Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue my questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on some of these Aurora College concerns that we’ve heard. One big concern that we heard was in terms of child care and daycare services at I’m sure all three campuses. However, the one where we met with the students was only here in Yellowknife.
What has the department, or working with the Board of Governors and the executive, done to address the child care needs and daycare needs of our students that are attending post-secondary education? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an area that was, again, brought to my attention with the campuses that we have across the Northwest Territories. More specifically at the Yellowknife Campus, and also Inuvik as well.
Since I brought this to the attention of the Board of Governors, they’ve been developing some options to deal with these matters at hand. I need to get the latest status from the Board of Governors. I don’t have that detailed information here from their organization, so I will provide that to the Member. Mahsi.
On another point with the Aurora College and speaking to the Board of Governors, in the Beaufort-Delta region we did have our Board of Governors representative resign last year.
Mahsi. Yes, unfortunately the board member resigned from the Beaufort-Delta. At the same time, we wanted to have a voice and a representative right away, so we did appoint Ms. Mary Beckett. She started January 23, 2015. It is a four-year term. So this is an agreement that has been brought to my attention as well. This individual has started already and they will be well represented in the Beaufort-Delta. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure Ms. Beckett will do a fine job in the position.
Early childhood development has become a priority for this government and the onset of this government. I’m wondering if the Minister, speaking with the Board of Governors and the executive, is working on developing an Early Childhood Development Certification Program at the campuses, at any of the three campuses so we can get qualified early childhood development educators in the system. Thank you.
Mahsi. Aurora College is developing their two-year strategic plan, and the ECD programming, early childhood development programming has been brought to the attention of the president, the Board of Governors chair, because we are serious about developing programs. This is one of the GNWT’s priorities as well, ECD. So, it is in the works, part of their strategic plan. We’ve been pushing with the college. So we want to see this particular programming at our campuses. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that standing committee has been working with the Aurora College Board of Governors, the executive and the Minister’s office and dealing with some of these concerns at the Aurora College here in Yellowknife. I think it’s a great opportunity now, since it’s Aurora College Week.
Does the Minister have any plans of meeting with the staff and students at the Yellowknife Campus and just giving them an update on the work that standing committee has been asking the Minister and Aurora College in terms of dealing with the issues and concerns that students have brought up? Thank you.
I believe it’s very important to have that dialogue with the students, even with the staff at the college. So, when the opportunity arises, we’ll certainly take advantage of it. While we’re in session it may not be possible now, but definitely after session I’d like to meet with the board staff and also the students who are available to air their concerns as well. So yes, again, we need to have that dialogue going. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up a little on the jobs issue I raised yesterday, and we talked about the 1,032 positions out there in one form or another and the 466 that are actively being recruited.
I made a post on my Facebook and I got some really interesting feedback, and one of the particular issues that’s been raised that I thought was interesting, more so in the sense of have we ever done this, is have we ever considered engaging the citizenship to understand and appreciate the practicality of trying to hire people for these jobs? We’re trying to get people in all regions throughout the Northwest Territories, but some of the challenges that the public sees are pay, benefits, affirmative action, recruitment method, housing, child care, flexible work plans and certainly training opportunities.
Has the Department of Human Resources ever considered calling upon its citizenry to create a bit of a working group to discuss some of the problems the public sees day to day when they’re trying to get access to employment, but sometimes they’re facing not an open door but a closed door on these challenges? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We haven’t asked the public to form a body that we’d consult with in filling vacancies, but we do have an internal body, an Aboriginal Advisory Committee that we use to try to utilize Aboriginal employees we have in the system and bring more Aboriginal employees into the system in order to become more representative of the population. But specifically to have gone to an outside group and asked them and consult with them on hiring issues, we have not done that. Thank you.
Does the Minister see any problem with the issue of reaching out to the citizenship to get some feedback as what the citizens see, the everyday people, the everyday families trying to get job opportunities here in the North, from their perspective on trying to apply for jobs, be it in Yellowknife, be it in the regions, be it even in the very small communities? They would provide great benefit and insight as to the challenges that they see and face. Many people keep reciting the same problems over and over again, and I often wonder: does the government appreciate the circumstances and challenges they’re seeing?
So does the Minister see an opportunity for us to consider this, or does he see an opportunity for him to do this? Thank you.
Thank you. We would look at all of the options that are available to us. Right now how we’re going about filling jobs have been through job sites, internal graduate internships, regional recruitment, expression of interest internally and so on to fill some of the jobs. But we are open to other ideas. If there are people out there that felt that there were better ways for us to recruit to lower the vacancy rate, we’d be open to taking those suggestions. Thank you.
I thought that was almost a yes, but just a little ways away from making that final step.
