Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I talked about Child and Family Services training. I'd like to ask the Minister a few questions on that. Can the Minister expand on the curriculum and its requirements such as duration of the training completion requirements, like pass and fail, what would happen, and if there are any plans for refresher requirements? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the culture awareness training that the Member is speaking about is for Child and Family Services statutory appointed child protection workers and adoption workers. It includes a mix of infield community Indigenous engagement orientation followed up by in-person classroom-based core training with elders and educators, and then follow-up and an after-engagement infield engagement which is usually or is intended to be evaluated by the regional supervisor and supported by the department's practice specialist.
Mr. Speaker, there is some upfront work that we require our staff to do; a number of reading modules that they are expected to complete before they go to the in-class orientation and training session, and then there's also some after training which is 30 to 60 days. There are a number of follow-ups every year, training sessions, three to four training sessions held in the Northwest Territories every year that individuals can attend for refreshers if needed. Thanks, Mr. Speaker.
If we know the commonalities between the families with children in care we can act on addressing them. I'd like to ask the Minister: what information, such as household income, does Health and Social Services collect on the families of children in care?
Income is assessed on a case-by-case basis and it is not something that is currently collected within the Child and Family Services information system. A Child and Family Services file may contain information on a family's financial situation only if that information is shared by the family for the purpose of care planning and assessment of the family needs.
For example, Mr. Speaker, if a family identifies that they are an income assistance recipient, then this information can be documented and may help in planning. There are situations, Mr. Speaker, where the incumbent would formally collect information on the family's income, and that would be in a case where a family is coming in for a voluntary services agreement and it's identified that one of the challenges they're facing is income or inability to pay some of their bills.
I indicated in my Member's statement that 8 per cent of the families with children in care were actually income issues, but I would guess that it would be a lot higher; but there are other reasons for the child apprehension or child protection laws. I was wondering if the Minister could commit to always getting the income of the household where there is a Child and Family Services case too?
The Member references the fact that 8 per cent of children in fire/police referrals are for financial assistance; that number is actually taken from the director's report that was issued to the Members a number of months ago. Of a total of 2,309 referrals in 2015-16, 184 were for financial reasons. We've reviewed those, and typically what those referrals are when they occur is that the family is not eligible for, or rather, has already spent this month's financial assistance and they need assistance with food, clothing, or rent, which is something under the new system we can actually do. When it comes to collecting financial information, Mr. Speaker, as I already said, it is based on a case-by-case basis. The Child and Family Services information doesn't have an entry port for financial information.
To the Member's point, we do know that poverty is an issue in the Northwest Territories and it can be part of the reason somebody might be engaging the Child and Family information system. In fact, national research does establish a link between poverty and the need for Child and Family Services.
To be clear, Mr. Speaker, poverty is not the strongest link, according to much of the research out there. Research has shown that stronger links are being a victim of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, having few social supports, and a parent having been maltreated as a child. These, Mr. Speaker, are the strongest links leading to families coming into contact with Child and Family Services. These are the issues that we are working to address at a territorial level.
While poverty is an important consideration for the government as a whole, there are other and more important factors that the department has to attend to, such as reducing domestic violence, reducing addictions, and helping families build stronger support networks. Mr. Speaker, this is the premise and the foundation of Building Stronger Families.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that answer. It would be good if the department could look into more income. To another question, foster parent and foster home screening was flagged by the Auditor General in the 2014 report. I understand that internal reviews show that the issues continue to challenge family services. What changes to a foster parents screening can we expect this spring? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we brought in Building Stronger Families, it was a five-year implementation plan and, in a fundamental way, a new way of providing child and family services in the Northwest Territories. The Foster Family Coalition has been an important partner moving forward. They provide significant training within their own organization of families who want to be foster families, to help them prepare. One of the recommendations that came out of the review, the Child and Family Services Review, was to expedite the process for family members who want to foster family members to go through that process. We have already made changes to expedite those referral processes.
