Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the NWT Housing Corporation Minister. Can the Minister confirm that LHOs have been instructed to use T4 slips to do tenants' assessments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the housing corporation has been instructed to use T4 slips for their rental scale. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Are there any forms of proof, such as current pay, current ways of paying using pay stubs or monthly income support for more accurate rental payment assessment for that month?
I would like to advise that I would encourage the client to go into our local housing authority office to receive rental assessment, and to make sure that they remain consistent, but it is the client's responsibility to make sure that, if they have any changes in their income, that they report it to the local housing authority.
Where can the public find this, because I couldn't find it, Mr. Speaker, in the NWT Housing Corporation's policies, to show all the bureaucratic requirements are clearly understood in regard to the T4s? Where does it show in legislation that that is to be used?
The details are outlined in our policy. I don't have my information in front of me to reference it right now. We do not work through legislation. The Housing Corporation works through policy.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is pretty tough when people have to come in and do T4s because they do seasonal work. You are working, probably, four months, and then, they come back home, and then the assessment that they are given, they still have to pay for the whole 12 months at that higher rate, where people are having problems paying power, food, clothing for their kids. We never did this before in the past, Mr. Speaker, in the policies. Where does it show in the policies in regard to T4 slips? It doesn't show. Can the Minister provide that information to the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In regards to the policy of outlining the T4 slips in our rental scale, I will have to get back to the Member and provide him the information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement, helping seniors to age in place is a priority for this Assembly, but we need to improve supports for them to make this priority a reality. One area that needs work is helping Yellowknife seniors to get out of the House and socialize, whatever their physical and cognitive abilities. The Department of Health and Social Services surveyed seniors about the kinds of activities that they would like to take part in. Today, I have questions for the Minister about the results. First of all, what did seniors say they need in order to participate in social activities? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The results indicated that older adults in Yellowknife are active and want to remain physically and socially active. All the age groups identified transportation, affordability of activities, and a lack of information about social activities as a barrier to social engagement. By far, the biggest concern was transportation: city bus not being available when activities are scheduled, routines are not close enough to home, and numerous challenges with the Yellowknife Accessible Transit Services. In addition, those 75 years and older identified lack of accessibility within buildings and lack of supports in physical and mental health needs as barriers to social engagement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That is good information from the Minister. Can the Minister give us a sense of what kind of response rate they got to the survey and particularly from those who are over 80 and those who may have cognitive limitations?
We did not ask individuals whether they had cognitive limitation, so we do not have that data. The age group set up for the survey allowed us to capture information for individuals 75 to 85 years old and 85-plus years of age. Forty-five individuals 75 years and older responded to the survey; that was 10 percent of the survey respondents. Forty people were 75 to 84 years of age, and eight people were 85 years and older.
I am a little concerned about how the needs of people with cognitive issues were taken into account in this survey. How were they engaged in this survey?
At this time, I don't know the data on the limitations, but it is something we can look into and get back to the Member.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that the Minister knows that the primary barrier to people being involved in social inclusion is transportation, what are her next steps to bridge this gap? Thank you.
The department will use the information to develop programming that will put in place support for older adults in Yellowknife, and that includes transportation. We are in the early stages of designing the program, and we are working with the steering committee to complete it by the end of March 2020. The health authority will go through an expression of interest process to find an organization to deliver programming, and we are aiming to have this completed in early April so that we can start to begin the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have to respect the work that the NWT fishers do and the product that they deliver to us. This is why we have contributions and grants to assist them with the associated high costs of doing business. Can the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment confirm the total grants and contribution and subsidies for the commercial fishing industry? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can confirm for the Member that, in 2018-2019, a little over $565,000 was provided to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation in varying supports. The Northwest Territories commercial fishing industry is eligible to receive funding and support from ITI in two different areas: the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, which is specifically for commercial fishers on Great Slave Lake and primarily to offset freight costs from Hay River to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the second one is the Northern Food Development Program. As entrepreneurs and small businesses, fishers are also eligible to apply for funding from the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Program, or the SEED Program, which many already do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The NWT fishers depend on these grants and contributions to offset those high costs. Can the Minister of ITI confirm what percentage of these contributions go to the NWT fishers and, if any, to fishers outside the NWT who have not met the residency requirement?
I can tell you that all of the SEED and Northern Food Development Program funding went to resident and Northwest Territories fishers. For these two programs, you must be a resident of the Northwest Territories to be eligible for funding. Applicants are required to produce a valid driver's licence or healthcare card.
When it comes to the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, all fishers who hold a commercial fishing licence on Great Slave Lake, a current boat certificate, and sell fish to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation fish plant are eligible to receive support under the freight support stream. This program pays out based on the poundage of fish delivered to the plant. Under this program, there was one non-resident fisher who received contributions last year, totalling about 2.5 percent of the total payout to fishers.
