Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner and commends it to the House.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations met on September 28, 2009, to review the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner and the special report Speaking of Health: Official Languages as part of Quality Health Care in the Northwest Territories. The committee would like to thank the former Languages Commissioner, Ms. Shannon Gullberg, for presenting these reports. The committee would also like to thank the recently appointed Languages Commissioner, Ms. Sarah Jerome, for attending.
In 2008, the committee urged the Languages Commissioner to conduct more outreach and visit more communities in order to promote her role and office. In her 2007-2008 Annual Report, the Commissioner noted that she had completed a number of radio interviews; however, she personally visited only Behchoko. The committee was disappointed with this limited amount of travel and is pleased to see that the current Languages Commissioner has already begun attending public functions and offering presentations in communities.
The committee looks forward to hearing more about her activities in future annual reports. The committee is concerned that members of the minority language groups may not be aware of the Commissioner and her role. Her responsibility is to ensure that the rights, status and privileges of the speakers of each of the 11 official languages in the Northwest Territories are protected within government institutions. One of the mandated activities of the Languages Commissioner is to investigate complaints from NWT residents on language issues. The Commissioner received only two complaints in the past two years and relatively few inquiries: 11 inquiries in 2006-2007 and 21 in 2007-2008. One committee member observed that, in his role as MLA, he had received five or six complaints on language issues in 2007-2008. The committee would like to see the Commissioner promote her role so that people with language concerns would bring inquiries and complaints directly to the Languages Commissioner.
I will now turn the floor over to my colleague, Mr. Glen Abernethy, to finish reading the rest of the report. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche.
In her 2007-2008 Annual Report, the Commissioner made 13 recommendations, six of which were raised in previous reports. Nine of her recommendations were addressed by the Standing Committee on Government Operations in its Final Report on the Review of the Official Languages Act. This report, Reality Check: Securing A Future for the Official Languages of the Northwest Territories, was presented to the House in May of 2009. The response to this report was tabled in the House on October 15, 2009, by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The Minister is committed to providing a follow-up response in the fall of 2010. Given this ongoing process, some recommendations in the Language Commissioner’s 2007-2008 Annual Report did not fall strictly within her mandate. The committee has limited its recommendations to the following:
Since 2004-2005, the committee has advocated for the training and certification for interpreters in all language groups. In recent years, Ms. Gullberg and the Special Committee on the Review of the Official Languages Act spoke to the need for capacity building through the development of translation standards as well as training and certification standards for interpreters and translators.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories make planning for the implementation of the training and certification of interpreters and translators a priority, and further that the government report back on the status of this initiative.
The ability to provide language services and revitalize official languages requires a cadre of qualified interpreters and translators.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the GNWT establish a registry of interpreters and translators for every official language.
Websites can be an excellent means of providing general information. The committee recognizes the need to clarify when two or more official languages should be included on government websites.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories conduct a review of its website policies and report back on whether they are in compliance with official languages policies, guidelines and legislation.
The committee was pleased to see the Commissioner’s report Speaking of Health: Official Languages as part of the Quality Health Care in the Northwest Territories. The report, tabled in June of 2008, includes 15 recommendations regarding improving language services throughout health care centres and hospitals.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a formal response to Speaking of Health: Official Languages as part of Quality Health Care in the Territories within 120 days.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations acknowledges the work that Ms. Shannon Gullberg has done over the last four years. The committee also appreciates Ms. Gullberg’s continued support of Ms. Sarah Jerome as she begins her new term. The committee looks forward to working with Ms. Jerome and to her active participation in publicizing and promoting the role of the Languages Commissioner. During her tenure to date, the committee is pleased with her approach to fulfilling her mandate. Ms. Jerome has embarked on many community visits, and the committee supports her initiative at attending assemblies and other community events and her willingness to make presentations on language rights.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.
Mr. Speaker, that concludes the Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the Review of the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my great pleasure to welcome people belonging to the Goyatiko Language Society in Dettah. First, I’d like to recognize Mary Rose Sundberg, instructor, and her students: Lena Drygeese, Francis Betsina, Nora Crookedhand, Stella Martin, Andrew Crapeau and Margaret Baillargeon. Welcome to the House. Maybe a hand for those people, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Also, Mr. Speaker, we had students and teachers of Grade 6 Weledeh School. It was great to have them in the House. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement, the idea from one of my constituents from Fort Liard about beginning cancer screening for our elders. I know that we have a great program in diabetes screening and diabetes workshops that we provide in all the communities. I see there’s good uptake on that. I, myself, take the opportunity to check out my blood sugar levels with that program. His idea was that in the past there have been cases where elders are diagnosed too late for any treatment and he thought that since elders are going to health centres, is there a program...They’re probably getting blood tests to start counting their white blood cells or even institute a cancer clinic for elders, Mr. Speaker. Is there such a system in our health care system right now that can provide for this service? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to advise the House that in the Foundation for Change Action Plan we have a precise action identified in this area. One is to establish a chronic disease management model for the NWT which would work to upgrade the screening program for chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancers. We will also be looking to address colorectal cancer through staged screening of stool samples. We will also be looking at implementing a territorial screening mammography program and increase education about modifiable risk factors and screening.
