I’m not sure if the Member is asking during the time the moratorium was in effect. If that is her question, then I would commit to her that I will follow up with the department to see the number of applications we may have had and for what particular reason. I will share it with the Members in this Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister: My question was not about during the moratorium period, but at any time.
What are the reasons that people are asking for leases for land within the moratorium area? My understanding is it is only ever for a cabin or hunting and fishing leases.
So, I’d like to ask the Minister if he could explain to me why he will not recognize, as I mentioned in my statement, that this is a significantly different request for a land lease. This is not a cabin or a hunting and fishing lease.
Why will he not help a motivated, ready-to-go-to-work organization and people get started on their project by approving this lease as an exception to the current moratorium? Thank you.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet with this group and I saw first-hand their commitment and their passion. However, this area is within the focus area and I do not wish to consider making an exception to one group. If I do that, then I may have a number of applications coming forward saying, “You make an exception for one group or organization or person, you can make an exception for me.” What that would do is open the door and that will go against all the work we are trying to do.
So again, I saw their commitment and passion first-hand and I commend them for that, but this is work that we anticipate to have done by mid-2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Is the Minister aware of the wide range of financial literacy courses available through the Junior Achievement Program?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do provide financial literacy programs through our high school programming. Part of that is Grade 10 in career and life management studies and grades 10 to 12 financial management, career and technology studies. These are just some of the areas that we are currently delivering in our high schools.
Not only that but we’ve reached out to community learning centres, as well, across the Northwest Territories to deliver financial literacy, and also through different departments, such as career development officers, client service officers and probation officers. Those are some of the case officers that also went through the process and delivered the financial literacy courses in the regions and all the communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I’m going to ask the Minister again, is he aware of the wide range of financial literacy available through the Junior Achievement Program? Is the Minister willing to support a pilot project in the upcoming school year where the Junior Achievement volunteers – not paid, volunteers – offer courses to elementary or high school students? Because the Sahtu Educational Board wants this program to know what the Minister is talking. We want a Grade 8 program. Is the Minister willing to look at that?
I wasn’t aware of the new program that’s out there. If the Member is willing to share that information, by all means, we can certainly look at it. Mahsi.
At one time this Junior Achievement Program did operate in the Northwest Territories and they stopped. Now the president of the program from northern Alberta NWT chapter of Junior Achievement has confirmed they are not currently, but they want to be, involved again in the Northwest Territories. So I’m glad that the Minister has indicated…
Will he direct his staff to contact the Northern Alberta and NWT Chapter of Junior Achievement and start kicking up the dust so that we can have a pilot project in the Northwest Territories? We have a volunteer here in the Northwest Territories willing to do that type of work. Will the Minister commit to this House that this will be done and prepared to look at it for the fall session of school for the kids?
We went through all the options that we have: career and life management studies, financial management, career technology course studies that we currently deliver to top it off with other programming. So we have to weigh our options, what’s the best way to deliver those financial literacy courses into communities, into regions. So by all means, if that information is shared with us, we can seriously look at it and see what options we can work with. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, our children today are challenged with financial literacy. There’s money coming out. It’s going to be a bigger issue for them if they do not have the financial literacy. I think it’s key in today’s world that we give the children the opportunity to learn how to work with money, otherwise we’ll continue to have poverty in the Northwest Territories. We have to do this for our children.
