I really don’t understand why we need to take more money in 2015-16 to fund a program that is apparently a program that is operational. so I may come back to that.
Small schools have a lower pupil-teacher ratio than do the larger schools. I referenced that in my statement. They need different treatment, and I accept that. Smaller schools have a smaller number of students. They, therefore, need a certain number of teachers to get their programs going. ECE has a small schools funding formula and it is specifically to assist small schools to give them money for their special needs and to account for their smallness.
Why is it that in addition to the small school funding formula, small schools with less than 120 students are exempted from any budget reductions by their education authority? Why are these guys double dipping? Thank you.
As the Member indicated, small schools are treated differently based on their special needs. The Early Development Instrument tells us that over 60 percent of those individuals, five-year-olds, are developmentally challenged when they enter the school system. Those are from mostly remote communities. Those are true facts and the numbers we are currently working with.
We are going through discussions on the formula, as well, through Education Renewal and Innovation, thinking in the long term, Mr. Speaker. There are other programs, as well, such as Inclusive Schooling and PTR. Those are areas we will continue to work with. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister. The Premier yesterday stated, in answer to one of my questions, “we will be re-profiling from all authorities.” He was referencing the money that is being used for Junior Kindergarten, that it’s coming from all authorities. So, if it’s coming from all authorities, I’d like to say that 20 of our 49 schools are currently, give or take, less than 120 students. That’s almost half of our schools, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister explain the fairness of having small schools exempted from the budget reductions and, at the same time, receiving the small schools funding formula? Thank you.
We are currently contributing upwards of $150 million to all the school boards so they can deliver the most cost-effective, efficient program delivery K to 12. We’re currently delivering Junior Kindergarten in 23 of our communities and it’s just a fraction of 0.01 percent of that. It is a public fund, so we need to have the best program delivery in the Northwest Territories.
This is an area that we will continue to push forward with 23 communities based on the EDI, the results that came in. What is before us is we are going to be re-evaluating our situation, our stance, and review the whole Junior Kindergarten program in 23 communities. That is where we are at in the coming months, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister, since I didn’t get an explanation as to whether it’s fair, I have to assume that it’s unfair and he can’t explain it.
My last question to the Minister is: We’ve heard many times that our legislated pupil-teacher ratio is 16 to 1. I have said that definitely we do not have 16 to 1 in all our schools. I would like to know from the department if we are intending to bring our funding down to 16 to 1, how does he intend to implement this 16 to 1 pupil-teacher ratio, particularly in small schools where some of them are 9 to 1 and some are 4 to 1. So, how is he going to implement 16 to 1 so that it is fair? Will there be a PTR cap, for instance, in small schools? How is it going to happen? Thank you.
Currently we are legislated at 16 to 1. We are providing over and above that, $17 million to our schools boards to deal with those matters at hand. We are currently, as I stated, and the Premier also committed to this House, that we are reviewing the 23 Junior Kindergarten communities, and based on the review, the funding has been highlighted as well.
I did speak to it this morning as well. There will be a mixture of discussions, whether it be the funding, reaching out to operators, and we need to hear their perspective and input to have the delivery of Junior Kindergarten in these communities. Those are the discussions that we are going to be having. We’ve committed to this House already. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the WSCC on his perspective of what’s delaying the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. This Assembly and even the last Assembly have been waiting for some time for the implementation of them. Let’s get an update as to where they are and what’s holding them back and when we would expect them to be implemented for the safety of all. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of WSCC, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I did answer that, I believe, last week. The recommendation from the committee has been addressed to my attention. The package is before me and there has been some correspondence that came in from various stakeholders as well. Even after the fact, the committee established some recommendations. I did commit to this House that I will sign off the final document during the life of this Assembly. Mahsi.
I will help the Minister here. The life of this Assembly is yet another year. The WSCC has been working on these Occupational Health and Safety Regulations for several years now. I know they have been working with industry, and certainly labour on this, to find some agreement to go forward.
