Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the safety of our school children, that is a priority of this department, working with the DEAs and DECs. The Safe and Caring Schools Initiative, obviously supporting schools and teachers in developing tools needed to create such an environment and we do also have a working group. It deals with all the partners, the parents, the educators, administrators in our school system. Even at the DEAs and DECs and they also work very closely with all the education authorities to make sure that they’re complying with all the safety rules and regulations.
So it is a factor that’s in place and we’re fully supportive of that. Mahsi.
Parents play a key role in accountability when it comes to bullying. Can the Minister indicate how does his department ensure the accountability of parents preventing bullying in our schools? Thank you.
Mahsi. As I stated, the parents are also engaged when it comes to bullying because they need to be involved, they need to be engaged and there is a standard process that’s in play with the DECs and DEAs. Whenever there is a bullying incident that happens, we involve the parents, we involve the educators, the community members, even the community leaders to that matter.
So those are just some of the processes that we are currently following, and we provide resources to the school boards as well. Some of the resources, obviously, are Creating a safe School Environment, some of the pamphlets…(inaudible)…for online training. So, those are just some of the key aspects of how we want to deal with the bullying in our school system. Mahsi.
Bullying takes on many different forms. Can the Minister elaborate what his department has done to deal with bullying involving students with special needs and gender specific situations? Thank you.
We’ve worked with various experts throughout Canada, even internationally, working with a national expert such as Ray Hughes, very known as an expert in this field. Part of the programming that is taught in our schools is to help young people to learn and also work with others within the school system to deal with the bullying and to address issues that are also related to part of the gender issues. So, we work very closely with those experts in their fields. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the last recommendations of standing committee on bullying, back in 2013, was to have the department to immediately, and I stress the word “immediately” work on a broader anti-bullying legislation that addresses bullying in general society and cyberspace. Basically beyond the classroom.
Can the Minister give us a progress update to this committee recommendation? Thank you.
Mahsi. The new legislation has amended sections 34 and 45 of the Education Act to require educators and school administrators to strengthen policies and procedures, a law that involves bullying and safety. That’s the very reason why we’ve developed a Safe and Caring Schools Initiative and having the DEAs and DECs having their own protocols, having their own policies and regulations to deal with their discipline as well.
When it comes to bullying, it is a priority of this government and we continue to push that forward with all the education bodies across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I was having a chat with my 25-year-old daughter the other day and not that she was a top student, but she was bemoaning the fact to me that she’s 25 years old, she’s a young adult, she’s living here in the North and she doesn’t know much about savings, budgeting, credit, banking and that she feels that she should have maybe learned something about that in school. Now, I know there’s a role for parents to play, too, in teaching these things, but I’d like seriously to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, is there anything in the curriculum of our high schools where students learn about financial management? Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This has been brought to our attention from some of the parents who want their child to be fully aware of financial awareness. Based on that, we’ve been dealing with our DEAs and DECs. If they haven’t provided an actual curriculum relating to the fiscal outlook, the financial management, time management, those are areas that we talk about, CALM class. We have some of the communities that do the program delivery of CALM class, a career and life choice management course that’s also taught in our high schools. So that is an area that students can take on courses to learn life management. So, we know that we need to do more and I’m open to some ideas on how to deal with those issues. Mahsi.
Thank you. I just think that we have a really golden opportunity with our young people in the school system to learn something about this, because it is a life skill that is extremely important and will stand them in good stead as they go out into the work world.
Has the Department of Education ever considered inviting banking institutions into the school where they could also provide some information and perhaps help students with something like setting up bank accounts? I know there aren’t banks in every community; but there is online banking and most kids these days have access to the Internet.
So I’d like to ask the Minister, have they ever thought about involving any of the major banks in coming and doing some awareness and some teaching and perhaps even helping young people set up accounts? Thank you..
Obviously this is an excellent idea. Even when I was in high school, we had different professionals coming to the community, for example, bankers, talking about accounting. This is an area I need to share with the DEAs and DECs. It’s their school, as well, and I need to work with them. I’m sure they will be more than receptive because they are always looking for ideas on how we can have educational awareness around accounting, around banking. I’m glad the Member has given us some ideas that we can generate within DECs and DEAs. I will be bringing that to their attention. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are following up on my Member’s statement for Minister Miltenberger, Environment and Natural Resources. It is anticipated by mushroom experts that this summer’s harvest of morels will be the largest ever, this spring’s harvest. The industry that last year brought in a few million dollars is set to bring in exponentially more and perhaps for years to come.
