Debates of October 26, 2004 (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during May of this year, there was a bit of a crisis with persons with severe developmental disabilities in Edmonton who are Northwest Territories citizens. Mr. Speaker, referring back to that crisis, it was about accreditation and some suggestion of abuse. Would the Minister of Health and Social Services be able to update us on that problem that occurred then and what his department has done to solve that crisis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the question is not clear enough for me in terms of the crisis he’s talking about. If he wants to be more specific, I’ll try to be more specific as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins, if you want to clarify your question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure what the Minister’s referring to by not understanding that question and it seems I’ve lost my first question, so I’ll try to squeeze it in again clearer. There was a crisis with regards to accreditation about our people being down in a facility in Edmonton and we’re talking about people with severe developmental disabilities. There were concerns of abuse, and who knows what else was happening down there. The folks were being shuffled around in a non-accredited facility. Mr. Speaker, my question clearly is what is the Minister doing about these folks down in Edmonton? What is he doing? Where are they today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this situation has resolved itself in terms of the accreditation issue. We no longer have, have not had I believe since last May, any kind of relationship with the facility in question or the program in question. Arrangements have been made both in Edmonton and in the North for the folks that were involved or staying at that facility and in that program. The issues that were raised in terms of mistreatment and other concerns that were raised by some of the former staff of that facility are being dealt with. It’s in Alberta. It’s a situation that occurred in Alberta. It’s an Alberta program that’s run under the standards and rules of the Government of Alberta and they’ve been dealing with that. Our role has solely been as buying a service from that particular organization, and when the troubles occurred we severed that relationship in the best interests of the clients that were being served and we made alternate arrangements. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary to Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s answer there. That was very clear on this side. Mr. Speaker, my concern is that I’m afraid we’re abandoning these people. Mr. Speaker, my concern is that we’re spending $1,500 a day through different types of placements. We’re spending $1 million a year to no end to treat these people. Are we bringing these people home eventually? Are we taking care of our people? What is the Minister doing to bring these folks home to the Northwest Territories where they belong? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the money is not spent to no end. These are individuals that have significant needs. In some cases we’ve done a review on all the clients. In some cases they’ve been returned to the North. In other cases alternate placements have been found. Some are very high need and will never be able to, in our opinion, come North, at least not in the foreseeable future. So we’ve made the appropriate arrangements in all cases for the individuals involved. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recognizing that we do have clients with high needs, I do appreciate that. But the fact is they’re gone. They’re down there and from the sounds of it, it’s as if they’re going to be there forever. Why are we not working towards establishing a northern facility to take care of our own people? Why are we not looking at investing in the Northwest Territories? It doesn’t matter where, but why are we not taking those steps to invest in the Northwest Territories to take care of our people with our dollars? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

But the fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, we are. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was a good answer by the Minister, I’ll say. Mr. Speaker, why are we not looking at setting up a territorial facility to take care of all of the people that we ship out to Edmonton with regard to this situation that I’ve raised with the Minister? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 311-15(3): Update On Disabled NWT Residents In Alberta Facilities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are doing a review of the clients. We have done a review. We have made the steps in some cases to repatriate some of the clients. One size does not fit all. These are clients with individual and, in some cases, very specific and specialized needs. It’s not accurate or appropriate to assume that you can just create a facility that would be able to deal with all the issues of all these high-needs individuals. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to follow up on the questions that I had for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation earlier. Mr. Speaker, if I understood him correctly, he indicated that in fact the Housing Corporation lifted the BIP waiver. The waiver that they fought so hard for; they being Mr. McLeod and Mr. Bell. They told us the world will end if they didn’t get it this way, now the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation for the first time just now enlightened us that he, in fact, lifted that waiver for the subcontractors. To the same question, in the last answer he gave earlier, he said he can’t go with the local contractors in the NWT because it’s too expensive. So I want to know if he’s treating subcontractors in communities differently than businesses in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to clarify the Member’s question. The waiver of the BIP was on the site development phase of the project, so it was for the set-up costs of the units in the communities and the transportation costs. The BIP was waived to ensure that portion of the contract would benefit the North. That decision was made in May. With regard to the construction, the labour, the equipment materials for site work setup, that portion was waived to ensure that we received as much benefit as we could for that aspect. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So could the Minister clarify exactly who, where, what subcontractors was BIP applied to? He indicated earlier that he wanted to make sure that 50 percent of the business stayed in the North, so they were entitled to BIP. But apparently the business that puts mobile homes together in Yellowknife, the Housing Corporation can’t afford. So I want to know exactly who got the benefit of BIP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the benefit was for the whole Northwest Territories on this one. The people in the communities benefit by way of employment, job opportunities and assisting the business community. We may see a downturn with regard to activity in our communities. So there is benefit to the local community and the Northwest Territories. Also, with regard to the notion that communities are benefiting over Yellowknife on this one, I don’t believe that’s the case. This is an initiative that has put some 60 beds into communities which weren’t there before. The way I look at it, this is a benefit for all northerners. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate his superfluous statement and principle about benefiting everybody in the North, but the Minister did not answer my question. I need to know who got the benefit of BIP. The Minister just indicated earlier that he reinstated BIP for subcontractors. I want to know who those businesses are or at least what work they performed.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to this contract, I think the contract that was let for the trailers was a tender process that was separate from the worksite phase of this project. But because the activity was going to take place in the communities, that’s where the tenders were let. So that’s basically where the benefit was. Mr. Speaker, out of this project, almost 59 percent of the total cost of the project stayed in the North and also benefited communities. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I need to know where the 59 percent that stayed in the North are located. Are they all in the communities, or is any of it in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 312-15(3): Treatment Of Contractors In Market Housing Initiative

