Debates of May 25, 2018 (day 29)

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've avoided making public comments about the ongoing negotiations between this government and the UNW, because I've been under the assumption that both sides are working in good faith towards an agreement. However, I've seen nothing in the past two and a half years to indicate that a deal will ever be reached. It's beginning to look like a strike is more likely than a timely resolution, so I can't keep quiet any longer.

Just look at the centerpiece of the last offer from this government: a 0.1 per cent wage increase over their previous offer. That's the negotiating equivalent of saying, "Here's a quarter. Call someone who cares." Of course, there's more than one party to the negotiations, so it might not be fair to put all the blame on the government. However, I've spoken with a lot of UNW members, and they're more than willing to negotiate. They're aware of the hit that the economy has taken, and they see the struggles that the private sector is facing, so they're not looking to fleece the government. They're just looking for a fair deal, and I know their leadership is aware of that.

Regardless, I'm not here to provide oversight of the UNW. I'm here to make sure that this government is working in the best interests of the people, and I don't think that Cabinet's strict adherence to their untenable offer is in the people's best interest. It's clear to everyone that it won't lead to a deal. What the government's position is doing is alienating its employees, putting their backs up against the wall, and making a strike seem like their only recourse.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that a strike won't do anyone any good. It won't be good for the public. We already struggle to provide services, and a strike will only make things worse. It won't be good for government employees. They have bills to pay just like everyone else, and not all of them will be able to make those payments on strike pay. It won't be good for the private sector, either. Government contracts will dry up, and, if people aren't working, they won't be spending money.

To be clear, I'm not taking a position on whether the union should strike or not. It's their right to do so if they see fit, and I'm confident they wouldn't do so unless they deem it absolutely necessary. What I am doing is telling Cabinet to get their act together and get back to the negotiating table with a mandate to actually make a deal, a fair deal, so our constituents in the public service don't have this hanging over their head and so the people of the territory don't pay the price for Cabinet's stubbornness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for most, Enterprise is a drive-through community. People stop to take advantage of the facilities and its essential service provided by the communities, such as the gas station. Located at the crossroads of NWT Highways No. 1 and No. 2, Enterprise is an important connector to southern Canada.

While Enterprise's location on the NWT highway system generates some economic activity for the community, residents are concerned about the safety of pedestrians, especially children, around the community. My constituents have expressed concerns over the fact that, in the rush to continue on with the travels, some drivers end up missing signs that are there to protect residents.

Mr. Speaker, Enterprise hosts a busy highway intersection. I would like to see the Department of Infrastructure put up more visible signage to improve the safety of our residents. Simple measures may be enough to make a difference in preventing accidents. I encourage the department staff to reach out to residents to determine how to improve intersections, and I am available to assess, as well. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at a later time. Mahsi. Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today on a subject that often goes unnoticed but deserves to be addressed immediately, and that is child marriage. It is estimated that each year 15 million girls around the world are married before the age of 18. In September 2013, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario released a report that counted 219 confirmed or suspected cases of forced marriage in Ontario and Quebec from 2010 to 2011. These problems are not far away, but very close to home. Marriage laws vary among provinces and territories, with the legal age of marriage generally set at 18. However, in many provinces, a person with consent from both parents can be married at age 16 or 17. We are one of those jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker, and that needs to change.

In 2017, this government updated the Marriage Act. Prior to the update, a minor actually could be married under the age of 15 in the Northwest Territories, as long as they got a special dispensation from the Minister of Health and Social Services, which would only be handed out if the female party was pregnant. Also, according to the prior version of the act, consent was not necessary from the minor, only from the parents. To say this version of the act was in major need of an update would be putting it lightly, Mr. Speaker.

Sadly, though, after reviewing the updated version of the act, there's still a section of the legislation specifically there to allow minors to marry: section 16. This section stipulates that minors can be married under the age of majority, as long as they have personally consented, their parents or guardians have consented, and they have proper documentation, like a birth certificate or statutory declaration, to prove their age. I must state that I am confounded as to why the department felt we still need to have section 16 of the Marriage Act as part of the updated 2017 version.

You cannot vote until you are 18, you cannot buy alcohol until 19, and, generally, you cannot sign a legally binding contract until you're 19, as well, but you can enter into a marriage at 16 in the Northwest Territories. This seems a very antiquated part of the act that really needs to change.

