Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier as Minister of the Executive. The first question I have is: I want to start by saying that I appreciate that the Premier has appointed the internal working group to begin examining the issue of poverty towards developing a framework for action. The suite of territorial participants at the recent summit unanimously concluded that the first step in attacking poverty must be development of a coordinated, cross-government and society approach. Has the Premier heard yet from this working group about these conclusions? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I have not heard yet from the working group. Thank you.
Successful provincial anti-poverty strategies were developed under the guidance of representatives from across society, including people living in poverty, to guide the work. Recognizing that many of the dedicated groups doing this work off the sides of desks are already consumed with efforts on their respective mandates, will the Premier commit to providing initial funding for the steering committee to bring non-government organization poverty reps to the table with business and other partners as they develop the approaches required to move this initiative forward as per the conclusion of the workshop? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I’d have to look at the budget that we had set up for the work that’s being looked at. One of the other things is the fact we’re trying to be as inclusive as possible from around the whole Territory and have other people work with us as we move forward on the Anti-Poverty Strategy. I will have to look at the budget to see what is available. Thank you.
I think it was appreciated that members of the internal working group were there and they, clearly, participated in those unanimous conclusions. I’m sure the Premier is hearing from the working group about that.
Business is an essential partner at the table and they can contribute to the work and enjoy the rewards of both consumers and workers as noted. Will the Premier commit to assisting in the development of the steering committee towards bringing business to the table at the start of this work? Thank you.
We have started our discussion, following some questions by Members, around the makeup of that and are looking at including some of the business community as well as the Department of ITI. So we’ve started to have those discussions on bringing the business side in. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier for that. I’m sure the conclusions of the workshop, again, will help address that as well.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, there is much work ahead, far more than can be achieved by the 16th Assembly. The time remaining to us will enable us to make a good start and to give the future Assembly what it needs to carry this forward. In what ways will the Premier ensure that efforts will include working collaboratively with the broadest representation of outside advocates to develop the framework for a strategy and its priority recommendation for continued development by the 17th Assembly? Mahsi.
The process we have established, the work that is being done, we’ll have to look at that, look at the inclusion of the business sector as well, trying to bring in as many of the groups from around the Territory as we do this work, and, of course, coming back to Members as a follow-up as we continue on in this process.
As the Member stated, in preparation for doing our work and leading up to what the 17th Assembly may be looking at or what they may implement, we will have to look at how we include this work in our transition work that’s going to happen. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the opportunity that we have with respect to curated shows for northern artists. This is a win-win opportunity, a win for northern artists, but also a win for the Government of the Northwest Territories. To take advantage of this win, I think it’s going to take a partnership between ITI and Education, Culture and Employment, but I only get to ask questions of one Minister so I’m going to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment some questions.
As I said in my statement, there are significant opportunities to displaying and facilitating curated shows in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell me what is being done, or has anything been done in the Northwest Territories, to work with northern artists to display curated shows here in the Northwest Territories, to develop a collection of northern art, take it around the Northwest Territories and, hopefully, take it to the south as well? Has anything been done to that regard? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As the Assembly knows, we have increased our funding to arts and performers, a total of approximately $770,000 over 2009-10 and 2010-11. There have been some various activities that happened in the Northwest Territories and outside the Northwest Territories. I can certainly provide the list to the Member, because it is a long list, but I can touch on just a few of them.
We have sponsored an entry into the Northern Festival Presenters Conference in Yellowknife, March 2010; we had Aklavik Gwich’in Dancers, Arctic Winter Games, in Grande Prairie; the NWT Arts Council contributed to 19 performers for professional development; and the list goes on, Mr. Speaker, the music recording projects in seven communities in the Northwest Territories and the northern arts mentorship contribution to three musicians in three communities.
As we move forward we continue to sponsor our great athletes and also performers in the Northwest Territories. As an example, Halifax 2011 Canada Winter Games; National Arts Program activities for February 2011. Those are some of the activities that the youth and performers will be attending that we are sponsoring as well. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister for that. I’m in no way knocking any of the things we’re doing, and I think this government is doing an awful lot with respect to arts.
During the Arts Week I had a number of artists in the Northwest Territories say how grateful they are for the increased level of support that we’re providing. But I’m talking about something specific here. I’m talking about a curated show. The advantage to that is that if we facilitate a curated show for our northern artists, then our northern artists have an opportunity to take advantage of programs that the Canada Council offers and provides. Through Canada Council they can go on international tours, they can get other training, and they can have their art, northern art, displayed in national galleries. Right now we can’t do that.
