Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure about general identification cards, known as GICs. This issue was brought to my attention by a medical professional who has witnessed many situations in which family members, mostly elders, could not travel with a loved one who had been medevaced because of a lack of appropriate identification. Sometimes that means that people are alone in their last moments or that their loved ones don't get to say good-bye.
I believe that, here in Yellowknife, the RCMP can provide someone with a statutory declaration confirming identity, but that service is unavailable in most communities, and a statutory declaration cannot be used to fly out of the territory anyways.
The GNWT can issue a general ID card to residents without driver's licences and GICs are acceptable for air travel, but that process takes many weeks, as the government does not issue temporary GICs. I could get a temporary driver's licence printed on the spot in Hay River, but not a temporary GIC. A simple solution to this issue, it seems to me, anyways, would be to start printing temporary GICs on the same secure stock that we print temporary driver's licences on. I would like to ask the Minister: can we start doing this and fix this problem right now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the short answer is no, because the stock that we do have for using them within our system right now is identified as driver's licence stock, and it cannot be used for that. It would also require significant software changes to be able to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The technology to print hard plastic licences must be cheap enough now that we can have these done in the regional centres. I am sure I could buy one off Amazon and start printing licences in my house if I wanted to. I wouldn't.
If we cannot print the temporary GICs because the paper is driver's licence paper only, are we going to start printing hard plastic permanent driver's licences and GICs in regional centres so that we do not have to wait for weeks while the application is sent to Inuvik, and then the card is shipped back?
To answer the question, first of all, in the 2018-2019 capital plan we have some money that is in there for a two-year project to replace the secure image management system within the Department of Infrastructure. One of these enhancements that we are going to do is to do a temporary GIC card for residents of the Northwest Territories, update the software, have facial recognition capabilities for security issues, and these sorts of things.
The answer is questionable regarding doing it regionally. Once we have this system in place, and we try to work through it in the next two years with this management system, we need to do a cost analysis on doing this, the security measures that need to be taken place -- we cannot be just issuing cards willy-nilly -- as well as inventory control, all these sorts of things. Once this program comes into place after we get the capital through, we will be able to work to fix this problem.
There is a lot of information there. I think I heard that something is rolling out over the next three years where the department will be able to begin printing at least the temporary GICs, and from there, they will see. I just want to confirm: when can we expect temporary GICs to be issued in regional centres?
As I have said, there is money in the capital budget to move forward with this project of the secure image management system, and hopefully, within the next two years, once we have all this stuff worked out; by 2020 at the very latest, we will be able to do that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This has been an ongoing issue. I know the Minister is aware of it because I have brought it up to him. I believe that the Department of Health and Elections Canada have also expressed concerns about the lack of accessible ID in the territory. Is there any collaboration with any other departments or levels of government to get this off the ground? Thank you.
The Department of Education has worked with us, as this was an issue around some of their programming. The Department of Health as well, Elections Canada, there are a number of departments that could possibly use the temporary ID for residents in the Northwest Territories to assist with their programs and stuff moving forward. We've been in collaboration with a number of different departments in moving this forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on the responses from the Minister of Finance to the honourable Member from Kam Lake's questions on small businesses. The Minister indicated that a 1 per cent cut would cost the government about $750,000 in revenue. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider another method of putting the $750,000 directly into small businesses in the NWT. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will not commit to actually putting that $750,000 into other programs. I did say that, through the programs we offer within the government to support small business, that $750,000 that we would save by not implementing the tax would definitely help to fund some of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to ask the Minister, along the same line of questioning, if the Minister would do a socio-economic model on what the reduction in, say, social spending would be if the $750,000 was put into small businesses in the communities where there is low employment. The models I have looked at indicate that there could be about 2.5 times the amount of a reduction in social spending on the expenditures. Would the Minister look at doing some sort of socio-economic model on the money that we are referring to pertaining to a 1 per cent reduction in taxes for small business?
The $750,000, I mean, that's what this government would save. That money just stays within the government. It goes to a lot of the full fleet of programs we offer across government-wide. As far as the socio-economic government, I'm not sure what the Member expects to come out of that. I would have to look at that and see how much work that would actually be. I can say that, with the small communities, it was the small community employment fund that was recently approved, $4.2 million. We think that would go a long way into helping with the employment in the small communities. I'd have to confirm but I'm not sure how many businesses would be affected by this reduction if it were to go ahead. Again, I mean we are still open. We still have two years left in our mandate. We will still continue to do the work and if we feel that there is something that we need to implement, then we will look at it.
Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up to my Member's statement, I have two questions for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier: what does the Premier understand his role to be when working with the federal government and with the American officials in the matter of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where the effects will intimately impact the landscape wildlife and people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Porcupine caribou herd is probably one of the healthiest herds that we have in the North. That is largely due to very strong management by the national and international Porcupine Management Board and as well as the people of the Mackenzie Delta who view it very important to protect these animals and to use them wisely.
In the Northwest Territories, as well, we place a very large importance on caribou calving grounds. We have caribou protection measures for the various areas. Certainly, we will take whatever action we felt would be necessary to protect the animals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debate over the refuge has gone back and forth in the American congress for many years. However, the first series of attempts to erode the refuge in 13 years is currently under way. What actions has the Premier and his government taken now to represent the GNWT voices and defend the refuge to our American counterparts?
I believe the Board of the Porcupine Management has been doing a very excellent job, as I said. I have not been approached to take any specific action, but we are quite prepared to do that. Twenty years ago, when Jean Chretien was the Prime Minister, we did write a letter to the Prime Minister encouraging him to take action with the United States government the last time this came up.