Can the Minister indicate what plans are underway to capitalize on this renewable resource harvesting opportunity? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are going to build off of the work that was done last summer as we started to mobilize to be more efficient, organized and coordinated with morel mushrooms. Just today we have a legislative proposal to make a modest amendment to the Forestry Act that would give authority to do the work and address some of the issues that the Member raised. That will be making its way to committee. If there is willingness, we can get that operational by May. The Member raises good points about timeliness. We are also at work in terms of policies and regulations, one way or the other that will go into place, but it’s getting them out in time. So that work between ENR and ITI and with MACA is underway. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. It sounds like he heard my Member’s statement. I appreciate that. We have a challenge here and I’m just wondering what the Minister’s early thinking is on handling it, given that these things need to be in place in the communities, available in the communities and so on. Thank goodness it’s an electronic age, I guess. By May 1st, that’s about seven weeks from now. Is this doable, and if it isn’t, how will the Minister handle that situation? Will there be a phase-in period or something? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we believe it’s doable. Whether it will be fully operational with everything that needs to be done is an issue of some debate, but we do commit to getting the work done. We will be better than last year. If we get that legislative change through, it will allow us to really structure ourselves over the next few years as we rewrite the Forestry Act in its entirety. Thank you.
I know the Minister is aware that we are in a vulnerable situation. We don’t want to undermine the industry from the very start, so I’m sure there will be sensitivity to that. While most of our mushrooms are world-class, clean and safe to eat, some areas that have been tested showed high concentrations of contaminants. Areas near Tibbitt Lake and west of Yellowknife, for example, may not be safe. World markets will test morels from the NWT as they have done in the past. Findings of contaminated morels would make it hard for the mushroom industry to rebound from the negative publicity. This has happened in areas of the world too.
Does the Minister have any plans in place to test mushrooms and soil and to restrict harvesting in areas that could present a health hazard? Mahsi.
My understanding is that, in fact, not a lot of jurisdictions set themselves up to regulate the mushroom market after fires. So we are looking at some places like, I believe, Alaska, but there aren’t a lot of best practices out there.
The issue of contaminated soils, I have to commit to the Member that I will follow up with the department to see what the intention is in the areas around Yellowknife that the Members have highlighted so that we, in fact, avoid issues if we’re going to get into this in a big way of having one batch of contaminated mushrooms possibly ruin the market for the whole Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that commitment. In fact, it’s because jurisdictions are not doing the testing that the industry now does it because they’re liable, of course.
Let me see if I can get this right. There is a portable, high quality X-ray florescence, XRF, high count rate DELTA Premium heavy metal analyzer available that can answer the Minister’s needs. It provides a response on what the contaminant load is within a few minutes at 95 percent accuracy. It’s available from Vancouver for $40,000 U.S., and it takes four to six weeks to be on site. Now, we would need this in the order of seven to nine weeks from today.
I’m wondering if the Minister would also commit to looking into that modest investment for this potentially very large industry and resolving things just like that.
If the Member can rattle off that name without looking at his paper again, I will commit to looking at that. All joking aside, I will add that to the list that I have to follow up on with the department. Though, I would be interested to see if the Member could actually rattle that name off without looking at that paper.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services, and I wanted to ask some questions about the Mental Health Act. We have on our Order Paper the first reading of a bill that’s coming up. We’ve also been hearing from the Minister for quite some time that the Mental Health Act is under revision. It seems to be an extremely long time coming. Certainly, the standing committee has been looking at it for over a year. I’d like to ask the Minister, first of all, to give us an update on where the development of a new Mental Health Act is at this point.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The current Mental Health Act is quite old, quite outdated. It’s truly not meeting the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories. Moving forward with the Mental Health Act, the department released a discussion paper in November 2013 for review by residents of the Northwest Territories. From May to June 2014, the department consulted with key stakeholders on the proposed Mental Health Act as well as the discussion papers. In November we received the LP back from committee which gave us the ability to move forward and develop drafting instructions with the input of committee, because they had an opportunity to review the discussion papers and hear much of the input. Once we got the input from the Members through the LP, we prepared the drafting instructions. Those drafting instructions have gone to the Department of Justice and the legislation is currently being drafted.
This is a massive piece of legislation. It’s not an amendment; it’s a brand new piece of legislation. As we are moving forward we had said and indicated that this will take 10 to 12 months, once we get the LP back, to actually go through the drafting process. This is a priority of mine; this is a priority of government; and I know it’s a priority of Members. We’re committed to trying and working really hard to have that legislation ready for the May/June sitting.