What are some of the issues in the delay that we may have to wait up to almost a whole year in the implementation of these regs? What’s stopping the process from actually getting done? Is it the Minister or is it some other issue that we need to be aware of?
Mahsi. These regs have been before us for a number of years now, upwards of 22 years. So it wouldn’t hurt to wait another year during the life of this Assembly to sign off the final document where we capture everything if we want to have regulations that capture the legality issues that have been brought to my attention. Some of areas of concern within the clause were brought to my attention as well. So we need to deal with those kinks that have been brought to my attention.
We are currently working with the Department of Justice to deal with these matters. Again, I will be signing off during the life of this Assembly. Mahsi.
Thank you. The Minister continues to avoid the question by saying what’s the delay. He says stuff that’s been brought to his attention. Well, I can tell you stuff today, such as it hasn’t been signed off. I hope that has brought the issue to his attention.
I’m not sure what the particular delays are. I hear from industry, their perspective and their concerns; I hear from labour, their perspective and their concerns. Why don’t we actually say what the concerns are? I mean, what’s wrong with being honest about the issues and problems before us? Could the Minister enlighten this House with something unusual? It’s referred to as the facts. Thank you.
I’m not sure how else I can say it, but there are documents and correspondence, e-mails that came to my attention from various stakeholders, and there’s a few of them. So we need to act on it. We can’t just ignore those concerns that are brought to our attention.
Again, it is during the life of this Assembly that it will be signed off. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yet again we’re all witness to hear of these platitudes that actually provide no detail, and this is the frustration the public continues to have. If it’s a legitimate reason, I think all reasonable people would say, and fairly agree, that reviews need to be done and implementation needs to be done at the right pace, but yet all we hear is we need to act on this, we have stuff that’s been brought to his attention. My goodness, I mean, anyone can give that answer on any subject. That could mean almost anything. So, today is the day.
Why doesn’t the Minister get some of the facts on the table? It would probably feel good and the public would be informed. Let’s try something unusual, like I said earlier. Let’s actually give a real answer in this House for a change, because I’ll tell you, the public is tired of these platitude sort of perspectives. We want the facts. Give it today, please.
Mahsi. We’ll do everything in our power to expedite the process to sign off the document. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in the week, on Monday, I made a statement on the NWT Coroner Service Annual Report, and in the report it talked a little bit about some of the pressing statistics that came up and, actually, the number of suicides that we had in the Northwest Territories last year. Seventy percent of them were related to alcohol and drug use. Even a bigger statistic over the last five years, 43 percent of the suicides happened in the Beaufort-Delta region, which is a very high number.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, what is his department doing to address these high suicide rates not only in the Beaufort-Delta region but across the Northwest Territories? What is his department doing in terms of suicide prevention? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a review done that sort of provided an analysis of the last 15 years and this review actually included a number of recommendations and information provided by the NWT coroner. Some of the key findings of this report were that, overall, suicide rates are decreasing over time, but that’s not true everywhere in the Northwest Territories. We know in the Beaufort-Delta the rates continue to be incredibly high and that suicide remains a critical public health issue in that area. We do know that alcohol and drugs are a common risk factor, but there are multiple issues that lead to an individual committing suicide. Alcohol and drugs happen to be one of them.
So we do have a Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan. We have improved our ability for individuals to get into treatment, if that is their concern. We’re also doing a number of other things throughout communities in the Northwest Territories. We have the Assist Program; we have the Mental Health Helpline; we have community counselling; we have a number of programs going on.
When the report came out, recognizing the concerns in the Beaufort-Delta, I did meet with leadership in the Beaufort-Delta as soon as that report was released and we had a discussion about what was in the report, the findings, and had an opportunity to talk to community leadership and to talk to them about what can we start doing to work together. The department has been meeting with people in the Beaufort-Delta on a regular basis and has been talking about other workshops or functions that could take place up there and we’re looking for community engagement and input as we move forward.
