Debates of October 28, 2004 (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise again to follow up on some of my questions to the Premier last week; that was Friday, October 22nd. I had asked the Premier many questions in regard to my concerns about Canada’s involvement with the missile defence program. Mr. Speaker, briefly I asked him to bring forward a policy that does not exist for a position that does not exist to the Prime Minister’s view. If I may quote on page 2131 of unedited Hansard referring to Question 288-15(3), the Premier is quoted as saying “I’ve already made that request to the Prime Minister in earlier discussions. I am meeting with him on Sunday, and that will be reinforced” and that was in the context of would he bring our message to him. Could the Premier cite to us what he discussed with the Prime Minister, if he can in this House today, with regard to my concerns with the missile defence program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. You are referring to a Minister's statement that was moved into Committee of the Whole today and you can ask questions on that before Committee of the Whole. I rule that question out of order.

---Ruled Out of Order

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is again to the Minister of Justice. I mentioned earlier in my previous question about this internal review, I don’t know if it’s an internal review, but some kind of review that was done on SMCC, and I’m wondering if the Minister can make the findings of that report or the whole report available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe that can be made available. I don’t think that there is any way that that report, the way it was written, that the information could be severed to protect the individuals involved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand there was another study done on the Department of Justice and that was a review of court divisions. Could I have that copy available? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That must have been done before my time as Minister. I have no knowledge of that report; I’m sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ms. Lee, I would caution you to remain with your original topic in your line of questioning. Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the thing I could say to tie these two together is I’m learning more and more, because people are telling me about this, that they are having a lot of administrative studies done and I’m assuming that they were done in public interest, there were some public interest questions that were being sought. There was probably a problem that they were looking to get answers to, and I would hate to see all these reviews being shelved with nothing being done. I’m not interested in knowing private and personal information, but is there any way the Minister could revisit these two reports and if there were any findings there that are of public interest that he could share? Could he do that please? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said already on the one report, I don’t believe that there is any way to sever the personal information from the one report and bring anything forward from it. On the courts, the one the Member has referred to, I’m not aware of that report, so I will have to look into it and find out whether or not anything from that report can be made public. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment on the courts division report. With respect to the SMCC review, even if he cannot give us information on what the findings were, could he at least provide us with the information as to why the study was necessary in the first place? Explain what it was about, why they had to do it, who did the study, when it was done and what was done with it, without going into the details. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 334-15(3): Review Of South Mackenzie Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take a look at that report and see whether or not it is possible to do that by way of a letter to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was reported, on October 26th at 12:15 p.m., that communities along the Mackenzie Valley, specifically in Fort McPherson where they are dealing with underage drinking, ran around to see how they can resolve this issue. It’s also reported that communities are dealing with the hard drugs like crack addiction, and also in Yellowknife and in Hay River. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, can he inform this House of what type of strategy he is working on in terms of dealing with these issues in the small communities and the larger centres and bring that back to the House? Thank you.

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

Return To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy that has had the first two years completed. We’ve put staff in nearly all the communities, both mental health workers as well as community wellness workers. We’re working on ensuring they are properly trained and able to deal with the alcohol and drug issues that arise.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand the process that the Department of Health and Social Services has taken over the years in terms of getting community wellness workers in the communities. Can the Minister provide some type of report card and see how effective these workers are in terms of combating the drug and alcohol issues? It seems like it is on the increase, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. In the North, we continue to, for example, consume and abuse alcohol at two-and-a-half to three times the national average. There is an increasing inflow of drugs from the South like cocaine and crack cocaine and probably crystal meth. Northerners have shown a prodigious appetite for those substances. It is not something that we have been able to turn around at this point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is why I asked the Minister to look at some innovative solutions in terms of curbing the hard drugs in our communities, by talking to these other Ministers and saying that this is a comprehensive approach. Again, go back to the report that Mr. Andre, deputy mayor from Fort McPherson, is talking about, having underage children who have been dealing with underage drinking in the community of Fort McPherson. I am asking the Minister, can he look at other solutions with other colleagues in terms of coming up with a northern solution? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member that we will make sure that this is an agenda item on our next meeting with the social envelope Ministers, which is going to happen within the next couple of weeks. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when he has this social envelope meeting with the other Ministers, would the Minister commit to possibly looking at bringing some other people from the communities in terms of maybe looking at a solution in the North? I know we can deal with this issue in the Northwest Territories. That can be done. We could pull our people together; they are smart. I believe that the Minister wants to have that happen also, so would he look at possibly bringing in some people from the communities to look at this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 335-15(3): Strategy To Deal With Drug Addiction In Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the meeting, we will, of course, look at all aspects of this issue and how best to proceed with the fundamental issue: how do we encourage and educate people to make the right personal choice so that they don’t start abusing alcohol or start using the drugs that have been mentioned in this House today. That involves the individuals. It involves the parents, families as well as the community, so, when we have this discussion at our next meeting, we will make sure that we look at all those aspects. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Honourable Michael McLeod, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, and in his capacity for the NWT Council of Sport and Recreation Partners, which, Mr. Speaker, has been in the making for arguably more than four years now. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that this council has now finally been formatted and put together. I wanted to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, when this council is going to actually get off the ground and what its mandate is. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our plans for this new sports council coming into operation is April of 2005. We want to have one year or some time for transition to allow for Members to develop some new business plans and budgets and plan for the integration of some of the programs and services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Yes, Mr. Speaker. The creation of this council, it seems, is something very much driven by the government. The history was one of expectations and things that people from various sectors, various communities and regions thought should be in there but weren’t quite being delivered on. I would like to probe again just what is the mandate of this council and how is it going to improve the delivery of sport and recreation services in the NWT. The mandates, please, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my first answer, the committee is going to be formulated over this next while. The plans are to have it operational by April of this year. The mandate and business plans are all yet to be developed. The intention of creating this new council was to have the amalgamation of all our sports priorities under one umbrella to create a forum where all communities would have a voice…

---Applause

…and be able to reduce some of the overlap in terms of providing programs and services and also have the ability to coordinate some of our services and, at the same time, reduce some of our costs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Okay, so we are getting somewhere. Those are very positive and desirable goals. I guess, in that though, whenever we create some new organization or some new system, Mr. Speaker, we should always be looking for ways in which we are going to measure its progress. How are we going to assess its value and see if it is, indeed, sticking to those goals? Could the Minister advise the Assembly what are the measurements by which we would be able to assess this new council’s aspirations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware, at this point, if we have developed the process areas or time frames where we would perform an evaluation. We certainly could work on that and develop and build it into our business plan as we work them out in the next while. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners

Okay. I guess this leaves me wondering, and I think it shouldn’t leave the communities wondering and the volunteers and the many participants in our sport and recreation system wondering, Mr. Speaker, why we are taking this step. It has been a torturous journey for the creation of this council, but we really have the thinnest and most skeletal of arrangements for how it is going to work. When can the Minister bring back to this Assembly a better plan and a framework for how it is going to work, and how we will be able to gauge its success? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 336-15(3): NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners