Debates of October 30, 2006 (day 18)

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

Supplementary To Question 221-15(5): Regulatory Authority For The Enforcement Of Air Quality Standards

Mr. Speaker, good regulation means that we have to have good legislation to back it up. Is the Minister aware of anything that this Assembly should be considering to enable the highest possible standard of regulatory monitoring and control of this project, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 221-15(5): Regulatory Authority For The Enforcement Of Air Quality Standards

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to take that question as notice. I am not familiar right now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to ask some questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services in regards to the labour situation at Nats'ejee K'eh. Mr. Speaker, I am not clear. Certainly, I sense that it is a great deal of concern to all of us that the valuable program being offered at that centre is no longer being offered, that the clients are outside of the NWT jurisdiction getting their treatment and that 22 of our employees or our residents are off the job. I do not understand exactly how we could accept the situation that looks a lot like a replacement worker situation. Although we don’t have workers coming into this facility and doing the job, certainly by moving the clients elsewhere the effect is the same. I think it is a situation that really considerably weakens the workers’ and union’s position in this labour dispute. It is a situation that this government as a third party or the outside party, as the government likes to see itself, should allow to continue. I would like to know whether or not this government has looked into the situation to see if this is in breach of any contract revision to have moved these programs to outside of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ultimately the Department of Health and Social Services has to take very highly into consideration the clients who are seeking the help, the situation that is over at Nats'ejee K'eh on the Hay River Reserve is not one that we like to see continue for very long. That is why I have written a letter to both parties to hopefully encourage them to get back to the negotiation process. Ultimately, this process falls outside of our own union process. It falls under the Canada Labour Code. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest, though, by allowing…The Minister hasn’t answered whether or not there are any provisions in the contract with this board of this treatment centre that would prohibit the services to be placed elsewhere the way it is now. He hasn’t answered that. If the government continues to let this go on, is the government not complicit in letting the situation continue on, because it so seriously weakens the bargaining position of the workers and the union thereby not making it necessary for the employer to go back to the table? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process that is used is maybe I should have gone into a little more detail. Under the Canada Labour Code, certain actions are allowed for where, in this situation, ensuring that the clients themselves get the services they need, that takes priority for us. That is why we moved the clients that were in that facility to another location to continue with their programming. That is where we are at, at this point, and trying to encourage the parties to come together. Ultimately, from the Department of Health and Social Services’ point of view, we are going to ensure the clients get the services they require. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the Minister is stating that there is a provision on the clients affected in a situation like this, but I would think that it has something to say also about what the government in this kind of situation has to do to not interfere in getting employees and employers back together. I am suggesting that allowing these clients to be treated elsewhere and not checking to see if that is in breach of any contract is prolonging this delay. So I would like to know if the Minister could comment on what he is prepared to do, further than writing a letter, to bring these two parties together. I believe, as is the case in any labour dispute situation, if the two parties are not talking and they are not made to and there is no need for it, they will not talk. This will just keep on going. I would like to know what the Minister is prepared to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess, for clarity, it should be pointed out that as this originally came about with the existing action being taken, discussions were held and parties were encouraged. I believe there were even parties brought in to try to have both sides come to an agreement. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen so they are back at the stage they are. For ourselves, we contracted the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority to provide that service. From my understanding, there is no contravention of that agreement in place for delivery of services. Ultimately, as I have stated earlier, the Department of Health and Social Services want to ensure the clients did receive programming that was required. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate whether this is a governmental plan to let this situation continue in that it would allow these treatment contracts to continue on indefinitely and thereby really making it less urgent for the parties to get back together? Does the government not see a huge problem in that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 222-15(5): Disruption Of Service At Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not going to go into details of what options are available. It would be almost like negotiating around the parties that are directly involved. That is not something I intend to do. We are, as a government, looking at all of our other options and the contract that is in place. As well, we are very aware that this involves another union that is at the table. They have agreed to, in the past, a different standard than what we have in place for our own employees. So all of these things have to be weighed very carefully as we proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in February, I had asked a number of questions to the Minister of ECE in regards to day care spaces and inequities that exist amongst day care providers. Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out in my Member’s statement, the government spends roughly $32 million a year on corrections and just under $5 million on early childhood development. This is a ratio or something that just shouldn’t be allowed to happen. I would say that if we tried to get those numbers a little bit closer in the next 20 years, we wouldn’t be spending as much in the area of corrections, Mr. Speaker. What exactly has the Minister’s department done since February in regard to addressing the inequities that exist amongst day care providers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Return To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to Mr. Ramsay in February, I did indicate that the department was willing to talk to day care operators about the inequities in the subsidies. The instructions to the department were to ensure that discussion took place with operators when they were discussing the new regulations that we have been working on. I expect to have some results from that here very shortly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to that taking place and the fallout of what that might be after the discussions take place with the day care providers. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has developed a program that pays each family $100 per month for each child under six. I am wondering what the intent of the Government of the Northwest Territories is to work in conjunction with that federal program to offer how we might augment that program with something we could offer here in the Northwest Territories to parents looking for day care space and some help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d certainly enjoy an opportunity to look at changing our subsidy program so that parents could see more support through this government as well. However, we need to identify more revenues. As Members around this table know, we are challenged to meet our current obligations and are running into what the Minister of Finance has called a debt wall not too far off in the future if we don’t get more money from Ottawa. So it is certainly something we have plans for, but to be able to deliver that kind of program, we need to have more revenues. This government needs to have more income to be able to put it into families’ pockets. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it gets back to priorities and setting priorities in the government. I could tell the Minister right off the top of my head where $2 million could be easily found, and that’s repatriating the jobs from his department back to the Housing Corporation and scraping the macroeconomic policy shop that’s planned.

But, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister, given the fact that there’s a shortage of trained childcare workers here in the Northwest Territories, what strategy or plans does the Minister have to help us get more trained childcare workers here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The importance of trained childcare workers can’t be understated. It is an area that we need to concentrate on. Aurora College has an ongoing program of training. They offer continuous courses through either distance education or by workshop every year to help people achieve their certificate. There are going to be four courses offered this winter to help people across the North get closer to achieving their certificate, and the college will continue to offer that kind of programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess it’s quite obvious, given my line of questioning here and my Member’s statement today, that I don’t think we’re doing enough as a government to address the area of day care and the space that’s provided, the training for childcare workers and whatnot, and I’d like to ask the Minister, given the fact that all these problems are evident, can he come up with a research method or some kind of strategy or if he needs more help I think we need to explore all of our options here in this area and I’d like the Minister to commit today to doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 223-15(5): Shortage Of Day Care Spaces And Childcare Workers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d be happy to work with Members to identify ways in which we can improve our support. As I said earlier, I have already got the plans for an improved subsidy. I would dearly love to be able to offer improved capital grants to operators, but that’s going to take more money that this government doesn’t have. We need to find ways to improve our income as a government in order to be able to get those subsidies to people in the North. I’m quite prepared to work with Members and to see if we can find ways to achieve betterment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I spoke to the need for an early childhood learning centre in Inuvik. I say need, Mr. Speaker. It’s not a want, it’s a need. There is a difference. This is an issue that’s specific to Inuvik at this particular moment because we have a new school that’s going up, but this may be an issue that’s specific to the other communities when their turn comes for a new school or renovations. I’d like to ask the Minister of ECE if his department has had discussions with Public Works, and in this case the new Minister; and, no, Novel won’t do. I wonder if he can have discussions with the Minister of Public Works about the feasibility of adding the childhood learning centre into the construction of the new school in Inuvik. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 224-15(5): Infrastructure Requirements Of The Inuvik Children First Society

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that it makes tremendous good sense to have childcare centres in schools. It’s something that I think in the long run we need to try and move towards. That said, I think Members around this table know that we are hard pressed even to live up to the requirements in our current capital plan. We have schools that have to be replaced because their foundations are in trouble. We have other capital programs that we can’t deliver on. It’s not a question of talking to the Minister responsible for Public Works. We need to find -- and it comes back to what I was saying to Mr. Ramsay -- we need to get resource revenue sharing. We need to get a share of the wealth that leaves our territory on a daily basis in order to have adequate funds to be able to make some of these wise choices ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 224-15(5): Infrastructure Requirements Of The Inuvik Children First Society

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I totally agree with the Minister that this is another good argument for getting resource royalty, but that’s something that’s still in the works and this is something that we need to do right away. My colleague from Kam Lake spoke to $32 million going into corrections, $4.5 million into childcare. I mean, there’s something wrong with this picture, Mr. Speaker. Why, besides money, is this government so reluctant to consider putting the childhood development centre as part of the new school in Inuvik? The budget is big enough. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 224-15(5): Infrastructure Requirements Of The Inuvik Children First Society

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure that you can say that the budget is big enough if it’s been planned already without that space there. The community has been involved intimately in the plans for the school. The space has been set aside for it, but there is a requirement for the community to get involved. It’s worth pointing out that the community itself has a number of options right now. The municipality will have access to gas tax funds, MRIF funds, and improved capital funding that my colleague, the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, spoke about just last week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 224-15(5): Infrastructure Requirements Of The Inuvik Children First Society

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is true, they do have other options up in Inuvik and the Children First Society has been trying to explore all the options. But I firmly believe that it’s this government’s responsibility to help with this. What do we have to do as an Assembly to add these costs into the capital program for the construction of new schools? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 224-15(5): Infrastructure Requirements Of The Inuvik Children First Society

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it would take more money in the capital plan. That’s what it would take. It’s fairly simple. So if we win the argument with the federal government, if we are successful at pressing home that we need resource revenue sharing, that we need a reasonable deal with Ottawa, then we have a chance to do that. But this is an issue that’s important not just to Inuvik. We have other communities that within the next couple of years, are going to lose the space that their childcare centres are in and they don’t have new schools planned. So this is a pressing issue across the Territories and one that we would dearly love to deal with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member’s statement today, for the last three years I’ve been working very hard to try to get the all-weather road from Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. However, Mr. Speaker, recently I’ve been trying to get an access road to source 177, which is 22 kilometres away from Tuk. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Kevin Menicoche…Mr. Speaker, like I indicated, for the past three years I’ve been working with the previous Minister of Transportation with regard to trying to get access to the gravel source. I’m just wondering, can the Minister of Transportation indicate whether he will work with MACA to access funding to go to source 177? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.