I’m pleased to see that they’re going to provide some resources in the upcoming year, in the 2010 budget year. Currently, what practices are being used with regard to screening for cancers or chronic diseases, as the Minister has indicated? Thank you.
I should note that that action plan, the timeline for that is it’s a three-year plan to expand our work in all of these areas. Currently, we do have a screening program for breast cancer, we do have a screening program for colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and also, obviously, our health care staff in all our regions do their best to respond when the residents do come and raise their health issues.
What type of modelling would the new program be based on? I had indicated the diabetes model. It’s quite successful. It’s quite visual. It sets up at Northern Stores, et cetera, in the smaller communities. Is this something similar that they would be pursuing in this new program that’s going to be rolling out next year? Thank you.
This plan will be released next week and there are three important pillars in this plan. One of them is accessibility. What we are wanting to do and what we recognize is that Northerners need to be able to access the right health care and know where and how to find it. We want to focus our attention on a primary community care model where focus and attention will be on each community, and in each community we will work to establish a chronic management program that is organized, that is comprehensive, so that we keep track of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and we step up to the plate on screening. We are already doing that, but not in as comprehensive a way as this will allow us to do.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think the intent or the idea is, of course, to prevent cases where somebody comes in at the last minute with a chronic disease and/or specifically cancer which is untreatable and it leads to tragic consequences.
In the smaller communities I could probably foresee visits just specific to this issue as opposed to doing regular medical visits. Is that something in the plan, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
I am aware that we have done such a program, especially for colorectal cancer screening. In fact, the focus was in the Deh Cho region where a coordinator went in to the region and worked with the men in the area, and encouraged everybody to go through the screening as a preventative measure. So that’s the kind of thing that we hope to be able to do more of in this new plan.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was on the community complex in Sachs Harbour. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister aware of the issues regarding the Sachs Harbour community complex?
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA is aware of the situation in Sachs Harbour regarding the capital project that they put together. There are some outstanding issues that the community has to deal with, working with the consultant and the contractor. My understanding is they’re starting to deal with those issues as we speak and, hopefully, we’ll have a positive resolution here for the Member soon. Thank you.
Can the Minister inform this House if MACA is monitoring the situation in Sachs Harbour?
Mr. Speaker, obviously, MACA has an interest in this, as this was done under the capital money that we advanced to the community. So we are monitoring the situation very closely. We’re hoping to see that some of the issues that are taken care of. There were some issues with not complying with the Fire Code and there were other issues that were identified by the office of the fire marshal. My understanding is they’re taking steps now to try and resolve some of these so Sachs Harbour can enjoy the use of their community complex. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, given that in the small, remote community of Sachs Harbour the community centre is a focal point, and given that on the last date of December the community centre was transferred to the Hamlet of Sachs Harbour even though much work was still needed, will this government commit to assisting the community of Sachs Harbour with the resources they need to complete the facility in time for the Christmas celebrations?
Mr. Speaker, this project was taken on by the community and they identified it as a priority. They funded the project themselves, using their capital infrastructure dollars that are provided by MACA. They are the project manager and they took care of all the arrangements, so they do have an idea of the issues that are affecting the opening of the community complex. My understanding is that they are taking steps to try to address some of these issues so they can have it opened fairly soon. Thank you.
Thank you. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been 11 months to date. Can the Minister talk to the staff in the Inuvik region to assist the community to get this community complex completed before Christmas? That’s all I ask.
I will give direction to staff to work with the community of Sachs Harbour to assist them in trying to resolve some of the issues and see where they can improve. There’s still the issue of compliance with the Fire Code. Those have been identified and those need to be taken care of before they will issue a completion of this project. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke about the energy initiatives in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories. I was pleased to hear the Minister, during our debriefing this morning on the Mackenzie Gas Project, on the possibility of how the GNWT can help the communities of Tulita, Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope in terms of the conversion to natural gas. Can the Minister inform me in the House in terms of where they are at with this study in terms of converting to natural gas in communities in the Sahtu?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have undertaken at least two studies on the feasibility of undertaking community conversions to natural gas along the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline right-of-way. We also participated in the Ikhill transmission line where Inuvik converted to natural gas. So we participated in that process. A large part of whether we continue with natural gas conversion in the communities the Member mentioned is the Joint Review Panel of the Mackenzie pipeline to see what the recommendations would be contained therein.
Can the Minister inform me as to how much has been invested into the feasibility studies for the natural gas conversions?
I don’t have the exact numbers, but I think the first study was $50,000, and I expect the second one to update the original study was probably in the neighbourhood of $25,000.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister look into the possibilities of developing a cogeneration plant in the Sahtu?
This government, for the first time, put in a $60 million budget to look at alternative forms of energy so that we can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. We have a number of projects in the works, including a hydro symposium in the Sahtu, and certainly we are looking at all forms of alternative energy and we would be prepared to look at cogeneration. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People in the Sahtu certainly appreciate the funds for the hydro symposium. Can I ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, as a result at the conclusion of the hydro symposium, would this government seriously look at construction of some of the initiatives that they could do in the Sahtu to reduce the cost of energy?