Mr. Speaker, it's 2018, and child marriages should be relegated as a distant memory of our past. Governments have a responsibility to ensure safety and security of minors, and to have updated our act so recently and not removed Section 16 was, at the very least, an unfortunate occurrence that could cost a minor dearly in the future. I urge the government to remove Section 16 of the Marriage Act entirely, and I'll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recent news highlighted "GNWT Partners with Royal Military College of Canada Engineering Projects."

Mr. Speaker, engineering services are the most needed proponent of any construction team. Advancing forward, I foresee a beneficial partnership.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories covers 13.5 per cent of Canada, and attributes to 1.3 million square kilometers, a vast area covering a large amount of untapped resources and communities' cost of living reductions by road connections to the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, given the high demand for infrastructure projects, like all-season roads, one budgetary aspect for project engineering is usually estimated between 10 and 15 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, given this innovation for project cost savings, I'm grateful for the potential Sahtu projects by the Department of Infrastructure's initiative to engage and structure a collaboration arrangement between our government and the Royal Military College of Canada for the supply of project engineering services.

Mr. Speaker, this preparatory arrangement gives me confidence that steps are underway to utilize this idle time while we await the decisions by our federal counterparts for the application submitted by our government last November, in particular the MVH or Mackenzie Valley Highway.

Mr. Speaker, this is truly a proactive measure. We have potentially northern projects and engineering students that are eagerly looking forward to meeting the challenges of designing infrastructure under northern conditions, including climate change elements.

In project theory, the more administrative savings, the more project embankment we can see realized. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Masi.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I gave a statement on the real impacts of the cost of living. Some people suggested that I should be more positive and upbeat in my messages. Well, I want that person to know that his point did not fall on deaf ears, and today, I am happy to commend the Department of Infrastructure for the ongoing progress made on the Ingraham Trail.

Mr. Speaker, roads are the most cost-effective way to bridge the distances that separate residents from their extended families, lands, and resources. That is why the biggest items on our infrastructure to-do list are highways. They are important for mines and jobs, for tourism, and for the people and families.

The Ingraham Trail started off as a dusty old mining trail, but now it is a successful multi-use highway. In the past, it supported our gold mines; now it resupplies our diamond industry, and it is crucial to the exploration that will generate our future prosperity. It is the beginning of the road to the Slave Geological Province after all.

Beyond that, the trail supports important recreational and economic activities. It supports economic diversification, tourism, and access for visitors to the spectacular NWT. It supports some of our agricultural pioneers and commercial enterprises. The trail has parks and campgrounds and hiking trails everywhere, and Mr. Speaker, the trail is home to many full-time residents.

I commend the department for its many improvements to the safety and usability of the road: new guard rails, widened sections and shoulders, extension of paved surfaces are important additions. The reconfiguration and growth of the Prosperous Boat Launch in particular is a great contribution to accessibility and safety. The responses I have heard from users and constituents living on the trail all commend and appreciate these improvements.

There are still some challenges we will have to confront in the coming months and years. How will maintenance needs change as climate warms? How will traffic flow be changed by new resource developments? How will increasing numbers of tourists sharing the road with residents and diamond mines resupply change safety traffic enforcement requirements? These and other questions will need our continued attention.

Mr. Speaker, most important, the Ingraham Trail is an example of a successful multi-purpose transportation corridor that serves not just one but many of the NWT's economic and social needs. We can use it as a model for our territory's future growth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I am going to continue providing my version of the mandate letters that should have been giving to the Ministers who took on new portfolios in April. As I said yesterday, the Premier's mandate letters repeat letters that he provided to prior Ministers. It is as if nothing has happened in the last two years. There is no indication of priorities, just a long list of objectives; so let me try and fix that, this time with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

First, childcare: childcare is the second largest expense for most families in Yellowknife, and not only in Yellowknife, who have children under four and/or have children who need care after school, on the innumerable teacher education days, and during the summer. It is a priority of the 18th Assembly to make childcare both more accessible and more affordable, and the mandate letter acknowledges this point.

The three-year plan negotiated by the previous Minister will provide for professional development for staff and access to childcare in more places, but there isn't one word about affordability. Mr. Speaker, the new Minister needs to reconcile these competing visions of the future of childcare in the NWT to ensure that it is both accessible and affordable.