Recently, we’re well aware that the government has been reaching out in Eastern Canada. We’re well familiar with the job fairs that happened throughout, looking for people to be hired. I don’t have the budget as an MLA or else I would do it, but what I’m asking for, is would the Minister look at maybe setting up sort of a working group, discussion group, some public outreach as to what people see as some of the challenges for northern employment? I won’t go through them all. I’ve said pay and benefits, affirmative action, recruitment methods, housing, child care is very important. All of these things are very important. We need citizen feedback because we can’t keep doing it the same way we’ve done it before. Would the Minister commit to taking this initiative on?
We have not had a discussion to bring people from outside the public service in to assist us with filling vacant positions. We do have staff in all of the regions. I suppose the first place that we would reach out to, if we wanted to try to come up with some more creative ideas, is maybe to ask the people in our regional office, talk to the citizens out there in the regions and then set something up here to have that discussion. To formalize something and create a committee or a board from outside the public service to consult with, I suppose if the committee members were to want the government or the Human Resources department to look at something like that, we would be prepared to look at something like that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not specific to the Minister, but I get worried because the government’s taking the approach, well, we’re running short of days. But the problem is the government marches on every day long beyond us, so the next group will be going on. It’s the same government, just different faces on the ministry.
This initiative is very important, so I’m going to ask clearly, what can the Minister do? It may not be fully completed by the end of this term, but what can we get on the ground, up and running today? You know, what can we do? Because we’re still working until the end of our term, so let’s make sure we are working as hard as we can.
So I ask the Minister, what can he do to ensure we can get some proper citizen feedback, whether it’s an ad or it’s a little bit of radio, whatever the case? Because we’re willing to spend thousands of dollars for sure on these campaigns, reaching all over Canada and the world, but let’s get some good genuine feedback from our citizens who live here. Thank you.
We know that just in general we have very high employment rates here in the city. I would be prepared to deal with the Members, like, the committee. If the Members were to go through committee and ask that we develop something that we could discuss to try to decrease the vacancy rates across the GNWT, we would be prepared to look at that, but I think it has to come from committee.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 8, written questions. Mr. Beaulieu.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
---Unanimous consent granted
This week we have a new Chipewyan interpreter in the House who I will be recognizing on Friday along with the Pages from Tu Nedhe and also the veteran interpreter. Today I would like to recognize one of the interpreter’s sons, who is a constituent of mine, Rodney Lockhart.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I’d like to welcome everybody again and thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings here today.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 19, 2015, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that the Government of the Northwest Territories investigate the best way to implement a lobbyist registry that is publicly accessible via the Internet;
And further, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Motion 34-17(5), Workplace Safety at Stanton Territorial Hospital. As this motion has now been called twice and not proceeded with, it shall be dropped from the orders of the day, but it may be restored after due notice. Thank you, colleagues.
Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 38, An Act to Amend the Jury Act; Bill 41, An Act to Amend the Partnership Act; Committee Report 10-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories; and Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.
Good afternoon, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will continue with TD 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016, with the Department of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll commence after a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
I will call the House back to order. The committee has agreed that we are to proceed with the estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. At this time, I would like to ask Minister Abernethy if he would like to deliver his opening remarks.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the 2015-2016 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. Overall, the department’s estimates propose an increase of $14.9 million, or 3.8 percent, over the 2014-2015 estimates.
One of the highlights of the estimates is new operational funding for a long-term care facility in Norman Wells as part of the ongoing implementation of our strategic framework, Our Elders, Our Communities.
This budget supports continued work to bring all health and social services authorities onto common information platforms and allow them to access support from the Technology Service Centre and continued implementation of the Health and Social Services Information Systems Service Centre. This work is critical as we move to a one-system approach for the delivery of health and social services across the NWT and to delivering improved care.
The one-time costs associated with our move to one system are supported until 2017-2018 by the Territorial Health Investment Fund from Health Canada. In 2015-2016 the department will continue with detailed organizational design and the analysis of the financial implications of transitioning the system, including looking at the costs and implications of bringing on the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority into the public service.
Funding is proposed to support expansion of the Midwifery Program and we are working closely with the Standing Committee on Social programs to explore opportunities to advance the design of a territorial program in 2015-2016.
Access to health and social services in French is being expanded with seven new positions being recruited this spring to support services in communities, a toll-free information line, more French language materials and the provision of interpretation services by phone.
Over $6 million in new funding is included in this budget for salary increases for employees and physicians in accordance with our obligations under the respective collective agreements.
The budget includes funding for improved air ambulance services with newer and more advanced aircraft and equipment and faster response times to communities with shorter runways.
The proposed Department of Health and Social Services estimates continue to support the priorities of the 17th Assembly. The main estimates include specific activities in support of these priorities.
We will continue to partner with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to provide early childhood development options for families. A social marketing campaign will be launched this year. New funding in 2015-2016 will support early intervention for at-risk families with pilot programs in three regions proposed to be delivered this year.
We will continue to implement Building Stronger Families, the Child and Family Services Action Plan, and will focus on developing new tools and training to support families through a flexible response approach.
That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. At this time I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.
I would, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Is committee agreed?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.
