Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has committed to working in partnership with other governments to address affordable housing requirements in support of their service delivery to Northwest Territories residents. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has made progress in meeting this mandate commitment in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.
The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement that reflects our shared goals of affordable, adequate, and suitable housing for Inuvialuit and residents of the region as a whole, as well as improving the economic and social well-being of the region’s people.
The agreement, officially signed September 4, 2018, will see the Inuvialuit construct 34 public housing replacement units in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region this year and next, with support from the federal government under their Indigenous Housing Strategy.
Once constructed, these units are turned over to the Housing Corporation for a nominal price. They will replace aging public housing units that have reached the end of their useful lives, that are not energy-efficient, and that have become too expensive to maintain.
To date, 12 units have been constructed in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. This includes a four-plex project in Tuktoyaktuk, a six-plex in Inuvik, and, most recently, a duplex in Aklavik.
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the Inuvik six-plex. I am proud of the quality of work by our partners that went into the units and the benefits the project brought to the community in terms of housing, skills development, and economic opportunities.
Work has started on the other projects, with most expected to be completed by February 2019. Land has been identified and provided to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to incorporate into their plans.
These projects will stimulate economic development in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region by adding important social infrastructure, supporting local and regional businesses, and creating a wide range of training opportunities.
I am glad that the Government of the Northwest Territories has been able to work together with the Inuvialuit to forge this important partnership. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is truly a valued partner. Moving forward, Northerners will reap the benefits of affordable housing through this partnership for many years to come. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Family Violence Awareness Week. This week is recognized across the country and takes place from October 21 to 27, 2018.
Statistics Canada reports that, in 2016, family violence accounted for one-quarter of all violent crimes. These are criminal acts perpetrated against the most vulnerable members of society: youth, seniors, women, and girls. In 2016, two-thirds of all victims of family violence were women and girls.
Mr. Speaker, this is not okay. The national violence rates are concerning enough, but the fact that the Northwest Territories has maintained the second highest rate of violence in our country demonstrates the importance of the work being done to end this crisis.
We all need to take this issue seriously and recognize that working to end family violence is a shared responsibility. The Government of the Northwest Territories is being proactive in supporting initiatives that not only provide support to those experiencing family violence but also to those who perpetrate it. We recognize the need for strong services that address the root causes of family violence and give our families, communities, and survivors an opportunity to heal.
Mr. Speaker, our government is working as a team to provide services to victims, perpetrators, and the general public. In addition to our own programs, we are providing funding to partner organizations that offer community-level support to people affected by family violence. These services include prevention and awareness activities, shelter for those fleeing violence, healing programs, and the development of protocols for first responders, such as the RCMP. Throughout this week, activities to create awareness will be taking place across Canada and here in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories and our partners are working hard to address family violence, but this is a social issue. We need everyone to support our efforts to raise awareness and keep the conversations going. We must speak openly about family violence and pledge that we will not tolerate it in our homes or in our communities. Sharing experiences, cultural practices, and positive alternatives helps those experiencing family violence. Sharing also reminds us that we need to be role models in our own actions and take a stand against family violence. We must stand together, so that our families and our communities are empowered and supported in wellness.
Mr. Speaker, this week was set aside to create awareness about family violence and to promote change in attitudes and behaviour. This year’s theme is "Let’s Stand Together to End Family Violence." This is a fitting theme, as it will take all of us working together to end family violence. I encourage everyone to participate in Family Violence Awareness Week activities to show support and solidarity to those struggling with family violence. I also urge you to carry on the conversations in your homes and communities, not just this week, but right up to the day a Minister can stand in this House and announce that family violence is no longer an issue in our territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report tabled in this House on October 11th of this year outlined grave consequences for the future of our planet if immediate action is not taken to mitigate the increasing global temperatures. This 1.5 degree Celsius increase in temperature is predicted within the next 12 years, and if nothing is done, there will be catastrophic consequences. The cost of inaction is estimated in the same report at $54 trillion by 2040, costs to the global economy.
