Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a moment to recognize the constituents of Range Lake, and excuse me if I say it wrong. I am trying for the fiftieth time: David Wasylciw.
Practice makes perfect. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Chief Sangris there, a strong supporter of my son Arnold and a mentor, and I think I heard Chief Chicot back there, so I would like to recognize him as well. Mahsi.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Thebacha constituent April Davies here with the NWT Shelter Network.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an interpreter here, Lillian Elias, who is also a relative. Ms. Lillian Elias is a true example of culture, pride, drum dance, and language across the Northwest Territories and around the world, Mr. Speaker. Also, as an elder, a very respectful role model to many women; not just women, but everybody she crosses paths with. I would just like to welcome Lillian and wish her a good week here in Yellowknife. Quyanainni for being here, Lillian. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize a few people; Chief Lloyd Chicot from the K'aagee Tu First Nations, I see him in the gallery, and also, Chief Edward Sangris from Detah. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate one of the Range Lake constituents, Mr. Jeff Seabrook. Jeff Seabrook is the recipient of Canada's Outstanding Principal Award.
Jeff is the principal of William McDonald Middle School, and his hard work in building trust and respect with students and their families has not gone unnoticed. It is an honour to have one of Canada's best principals situated right here in Yellowknife, supporting our students to the best of his abilities.
Please join me, everyone, in celebrating his accomplishments and all of the much-needed assistance he provides for our children in the North. Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance. Yesterday, his deputy minister sent an email to all GNWT staff that many interpreted as encouraging people to cross the picket line. Given the outrage this message has provoked among union members, will the Minister walk this statement back so that options to cross the picket line are excluded? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I will not. What we were doing was providing information out there. If you read the statement very carefully, it does not encourage people to cross the picket line. It encourages them to speak to their union representative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I don't agree with the Minister's interpretation. I felt the information was gratuitous and fanned the flames. Did the Minister, in fact, consider the impact of having workers cross the picket line on workplaces and communities when he authorized the message?
The goal of the communique was to provide employees with information in response to a number of inquiries we had as to what some of their options might be. We thought we would provide them with the best information possible, including that. I have the ability to read, and what I read was that it encourages people to talk to their union representative.
Is the government prepared to enter into binding arbitration if mediation fails?
Let's not presuppose that mediation is going to fail. The ultimate goal at the end of the day is to reach an agreement during mediation. Failing that, we will have a discussion at that time, but let's not presuppose the outcome of mediation before it even happens.
Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister is no doubt aware, the temperature on this dispute has gone up very considerably in the last 24 hours because of actions on both sides. What is his plan to reduce the temperature around this labour dispute at this time? Thank you.
My plan is to appeal to people's good judgement and treat both sides with respect, and I think that will go a long way. We talk about respect in the Northwest Territories all the time, and I think that this is one of those situations where we show due respect on both sides of the table, and we would hope that that would bring the temperature down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, and my questions are for the Honourable Premier. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: how is our government working with Indigenous governments to make sure that Canada's new Arctic and Northern Policy Framework lives up to the promise of its title? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The first thing to note is that this is a federal framework. The Government of the Northwest Territories has been vocal about ensuring that Northwest Territories interests, including those of Indigenous governments, are given priority by the federal government. We continue to stress to Canada the importance of having an equal representation of Dene, Metis, and Inuit voices in the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework.
In the spring of 2018, when there were initial drafts of the federal framework, the Government of the Northwest Territories shared them with officials from the intergovernmental council and sought their comments. This includes the IRC. Since then, we have been sharing with intergovernmental council officials and are actively passing on their comments to the federal government.
The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working closely with the members of the intergovernmental council and to continuing this process throughout the development of the framework. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the response from the Premier. It is good to see that the GNWT is working laterally with Indigenous governments. I think that is quite important as we develop policy. Getting back to that, Mr. Speaker, would the Premier describe some of the improvements that are resulting from this collaboration with Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories?
One of the pieces that has been added to the current federal framework as a result of this collaboration is a section on the importance of reconciliation and self-determination.
I appreciate that. Reconciliation is important to a lot of Indigenous people across this territory, considering what has been going on over the last 100 years.
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member's statement, there is some urgency to complete this new framework. Mr. Speaker, what is the Premier doing to expedite the process with his federal counterparts, not just within the executive, but with Infrastructure and other departments of the Northwest Territories that work with the federal government?