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the trailers that went to the communities benefited those communities. There are no trailers in Yellowknife, so the benefit went directly to those communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll do a follow-up question to the Honourable Charles Dent with regard to teachers. I want to ask the Minister what is this government doing to keep teachers in the North? What type of incentives are they working on to keep the teachers in the North, so they don’t have to deal with issues such as housing? I know that the government is not in the housing business now. Thank you.

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

Return To Question 313-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that we have a competitive compensation program for our employees in the Northwest Territories and I think that part of the problem is that perhaps people have been coming here without an understanding of what the costs are to live in some of our communities. I believe the salary compensates people fairly for the cost of living, as does our northern living allowance. The programs such as the one offered by the Housing Corporation for market rental housing is certainly making sure that housing is available at a reasonable rent in communities. I’m just not sure that people who have come into the Territories have been aware of the high cost of rent and the fact that they can get rent for lower prices in the communities than they can in Yellowknife. It doesn’t seem to have been made aware to many people.

I know that I’ve encouraged the chairs of all the boards to make sure that they are upfront with people who are coming into their communities when they offer them a job, that they know what the cost of living is in that community, including the cost of housing. I know that the NWTTA, on their website, is going to start providing a list of questions for prospective employees so that they ask their boards when they’re offered the jobs what to expect when they move into a community, including what are the rents going to be. So what we’re trying to do is make sure that we’re open and aboveboard with all of the information and hope that we have a compensation package that will make up for the high cost of living in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 313-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I support the Minister in terms of aggressively looking at some initiatives that would keep our teachers here and have them be aware of the high cost of living in the Sahtu. We are no strangers in the Sahtu region, we know that. I would ask the Minister what would he do with his department in terms of working with the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation to look at some unique initiatives of providing some secure housing to our people in the Northwest Territories and the Sahtu region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 313-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated previously to the Member, we are not about to get back into staff housing, so I can’t commit that we will do anything to provide secure housing for our employees. However, I have committed to work with my colleague, the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, and the boards and DEAs throughout the Territories to make sure that there is some understanding of the needs and, therefore, hopefully some ability to respond to those needs as we continue with the second year of the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my question would be directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I just want to ask the Minister what his department will do or plans on doing, if anything, to protect the constitutional rights of the aboriginal treaty natives in the NWT…

Protect the rights.

…with student financial assistant.

---Applause

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

Return To Question 314-15(3): Taxation Of Financial Support Provided To Post-Secondary Aboriginal Students

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we do already is we offer indigenous aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories the choice of receiving their living allowance either through a remissible loan or a grant. We have, for a number of years, advised people that there is some question whether or not CCRA will at some point start to tax the grants. We have known for some time that they are looking at this. The option is there if a student takes a remissible loan, for instance, they can avoid paying the taxes in any case, no matter what CCRA decides.

That means that will make sure that we offer an option that would avoid the taxes in any case in the Northwest Territories, or would allow students the option to avoid paying taxes on the monies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.