Right now, I have regular conversations with the Department of Health, and I’ve got commitment from the Minister of Justice to commit resources to this project to get it done by May/June. But we’re working on a tight deadline and we’re trying to get 10 to 12 months’ worth of work done in six months. I’m optimistic that we can do it and we’re hopeful to have the legislation in front of this House in May/June. There is a chance it may not happen, and if it doesn’t happen, I’ve committed to tabling the document in the life of this Assembly so that other people can start looking at it and reviewing it in anticipation of passing it in the 18th Assembly. But my preference, the preference of Cabinet is to get that piece of legislation done for the May/June sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for that long answer, good answer. The Minister mentioned that drafting instructions were given to the legislative drafters. One of the major concerns that I think all of us have with regards to certain patients is that they go off their meds and they create dangerous situations for themselves and for other people, family, public and so on.
I’d like to know from the Minister what was in the drafting instructions that he gave to the legislative drafters that will look at that problem in terms of clients and patients who create dangers for themselves and the public. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in looking at what other jurisdictions are doing to address this exact problem, there are actually models out there where we can do this exact thing. Individuals who have come in for psychiatric assessment or a diagnosis who are on medications, who are in our system, we can work with them to sign that release document that will allow them to leave our facilities, on the understanding that they will take the medications on a regular basis. If they don’t, then we can look at working with them to bring them back in the facility.
It’s a complicated piece of legislation. It’s going to take a lot of work, and it’s going to take a complete rewrite to get us to the position where we’ll be able to do that. There is no simple fix for this. This takes a massive undertaking to make this happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks again to the Minister. Another concern that arises when you talk about someone who is going to be a danger and they are then admitted, whether they want to be or not, into a psychiatric facility, there’s a certain human rights issue there, people being held potentially against their will.
How will the new act address that? How will it look at having people admitted who don’t necessarily want to be but need to be? Thank you.
There’s always going to be a high standard required, both medically and legally, to involuntarily commit an individual. Our current act is really vague in this particular area, and the drafting instructions are to look at the other jurisdictions and find ways to enhance that, recognizing that we do have to be incredibly careful so that we don’t infringe on individuals’ human rights.
But there is precedent out there. There is legislation out there. We’re looking at making a complete change to our Mental Health Act.
As I said, barring any unforeseen complications, we’re hoping and anticipating we’ll get that in May/June. If we can’t, we’ll certainly be tabling it in the fall sitting, as I’ve indicated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a question as to process. If the bill is not ready for tabling in May/June, it then will not be able to go through our process before the Assembly is dissolved and an election takes place. So when the Minister says he’s tabling, maybe he could explain what that means.
What is he tabling and what does that mean in terms of a bill coming forward and actually processing through and getting passed at some point? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as I’ve indicated, we’ve always been fairly clear that the legislation is going to take about 10 to 12 months to conclude, once we have received the LP back. The LP came back in November, which leaves us about just over six months to May/June. Recognizing the importance of this legislation, the Minister of Justice has committed staff and I’ve committed staff to make this happen for May/June. So that’s six months’ work in 10 months.
We’re working like crazy to make this happen, and it’s our hope that it will happen. We’re intending to actually introduce the bill for first reading and second reading, not table it in May/June, but first reading and second reading in May/June.
If, unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances like we have to rewrite a whole lot of regulations or one of our staff members happens to get ill and isn’t able to continue with the file, we may not finish in May/June. If that happens, our intention is to table the document in the August or fall sitting, which will make this a public document so all residents in the Northwest Territories will be able to review, read and discuss this legislation. Discussion can begin at that point. At which point, early in the 18th Assembly, whoever the Minister of Health and Social Services happens to be, he can bring that forward at the first sitting for first reading and second reading and then begin the normal 120-day process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. Colleagues, before I go on, I would like to welcome my daughter Kristin Jacobson to the Assembly today.
I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Natural Resources Conservation Trust Fund Annual Report 2013-2014” and “Waste Reduction and Recovery Program 2013-2014 Annual Report.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 9, 2015, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, pursuant to Rule 88(1), the Legislative Assembly hereby establish a Special Committee on Transition Matters;
And further, that the following Members be named to the special committee:
the Member for Sahtu, Mr. Norman Yakeleya, chair;
the Member for Hay River North, Mr. Robert Bouchard;
the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Alfred Moses;
the Member for Kam Lake, Mr. David Ramsay;
the Member for Range Lake, Mr. Daryl Dolynny; and
the Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Tom Beaulieu;
And furthermore, that the Special Committee on Transition Matters be established by the terms of reference, identified as Tabled Document 211-17(5). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. 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 12, Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act; Bill 36, Health and Social Services Professions 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; Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016; Tabled Document 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015; Tabled Document 206-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015; and Tabled Document 207-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
Good afternoon, Members. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee today? Ms. Bisaro.