Throughout this federal process, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made every effort to meet the timelines set by Canada, regardless of how they have evolved. That said, as a government, I will not support a document that does not clearly focus on a positive economic future for our territory and one that acknowledges the importance of increasing the power of northern voices.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is good to see that. There is a lot of power in allowing Indigenous governments the right to self-determination. It looks like the Government of the Northwest Territories is working that way. Mr. Speaker, when does the Premier expect that money from Canada will flow to implement the priorities that emerge from the new Arctic and Northern Policy Framework?
In response to correspondence from the three northern premiers, the Prime Minister has committed in writing to investments in Budget 2019 that reflect the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, and I look forward to seeing those. However, it is the Government of the Northwest Territories' understanding that the overall governance and financial plan for the framework is not yet set, and this does create challenges for us in predicting what money will flow, when, or how. With that said and although the framework is not yet completed, we are seeing some initial movement in priority areas our government has set, for example, with the announcement that Minister LeBlanc made in Yellowknife related to Taltson a few weeks ago. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was asking questions of the Minister of Health about regional wellness councils, and I would like to follow up on some more questions here today. There seems to be some confusion about the NWT Health and Social Services board and regional wellness councils and trying to get information, so can the Minister explain what is the role of both regional councils and NWT Health and Social Services to provide information to MLAs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, there is no role for the members of the regional wellness councils to provide information to MLAs. The regional wellness council members exist to provide input and guidance on the delivery of services at authority level, and they provide that information both directly at regional level but also through the leadership council up to the board. I do, however, encourage engagement among MLAs, community members, and regional wellness councils, given the shared commitment to improving health and social services in the Northwest Territories, but the regional wellness councils do not report to MLAs.
Having said that, I think the Member is aware that we have a protocol established within this Assembly that, if he or any Member has questions related to health and social services, those questions should be directed to the Minister and the Minister will respond within five days where appropriate and possible.
I appreciate that answer from the Minister. I am well aware of that process, but I am trying to get that information out there and understand the roles and that. So the Minister said that we go through the department to get the information through him, and the standard timeline is five days, so why does it take longer than that in some cases?
Mr. Speaker, there is no such thing as black and white in many of the things that we do. Many of the questions that come to me from MLAs are very complex in nature and require expertise at the front-line level, which requires us to go through our staff to the deputy minister's staff, to the authority's staff, to the front-line providers who are the ones who can provide us with that information. I do my best to endeavour to provide the MLAs with indication if answers are going to take longer than the standard five days, but in some situations, given the complexity and scope of the questions being asked, of course they take longer than five business days.
I thank the Minister for that answer. Yes, I understand it takes longer than five days, so I am just going to give you a scenario. I asked a similar question that a regional council asked, and I was advised that I have to wait until the regional council gets this information. It's more than 30 days. It's a meeting that is going to happen in the springtime. So can he please explain to me why that information has to be shared with the regional council before coming to us?
I would strongly encourage the Member to check his e-mails again because I do believe I followed up on that when he raised these concerns. Our intention is not to wait to provide that information to the regional wellness council first. Our intention is to get that information available to both parties who ask, which are MLA and regional wellness council, they both asked the same information, but to get to the information as soon as we can. However, at the same time, Mr. Speaker, I am strongly encouraging the Member to attend the next regional wellness council, where staff from the department will be coming to provide a comprehensive presentation which will likely be far more involved and encompassing than a written response. So, no, Mr. Speaker, we are not intending to wait 30 days to get him the information. We will get it to him as soon as is possible, but we do encourage him to attend the regional wellness council so that he can partake in a much broader discussion.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will actually table the response from the Minister. It did say longer than 30 days. I will table the whole discussion there. Mr. Speaker, so the Minister is inviting me to this meeting. I greatly appreciate it, but the regional council has asked: will the Minister attend that same meeting so that he can explain everything to them, as well? So I appreciate his invitation. I gladly accept it if it fits into my schedule, but I am hoping the Minister will be able to attend that meeting, as well, so that he can hear the regional council's concerns, as well.
I love the Member's passion on this file. This is a file that I have some passion for, as well. I do encourage Members to attend regional wellness council meetings. They are public. Anybody can attend them, and there are usually great discussions to these. So, please, all Members, attend your regional wellness council meetings.
Mr. Speaker, I did attend a meeting with the leadership council in the spring, and the leadership council did express some concerns with how information is flowing to and from regional councils. At that time, I committed to the chairs that I would attend each of the regional wellness council meetings in each region, so at least one in each region, to have an opportunity to have those very discussions with the regional wellness council members. So far, I have been able to attend two. One of them had to be by telephone. I am not going to promise to attend that one meeting, because I do have a very full schedule, but I have made that commitment to all the regional wellness councils and I will live up to it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