Mr. Speaker, Northerners know all too well the cost of climate change. Our homes are subject to the greatest impacts of warming temperatures, and the Arctic sees more climatic shifts than any other region. Our children and grandchildren deserve safe and secure communities that adapt to climate change and whose residence can continue to practice the traditional way of life that has been handed down throughout generations.
Mr. Speaker, when the Premier signed on to the Pan-Canadian Clean Growth and Climate Change Framework, he agreed to look at ways to reduce carbon emissions in the NWT. Carbon pricing was only one option, and apparently, the only option considered by the GNWT. Little effort and attention was given to establishing a northern carbon market through cap and trade policies that could have joined with existing markets in Quebec, California, and, until only recently, Ontario. Instead, this government went for new taxes, and this developed a proposal that burdens our middle class with paying the costs which are the responsibility of large, industrial emitters.
Mr. Speaker, northern families are responsible for a mere 10 per cent of total carbon emissions, whereas industry and transportation accounts for nearly 82 per cent of emissions. The concerns I have heard from my constituents, hardworking northerners already struggling to pay with ever-increasing costs of living, is that they cannot afford another tax, even one that supports climate security and a sustainable future for the NWT. I cannot support the GNWT's carbon pricing plan as it is currently formed. The shortcomings are too flawed, and it treats 10-per-cent emitters equivalently to 82-per-cent emitters. It does not do enough to reduce the burden to everyday families, and it fails to show clear leadership for the GNWT on building a sustainable clean-growth economy with new investments in energy that make a difference in the lives of northern residents.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has given us a Made in the North plan for carbon pricing, and now it is the time of the honourable Members of this House to make it better to protect the economic and environmental interests of our citizens. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements, member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I'm talking about the ever-important and longstanding matter of the establishment of Thaidene Nene Park.
The deep, clear waters of the east arm of Great Slave Lake and rolling boreal forest and tundra surrounding form Thaidene Nene. Known as the "Land of the Ancestors," the park has an expanse of over 33,000 square kilometres. Our government, the Government of Canada, and the Lutselk'e Dene First Nation along with other key stakeholders are advancing this initiative to foster ecological integrity, cultural continuity, and economic sustainability through permanent protection of this critical, ecological, and cultural landscape.
The Thaidene Nene Park is an innovative approach to creating a new form of protected area. It is one that will enable Indigenous people to fulfill their responsibility as stewards and hosts of their traditional territory, one that fulfills our government's commitment to build upon our conservation network and protected area strategy. It will contribute to Parks Canada's goal of representing each of the 39 distinct natural regions within their national park system.
Mr. Speaker, the establishment of Thaidene Nene is one of the 18th Assembly's mandate commitments. In addition, we said, in order to advance our vision of land management, that we will evolve our legislation, regulatory and policy systems, by developing a new Territorial Protected Areas Act.
This is necessary, in fact critical, legislation because, without it, we can't establish the GNWT's portion of the park. Without this territorial legislation, the establishment of the park will be delayed, and that, in turn, could compromise significant philanthropic and federal funding. Both are necessary for the park to be established.
In other words, Mr. Speaker, it's up to us to make Thaidene Nene happen. We must get this legislation done, or we will fail to achieve this unique Made-in-the-North deal.
I urge the government to honour its commitment to producing the Protected Areas Act in the very near future. We must ensure the 18th Assembly can fulfill its mandate commitment to make Thaidene Nene a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, people who are not familiar with this government's program might think "income support" just means one program. Not so, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, our income security programs include regular income assistance, as well as NWT Child Benefit, a seniors' supplementary benefit and home heating subsidiary, and student financial assistance.
For clients, the administrative burden of these programs can be very intimidating. Take income assistance as an example.
After their initial applications, clients must regularly stay on top of their reporting forms, sometimes monthly, as well as their rent report forms, their productive choice time log forms, their child care provider invoice forms, their disability assessment forms, and more.
That's assuming clients don't run into any problems or have any questions.
As you can guess, it's not easy. In communities with local income security staff, clients have someone to turn to when they need help. Someone who can answer their questions, handle their documents, and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Communities like Tsiigehtchic don't have that. Right now in Tsiigehtchic, clients of income security programs have to rely on a worker who comes in once a month from Fort McPherson when that worker isn't delayed by freeze-up, breakup or other issues.