I appreciate the effort that the Minister and his department have been doing in terms of corresponding with the leadership in the Beaufort-Delta, but all he has to do is also look at some of the recommendations that were made and some of the past NWT coroner reports. Specifically, there was one I remember reading on a rehab centre for alcohol and drug abuse here in Yellowknife. Like it said, 70 percent of all suicides over the last five years were alcohol and drug related, seven out of 10.
Has the Minister looked at creating some type of rehab centre, whether it’s a day shelter or some other area for alcohol and drug abuse here in Yellowknife or even in some of the bigger regional centres? Thank you.
Thank you. Through our Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan we have contracts with four facilities to provide alcohol and drug treatment services in southern Canada. We’re looking at a mobile treatment program and we’re working with communities to deliver on-the-land programming. We also have 64 counsellor positions located throughout the Northwest Territories in 19 communities. On top of that, we’re doing things like the assist training. Something that I think could add significant value to all residents is the Mental Health First Aid. So there are a number of things that are occurring and we want to work with communities so that they have the tools in the communities to help people who are suffering and may be at risk of committing suicide. Thank you.
I know there is also the issue of the mental health status of individuals who end up being part of the statistics in terms of suicide and, as I said, 43 percent in the Beaufort-Delta.
I’d like to ask the Minister, what is he doing to address some of the waiting times for counselling needs as well as this assist training? How do people in the Beaufort-Delta or any of the small communities know how to get a hold of this mental health toll-free line as well as being able to access some of these counselling services at a sooner time rather than having to wait? I think it’s a two-month waiting list right now. Thank you.
Thank you. The department and the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services are aware of the high rates of suicide in the Beaufort-Delta. The authority in that area has been working really closely with Aboriginal governments and communities and individuals to try and find meaningful ways to assist and help, which includes getting the information and increasing access to counsellors. There are counsellors that are non-government counsellors or non-government support and we’re trying to make sure that people are aware of them.
One thing I would like to ask the Member and all Members is to continue to push and highlight and promote Mental Health First Aid so that we, as individuals, all people, can have some skills to recognize. But the great thing about Mental Health First Aid is it will help you identify in your communities and your regions where active programs and services exist. So if you are aware of somebody who is at risk or in danger or may be contemplating suicide, you can direct them to where they can get help in your region, because many of the communities and many of the regions already have great people in place and great services in place whether it’s government’s or private. It’s a matter of being able to direct the people to the right places at the right time when they need supports.
So I would encourage the Member and all Members to contact us and work with us to get Mental Health First Aid to as many residents of your regions as possible.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Mental Health First Aid is a great training tool, a great counselling service tool. I know that we’re doing a revamp of the Mental Health Act.
In the case of the revamping of this new Mental Health Act, is the government, physicians, RCMP, counsellors still following the old Mental Health Act and all the provisions that are included in that Mental Health Act to give the people that need assistance when they need it, or are we will using the old Mental Health Act while we are revamping a new one? Thank you.
Yes. The answer is yes. That is the act that is current; that is the act that is in place. In my opinion, it is old, outdated and badly needs to be revised. I have listened to Members, and many of them have said exactly the same thing. I’ve had opportunities to talk to professionals who are involved in providing services. Almost all of them say exactly the same thing. We recently got the LP back from committee and we are now moving forward with drafting. It is a big bill, basically a full rewrite. But until that bill passes in this Assembly, we have to use the old bill. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with some further questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
I’m struggling with the answer that the Minister gave me with regards to the implementation of a 16 to 1 funding at 16 to 1 pupil-teacher ratio. It has been stated many times that education authorities are over-funded and that we need to fund our legislated PTR of 16 to 1.
Looking at the department’s numbers, using the department’s own numbers, and albeit they are from 2013, but it is entirely possible that if we have a 16 to 1 pupil-teacher ratio across the board, we will end up with five schools that will have one staff, or maybe even half a staff.