What we need to do is we need to facilitate a curated show where we could bring in art, we could create a theme and we could do it. An official curated show creates huge opportunity. That’s what I’m talking about, Mr. Speaker, and I’m wondering if the Minister could tell me if we could move in that direction and maybe we can get his department, in cooperation with ITI, to organize some curated shows here in the Northwest Territories that will really benefit our northern artists and take them to a whole other level. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, those are the types of discussions that we need to have between ITI and ECE along with the Members. We’ve had various activities and shows displayed at the museums in different communities, whether it be from Scotland where we have Tlicho artefacts there that were brought to the Northwest Territories and brought to the communities as a mobile trade show.
Mr. Speaker, this is an area that I need to talk with my colleague from ITI on how we can approach this, because we need to visit our communities, what kind of performers or the arts display that we need to highlight. Those are the discussions that we can certainly have. We did touch on it in the past, on how we can approach this, so maybe we can revive that discussion. Mahsi.
That’s fantastic news and I hope that you do re-engage those conversations.
Just for the record, the Minister was talking about the shows coming into the North from other locations. That is exactly what I am talking about, but I am talking about going the other way. I am talking about taking our product out to the people of the Northwest Territories. If the Minister could give me a bit of a timeline when those conversations might happen, I would certainly like to be involved in them as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, definitely we need to reach out to other jurisdictions as well, such as the Vancouver Olympics. It was a very true success. We showcased the Northwest Territories. Our own artists and performers there were very successful. We will continue to promote that.
The time frame, we can say maybe sometime after this session we can sit down and discuss with the Member on how to best approach this initiative. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is all great. I have just one more suggestion to the Minister.
The upper gallery in the museum, there is a long walkway where they have held a number of shows. Just in the past week, I attended a photo show that was there. It is a prime location where a curated show could be facilitated. I was wondering if I could get the Minister to commit to having the museum actually do some research on what the criteria are for a candidate counsel for something to be considered a curated show so that we can take advantage of that long hallway, and maybe with very little expense we can actually start having curated shows here in Yellowknife, which could be taken out, but let’s start somewhere. Let’s get some of these shows up on our wall. Let’s support our northern artists. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the museum invited the Member to attend or have a tour. I believe that occurred, or will occur. This is an area that interests us as well. If there is space availability, then, definitely, we should showcase our northern arts and arts and crafts and whatnot.
Mr. Speaker, definitely we need to discuss this further with the museum and my colleague as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to pursuing a new school for the community of Trout Lake. I raised this in the House before and we worked with the Minister and they did do some upgrades to the existing facility that is there. I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, about what plans are in place currently with his department to look at replacing the school in Trout Lake. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. At the current time we are working closely with PWS on the particular school in Trout Lake. There has been some work done on inspections. It took place over the summer of 2010 that identified a VFA inspection. Also, PWS will be visiting the school to review the program space and speak with the building users. That is the ongoing work that we are currently having.
I will be visiting the Member’s riding. I have been invited by the Member, so I am looking forward to looking at the school as well, to see what is out there and we can discuss further at that level. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, certainly the residents of Trout Lake are looking forward to the Minister’s visits to see the concerns and hear the concerns from the community. They have many young children and the chief has indicated that we have to fulfill their future needs. Once again, based on the baseline work that the department is going to do, how soon can they provide an assessment to look at including a school in Trout Lake in the capital planning process, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this particular school, we need to have more detailed analysis. A planning study needs to be in place. We need to identify what the needs of the school are in the community. That is definite. We need to work on that. Next year’s capital planning process we can discuss further as we move forward. This could be part of the capital planning process for the following year. Mr. Speaker, this is an area that I can work closely with the Member and also the PWS Minister. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I spoke about we build a lot, and many large schools and superschools here in the North. It’s time to concentrate on our small communities. In fact, there was a previous commitment by our government to replace the Charles Tetcho School in Trout Lake. I make it a point, and I will make it again, that it is currently in the recreation centre, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister and the planners take that into account, that this existing location is not a school, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, that would be the discussion that we need to have with the various parties that we have mentioned earlier. Like I said, we are going to the community, meeting with the superintendent, the staff and the principal and the school itself. Definitely, those are the areas that are of great interest to us as well. Coming from a small community, we are not ignoring them. It is part of the capital planning process. We need to plan for next year in the planning process. Mr. Speaker, the planning study is an area that we need to discuss.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the important thing here is -- if I can ask the Minister to raise it with his colleagues in Cabinet -- we have to start looking at our small communities and provide for their educational needs and start working towards that as a strategy at the next capital planning process, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, yes, this will be a topic of discussion, for sure. There is also, going to the Deh Cho region, Simpson, on December 7th and 8th, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. This is the topic of discussion we are having relating to schools, infrastructure and the programming. This is the discussion that we will continue to have this year.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. It gets back to my Member’s statement from earlier today and one I made last week pertaining to deficits being run up at the various health authorities across the Northwest Territories.