Minister Abernethy, for the record, could you please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to introduce, on my left, Jeannie Mathison, director of finance – you’ll notice I got it right this time – and Debbie DeLancey, deputy minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. I will now open the floor for general comments on the Department of Health and Social Services. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I do want to say to the Minister that we certainly look forward to the long-term care facility in the Sahtu. It’s going to be located in Norman Wells and also the new health care centre. We’ll continue to look forward to the implementation more so that the staff who are going to be filling those positions working with Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College to get the message out there that there are opportunities for people in the Sahtu region and the North with regard to staffing that facility. There are spinoffs to having a facility such as a long-term care centre that not only looks at the career opportunities for people but also for business opportunities for housing and housing staff members who will come into the centre.
I look forward to the department’s persistent push to make sure that we have proper spaces there for workers in the town of Norman Wells and that we provide every opportunity for our people to take advantage of the jobs that will be happening there, whether it be maintenance, personal care workers or the profession of nurses, doctors or specialists. The spinoffs are going to be felt by the region.
I do want to say to the Minister that we look forward to this opportunity to be beneficial. Many times we have all good intentions and they don’t quite pan out to what they want them to be, for whatever reason. Someone drops a ball, we call it. We are hoping, and I am thinking, this is a project that needs to be monitored and carefully nudged along its way where we will see workers go into the Inuvik Aurora College Campus and start training for 10 months, so when the facility opens there are opportunities for personal care workers. That’s the target group we are looking for right now to fill those positions in the Sahtu region.
I do want to say, Madam Chair, that the issue, and I’m going to raise it at a different time again, I’m just going to highlight it in my comments to the Minister on having a program, or developing a program, creating a program, whatever, to have former students of residential school survivors get into a program. I’m starting to hear more and more when I get back to the Sahtu, specifically in Norman Wells, where the residential school clients are coming to the town of Norman Wells to seek counselling. What I’m hearing from the service providers is that they are having a difficult time sending these clients out to a treatment centre. I’m working with some of the Members on this side to see what we can do, because even a couple weeks ago before coming back to this Assembly I was told that the counsellor had to turn away clients who were requesting to go into a treatment program. It’s frustrating for me, it’s frustrating for the clients and it’s really frustrating for the counsellor because the funding for counseling comes from Health Canada.
One of the issues, I understand, is that Health Canada closed its file. Ethically, morally, the counsellor can’t do that, out of good judgment, can’t close a file on its client knowing darn well that this client needs to be in a treatment program. You know, they just can’t close the file on that. That’s like putting your head in the sand and saying there are no issues here.
So they’re in a real struggle and I’m hoping that within the life of this government, the Minister directs his department to say what can be done about this issue, given that we have, as Minister Lafferty indicated, an inventory. There are 5,500 residential school survivors. If you somewhat have an understanding of the life of a survivor in one of these institutions, you’ll see the type of behaviours that come out of the experience of residential school survivors.
So I’m hoping that there is some movement with the Nats’ejee K’eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Dene Reserve as a possible place. We have northern people here that can put together a good, dynamic treatment program. We have the expertise, we have the people and we need to look at something like this. I’m hoping that this department, and this is the only issue I’m talking about, Madam Chair, many in the Health department, but this is the one that’s most pressing, the one that’s right up against our faces as politicians, as leaders in the Sahtu. What do we do, given the complexity of the issue and not blaming the system or the people, whatever, whatever? There are people there that need help and we’re not there. We’re saying go back to the community and get treatment or get help. But look in our communities. How many mental health workers are there in the Sahtu? How many social workers are there in the Sahtu? How many clients do they have? They’re either not there or we’ve worked them out and they’re too tired. We know that. We’re tight everywhere.
So I’m saying that we have the expertise, we have the people, we have the places, surely, surely we can come up with the money. This government has done it before, but that’s the challenge. That’s why you’re the Minister. That’s why we have departments. I don’t have the staff and I don’t have the staff to phone around Canada and say, what kind of treatment centres are out there? Can we look at one?
I’m saying there’s eight months. We have to have something to help them. I know I’m making a plea here, Mr. Minister, and I’m hoping that we can come up with something. We have eight months. Do we continue to let this go and not do anything? How do you work it? We have to think really outside the box on this issue, really, it’s a real challenge. That means challenging your staff, challenging your workers. What is it? Is it the system? Is it the money? What is it? That’s why we hire them, to do work for us, work for the people. That’s the only thing I can think of.
So I’m really making a plea and I know you’ve got some real smart people over there and we need the help. So I’m challenging your department to come to some form or way to help our survivors.
That is only one of many. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Would the Minister like to respond to Mr. Yakeleya’s comments?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d be happy to, but are we going to follow the same protocol we have with other departments that we go through the Members, a couple of them and then come back? Or is there a preference on how we move forward?
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. There’s been some discussion around the best way to go and I think the consensus of the Regular Members at our last discussion was that they would like to have one set of general comments with the response from the Minister in between before the next Member speaks. So I know we did try that three and one on one department, but it would appear that people would rather have their comments responded to individually. Thank you, Mr. Abernethy.
