Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason the superintendent from the South Slave is going to the Mackenzie Delta to help them on how to move their fishing industry forward is because all the experience that he has dealing with the Freshwater Fishing Corporation and Tlicho Investment Corporation, and he deals with the fishermen on a day-to-day basis as problems come and arise, and helps them move their businesses forward. Why wouldn't we send someone with that amount of experience to help introduce a new industry into the Mackenzie Delta?
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a set of questions that deal with the unfounded sexual assault complaints for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The questions for Justice really deal with what has happened after the fact, but Health and Social Services is in charge of prevention.
My first question is: how is the department integrating the Globe's findings into the work that it is doing, or planning to do, in combatting violence against women, and family violence? Mahsi.
Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have had some discussions between myself and the deputy about The Globe and Mail article and the very disturbing findings in there. I was really happy to hear the work that Justice is doing with the RCMP to attempt to change some of those results for the better.
In the Department of Health and Social Services, we are focusing on a couple of different areas. One of them is prevention. We are utilizing programs like what will it take to get out there and work with residents across the territories to change the perspective, change the attitudes around domestic, as well as violence against women.
We are also working on a different campaign, a series of rants that are very specific to individuals, sort of issues that are raised or coming up, the myth that perpetrators of family violence are simply have a difficulty with anger, that it is not the victim's fault. We are trying to address those issues through a number of these rants. Those are available online in movie theatres and other means across the Northwest Territories. We are making sure that we are trying to incorporate as much national data in those as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for what sounds like a promising approach. I note that What Will It Take is really about empowering bystanders to intervene in family violence situations. I think that that is another downstream problem. The upstream problem is consent. I think that that is the approach that needs to be taken now, is to ensure that people understand what consent is. I am wondering if the Minister has any plans to pursue that line of thought?
The Member raises a solid point, and it is a good point. What Will It Take does have significant value. There is no evaluation framework, and that is something that I have committed to working on so that we can see what kind of benefits we are getting over time. We know that social marketing does and can play a key role in challenging people's perceptions, or bringing greater public attention. I take the Member's point, and I think the point the Member is raising is something we might be able to build into one of our future rants that we are sitting out there to get that information out. I would certainly love to sit down with the Member and get more of her thoughts on that particular area, to see how we might be able to incorporate that into one of our future rants as far as getting the information out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his openness to this idea. One of the things that we have discussed previously -- I know he is working on some kind of an evaluation for What Will It Take. We have also talked about the possibility of redoing the family violence attitude survey. I'm wondering if the Minister is willing to work with his colleague, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, to find the money and make this repeat of the family violence survey happen?
I want to be clear that I am not saying "no," but it is going to sound an awful lot like "no." The survey was done in 2007. There is a lot of information coming from a lot of different stakeholders about the problems of domestic violence and violence against women. We are in a fiscal environment where we have got to make sure that we are getting as much maximum benefit for every dollar we spend. I guess my question to the Member and the Members opposite is: would I be better positioned to spend money on a survey, or would I be better positioned to spend money on the family violence shelters, putting more money into the awareness campaigns to help change attitudes, change beliefs, and put more money into the health centres to ensure that our healthcare providers are prepared, adequately prepared, to deal with the trauma that individuals who have experienced a sexual assault coming into the health centres are experiencing?
So I guess my question is back to the Members. Is this something we want to make a priority? If it is, if the committee tells me it is, I will certainly pursue that. I am always interested and willing to work with my colleagues, but I guess my question is: is that where we want to invest right now, or do we want to invest in these other areas?
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I like the trend in this question period where I am asked the question. Mr. Speaker, the question about the family violence attitude survey, it is $100,000. That is what it cost before, and it is a very important planning tool in order for the government to make the best use of the money they have in preventing family violence. I would like to think that it is not an either/or. I would like to think that, where the Minister is careful to do planning in other parts of his portfolio, that he would also consider this to be an important planning tool.
I recognize that money is limited, but prevention is really a costsaving measure. If women are not assaulted in the first place, then they don't need the justice system, the health system, victim services, and all the other supports that result from being assaulted. So, I would like the Minister once again to consider putting this into the next business plan so that we can get a grip on what exactly needs to be done/ Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I didn't say no to the Member's request, but we do have to look at the work that is being done in the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I think there is a lot of information out there already about the significant negative impacts that this issue is having on residents of the Northwest Territories. I would much rather invest in more prevention than doing another survey, but if it is the wish of committee, if committee tells me that that is something they want to see, investment in surveys instead of actions, I am prepared to take their direction and lead on that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Question 602-18(2):
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Human Resources. Mr. Speaker, the government has proposed three separate amalgamations in this upcoming fiscal year and Infrastructure and the amalgamation of the Executive DAAIR and also Finance, Human Resources. My question for the Minister of Human Resources is: is there work being done with those departments that are amalgamated by him, as the Minister of Human Resources, to ensure that the affirmative action is being followed if there is to be any reduction in positions? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. There is work that is being done. Thank you.