I would like to ask the Premier: will the Premier travel to Ottawa with a delegation to lobby the Prime Minister to do all that they can to ensure the protection of the 1002 lands for the Porcupine caribou herd?
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources will be meeting with the federal environment Minister next week in Vancouver. He will be raising that matter with her. Certainly, we are prepared to go to Ottawa to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss this very important matter.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the years, this concern has received a lot of support from the congress in the United States, but recently with the election of Trump it has really opened up the hard facts that, you know, they are planning to open up the 1002 lands. We do have the Porcupine Caribou Management Board and other Gwich'in nations in the Yukon that travel to Washington to lobby. If possible, would the Premier be willing to also travel down to represent the communities of the Northwest Territories to lobby congress in Washington? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Over the years, we have had occasion to travel to Washington for numerous reasons. I think we will be prepared to do that again. We will see how many Cabinet Ministers we would have to take, but I think it is a big enough issue, international issue, that I think it is an important matter that we will be prepared to discuss with the leadership in the area, as well. I think it would be helpful to have a coordinated effort. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a second set of questions on my statement I made today about intimate partner violence. This set of questions is for the Minister of Justice. As I mentioned, I am referencing the same report about how to improve service to women who experience intimate partner violence. One recourse that women have is to apply for an emergency protection order. Research has shown that there is no correlation between the number of EPOs issued and either the prevalence of intimate partner violence or the community population. Does the Minister have any ideas about why this discrepancy exists? Thank you.
Masi. The Minister of Justice.
No, I don't, Mr. Speaker. I haven't read the report that was referred to earlier, that I understand was prepared by the Aurora Institute. I certainly would like to take a look at that and perhaps address the concern raised by the Member opposite. What we have seen is EPOs as an important tool in reducing and preventing family violence, but we certainly are looking at ways in which we could improve the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's good news, that the Minister is open to looking again at this program. I will be tabling this report at the appropriate time. He will have a copy ready to hand. The researchers indicate that men may be using the EPO process to get back at women who want to keep them away by filing for their own EPOs. What kind of oversight is in place to ensure that this retaliatory type of action doesn't happen?
I understand that about 75 application for EPOs are heard each year. It has been noted that the number of male applicants has increased in recent years. Of course, the department does provide training in this area, annual training for RCMP, public information, and outreach. The materials are distributed to communities each year. I would be very disappointed to know that this very good program would be used for the purpose of getting back at the victim.
As disappointing as that may be, it is something that I believe is worth investigating. To that end, since the EPOs were introduced in 2005, what kind of review or evaluation has been done of them and made public?
I'm not certain of any recent evaluation. It sounds as though the Aurora Institute has done some research, and I very much would like to review that research.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the report does is plot uses of EPO with incidents of intimate partner violence on a map. The research is not what I would call a thorough review. Obviously, in my view, there needs to be a thorough review. Can the Minister commit to doing a review of the emergency protection orders in order to improve their use and efficiency? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, of course, we are always trying to improve our response in this area. I certainly would be prepared to look at this legislation and the use of EPOs. I am quite surprised by the information that has been provided by the Member opposite. I said earlier I am very disappointed to hear that there seems to be an inappropriate use of EPO. Certainly, I will look into this matter. Thank you.
Masi. Oral Questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today in my first set of questions the Minister of Health and Social Services talked about dental therapists and hygienists. I guess that leads me to this second set of questions I have today. In the height of dealing with dental therapy in that we used to have positions in there, can the Minister tell us how many dental therapy positions were in NWT at the height of it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the past, our oral health services delivery model consisted of 12 dental therapists in nine communities across the Northwest Territories. There were three positions established in Behchoko, two in Inuvik, one in Deline, Fort Good Hope, Simpson, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, and Fort Smith. These individuals got their training from a dental therapy training program at the University of Saskatoon. It once upon a time was delivered in Fort Smith, and it was a federally funded program. It was moved to Saskatoon. It was discontinued in 2011.
We no longer have a supply or a training mechanism to train dental therapists at the point in time, Mr. Speaker, we only have four dental therapists left. One of the things we are doing with the oral health strategy is looking at a new way of providing oral health to our youth and to our residents across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It looks like the Minister had all my questions here and was able to answer them all. The answer to the question on how many communities are out there: basically, we have five communities that don't have dental therapists in place. Is the government seriously looking at trying to fill these vacant positions, and if they are, how are they looking at doing this?
Since the program was discontinued at the University of Saskatoon, like I said, we no longer have a supply of the individuals with the appropriate training to fill the role of the dental therapists. In investigating the role of the dental therapists and looking at providing better quality oral health for residents of the Northwest Territories, what became clear is that dental therapists were a school-based position. There was a gap that we were missing, and that was the youth or the children from zero to five were not getting support from the dental therapist positions, which were primarily school-based positions.
What we are looking at doing through the oral health strategy is actually changing it. We are striving to improve the use of our existing resources and changing to more of an oral health -- integrating oral health as part of our overall primary care services and suite of services that are available at the community level. This means working with our community health reps, with our local community health nurses, and providing them with additional tools so that they can provide more oral health services to our residents, and not having it as a separate service but being part of our primary care. That is the work being done right now.
I thank the Minister for that answer. It looks like we are trying to do some good stuff and I applaud the department for that. Is the government looking at maybe working with Aurora College, looking at developing something in this area for the strategy?
