Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Will the Minister update this House if there has been any progress made on the development of an NWT action plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am very happy to be able to report back to the House. The special advisor, Sabet Biscaye, who I want to acknowledge for all the work that she has done as a one-woman, -person, really running that office. She has gone out, and we have hired a local consultant, Mr. Speaker. That person has a deadline of October 16th, by which point we will have a work plan. It has been very clearly instructed on my behalf that the work plan is meant to be one that involves tremendous engagement at the front lines across the Northwest Territories. Once I have that work plan ready, I will be sure to share it with the Members.
Mr. Speaker, I am really happy to hear that, that there is some progress being made. Can the Minister explain or give a little bit of a timeline that we should be seeing this work plan and possibly leading into an action plan?
Mr. Speaker, obviously, when the work plan comes to me, and I expect it will be coming to me at some point later today, I do intend to get it turned around so the MLAs and all Members of the House will have an opportunity to see it and look at it. It's our expectation that, once the plan is approved -- which, again, does certainly involve some collaboration and communication with the Members here. Once it's approved, we are estimating four to six months in order to have a draft of the action plan. That timeframe and the reason for that extended time really is because, again, this has to be something that is driven by the communities, by the residents, by those who are involved on the front lines, and I want to ensure we have enough time to do that and to involve that engagement. Again, subject to exactly when the final work plan is approved, which is, again, due imminently, then in four to six months thereafter.
Thanks to the Minister for that. I am going to be looking forward to that in four to six months. My question to the Minister is: how is this going to be kind of infiltrated into the departments so that way we know, when we look at the calls for justice, that it kind of filters into all different areas of the GNWT, that the GNWT would be responsible for actioning? Can the Minister just say how this direction is being provided? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this is truly a whole-of-government opportunity, and there are a number of departments that are all engaged in terms of a GNWT working group. There has been much discussion amongst the departments, as well, around really re-examining how we deliver services that are aimed at vulnerable sectors and aimed at women specifically. I do think there will be some movement on that, also, over the next four to six months, where we can really see a concerted effort and a more organized effort. It has been part of what, as departments go through business planning and then prepare their main estimates and budgets for next year, that is exactly part of the conversation we are having, so I am hopeful that, as we move forward to our next rounds of budgets and main estimates, that the Member will see that there is a reflection there of this becoming a true whole-of-government opportunity.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have any more questions, but I just want to say thank you to the Minister for taking this seriously, for taking the calls seriously, and listening to the families. I am looking forward and I am sure the families are looking forward to how this government is going to protect our women, girls, and our two-spirited, queer, lesbian, and QIA.
Thank you. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier, who is responsible for federal relations. In my statement earlier today, I noted the potential for literally billions of dollars of federal investment across the northern territories as part of an accelerated program on contaminated-site remediation and economic recovery. It's not clear that my call for action was taken seriously in May. Does the Premier see this as a major opportunity for federal funding transfers? If so, tell us who is actually in charge of this work and how it's going to be coordinated across several departments. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Honourable Premier.
[Microphone turned off] ...department, which would be the Minister of ITI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Okay. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is certainly a priority that has been made very clear to me. I am happy to give some further update as to what has happened in the intervening months. There was a conference with the energy and mining Ministers of Canada, at which some of the national-level work that is occurring was discussed and an awareness that, given the funding that is now on the table from the federal government, there may be some shift in those priorities or reorganizing of those priorities. What we are doing here is a response to that, and seeing that that was out there, I immediately sought to have a conversation with the three territorial Ministers and did so approximately two weeks ago.
I did so in preparation for a call that the three territorial Ministers were having with Minister O'Regan just yesterday, I think -- my time sense is getting a bit off, Mr. Speaker -- but this week. I had that call with Minister O'Regan. The call with the three territorial Ministers spoke about this issue. It affects the Yukon and here, but the Nunavut Minister, as well, was engaged. In our call with Minister O'Regan, we raised this issue. I had also had my own call with Minister O'Regan where, again, I raised this issue. Mr. Speaker, I also sent a letter to Minister O'Regan just a couple days ago, on October 14th, focused entirely on exactly this issue, on how the Northwest Territories is going to have access to this stream of funding, how we are going to participate in this area of the stimulus.