Second, Aurora College: the college has faced significant uncertainty and disruption for more than a year, following the previous Minister's decision to suspend the Social Work and Teacher Education programs and to dismiss the board. Resolving these issues and others have been put on hold pending the completion of the foundational review. Now that it is complete, I eagerly await the public discussion of the results of the foundational review and the department's vision for the college's future, as well as the future of post-secondary education in the NWT.

Third, income support: I receive many calls from constituents who have issues with service delivery. For example, I have a constituent who has been trying to sort out payment of childcare expenses in order to attend Aurora College. The issue has been unresolved for more than six months. I appreciate that IA staff have rules to follow, but a few take a punitive approach to clients, who have no other choice but to apply for help. Mr. Speaker, there is no reason to further diminish their dignity on purpose.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is large and diverse. I could have chosen another half-dozen issues to talk about today. What I am looking forward to is the Minister's own vision for her new role. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Let's talk housing in the NWT, or lack of housing. Mr. Speaker, as it stands right now, housing is a major issue in our communities. There are families that have been on the waiting list for months and, in some cases, for years.

Fort McPherson has had the same concerns with housing: just not enough units available for families that are growing and not enough units for single adults. We have new families that are just beginning their lives together with little or no housing available.

Mr. Speaker, in all of our communities, we have homelessness: people who are couch-surfing because they have no home. Fortunately, we have large extended families that will take in family members on a short-term basis.

The elders in Fort McPherson have been put on hold once again in terms of getting their new elders' home built. In 2015, after a few years of designing the building, selecting a site for the building, trucking all of the materials to Fort McPherson, finally, construction began on the new elders' home.

Mr. Speaker, the building barely got off the ground. The project was undergoing some problems with management. This was nothing to do with the elders, who are excitedly waiting to see who is going to be residing in the new units. The project was stopped and left unattended for months and months. In early 2017, negotiations took place, and, once again, the project was in full swing. Employment was up, people were busy, and everyone was happy.

Just recently, the project has been put on hold, and everyone is questioning: what is going on, and when will the construction start again, and what about our elders? Mr. Speaker, we need to complete this building as soon as possible. I will have questions later today. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, monsieur le President. It seems that we have a "roads" theme day here today. My message is going to be a little bit different.

This April, the federal government denied GNWT's funding application for its National Trade Corridors Fund towards the construction of the Slave Geological Province Road. This is a proposal to turn the current winter road to the diamond mines into an all-weather corridor and join it with the proposed Grays Bay Road and Port Project to Nunavut's Arctic coast.

Nunavut's proposal for the Grays Bay Road and Port Project was similarly denied, and the Nunavut government quickly pulled out of that project on April 14th, and then the Qikiqtani Inuit Association requested that the environmental review of it be suspended on May 2nd, a request which was accepted two days later. Now that this project has been shelved indefinitely, it is time that our government did the same thing with the Slave Geological Province Road and focus on other infrastructure.

A business case has yet to be completed, and there has been no independent analysis of the costs and benefits of the Slave Geological Province Road. Quite simply, our government doesn't have the fiscal capacity to build this $540 million road with our limited borrowing capacity, even if the federal government was to make a substantial contribution. Our government should stop raising unrealistic expectations that this project can be started within the mandate of the 18th Assembly.

On the environmental side, there is no approved range plan, management plan, or recovery strategy for the Bathurst caribou herd or a legally binding land use plan for this region. No additional funds to implement any of these initiatives were included in the 2018-2019 Main Estimates.

Until this work is completed, funded, and implemented with a documented rebound in the health of the Bathurst caribou herd, an all-weather road into the Slave Geological Province, especially a publicly funded road, would not be in the public interest. If we want caribou and the food security, tourism, and other ecological and cultural benefits that caribou bring, we cannot have an all-weather road into the heart of their range.

I will have questions later today on why Cabinet continues to pursue the Slave Geological Province Road when there is no economic case for it, no fiscal capacity to build it, and no plan to protect caribou. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Member's Statement on

Eulogy for Allan Browning

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Al Browning came into this world like a sheep on July 10, 1963, and departed like a lion on March 19, 2018, much too soon for all of us to comprehend or believe. He has left a great void in the lives of those who loved him deeply.