I've been talking with the leadership in Tsiigehtchic, and this is a serious concern for the community. That's why I raise it in the House today. In the past, Mr. Speaker, Tsiigehtchic has had a resident income support worker. The community would like to see that position reintroduced, and I will have questions for the Minister on this matter later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an incident that calls into question the trust that should exist between women and the Yellowknife detachment of the RCMP. That trust has been eroded here by the police response to a recent assault. The national leadership of the RCMP is talking about a new relationship with women, but I am concerned the news hasn't reached "G" Division here, in the NWT.
In May of 2017, a man sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman in the alley behind the movie theatre in Yellowknife. Theatre staff called the RCMP, who arrested the assailant. What is more surprising is that the RCMP took the woman, who had just been sexually assaulted, to their cells, not to the hospital, not to a family violence shelter, not to the women's shelter, to their cells.
Mr. Speaker, Judge Garth Malakoe brought this unacceptable treatment to light when he convicted the accused in August. In his ruling, he said, and I quote: "I am unable to imagine circumstances which would justify this type of treatment of a victim of sexual assault. It appears the victim was not treated with dignity or compassion that she or any victim of sexual assault deserves."
After the assailant was sentenced, the officer in charge of the Yellowknife detachment responded to the questions the judge and others have raised about this incident. He claims this incident has provided a teachable moment for members, but he hasn't given a reason for not taking the victim to the hospital, to Alison McAteer House, or anywhere else that was safe. He has said, "Members offered the woman victim services, but she didn't want them." The inspector acknowledged the victim shouldn't be in police cells because it appears insensitive. These statements, Mr. Speaker, miss the mark in terms of treating the victim with compassion and dignity.
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP at the national level responded to the scandal of their handling of the unfounded sexual assault complaints by promising a new relationship with women. An action plan was released in December of last year. It says, and I quote: "Sexual assault is a devastating crime that has traumatic and long-lasting effect on victims. A negative experience with police investigators can bring more trauma to victims and discourage others from reporting these crimes."
Mr. Speaker, I would argue that the Yellowknife detachment has further damaged an already frail relationship with women because of their treatment of this victim, and I will have questions for the Minister of Justice. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Back in March, the Minister of Infrastructure announced the signing of an Integrated Bilateral Agreement for federal infrastructure funds. The 10-year Investing in Canada Plan would see $761 million spent in the Northwest Territories. There are apparently more federal infrastructure program announcements to come. My concern is how projects are selected and how submissions are made by Cabinet. Regular MLAs have little, if any, input in how the priorities or submissions are determined.
Data on the Infrastructure Canada website shows that each of the three territories has received between $845 and $981 million since 2002. The territories' spending priorities are obviously different, but 79 per cent of our allocation has been used for highways and roads, which compares to 58 per cent in the Yukon and less than 4 per cent for Nunavut. Nunavut has used 4 per cent of its funding for affordable and temporary housing. None of the NWT federal infrastructure funds appear to have been used to house our people.
Nunavut also recently announced that it would receive $12 million under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund for energy retrofits to 1,000 homes in Nunavut. My understanding is that GNWT asked for $4 million for our housing needs.
While the federal government sets parameters to determine the form of infrastructure funds and programs, what is clear is the lack of transparency, specific criteria, and analysis undertaken by our government in determining what projects they submit. I characterize this approach as "big toys for big boys," where the focus is on roads to resources and large infrastructure replacement rather than job creation, greenhouse gas reductions, and investment in social infrastructure such as housing, culture, and tourism. We can't even get spare change for a sorely needed Yellowknife visitors’ centre.
On the same day that Nunavut announced its significant investment of $12 million for housing energy retrofits, our Minister of Infrastructure appeared before a Senate committee to ask about GNWT's priorities, Taltson hydro expansion, Tlicho all‑season road, Mackenzie Valley Highway, and Slave Geological Province Access Corridor. Noticeably absent was any mention of social infrastructure.