With respect to the residency requirement, there seems to be a difference between what is in the SEED Program and what is in the commercial renewable resource use policy. The SEED Program requires six months, and the other one is three years. I am just wondering if the Minister has looked at that and if the Minister is willing to reconcile that difference, because I would rather see the money stay in the North. I would rather see it be three years than the six-month requirement due to the fact that it is pretty easy to get a driver's licence here and it is pretty easy to get healthcare here. Anybody could do it and take our money and leave.
I appreciate the Member raising this concern to me. It is not an area that I would express to be very familiar with. When I did hear of the discrepancies in the residency requirements, it does make me ask the same question as the Member. I have not had a chance to follow up with ITI on the reasoning behind why a six-month residency versus three years for the fishers. I do commit to getting back to the Member with that answer, as well as committing to a general overall review of most of the programs or all the programs that I have in my departments, which I am getting started on.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due to the high costs associated with the fishing industry, can the Minister of ITI confirm that these grants, contributions, and subsidies will be revisited at some point to determine if they accurately reflect the high cost associated with that industry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes to the Member's question. The department has and will continue to review all of its funding programs to determine if they are meeting their objectives. Members may or may not be aware that, during the 18th Assembly, the support for NWT fishers under the Great Slave Lake Fishery Program was revisited and, in fact, it doubled from $225,000 to $450,000. Right now, we are of the opinion that the programs and services offered to Northwest Territories fishers are adequate. In fact, our jurisdiction is among the best in Canada when it comes to supporting individual fishers.
More importantly, though, Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Tu Cho Cooperative to realize a vision that we share for the revitalization of the Great Slave Lake fishing industry. It will position the Tu Cho Cooperative to ensure that the Northwest Territories' producers see the benefit of having a direct say and even ownership in their industry. With increased demand, access to higher markets and pricing, and new products, we want to realize greater returns for new and lifelong fishers working on the lake. Rather than subsidies and grants, we see this as a way to increase opportunities and returns in the fishing sector.
I would also like to acknowledge that I understand there are concerns within the fishing industry in Hay River, and I do commit to the Member to further discussions with him going forward to ensure we work on those together. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, nowhere in the Medical Travel Policy does it mention whether the Minister or any government worker has the ability to overturn a doctor's recommendation for a non-medical escort, so my question is: under what authority does medical travel personnel have the ability to deny a non-medical escort despite a doctor telling a patient otherwise?
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. This is often a misunderstood issue, and it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the role of the clinicians in the administration of medical travel benefits. While our clinicians have an integral role with respect to medical travel, such as making a valid medical referral for the patient and making a recommendation for the escorts, medical travel assistance is a benefit program offered by our government and administered by our medical travel staff. The Medical Travel Policy does not give our clinicians full authority over escort decisions. The criteria for non-medical escorts are stated in the policy, and recommendations for an escort must be aligned with the criteria of the policy.
In June 2019, the Minister of Health and Social Services issued a directive formalizing the delegation of the implementation and administration of medical travel policies, excluding the appeals policy, to the NTSSA by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services. The directive states that the NTSSA, through the medical travel office, coordinates the medical travel program for all of the Northwest Territories, including Hay River and the Tlicho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The person who denied the two cases that I mentioned in my Member's statement was done from a desk by departmental staff here in Yellowknife, a staff member who probably has no medical background, who dictates to our communities at large. Is this a professional medical practice that the Minister approves of?
The role of the medical travel office is to ensure that the Medical Travel Policy is being administered consistently and as intended by the policy. When a clinician makes a recommendation for a non-medical escort, the reason for the escort is written on the form and often accompanied by a letter providing further explanation. I have full confidence in the medical travel office's ability to determine if the reason aligns with the criteria that is listed in the policy. When medical travel staff deny coverage for non-medical escort benefits, there is often a follow-up communication between the clinician and the medical travel staff to confirm the escort decision. There are also an exceptions policy and appeals policy to consider unique circumstances and to ensure the policy is being applied as intended.
Supporting our doctors in their decisions has always been my priority on behalf of the members of Thebacha and the NWT. Does the Minister feel doctors' decisions for a medical escort are vital and valid?
Yes. I have mentioned that the doctor's role is essential to the implementation of the Medical Travel Policy. However, doctors have a role as advocates for their patients, and sometimes make recommendations for non-medical escorts that do not align with the criteria in the policy and would lead to significant inconsistencies in the benefits provided to one patient over another.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, a complete evaluation of this department's Medical Travel Policy should be done in favour of a doctor's professional opinion and the patient's well-being. When will this be done?
We revised some of the medical travel policies in 2019, and we will continue to work with this over the next year. I will keep the Member and the Standing Committee on Social Development updated on this work and provide a briefing at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