Allan is the second oldest child of Rose and Tommy Browning. He is a descendant of a great family who has a rich history around Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho. The Browning family is part of northern history, and his grandfather ran a sawmill that provided much of the lumber for the community's early infrastructure. Allan and the great members of his family will forever be remembered for their contributions to the growth of this community, the region, and the North.

Allan was a caring and loving man who truly cared for the people he loved, especially his family. He did not only say it; he proved it in many ways. Just prior to his sudden departure, he visited his parents' resting place and prayed by their gravesite. He did the same for his sister's gravesite. It brings great comfort to know that he is united with his parents and his loving big sister, the beautiful and courageous Yvonne.

Allan had a strong presence in his nieces and nephews, especially Tiffany. He made sure that he was there for all special moments. He was a special uncle who enjoyed being part of their celebrations and achievements. As well, he loved his brother Foster with all of his heart and supported him.

Allan attended Akaitcho Hall and formed lifelong friendships with many people from all over the NWT and Nunavut. When people from the past bumped into him, he always remembered them and made them laugh. Through good and bad times, he made people look at the good. That was one of his many gifts as a friend.

Allan worked as a recreation director in numerous communities and, as a result, knew many people and friends wherever he went. Some of the youth that he inspired are now adults with families and fondly remember his passion and inspiration and continue to bring this to their children and others to this day.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, Allan's true love was Angela Kuliktana, whom he met during his school years. As fate would have it, they connected later in life and did not miss a beat. They loved each other deeply, and when they were together, there was a twinkle in their eyes. He will be sadly missed by all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Our condolences to the family as well. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce Mr. David Bob. He recently relocated to Yellowknife from Inuvik, where he has taken the position of president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, and he has wisely chosen to live in my constituency. Mahsi.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Member for Nahendeh.

Acknowledgement 4-18(3):

Ted Grant, Recipient of Senate Sesquicentennial Medal

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ted Grant, owner of Simpson Air. In the fall of 2017, he received the Senator's Sesquicentennial Medal. Ted volunteered his time with coaching hockey and generously donates to kids' sports teams in the community. He has also showed his dedication by promoting tourism to the Nahanni Park.

Ted has been a long-time resident of Fort Simpson, dating back to his days as an RCMP officer in the community in the 1970s. His favourite thing about Fort Simpson is that he does not have to live in the city, where everything is hectic, and, in Fort Simpson, it is quiet and the scenery is beautiful. He likes how everyone knows everyone and is willing to help those around them. Congratulations, Ted, and thank you for everything you do in our community. Thank you.

Masi. Acknowledgements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Acknowledgement 5-18(3):

Eric Bussey, National Emergency Management

Exemplary Service Award

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge my constituent Eric Bussey, who recently received the national Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award.

Mr. Bussey was the senior emergency management official for the GNWT for 25 years, including 15 years for Nunavut prior to division. He expanded participation in the Territorial Emergency Response Committee and helped create the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, or CASARA, and the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. He led the development of highway emergency alerting protocols and brought northern EMO issues to national forums.

Please join me in saluting his career of service. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, I spoke about Inuit and Indigenous peoples’ participation in the development of Arctic policies. My questions are for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Premier is: what is the Premier doing to ensure that Arctic Indigenous peoples’ priorities are brought to the forefront when engaging with the federal government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has advocated for the inclusion of Northwest Territories Indigenous governments, including the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and work around the Arctic Policy Framework.

At the Intergovernmental Council meeting in December of 2017, I agreed that the Government of the Northwest Territories would work collaboratively with Indigenous governments to develop a northern approach to the framework, including the Northwest Territories chapter.

Government of Northwest Territories officials held a roundtable discussion with Indigenous governments in January 2018 to get initial thoughts on the Arctic Policy Framework and what should go into a Northwest Territories chapter. We have also received written submissions and continue to meet with Indigenous governments.

When it comes to Arctic marine shipping and other Arctic policies, we are not involved significantly as a subnational government. The federal government guards their responsibilities very seriously, and we have minimal input into Arctic marine policy framework.

I should add that Arctic Indigenous peoples have more representation in international venues, such as the Arctic Council where they are permanent participants, than our own government does. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response. It is good to see that the Premier and the GNWT is looking at all Indigenous groups, not just in the NWT, but looking at the relevance and the issues and concerns from other regions.