I want to ask the Minister again, you know, in regards to the financial literacy by this junior program. Is he going to be pushing strong, this department, this government, to look at volunteers – not paid, volunteers – to come into our schools and provide this free of charge in light of the financial restraint that our Finance Minister is telling us of? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When it comes to financial literacy, the courses that are being delivered in high school, the purpose of financial modules is to provide our residents with the knowledge, skills and abilities required to manage their finances from young adults right through retirement. Where Members were referring to providing tools to these individuals, we are currently providing those modules in our schools. There are 11 different modules, such as managing debt, mortgages, retirement, bank accounts, banking and credit. So these are some of the core courses we are currently delivering. At the same time, if there are other programming or courses that are available, such as Junior Achievement, we can look at it, as well, as part of our literacy course options into our school system.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Canadian citizens, residents of Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte have the ability to receive medically necessary services anywhere in the country that they wish. The NWT actually has a reciprocal billing arrangement with all the provinces and territories throughout the country under our obligations under the Canada Health Act. These agreements ensure that residents obtain medically necessary physician and hospital services when they are temporarily outside of the Northwest Territories without having to pay up front. This is true everywhere, with the exception of Quebec who will likely bill up front and then, through our reciprocal billing, we will reimburse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I think the Minister’s talking about someone who wanted to privately do it, but what we’re talking about is residents not having any confidence of using our health care in those smaller communities and it’s sad to say that, standing up here today. But the residents want to have an arrangement with BC Health and I think one of the barriers was the electronic medical records, so we’ve got that now.
I was wondering if the Minister can move forward with making an arrangement where residents of Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte can go to Fort Nelson for their health care needs. Thank you.
First and foremost we should be working with the residents of Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte to restore their confidence in the health care system. We are moving forward to make significant changes in how we provide services. I did have an opportunity to visit Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte and I have been working closely with the public administrator and CEO, trying to find ways to restore that confidence.
If somebody is sick, they should use the health centre. But as a resident of Canada, they do have the right to go wherever they chose and we do have reciprocal billing agreements.
Our challenge isn’t with our ability to ensure that those medically necessary services are paid for, because we have agreements in place. Our challenge is if an individual chooses, under their own choice, to go to, say, Fort Nelson for a doctor’s appointment and then that doctor in turn refers that person to home care or some other diagnostic process, they will often refer within their own system for which we don’t have reciprocal billing agreements. If somebody wants to receive home care and it’s ordered in BC but they want it delivered in Fort Providence, we actually have no records of that order actually taking place, which is, I think, the point the Member is trying to get to.
We need to make an arrangement with BC. But before we do that, we’re actually working on refreshing our agreements with Alberta and Nunavut and that’s going to help inform the discussions with BC, should we choose to go in that direction.
I’ve asked the department to complete a bit of a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether it’s actually going to be feasible to establish this specific service agreement for residents of the Deh Cho between the NWT and BC and that will also help inform the discussions. But in the meantime, somebody who wishes to go to BC will not be billed for medically necessary services.
I think the Minister touched briefly about one of the core issues. The core issue is that they’re being turned away from the health centres; they are being given aspirins and they don’t have the confidence to say… In fact, in a couple of cases – the Minister was there – we heard residents just say, “Okay, fine. I’ve got a sick child. I’m going to Fort Nelson to get my sick child’s needs taken care of.” That shouldn’t be, Mr. Speaker. Our health care system should pay attention to all of our constituents who are out there, take care of their needs, identify what exactly is the problem and that’s what I’m getting at. I’m talking about that they should be getting referred over to Fort Nelson for quicker attention and for their health needs. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I did visit Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte with the Member and we did actually have this conversation and we want to have the best health care possible here in the Northwest Territories. We want to make sure that when an individual goes into that Fort Liard Health Centre, they’re getting proper treatment and diagnosis and referral as appropriate. Currently, it’s a referral within the Northwest Territories or to Alberta, and as I indicated, we’re going to finish our work with Alberta and Nunavut which will help inform future discussions with BC.
But, Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, when we were in Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte, I asked those residents who were expressing their concerns to work with us. We have a quality assurance professional in each of the authorities who can help us make improvements within the local delivery systems and address those concerns that have been raised.
I strongly encourage residents who are having issues to please get in touch with the quality assurance staff in the Dehcho authority so we can look into the issues that the residents are bringing forth so we can fix them and work with the communities to restore the confidence in the system.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The residents, when I go there, speak loud and clear. In Slavey they say...[English translation not provided.]…and also they say…[English translation not provided.]…which means they’re not helping us and they’re not caring about us. That’s why they go into Fort Nelson.
