Masi. Colleagues, I'd like to draw your attention to the public in the gallery. We have Madame Josee Clermont, who is the director general of College nordique here with us. She has been monitoring our budget debates and she'll be here during the deliberation of Education, Culture and Employment. Thanks for being here. Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement I spoke about the importance of transparency and consulting with residents about the important issue of fracking. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise what research the department is doing to learn more about the potential impacts of fracking, in other words, have we or are we conducting any reviews or studies to consider the risks of hydraulic fracturing in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government has been conducting research in the 16th and 17th Assemblies and working very closely with the standing committee on economic development. They went and did several site visits where fracking was happening and I think we have gained a much better understanding. Responsible resource development, including oil and gas development, could be a major component of the Northwest Territories economy. We have substantial resources and reserves and it could be essential to creating a prosperous sustainable future for our residents. There is no oil and gas development or exploration going on at this time. We expect that it will be at least ten years perhaps when there would be any exploration. We certainly have the time to get it right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his reply. As I noted in my Member's statement today, although the oil and gas exploration seems to have subsided, it is certainly the time to engage in the public consultation in my view and I think in the view of my colleagues. Second question, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister: is the Minister or has the Minister been willing to seek advice from industry experts, stakeholders, NGOs, and other knowledgeable officials from other jurisdictions with experience in regulation of fracking?
In response to priorities laid out by the 18th Legislative Assembly the Government of the Northwest Territories has committed to advancing a review of the Petroleum Resources Act and the Oil and Gas Operations Act and the regulations associated with it. We recognize that people want more time to think about how our resources are best managed and developed. This engagement also ties in with the work we are doing to develop a Northwest Territories Oil and Gas Strategy which will not only help us to unlock the petroleum potential of the Northwest Territories but to do so in a way that is environmentally responsible and benefits our communities. Through our work to develop a NWT Oil and Gas Strategy, we have been guided by engagement with communities, territorial stakeholders, leaders, subject matter experts, Aboriginal groups, industry, and the public.
I appreciate the Minister's reply again, but I am wondering again could the Minister explain how the department is planning to develop and encourage public input into hydraulic fracturing in the NWT? Some more specifics would be appreciated, and in particular I'd like to ask how the department plans to bring industry into this public debate?
Between April and June 2015 the departments of ITI, Environment and Natural Resources, and Lands conducted 14 public engagement sessions in 12 communities throughout the territory hearing input from residents, businesses and industry about the proposed regulations. Residents are also able to submit comments by mail and email. What we heard is there's a lot of education required on this matter and we will certainly engage industry and also as we go out and conduct a review of our Oil and Gas Operations Act and Petroleum Resources Act and develop our Oil and Gas Strategy.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question to the Minister: will the Minister after this engagement commit to developing a public report that includes the recommendations, advice, and opinions shared by experts, other jurisdictions, and the public? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the 17th Assembly the standing committee on economic development after touring several fracking regions did release a report with quite a number or recommendations. We expect that what we would do is through the review of the Oil and Gas Operations Act and the Petroleum Resources Act we would deal with the issues and we expect the public to raise their concerns with regards to hydraulic fracking.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the misfortune to encounter two severely intoxicated homeless people engaged in a vicious brawl here on the grounds of the Legislative Assembly, no less. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common sight here on the streets of Yellowknife and Yellowknifers have had enough. I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for Homelessness, what is the plan to address the severe need to do something about the homelessness problem here in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi. Minister responsible for Homelessness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, coming into work today encountered two individuals out back who were intoxicated; however, even though my history has been 20 years working with homeless people, I for one cannot attest that those two individuals were actually homeless people. I'm not sure if what we were seeing was public drunkenness, loitering, or homelessness. I often think that sometimes people see them all and just automatically claim homelessness which is actually an insult to people. What is our plan for moving forward? As Members know, we did have a community forum here in Yellowknife. Out of that forum, we developed two committees. One committee is looking at policies that impede people from accessing housing supports, government supports actually, and the other committee is led by the City of Yellowknife, and they'll be looking at all of the recommendations brought forward by that committee and bring it in timelines. Not only was that forum done, we also sent out a letter as well asking for input towards that. More than 65 recommendations will be reviewed by the City. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for her answer. Of course as the Minister knows, the point in time survey undertaken by the City of Yellowknife showed that on a per capita basis we have a significant problem in this community as large the City of Toronto, so I think it's safe to say much of what we see is in fact part of this issue. We've heard of these two working groups and the recommendations, but we have yet to know how that's going to take shape. How will these working groups… Or recommendations… How many chronic homeless persons will be housed as a result of these recommendations?
The actual amount of homeless people within Yellowknife is really a hard number to pin down, as I've stated before; however, the City of Yellowknife did do a point-in-time survey last year and they figure that 139 people were actually homeless within the city. I, of course, based on personal experience, would beg to differ. How many people are we going to help within the next time? When I was elected as Regular MLA and as Minister, my commitment was to listen, and I have listened to the MLAs within the Yellowknife region. A couple of our MLAs, Yellowknife MLAs, have been really adamant and said you need to work with Housing First, you need to partner with the City of Yellowknife. In fact, I was even accused that if I didn't do that, I was not doing my job, quotations. Well, I've listened to the Yellowknife MLAs and we are going to partner with the City of Yellowknife in their Housing First endeavour, and we are going to move ahead with the emergency shelters as well and they're semi-independent. With the City of Yellowknife, the partnership that the Yellowknife MLAs really advocated for, we would be housing one person for this fiscal year. With the semi-independent housing options that we've done with the emergency shelters, we will be housing 30 people within this fiscal year. Together we will be housing a minimum of 31 people this fiscal year.