Mr. Speaker, my second question is: what has the GNWT's involvement been on the development of the Arctic Policy Framework?

The Government of the Northwest Territories is currently co-chairing the Provincial-Territorial Official Working Group of the Arctic Policy Framework. Drafting is underway for the front end of the Arctic Policy Framework and is being shared with Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories, including the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

I thank the Premier for that. Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Premier: when we talk about Indigenous peoples, we talk about Indigenous knowledge and everything like that, as well. Language was here, as well. Mr. Speaker, how has the GNWT ensured that Indigenous knowledge is considered in the development of the Arctic Policy Framework?

A priority identified by the Northwest Territories Indigenous governments at the roundtable session in 2018 was the importance of the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in the Arctic Policy Framework. That priority has been shared with Canada, and we advocate for language that emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge.

Indigenous governments and organizations across the North have also been vocal about the need for language around Indigenous knowledge during the roundtable sessions held by Canada.

I should add that Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has the advantage of their own chapter. They also have input into the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter, the Northwest Territories chapter and also the Nunavut chapter, if they seek to do so.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Question 292-18(3):

Mandate of Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In my statement, I addressed three of my priorities. I would now like to hear what her priorities are for the next 18 months. Mahsi.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to start with saying I found it very interesting that the MLA actually expressed her mandates for education, culture and employment because, in my personal opinion, we need more women in leadership. Nothing against our Premier, I love our Premier, but wouldn't it be wonderful to see a woman Premier that could actually give mandates out to departments? I would like to start with that.

What are my mandates? Of course, I do have to listen to our Premier because I do respect him and I like the man very much. He has actually given me a direction that I have to abide by. I also recognize that I have to abide by the mandate commitments that were made at the beginning of this Assembly by all of us, together.

Personally, what I want to do on top of that, recognizing yesterday too that a really wise statement was said, that, when there are too many priorities, you have no priority, I took heed to that last night and I thought about that because that is true. However, I'm a workaholic, and I'm going to move forward.

What I would like to see done besides the mandates from the Premier, the mandates from the House, is I think we need to focus on early childhood development. One of the mandates is getting daycares into the communities. We have problems with drop-outs. We have problems with kids getting into schools, so I would like to see a daycare like a school, that becomes a hub for a community. I have already given direction to look at a pilot with that. If I can, the basic would be putting in a daycare into a community setting. The ideal would be putting a child development centre into a school setting. That's one thing I'm working on.

We need to look at our JK to 12, actually. We have children that are dropping out, so we need to look at what's going on. I'm a big supporter of the Pathways Program. I'm liking that we are going to be strengthening it to actually work with younger children so that we give them the choices and the options when they finish school and we talk to them about the skills they will need and the courses, the curriculum that they will need to be able to succeed in their future.

Post-secondary, definitely, it's been on the table for not only this Assembly, many Assemblies. We need to make sure that, not only our post-secondary, that every education support we have is based on best practices, that we look at making sure that we do cross-jurisdictional, we have measurable outcomes, we have evaluations in place. That's a priority for me.

Languages, absolutely need to do that. I was honoured to have the language officials here today because we need to strengthen them.

Income security, we need to look at that productive choice things. We need to look at self-employment in small communities and, if I can, move that into a productive choice. Because, in small communities, we have no employment, so let's see if we can look at self-employment options in our productive choices.

Masi. I see more of a written question coming out.

---Laughter

I appreciate the Minister's sincere efforts to answer my questions, and I'm really pleased that there is some overlap in our concerns. I want to look at childcare. I heard her say that she's got a pilot project. That's all well and good, but the mandate calls for not only accessible childcare but affordable childcare, so how is the Minister going to make childcare more affordable?

Before I took the new position actually, the previous Minister was working diligently at that. There were increases to the daycare providers, licensed daycare homes that were provided, a large increase for infants, a smaller increase for the older ages up to three, and then a small but still an increase for the after-school children. The junior kindergarten also is huge for parents. I had my own concerns about it when it was going through, and I'm happy to say that those concerns have been alleviated. Parents are saying it is working. They are saving money. Affordability is being addressed. We gave increases to junior kindergarten. A lot of parents are excited.