Is there work being done on ensuring that the affirmative action is being followed?
Yes, there is.
That is not what I am hearing, but in any event, if there is work being done, what type of work is being done? What direction has come from this Minister to other Ministers under the departments that are amalgamating to ensure that Affirmative Action Policy is being followed when they are reducing positions?
We all hear different things from out there, but I can assure the Member and all Members that work is being done. It is called an Affirmative Action Policy, and we have to apply the Affirmative Action Policy when we are looking at filling positions within the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not necessarily talking about filling positions. What I am referring to is, during the amalgamation, sometimes when you amalgamate you get two positions at the same level. When those positions move forward and there are two positions of the same level moving forward, does this government apply the Affirmative Action Policy when they figure out which one of the two candidates is going to be receiving that position? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said before, affirmative action does apply, so if there are two candidates of equal qualification and one is affirmative action and they have the qualifications to do the work, then affirmative action does apply in this particular case.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to return to my line of questions to the Minister of Lands. He had mentioned in his response where they are at with the Deh Cho process, so I wonder if he can tell me if there has been a decision on the dispute or the difference of opinion between land quantum. Has the government moved its position on land quantum at all? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Lands.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for his question, but that is not really a part of the land use planning process, and the question might be directed to another Minister. Thank you.
Thank you to the Minister for that clarification. Let's get back to land use planning. As it is not directly related to a settled agreement, what can the Minister do outside the Deh Cho process to move this file along, apart from assuring me that an ADM is on top of it? Is there any concrete policy change and political leadership he can apply to the file to settle this 10year, this decadelong, lapse of approving the plan?
As all Members know, it is a commitment of this government to move all of these land use plans and negotiations generally with Aboriginal governments and other stakeholders ahead. We believe we do have the people in place, and we are looking forward to progress.
Can the Minister advise if he can update the appropriate standing committee or perhaps members of the public, Members of this House, on the progress of land use planning on regular intervals, on this and all the other unsettled claim areas?
I can certainly update the relevant committees on how things are proceeding with respect to the land use portion. Again, it may be other Ministers could assist on the larger overall progress on these types of files. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, thank you, and a thank you to the Minister for that commitment. I just note that there has been a lot of discussion about this from the new federal government. Even His Holiness Pope Francis has made a very clear commitment to the rights of Indigenous peoples, so I wonder if the Minister then can give us some assurance that these plans will be in place by midterm? Thank you.
Well, all of the progress on all of these types of files, it takes two to tango and sometimes three or four to tango, so progress is not solely determined by us. We clearly want to make progress on all of these files. However, progress sometimes can be slow and painstaking, so I can't make any guarantees as to date.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have heard my honourable colleague from Hay River North ask the Minister of ITI about the position in Hay River and being moved there. Then he talks about it being panterritorial. It is a position here in Yellowknife. Can the Minister explain why, magically, Yellowknife is the best place for a panterritorial position? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I said earlier in the House today to the Member from Hay River North that this position is based in Yellowknife because it clearly recognizes the importance of being here looking after the broader Northwest Territories, with all the initiatives that are in place in all the different regions in the NWT, and it just totally makes sense to have that job located here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his answer. However, with decentralization today and the modernization of computers we can do things, and right now we've seen positions out there that actually are pan-territorial. So will the Minister re-evaluate this decision and actually put a position, which makes sense in the South Slave, into Hay River?
I've also answered this question today already and I said I'm not committed to moving that position out of Yellowknife. It belongs here and it needs to be here to look after the broader people of the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
I thank the Minister for the non-commitment. I mean, that's great to hear. However, we talk about decentralization and it seems that we have to be living in Yellowknife to look after the broader territory. So I understand the Minister. I will ask him again: will he re-evaluate this and see the importance of moving the position that would have a better service to the NWT in Hay River?
I don't know how many creative ways I can say it to answer this question, but I believe this job has to stay in Yellowknife and I'm committed to keeping it here.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2016 under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