In the past three years, the Minister said she has been in her position as Minister of Health and Social Services and brought in new management teams and a new DM. She has also brought in deficit-fighting plans that never seem to see the light of day and aren’t being implemented whatsoever. I would like to ask the Minister, the first question I have -- and again I don’t want to be very specific to Stanton, although that is where the biggest deficit is -- is: What is the projected deficit at Stanton Territorial Health Authority come March 2011 and what is the system-wide deficit for the health authorities on March 2011? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The projected deficit for Stanton at the end of 2011 is $10,185,663 and the system-wide deficit projected for 2011 is $16,860,299. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure where the Minister is getting that information. That is not the same information that was provided to Regular Members. Perhaps she is doing some creative subtraction when she is trying to arrive at that number. Where exactly is she getting those numbers that she is providing the House with? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I answered the question the Member asked, which is what is the projected deficit for Stanton and the system-wide deficit at the end of 2010-11. I don’t know what information he has. Maybe he is thinking about accumulated deficit.
Obviously, this is a number that we are projecting. Mr. Speaker, this is a serious matter that I am willing to discuss and exchange information with the Member on. I don’t think anybody is doing any creative math here. All the facts are out. We presented to the Members on the other side all the information we have. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, much of the deficit at Stanton and across the various health authorities relates back to poor billing practices and an inability for the government to collect on accounts receivable. I’d like to ask the Minister if she could provide the House with current numbers on accounts receivable or for Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the system in its entirety. Thank you.
The Member is right; the accounts receivable is one of the factors, but it’s not the biggest or the largest cost driver. I’m pleased to advise the House that it’s this government and this Minister that has signed an agreement. We have now a written agreement with the Nunavut government. We negotiated for two years and we signed in February of 2010. Most of the receivables we have with Nunavut are current. We have an outstanding amount with respect to Nunavut residents we have in extended care, because there were no real written agreements for the last 10 years. So we have finalized that, we have moved forward.
There are a number of steps. The Member is right when he said in his Member’s statement that unless we change the system, we will have a sustainability problem. That’s what I’ve been saying for the last year. We’re working on system change for sustainability. The deficit is not just about dollars, it’s about how we run our system and we need to make sure... And I’m not playing on the heartstrings of anybody; I think that nobody here has any tolerance for reducing services, nor do the people out there. So it is really important that we make system changes so that our resources are used efficiently and that our resources are allocated appropriately and all of the management in the department, all of the authorities, all of the chairs and CEOs are very engaged in seeing how we move forward on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I guess I haven’t been here as long as I have been, seven years. I’m very sceptical when it comes to any Minister of Health and Social Services standing up in this House saying that anything is going to happen. I’ve heard it from former Ministers, I’ve heard it from this Minister. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is nothing has happened and I know the Minister has embarked on this Foundation for Change and I wish her well in that and I hope that does answer some questions, but I believe wholeheartedly that it’s a system-wide fix that we need here.
I’d like to ask the Minister if the department and the Government of the Northwest Territories are intent on looking at how we deliver health care in the Northwest Territories, and the current makeup of our authority system, and whether or not, given the impact on cost and the escalation on cost, are we looking at a model that is going to be more conducive to ensuring that what dollars we have to spend on health are going to get spent efficiently and effectively. Thank you.
The Member is exactly right in what he’s saying and I want to let the Member know that, in fact, a lot is being done. It’s not correct to say that nothing’s being done. We are looking at the governance model and we will have a proposal on that in the spring. We are reviewing the business process design, because we want to right size the budget for the authorities. We’re reviewing the Medical Travel Program, which is one of the biggest cost drivers in terms of deficit, with increasing demands all the time. So we don’t want to reduce service, but we want to see how we can do that better.
Physicians are involved in the physician service review, which is our largest cost driver. So there are lots of reviews being done with a view of how do we change the system in a smart way, in a seamless way and a productive way, so that we don’t shock the system, but that we make long-term changes. So the Foundation for Change, the three pillars there are sustainability, wellness and access, because we need to work on all three together. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