I look forward to asking the Minister later today on how we can make infrastructure decisions and submissions more balanced, transparent, and collaborative. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to speak about alcohol and the effects on the NWT, especially on the Indigenous population. Alcoholism, however, is a disease that affects all people who have alcoholics in their families or social circles, whether it's a co-worker, friend, or somebody else in the community.
Mr. Speaker, let's begin with some facts. According to a recent study of the Canadian Institute for Health Information, in 2016, there were a total of 77,000 hospitalizations entirely due to alcohol, which is more than the number of hospitalizations due to heart attacks for the same year. Moreover, this study also determined that, of these hospitalizations, the NWT has the highest rate in the country, 1,300 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. It also found that the Northwest Territories has the highest proportion of people who reported heavy drinking.
Mr. Speaker, if it weren't for alcohol, there would be many families who would have their loved ones with them today. If this substance was not so destructive, there would be a good chance many people's lives would be different. Alcohol has either killed or shortened the lives of far too many people in our communities, not to mention the fact that social spending by our government would be greatly reduced if things were different.
Mr. Speaker, in the NWT, our correction facilities are filled with people who have committed crimes while they were drunk. Most of the inmates in the correction facilities wouldn't know what the inside of a jail looked like if they didn't drink alcohol.
Mr. Speaker, aside from all of the pain and suffering alcohol brings to the people of the Northwest Territories, it also has deep social impacts on our children that are in care. The cost of an inmate to sit in jail is one thing, but there is also the cost of the social purse, such as social housing, income support, social assistance, and foster care for their families.
Mr. Speaker, many people in my riding have experienced the effects of extreme violence due to alcohol. We must do what we can to not subject people to this violence. It is my belief and the belief of community leaders that bootlegging is a major contributing factor in accessing alcohol in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, I will be proposing the idea of putting restrictions on the amount of alcohol that a person can purchase, along with huge fines for liquor stores that sell to known or suspected bootleggers. I think that most people with common sense can determine who is bootlegging in our communities. I mean, who drinks 10 to 20 mickeys of alcohol every day and continues to function.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance on liquor sales. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, despite this vastness, we are all too familiar with the fact that our residents do not have access to land. I'm talking about the lack of land available for community development, residential, recreational, commercial, and agricultural purposes.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the life of this Assembly, my colleagues and I have raised numerous issues related to land availability, such as unauthorized or untendered occupancy, lack of agricultural land, and high securities burden. From a community development perspective, despite communities having community plans, you still have to apply it through the Department of Lands to obtain parcels of land for critical infrastructure or residential purposes. This piecemeal approach prevents communities from obtaining the land they need.
Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife colleagues are familiar with the concerns of taking this piecemeal approach as it prevents the city from pursuing development that takes into consideration more than a small parcel of land. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this is an issue for all small communities, as well. For example, the Minister of MACA just signed off on Enterprise's Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw. As well, the Department of Lands issues leases on Commissioner's Land within community boundaries without have to advise the community. Enterprise needs to ask for Land's permission to develop land within its own boundaries.
Mr. Speaker, once a community has an approved community plan with zoning bylaws, they should be able to follow their plan and bylaws without needing further permission. This added process layer delays the simplest development. Mr. Speaker, municipal boundaries are generally well-defined, and communities often face barriers preventing their continuous development. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands later. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has been working on a new Arctic Policy Framework since December 2016. The NWT will have a chapter in the policy, and, to ensure this chapter reflects the views of our residents, the GNWT has engaged with stakeholders across the territory and released "what we heard" reports for sessions with Indigenous governments, industry and business, GNOs, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in one of my Member's statements earlier this year, I have outlined some of the recommendations from the Inuit Circumpolar Council, focusing on Inuit self-determination. Mr. Speaker, I trust that these were brought to the federal government through their various engagements with the GNWT Ministers and the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, regional roundtables for the development of the new policy ended in March this year. Since then, we have not heard any of the updates or seen a draft policy. Mr. Speaker, I'm concerned that the development of this policy is taking longer than expected and remains unsure to the flexibility it contains with respect to sovereignty, peace, inclusion of local and Indigenous knowledge, and inclusion of Inuit and Indigenous people who live in the Arctic.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that this is in the best interest of the GNWT, to include Indigenous people when building such an important framework for residents of the Northwest Territories. Later I will have questions for the Premier. Quyanainni.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately today, I rise in this House to inform you about the passing of a respected elder from Fort Liard.