We are always working with the Foster Family Coalition to enhance the training that they provide to the foster families. We are going to continue to do those types of things as new ways of doing business, new ideas, new concepts come forward.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier today about some of the incidents that have been going on in and around the City of Yellowknife with regard to, in particular, the haul trucks and the public safety that stems from these particular incidents that have been happening. My questions are for the Minister of Transportation. I would like to ask the Minister if there is anything he can share with the public right now to help build on their reassurance that this is hopefully some freak circumstance and that this is not a regular instance? What can the Minister share with us today in terms of any problems that have been identified? Is there a trend of some kind that we should know about? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Public safety is always the number one thing for the NWT highways. It is a priority of this government and the department in particular. As of today I can update the Members of this House that the department and the winter road joint venture have actually had a meeting about the concerns of the events that have taken place over the last couple of weeks on the winter road. The number of fires, in particular, is very unusual. Of everything that I have been briefed on up to date, I think in the last five years there might have been one fire, and it was out on the winter road section closer to one of the mines. This is of a particular concern. I believe the joint venture is going to have ongoing meetings with contractors and stuff to try to get to some kind of conclusion as to what is causing these issues. As that moves forward, I can keep Members informed on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. We appreciate being informed as we go forward. I guess the next question is: who ultimately is responsible for overseeing these investigations? The Ingraham Trail itself has a number of residents on it. The Tibbit to Contwoyto portion of the road is managed to some degree by the joint venture. Who is responsible for investigating these incidents as they happen anywhere up and down the trail or the Tibbit to Contwoyto road?
The joint venture is directly responsible for the contractors that are employed under them that are running up and down the highway. As far as our Department of Transportation, when a vehicle is registered in the Northwest Territories and it goes through its annual inspections and stuff, that is a whole different issue. This issue of the incidents that have taken place over the last few weeks on the road system between Yellowknife and the diamond mines is the joint venture's. We are working closely with them. We have a great relationship with them. As I have said, they are talking to the commercial carriers that are involved in this and seeing if there is something that needs to change or something that needs to be put in place to mitigate these measures.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Of course, ultimately, the most important thing here is the safety of people's lives. I have raised it before in the House. I have raised it during budget session. I have raised it to other departments about the concerns with regard to public safety up and down the Ingraham Trail. It comes down to knowing: do we as a government have a communication plan when it comes to these sorts of incidents? We know that any one of these could have been more catastrophic. In fact, we have had catastrophic circumstances with regard to fires happening up and down this road before. I don't know if the Minister can speak on behalf of the government, but we need to know what the communication plan is and who is taking the lead on the communications plan when it comes to these incidences on the Ingraham Trail.
All I can tell the House right now is we use Twitter and Facebook and those things to reach out. I think it is a little bit more complicated than that. Some of this stuff is within the city boundaries. I think we need to have a broader communication planning session, to sit down with the Department of Transportation, the RCMP, MACA, the City of Yellowknife, the Aboriginal stakeholders in that region as well, and have a conversation about how we move forward. It is something I think we need to continue to improve on. I thank the Member for bringing that up. I will have the department have a look into how we can have a better strategy on these things and how we can get them out there.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear that response, because that kind of leads into my next question. That was going to be: would the Minister take the initiative to actually get all of the key stakeholders together and start to develop a communications plan, including the residents of Ingraham Trail, so that we can make sure that those who are living there, those who travel up and down this road on a regular basis, that their lives, most importantly, but their general public safety is being ensured?
I will put it to the Minister. Will he commit to working with his colleagues as well as the respective stakeholders that are involved on that road and making sure that we develop a critical public safety communications plan for that road? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will commit to doing that and having a look at that and informing the House on that moving forward.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier as the Chair of the Ministerial Energy and Climate Change Committee of Cabinet. As I said in my statement, I am concerned that we start the needed research and policy work in consultation with Regular MLAs and the public around carbon pricing. Since the carbon pricing system is inevitable, can the Premier say when Members will see a detailed plan for carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, consultation is being undertaken now on the energy plan and the climate change framework. We are receiving considerable feedback from the public on carbon pricing as part of that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Premier for that report, to some sort of a plan coming forward on carbon pricing. Last week, I asked whether a modelling report on carbon pricing could be shared with the public and Regular MLAs. The response from the Premier was that it could be shared with committee at some unspecified date. Can the Premier tell me whether he is prepared to table the report in the House during the current session, and if not, why not?