So, I would like to again ask the Minister, how is the department or this government going to implement a 16 to 1 pupil-teacher ratio in all of our schools across the board? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister of Education, Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When I met with all of the school boards on May 23rd, I did commit to making some changes. Part of the changes, of course, is providing flexibility. Providing anything beyond 16 to 1 teacher ratio in their school system, the education authority will be provided a subsidy from my department. That is a commitment I have made. It is based on an average throughout the Northwest Territories.
There will be some impact, in some cases, where there is a high enrollment of students entering our school system. Those are some of the areas that we will continue to monitor, but at this point I did make a commitment that anything above 16 to 1 we will provide that subsidy to that organization. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister. So, I guess, it is an average across the territory. We’re going to make sure that no school or no education authority is beyond 16 to 1, which is appreciated for sure. But if that’s the case, then the Minister is going to subsidize from within the department. So we are going to end up reducing education authority funding and then he’s going to add money back in. Is that correct? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, I have committed to providing district education councils anything above 16 to 1, we will provide a subsidy. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to take that as a yes.
Junior Kindergarten now has 23 schools; sorry, Junior Kindergarten is being offered in 23 schools and I have to assume that that JK program in those 23 schools is fully funded.
So I would like to ask the Minister, how are those schools being funded if next year there needs to be more money taken from education authorities’ budgets? Is it being fully funded this year? If it is not being fully funded by the budget reductions, is there an internal reallocation that is funding part of the JK program? Thank you.
Clearly, the statement was made in this House that the Junior Kindergarten will be continuing this year and next year. Based on the funding that has been allocated to date, it will continue for this year and next year. That was in the statement yesterday. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am still trying to find out how JK is being funded, if it’s the budget reductions that are funding it.
I would like to ask the Minister, if we are going to have reductions to education authority budgets in ‘15-16, what will that money be used for? Thank you.
For the 23 communities, JK has been funded out of the $150 million budget. Those are the areas that we have discussed with the school board chairs back in May and even before that. We will continue to address that, even part of the review process that we have committed in this House in the 23 communities. This year JK is being delivered into our communities on an optional basis, this year and next year as well. We will continue to monitor those areas. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other day I asked the Minister of Housing how many houses we built in the last fiscal cycle. He said it was 38, so if you average that across the 33 communities, that’s 1.15 house per community. Of course, we all know that we don’t build 0.15 of a house, that’s just the way it averages.
Maybe for the public’s health and, certainly, clarification, how many new housing starts, as in new houses, not replacements, new houses will be available and provided by the Housing Corporation going into this next cycle? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct; most of the units we do put up are replacement units. We do have I believe it’s 30 market housing units that are going up this year. But as far as the stock goes, the Member is correct; the units we do put in are replacement units for old public housing units. Thank you.
I want to thank the Minister for that direct and clear answer. My math now tells me we’re doing, or sorry, the government is proposing into the next fiscal cycle to build 0.91 houses on average across the 33 communities. If you are one of those communities who is lucky to get one of those houses, or if it’s two or three of them, you are very fortunate.
I want to ask the Minister, as the Minister of Housing, what is he doing to increase the new housing portfolio, increase our stock of public housing, increase our ability to provide the affordability housing measure? At this rate, we are not meeting the demand. If we are not meeting the demand, we continue to put good families at serious risk. I want to hear how the Minister is fighting to increase the new start of new assets in the portfolio, because I have yet to see it and we are not keeping up with existing demand. Thank you.
What this Minister is doing is working with Social Programs committee and getting some feedback from them. This Minister is providing direction and leadership to the NWT Housing Corporation as to how we can distribute our resources equally across the Northwest Territories, and also trying to work with the federal government to ask them about our CMHC declining funding because that’s affecting our ability to put new houses on the ground. We are fortunate that this Assembly stepped up to the plate during the last O and M budget and gave Housing an additional $1.2 million to replace some of the money that we are losing from CMHC.
We continue to try to be innovative, try to get as many units on the ground as possible. I’m just trying to pull up the exact numbers and I should have them here shortly. Thank you.
