Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, I’m wondering if the Minister is planning a formal response to the document that he is tabling today. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re not planning a formal response to the document, but we do have a solid working relationship with the Seniors’ Society. We’ll continue working with the Seniors’ Society. Where appropriate and where it falls within our mandate, we’re absolutely willing to move forward on different initiatives identified within the framework that we’re tabling today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. One of the recommendations in this strategy that I want to highlight is to engage the government service officers, who are GNWT employees of course, in the communities as active champions in preventing the abuse of older adults. Is that an action that the Minister can commit to? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, those positions work for or are, rather, employed by the Department of the Executive, but the Department of the Executive has been engaged with the network, and the government services officers are their employees. The health and social services authority’s frontline staff works with the community level with our government services officers and understand and appreciate their role in assisting elders in accessing programs and services. , As part of implementing the screening tools, the Department of Health and Social Services will work with the Executive as well as the territorial health authority to lay out a plan for engaging government services officers in training sessions so that they are prepared to identify different programs and services for elders in their communities and to work as champions for residents, including seniors and elders throughout the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if she can explain how a family that has an adequate and suitable housing be in core need.
Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the “core need” definition, there are three aspects that are looked at, and so that is adequacy, as you stated, suitability, and the third piece is affordability. Some people will live in an adequate house that is suitable but still can’t afford to maintain that unit. That is the definition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask the Minister if she believes that the income support program can be used to eliminate core need.
I don’t think it’s a really easy answer to say that one program can actually eliminate core need, especially when you look at the core need does talk about adequacy and suitability as well as affordability. Income support does address some of the affordability issues, perhaps not all of them, especially in the market communities where our rents are so high. But adequacy and suitability are not areas that, in my opinion, income support would be addressing.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if the affordability issue stands alone in core need. According to the definition that’s in the Housing Corporation and even according to the definition of that with CMHC, they consider any one of the three to be core need. My question was: if you provide income, are you eliminating core need? That’s my question again. Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister believe that having an affordability only, without having a suitability or an adequacy issue, puts the person in core need?
I’m going to try to address the question, because I’m a bit confused on what the Member is asking. Yes, affordability can still maintain someone in core need because, again, we don’t have control over our market rents. Even if someone has a greatpaying job, there can still be affordability issues in the market housing that is available. Now, if somebody chooses to live in a house that is above their means, that’s a personal choice. But, as when it comes to normal market rents, there still will be affordability issues with people that work in the lowerincome positions.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for that response. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister believe that an individual that gets a goodpaying job can take themselves out of core need if they have a house that is not suitable and not adequate? Thank you.
Actually, this is one example that I can say yes, that money does fix all issues because, if you do have enough money, you can actually make sure that your house is suitable and adequate Yes, but it does come down to having the right financial capital to be able to make those changes.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Mr. Speaker. Today I have some questions for the Minister of Education about his efforts to meet the need for adequate and equitable school facilities for the students of Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du NordOuest. First of all, can the Minister tell us what specific actions his department has taken to acquire federal funding for the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr? What meetings, letters, phone calls, et cetera, have been made to Heritage Canada? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. On March 31st, we did send a letter to Minister Joly in regards to work that needs to be done on all schools throughout the Northwest Territories. We are working with Heritage Canada, putting together an application, actually, for Heritage Canada’s complementary funding and education program which supports the construction and expansion of community space and education institutions. As I mentioned, we did write a letter. I wrote Minister Joly in looking at possible funding supports that are available to minority language education, and later this week officials from both our departments will be sitting down discussing some of the matters moving forward and, hopefully, that we can looking at having a more formal meeting to discuss some of the issues here, in the Northwest Territories, specifically also on the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I do appreciate the response from the Minister, and I did give him a headsup because I’ve been requested to sort of follow-up on this matter by the commission. The commission, itself has undertaken efforts to persuade federal officials, including the Heritage Canada Minister, to provide additional funds for the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr, but the response from the federal Minister was that CSFT and all the commissions scolaires need to go back to GNWT and get them to make the request for additional funding. We’re sort of running around here. I understand from the Minister that he’s starting to pursue this. This is great. I think it’s an issue where toplevel leadership could make a difference. Will the Minister commit to contacting federal Minister of Heritage Joly personally to discuss this issue and press the NWT’s case and follow up by seeking a meeting with Minister Joly on his next visit to Ottawa?
Yes, we did send a letter to initially start the discussions. We have been keeping regular meetings with the Federation FrancoTenoise. Most recently on Friday, we had a really good dialogue. As I mentioned, we are putting that application together and making sure that, as a department, we’re taking the responsibility to make sure that we can look at the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr. As I mentioned, we have officials from both departments that are going to set up a meeting on Friday, and we’ll move it from there to see what our next steps are. I’m hoping that next time I am in Ottawa that we have a more formal meeting to address not only some of the infrastructure needs within Yellowknife but throughout the whole Northwest Territories, as well.