Considerable work has started on carbon pricing. The Department of Finance is lead on this, and their two main components on the work to date: first, the work of the federal government to better understand the impact of carbon pricing on the cost of living and doing business in the Northwest Territories, with the introduction of carbon pricing. The second is internal work to better understand the impact of carbon pricing on the various sectors within the Northwest Territories. These will help us design an approach to implementing carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you to the Premier. I think he actually answered this question rather than the last one, so maybe I will just take another try at it here. Last week, in the presentation to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, the Premier mentioned that there was a modelling report that has been prepared on carbon pricing, and he offered to share that with committee, but he didn’t give a date for that. Can the Premier tell me whether he is prepared to table the report in this House during the current session, and if not, why not?
I believe we have committed to a meeting with the standing committee at the time of the May-June session to update Members on the work that will have been completed by that time and seek their input.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Premier for that response. I just don’t know why this report that was commissioned using taxpayers’ money can’t be shared with the public and committee now, but I will keep going here. The Premier mentioned, in the committee meeting last week, that there is some kind of a working group that has been established. Can the Premier tell the House who is serving on this working group and table a terms of reference before the end of the session? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The working group is made up of a number of deputy ministers of various departments in the Government of the Northwest Territories that will be most affected by a carbon tax.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Last week, the Minster had unrolled the development of the fishing strategy that had been in the making for some time. It basically heralds the initiative of this government in trying to revitalize the fishing industry on Great Slave Lake that has been around for about 70 years. My question is to the Minister: can the Minister explain the scope of the fishing strategy; in particular, how the matter of jurisdictions in the role of First Nations were addressed in the development of the strategy? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fishing strategy that we tabled in the House last week all started way back in the last Assembly, all the way back to 2012, with the Economic Opportunities Strategy. Going around and across the Northwest Territories, with engagement with all Aboriginal leaders across the Northwest Territories and the citizens of the Northwest Territories, it was identified that, specifically, there was a need to revitalize the fishing strategy for Great Slave Lake.
With that, moving forward, there were a number of meetings held in all the regions across the Northwest Territories. Along with that, as well, they had three particular meetings with the GSLAC committee, which is the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee, which has all the representatives around the lake that used the lake for the fishing industry. That would be the Tlicho, the Dehcho, the Akaitcho, the Northwest Territory Metis Nation, sports fishers, lodge owners, and government departments. They engaged with them on three separate occasions on the strategy moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My second question is: is this driven upon the Minister's statement? He stated very clearly that there were meetings in the region, so can the Minister explain the level of consultation and whether those meetings were held at a ministerial level, or a senior official level, where senior officials from this department engage people and stakeholders in those meetings?
Depending on if there was an economic opportunity strategy or the fishing strategy, there would have been various departments, and they would have been senior officials.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my other question is: in terms of trying to understand the roles of this government and the federal government, in light of the recent transfer of responsibility of devolution from Ottawa to Yellowknife in terms of lands and public resources, where is the GNWT in terms of its responsibility regarding the Great Slave Lake and the fisheries stock that we have here? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The initiative to consider section 35 rights on the Great Slave Lake for fishing is a responsibility of the federal government. The territorial government looks to how we use that resource and how do we move it forward for economic opportunities for residents in the Northwest Territories, and that is what we have done, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question verges on the first question that I asked, and I don’t feel that the Minister answered my question, in whether the fishing strategy has a functional responsibility and whether, indeed, it addresses the very fundamental issue of the jurisdictions in the role of the First Nations. Would the Minister please answer that question? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I answered this question. We took the opportunity when we were out doing consultation. The responsibility of section 35 is the federal government’s, as to do with the Great Slave Lake, to consult with Aboriginal governments and peoples. We went through the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee, which has all the users around the lake, which includes, as I said, all the Aboriginal governments that use the lake. We used the opening for that advisory board to do our consultation.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was less than two weeks ago that I stood up here and asked the Minister of Education to commit to doing a foundational review of Aurora College, so who says government moves slowly? I would just like to flesh some of the details. I just have a couple of questions. My first is that he talks about a foundational review. Is that going to be something done internally by the college, something done by ECE, or are we having an external body come and look at this with some fresh eyes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
