Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just looking at the fourth line on page 117, I notice that they are giving $100,000 to the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation Strategic Direction and Action Plan. My question is just: is that sunset? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that was for a two-year period, and that will sunset this year.
Thank you. Mr. Nakimayak.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That was just for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway, if I'm correct. Right? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
No, that was to the community corporation to help provide for some tourism facilities and products to deal with the influx of tourists brought on by the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Nakimayak.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know, I notice that, this fall, there will be construction to the Tlicho all-season road. I don't think it's the government's fault, but the planning for visitor centres and things like that, to prepare a community for such infrastructure, I'm looking forward that hopefully there are a lot of lessons learned from the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway construction project going to Tlicho so that they are better prepared as they open infrastructure like that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. If the Premier could respond. Premier.
Thank you. Yes, in this case, it was viewed as a one-off, and it was strongly suggested to us that we shouldn't be providing one-offs, so in future our expectation is it will be dealt with through the main project funding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Anything further?
No, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to ask the Premier if this is the correct area to be talking about the expansion of the Single Window Service Centres. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
I think it would be more properly dealt with through the section on regional operations, but if the Member wants to talk about it now, that would be fine, as well.
Thank you. If it's found in regional operations, I suggest we -- where would the regional operations be found? I don't see an activity called "regional operations." All right, we'll discuss it here. Mr. Beaulieu.
I see that, on the line "regional operations," I guess that's where the single service is. I just have a question on if there is any thought or discussion or plan to expand to Detah? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess the original idea for service officers was to help serve the most remote, isolated communities. Detah is, I guess, in the wintertime it's five minutes away, so I expect that, at some point, if resources are available, we would look at it. Detah is only five minutes away from all of the government services in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. I remember the concept of Single Window Service Centres. I agree that it is remote. Surprisingly, it appears as though there could really be a need for it in Detah. Also, it appears as though, if we had a Single Window Service Centre in Detah, it is almost like the YK Dene would look at that to also service the people in Ndilo. I thought about this a lot. I am thinking that, even due to language, a lot of this service is directed to the elders, and some of the elders prefer to get their services in their own language. As people may know, I speak one of the languages that the elders use but not both. I am wondering, to take a look at it, maybe for language reasons and also for the fact that, even though Detah is close, like I said, it appears as though they are still not coming into Yellowknife to get the services that Yellowknife people will gather throughout the city. I know that this is so that it could bring all the GNWT services into a single window. Again, I would like to ask the Premier if they would at least look at it to see if, like he said, there is extra money in the future that they could put into this, that Detah wouldn't be completely out of getting it, if there is absolutely no possibility of them getting a Single Window Service Centre in their community. Thank you.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In my mind, there are two ways to deal with it. Probably the easiest one would be if we had additional resources and Detah popped up as a top priority. Probably, that would be the best way to go. A more complicated way is to look at how we provide bilingual services. We pay bilingual employees extra money to provide services in their Aboriginal languages. We have interpreters at work. Maybe it is better to just focus on communities who speak the language. Right now, my preference would be to see if we can find additional resources to see if we can do something for Detah. There are some communities where we are offering GSOs and they don't want it. Maybe we could look at moving some, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Nothing further from Mr. Beaulieu. Next, Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think Regular MLAs have been asking for three years, this will be the fourth year, if there is a plan to complete the Single Window Service Centres, GSOs, or similar functions for all of the communities of the Northwest Territories. Is there such a plan, and can the Minister share it with the Regular MLAs? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you. We responded to committee by letter on February 11th. That is our approach to dealing with this. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Sorry. I didn't quite hear what the Premier said. If he could provide an explanation, that would be helpful. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We provided, though confidential letter, our response to his very question on the letter dated February 11th to the Member. Essentially, we said if we had additional resources, we would look at it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am trying to understand what the problem is here. If there are additional resources required, why not prepare a plan so that we know what those are and whether it is over three, five years, whatever, that is fine, and how that function is going to be carried out in the regional centres, the capital, to have the Single Window Service Centres. I don't understand what the problem is in preparing a plan. Can the Premier try again? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the problem is a difference in opinion. When we first started with Single Window Service Centres, it was for small, isolated communities, not for the capital city and not for regional centres. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess we actually do have a difference of opinion here. I don't understand why we wouldn't want to ensure that our residents in regional centres, including Yellowknife, would have access to Single Window Service Centres. It is a good move that there are 15 communities now where the federal government and territorial government services are offered through a one-window approach. Why wouldn't we want to do that sort of thing in regional centres, as well, or even Yellowknife?
Service Canada has an office here in Yellowknife. Is there not a way that we can try to work with those folks so that they could also offer information and access to GNWT programs? I don't think it necessarily even means hiring more staff. Without a plan, it is just not going to happen. Can the Minister commit to preparing a plan to roll out this function in all of our communities? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our plan is: we have been converting all of our services to online services as much as we can. We are continuing to move in that direction. We are also moving towards Single Window Service Centres. We have shared services arrangements. If the Member feels that we would be better served by having individual service officers in Yellowknife, we certainly can look at that, as well. Thank you.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am actually suggesting that. I think that is what a number of Regular MLAs have been suggesting for the last three years, the development of such a plan. It is fine to have more services available online, but not everybody has access to the Internet. Not everybody knows how to use the Internet. We have a growing population of seniors who, I think, would find that function particularly helpful. Can the Minister commit to preparing such a plan? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Premier.
At this late stage, if it is on the mandate list for the next government, they could look at it, for sure. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think we will just have to wait until we get a different Minister to complete this task. Can someone tell me whether there are any plans to review the Status of Women Council Act? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Premier.
Certainly not by EIA. All we do is provide administrative services to the Minister responsible for Women. I don't think there is a plan to review the Status of Women Act at this time. Perhaps through you, Mr. Chair, we can pass it over to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
Thank you. Minister Cochrane.