I appreciate the response from the Minister, and I’ll keep pushing him to directly contact the federal Minister of Heritage, but the sad fact is, Mr. Speaker, that students are actually leaving Ecole Allain St-Cyr, and students are leaving, particularly in high school, to go to other schools, and that’s because we’ve been waiting years for equitable and adequate facilities, such as a gymnasium. News that planning is underway for a new gym and more classrooms, that a request for proposals will soon be led for the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr would give these students some hope. Can the Minister tell this House what concrete plans there are to expand the school?
The department is meeting our obligations for French first language education under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Education Act, and the NWT Court of Appeal decisions. We are currently working on, hopefully, to break ground on a new gymnasium in the summer of 2017. I have also committed to trying to set up a meeting to go into the school to actually meet with the students and the staff, as well. We are hoping to break ground on a new gymnasium in the summer of 2017.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate, again, the response from the Minister. I’m speaking, I guess, from some personal experience here, too, because both of our children went through Ecole Allain St-Cyr, and they never had a gymnasium or access to some special classrooms. I’m just wondering when the students and their families can expect to actually walk through the doors and have equitable access to the same facilities that other Yellowknife schools have. When can we expect to have this work actually done?
Based on the availability of contractors here to help build, we are hoping, and our intention is, to have the facilities available for students by September 2018.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Premier as Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment spoke about the government’s efforts to support the mining industry. My questions about that today: the federal government recently renewed its mining tax credit, but it remains consistent throughout the country. I’m wondering if the Premier has discussed creating a higher credit for the North out of that tax credit and working the federal government to further incentivize the mining industry by expanding that tax credit for the three northern jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
No, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My followup question would be: could the Minister then work with the Premiers of Nunavut and Yukon to speak to the Prime Minister and advocate for this benefit? The industry has been very clear that they would like to see expanded financial help to getting our resources out of the ground up here and to further expand on exploration activities.
We could. It’s been difficult enough to get the federal government to continue the flowthrough mining tax credit portion, but we could do that.
Thank you to the Premier for his response. Yesterday as well we heard from the Premier that the return on investment for the Mineral Incentive Program is at three to one, which is quite commendable. In a time when we need significant economic activity here, in the North, to get our growth back on track, why have we not invested more resources into this very important program that has such a high return and impact on our economy? It sits at $400,000. In the Yukon, a similar program is at $1 million. Why have we not committed more resources to stimulate our economy directly and create some jobs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the fact that we’re contributing in the amount of $400,000 is a very fair share. Yukon has had the benefit of devolution for over ten years; we’re just going in to our second year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regardless of the circumstances of the Yukon, I do believe our economy is a few percentage points larger than theirs. At a time when we need economic activity, especially in the mining sector, and this program has a three to one return on investment, I’d like to see more resources put into this thing. I’d very much like to see the Premier commit to expanding on this program. If he could make such commitment that would be appreciated, Mr. Speaker.
In the life of the 18th Legislative Assembly that is exactly our plan.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is directed to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. Maintaining current operations is a normal corporate business; however, creating new, innovative models of reducing cost is a demonstration of good management. I know we have heard in previous statements there, there has been some measure such as replacing the board of directors will amount to X amount of dollars in cost savings, but there’s other initiatives that were highlighted in previous statements such as using more pilot projects like the solar power project in Colville, and I’d like to ask the Minister responsible, when considering the demand is increasing on the grid supply of power so the economy of scale comes in, and I’m just wondering what reduction plans are in place within the corporate structure? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of NWT Power Corporation
Yes, Mr. Speaker. The corporation is always looking at new projects and ways of becoming more efficient. There is, of course, a new board in place and I believe they’ve had some preliminary discussions, but their first meeting I think is only next week. They will be tasked with, as I mentioned earlier, looking at the whole of the corporation; looking at ways that can become more efficient and more productive. We also, however, will still be looking at new technologies to enhance the technologies we already have but always keeping in mind that we must attempt to supply power at a reasonable price to our constituents, the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In reducing costs and looking at creating more revenues that’s ongoing, is there an internal briefing that could be supplied to the other side for such things as layoffs possibly, reduction of hours, those types of measures to reducing corporate cost?
Mr. Speaker, the corporation is always looking at reducing costs; clearly that’s very important, particularly as I mentioned the other day that the amount of sales in the sense of the amount of power being sold seems to be constant or actually in decline. To avoid further large increases in rates we must look, and they must look, for efforts to reduce any costs they do have. Clearly, the new board will be tasked with that responsibility but I think senior management is well aware of that responsibility also and has taken efforts to reduce costs as much as possible.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can we request if there’s any reduction plans on reducing internal operating O and M costs? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure I heard the question completely. I can advise that the corporation and its board will be tasked with attempting to reduce costs. I don’t actually have a plan nor do they have a plan in mind, but that is simply part of the normal corporate responsibility of keeping costs in line, particularly as I say when we are in a situation where you’re not increasing sales. There are ongoing efforts all the time to reduce costs. I’m not aware of a specific plan to reduce costs, but clearly that’s a corporate and board of directors’ responsibility.
