happening at Stanton, and that’s something he should perhaps check on. I’m also going to ask the Minister if he or his department are currently doing anything to address the concerns of the nurses that have been left out of the increases at Stanton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 297-15(3): Levels Of Pay For Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The management has met with the nurses. No nurse took any loss in pay. There was a recognition, as we’ve indicated earlier in the House, that those jobs with the higher skill levels are paid more. There have been meetings, I believe there have been some grievances filed that are being dealt with through due process, but the fundamental bottom line is that no nurse took any loss in pay or benefits and, in fact, the pay and benefits for all nurses have gone up. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of RWED. Mr. Speaker, I’d like the Minister to provide this House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy in light of the filing of the application of the Mackenzie gas pipeline that there’s land that needs to be protected in the region. Can the Minister provide the House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member has indicated, the filing of the EIS is another important milestone for the pipeline project, and we’ve always said that it is important and this is why we support the Protected Areas Strategy currently, financially and in support to the secretariat. But it’s important to have protected areas established and we’re working toward doing that. This is a three-way partnership with some ENGOs and the federal government. We are trying to find the money in our government to fund our portion of the Protected Areas Strategy -- I think it’s $1.5 million over five years -- and I’ve set out a plan and I’m going before FMBS with a submission very shortly to make the case that we need to find that money. We’re also, obviously, waiting on the federal government to commit their full funding underneath the Protected Areas Strategy, and to date they haven’t done that. We’ve always said that we would come to the table with our money when the federal government was fully committed. At this point we’re sensing some urgency and we’re not sure we can wait until the federal government has identified all of their funds. So we will have that discussion as a Cabinet very shortly, but obviously there is a requirement for the federal government to step to the plate with the lion’s share of the money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what strategy is our government going to use to ensure that the federal government does come to the plate to get the ball rolling in terms of protecting our areas in the Northwest Territories? I’m asking the Minister what type of strategy we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.