Those are interesting numbers. Again, my question was focused on chronic homeless people, which Housing First is designed to address. How much is this plan going to cost? Let's talk about chronic homelessness, not those in need of shelter, but chronic homeless people use 51 per cent of our emergency services and are a huge cost to the taxpayer. How much are we contributing and paying to make sure this plan works and that we can get that number higher than one?
All of the people that I'm talking about are actually chronic homeless. Within the partnership with the City of Yellowknife, they will be housing one chronic homeless person. They have $240,000 to put to the table for this initiative this year. As well, the GNWT is putting forward $150,000 to help them with this, for a total $390,000. For the 30 rooms that we're going to do, the semiindependent with the emergency shelters which are also working on a Housing First model, in fact, actually went down south to study the model, we will spend less than three times the amount, a onetime funding of $600,000 maximum for the 30 people.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister advise on a timeline for this plan to roll out and when we can expect to see the results and evaluate our success? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As stated, we are partnering with the City of Yellowknife on the strong advocacy of the couple of Yellowknife MLAs. Their RFP just closed today. We are not sure when it will be done, but they have promised us that their one individual will be housed within this fiscal year. As for the 30 individuals that we are working with, the construction will begin this summer, and, before the winter, that construction will be finished.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, followup to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Education. I would like to ask the Minister: will the Minister be in support of removing the two buildings for a cultural area in Aklavik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question was brought up from the Member, and we have the department looking into it. We're also waiting for the Beaufort Delta Education Council to receive a request from the school. I encourage the Member and the staff at Moose Kerr School in Aklavik to talk with the education council as well as the education authority to see about getting that process moved. We obviously want to support the cultural activities in the small communities, all communities, in the Northwest Territories, and I encourage the Member to speak with the staff to bring that request forward. We’ll take the appropriate steps when we do receive that request. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, many times when we speak about any buildings on the premises in the area of the school, it's a shared interest, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these buildings are a combination of both education and public works. I'd like to ask the Minister: will the Minister work with the Minister of Public Works as they have a shared interest in these two buildings?
When it comes to governmentowned buildings, we definitely always work with the Minister of Public Works and Services to ensure that they are demolished in a safe manner and, if there's any other environmental issues with it, that we do it the proper way, so, definitely, once we get the request in and start working on it.
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, these buildings were built in the ‘60s and ‘70s, well before DEAs were established, Mr. Speaker, so I don't think it would be proper that the DEA was to have to pay for this. Will the Minister reassure me that the department will pick up the cost for the removal of these two buildings?
As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, we're just waiting for the request, see what the cost will be, and we'll wait until the staff at Moose Kerr School brings it to the department, and we'll take it from there.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, I said I was going to address the questions around the summer student program. The summer student program, as you know, is a vital backbone to the next generation accumulating and generating their education to further seek their career of choices. As mentioned earlier, they face many challenges, and it's always comforting to know that, when they do come back home, this government is trying every which way to assist. I would like to ask the Minister responsible: what initiatives are under way for this current summer program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as always, the Department of Human Resources has set up the Summer Student Employment Program whereby we ask students to provide us with their resumes. We include them in a database which is shared with departments. Ultimately, the hiring of summer students is a department responsibility, each one of the individual departments. We do collect those resumes. When the departments indicate that they have a need, we forward the resumes that meet the job criteria that they're looking for, and we actually help facilitate the hire, but the hires are actually, ultimately, the responsibility of the individual departments. To support some of the departments, we do have the summer student Related Experience Program where we do provide some financial assistance to the departments to offset some of the costs of hiring summer students, and we also facilitate the Related Experience Program offered through health and social services. There's a number of things we do to support departments, but, ultimately, the hiring of summer students is the responsibility of the individual departments, boards, and agencies of the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Looking at the latest report results on the numbers that show that the program is working, and I want to commend the Minister responsible for that. As I recall, some weeks ago or at the last session here that the Minister made a point in saying that the numbers were going to be met or increased from last year. This year, we're still below. When I look at the some of the larger centres, they are quite very high compared to the smaller areas, so would the Minister improve, by working with the regional leadership and the school principals or superintendents, to develop and increase those numbers in the smaller areas?
Once again, the individual departments, boards, and agencies are responsible for hiring summer students. On Friday, the Premier of the Northwest Territories did send a letter to all of the Ministers as well as the deputy ministers, directing them to hire more summer students. Our numbers are a little bit lower than they were last year. Currently, we have 217 summer students hired. Last year at this time, we had 273. By the end of the year, we had about 341. The Premier has already given direction to have all the departments hire more students to try and get us closer to the number where we were last year.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On my last visit home, I had the opportunity of talking about this issue with Imperial Oil, a large employer in Normal Wells, and they reinstated their program. At the time here, they had five students. Looking at the numbers here, this government has five students. I think there's room for improvement. Would the Minister target for ten by the end of this session?
Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. Last year by this time, we had hired four summer students in Norman Wells. This year, we've already hired five summer students in Norman Wells, so we're a little ahead of where we were, but we're on par for where we were by the end of the year. I have already directed my departments, Human Resources and Health and Social Services, to hire as many students as they can. There has to be meaningful work. They can't just be hired to sit around an office and do nothing. There has to be work for them to do. I have directed my two departments to hire the same number or more than they did last year, and I know that the Premier has already given that direction to the other Ministers, to hire as many summer students as they did last year. They will be moving forward trying to hire as many as they can.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Would the Minister agree to hiring 15?
Laughter
Mr. Speaker, I can't speak on behalf of the other departments. The other departments have to look at their budgets. They have to look at their workload. They have already been encouraged by the Premier to hire as many students as they can, with a focus on getting in as many hired as we had last year.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, I talked about TB, and my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: currently, how many known cases of TB are there in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of 2016, we have two active cases of TB and one pending. We have two confirmed and one possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