If I can ask the Minister one last question, Mr. Speaker, can our health care care for these people in the smaller communities? There’s got to be a core issue there. Can we find out what that is? Mahsi.
All health and social services are available to all residents of the Northwest Territories. They don’t always occur in the community where somebody lives, but we have mechanisms to bring people to care or provide care by individuals coming in from time to time. We can meet the needs of our residents.
I recognize there are some challenges, but I would once again say, work with us. Get the Members who are having their concerns talk to the quality assurance so that we can investigate the individual issues to identify the root causes for some of these problems and work with the communities.
I’m committed to working with the communities to help restore confidence and bring back some confidence in the system for those communities where they’re struggling. I’ve made that commitment in Fort Liard. I made that commitment in Nahanni Butte. I’ve made the commitment to the Member. I’ve talked to the public administrator. We all want what’s best for the people of the Northwest Territories. We want best health, best care, for the best future here.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Blake.
In follow-up to my Member’s statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Justice. I’d like to ask the Minister, what is the holdup on having the RCMP spend the weekend in the community of Tsiigehtchic?
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Initially, there were some concerns about the accommodation. I am happy to say today in the House that we have worked with the NWT Housing Corporation. We’re in the process of installing a two-bedroom portable unit that will allow the RCMP to use it overnight for accommodations for its members who are on patrol in the community of Tsiigehtchic. We expect the installation to be complete and members able to overnight in the community this coming fall.
By the fall, I believe, is too late because by then we’ll have freeze-up. Just this week the ferry just went in in the community.
Why can’t we have this portable trailer in the community starting this summer?
We will do our best to ensure that that accommodation unit is in Tsiigehtchic at the earliest possible time. We’re looking at the fall. But if we can speed that up, we will do that. The RCMP made 21 patrols to Tsiigehtchic between January 1, 2015, and the end of April, and there were 14 calls for service in the community during that time.
We also have issues of nursing, and the department has been working with the community. Every fall and spring they send a nurse into the community to spend – whether it’s breakup or freeze-up – with the community.
Will the Minister work with that department to set up some sort of arrangement like that?
We can certainly have that discussion with the Department of Health and Social Services on coordinating times those services are provided in the community.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the press release issued recently by Northland Utilities, it identifies a number of government policies as a reason for the rate disparities in communities, particularly in Hay River and Fort Smith. It also states its willingness to meet with this government, NTPC and First Nation groups to discuss and fix these policies. Is the Premier prepared to do this?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we’re always prepared to meet with anybody who wants to meet with us.
Can the Premier explain why NTPC has been knowingly overcharging customers in Hay River power since 2008, and actually, looking at the records, overcharging them roughly $6 million in the last six years alone? Can the Premier explain that?
I’m not sure where he’s getting his numbers from but my understanding is it’s only a difference of one or two cents.
Everything is public record. The Minister of NTPC and the Premier have said many times during the session that the government has no intention to expropriate Northland Utilities from the NWT. It’s hard for me to believe that when this government has introduced government policy after government policy and has penalized Northland Utilities’ customers just because of who serves them. For example, when this government eliminated community-based rates and moved to seven rate zones in 2010, this government allowed NTPC to inappropriately transfer $4 million of its costs to Northland Utilities’ customers without any cause or reason.
Is the Premier ready to accept responsibility for Northland Utilities’ customers who are being overcharged on their power bills?
I’m not aware of these numbers that the Member is putting forward. I don’t know who’s feeding him this information, but if he sends it to us we will deal with it.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, public record. A number of government policies obviously exist to penalize Northland Utilities’ customers throughout the NWT. There seems to be very little action on the part of this government to do anything to fix these NTPC overcharges and disparities, given its recent directive to the PUB to not allow these disparities to be corrected.
Will this Premier meet with Northland Utilities and First Nation groups before the territorial election in November to speak about these specific policies and to work together to address them?
All of the rates that are approved have to go through the PUB process.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