Mr. William Marie Bertrand was born to Marie Angel Timbre and Baptiste Bertrand in Maxhamish Lake on February 19, 1938. He passed away on July 9, 2018. The service was held in Fort Providence a week later.
William went to residential school in Yellowknife. Later, he went on to Fort Smith for his heavy equipment operator training.
William met the love of his life, Mary Jane Williams, in Fort Smith where she was working at a hospital on January 3, 1967. William and Mary Jane got married, and they had three children: Billy, Norma, and Floyd. William started working with the forestry as a tower person for a few years until Norma started kindergarten. He left his seasonal job and started working for the Hudson Bay. Later, he started working for Beaver Enterprises.
William loved to hunt and trap. He especially enjoyed being outdoors and loved spending his time with Mary Jane and his children at their cabin up the river or on the highway. He enjoyed entertaining his family and friends by playing his guitar. William was preceded by his parents, brothers and sisters, and his granddaughter.
The family would like to express gratitude for all the kindness and generosity bestowed at their time of grief. Your kind thoughts, deeds, and their attendance at the funeral services and cemetery were deeply heartfelt. The family would like to thank Father Sean for his spiritual leadership and guidance.
William is loved and will be greatly missed by his wife, children, his grandchildren, brothers, sister, and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The residents and I pass on our condolences to the family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Our condolences to the family, as well. Members’ statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, I had the opportunity to drive the new Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway to Tuktoyaktuk to take part in a celebration of a hundred years for Mrs. Persis Gruben. It was actually a great celebration put on by the family for a great lady that got a great story. I enjoyed listening to all the stories there.
I want us to thank the people of Tuktoyaktuk for their great hospitality. I also want to say Hi to Sandy and Mary, who informed me that they watch us a lot on TV, so I’m sure they are watching today. It was a fantastic celebration. I think they had family from all over the place, as far away as from Indiana, from what I can gather. Many of them told a lot of stories about Persis that they remembered when they were younger.
It was a great celebration. I was glad that I was able to be a part of it. I thank the people again of Tuktoyaktuk for their great hospitality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Members, [English translation not provided]. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a school here. We have St. Joseph’s School, grade 4 and 5 immersion class, 51 students up there. I am impressed. Plus, we have teachers, Guylaine and Tamara. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Glad to see you all here.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of constituents here: Lyla Pierre from Sambaa Ke, Nathan McPherson from Fort Simpson. Also in the crowd is the Mackenzie Recreation Association, a number of members of them, who just celebrated their 25th anniversary, and I am very proud to recognize them here, in the House. I had an opportunity to work with a number of them previously: Janie Hobart, Erin Porter, Jessica VanOverbeek -- I said her name wrong; sorry, Jessica -- and Dale Loutit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome students and staff from St. Joseph’s School who are joining us today. I got to speak with them earlier. It is great to see young persons and their teachers taking an interest in our proceedings. Thank you for being here. I would also like to recognize my friend, Mr. Nathan McPherson. Thanks for being here, as well. Thank you.
Masi. Since our recognition of some of the students who are here with us, we have our very own Michael Ball’s son who is here with us in the gallery, Kagan Ball. Thank you for being here with us. Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a couple of pages from Angik School and their chaperone, Stephanie Illasiak. The pages are Kassius Green and Hope Gordon-Thrasher. Also, I have another cousin who is a page here, as well, Tori Haogak. It is good to see the youth up-and-coming and working at the Legislative Assembly and seeing the proceedings. I just want to wish everybody here in the gallery a good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I would also like to recognize Jessica VanOverbeek as the executive director of the Mackenzie Recreation Association. Congratulations again on your 25-years’ anniversary. She is also a resident of Yellowknife North. Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize two pages who have helped us during session, Matthew Brinson and Artie Ekenale from the riding of Yellowknife North, and thank all the pages for the great contribution they make to our Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.