I want to thank the Minister for that update. In the joint letter that I saw on a pan-territorial approach, the issue of an accelerated contaminated sites program was buried on page 3, and it was really dressed up as support for the mining industry. I am worried that GNWT will simply see this federal support as a way to lessen the public liability we failed to prevent from a bankruptcy of Strategic Oil and Gas, Cameron Hills, and similar boondoggles. What assurance can the Premier give me that there is a real vision and concrete proposal for an accelerated northern contaminated sites remediation program with federal investment?
There certainly is a vision for this project. We do recognize, most certainly, that typical well abandonment in the southern provinces costs far less than what well abandonment and reclamation will cost here in the Northwest Territories or in the North more generally. Whether that is particularly because of access and the need to transport supplies, there is also significant environmental risk here, again, with climate change being on the front lines of the Northwest Territories. There is real, clear awareness that this is an area where we need to pay significant attention. In addition to that, we are also certainly well aware that there are a lot of coming opportunities for remediation economics here in the Northwest Territories, and if we can have access to the stimulus funding now, that will help ensure that people are being trained and given experience with more experienced reclamation companies so that they are ready to take on those opportunities as they go forward.
I want to thank the Minister for that. It leads very nicely into my next question. In my statement, I referenced that literally billions of dollars are going to be spent on remediation at sites like Giant Mine, Norman Wells, and across the Northwest Territories, and I think that there are some enormous opportunities here to build a remediation economy that includes training, apprenticeships, research, and more. All of that, of course, should be linked to the polytechnic university. Can the Premier tell us whether our government has made that link between federal investment in an accelerated contaminated sites program and the polytechnic university?
I am happy to say that, yes, we have made that link. I think the Premier was prepared to take the question, Mr. Speaker, but it's because there is an overarching direction that is going on with this. I've had the opportunity to speak very briefly with my colleague Minister Simpson from ECE, and I believe it's out in the public and well-known already that our resources and environmental management is one of the pillars of the polytechnic going forward. Certainly, the fact that there is that link that has been made between ITI, where we can provide those opportunities in the industry; ECE, where they can provide opportunities in training; and, of course, then with federal engagement, if we can have access to this opportunity. All of those links are now, I believe, quite actively being made.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I, too, provided my own links and comments back to the Minister in terms of those areas of specialization for the polytechnic university. I guess what I want to speak about now is really that we still have a long way to go as a government to prevent further public environmental liabilities. We, of course, want to make sure that the polluter-pays principle is honoured and that current users do not use an accelerated contaminated sites program to subsidize or replace their own obligations. Can the Premier provide any assurance that our government will finally take action to prevent further public environmental liabilities and fully implement the polluter-pays principle for federal investment in an accelerated contaminated sites program? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Again, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the whole-of-government approach. The polluter-pays principle is certainly a foundation of the modern environmental assessment and regulatory regime that we have here in the Northwest Territories, and that is something that ITI, in terms of our involvement within our resource sector, is aware of and something in which the department of Finance is also involved, in terms of constantly monitoring those who are providing securities. Of course, it is the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Lands who work closely to determine an accurate amount of liability to ensure that, in fact, the GNWT would be protected against the need for remediation liabilities, should that fact arise, and that the companies that are performing their work here are adhering to all of those requirements, again, with that foundation simply being that the polluter would pay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of MACA about the lack of transparency by this government related to the actual operation costs of the 911 program. The 18th Assembly placed a fee cap of $1.70 per user per month for three years, regardless of the program costs. Will the Minister be open and transparent and provide the 2020 actual costs to the Members? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The annual report for the operations of the NWT 911 Program will be tabled during this session. This includes the operation costs for NWT 911 during the first six months of operation. The delay in tabling the report is targeted toward public safety being solely focused on COVID-19.
One of the 19th Assembly's priorities is to reduce the cost of living for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Will the Minister guarantee that the GNWT will subsidize the zero-based budget of NWT 911, keeping the call-answer levy at no more than $1.70 for the life of this Assembly?
The Northwest Territories 911 Act includes provisions to cap the call-answer levy at $1.70 for the first three years of operation of the system. We are just entering into the second year of operation, so no change to this fee will be made prior to 2022-2023.
Will the Minister agree to properly fund the NWT 911 before funding the COVID 811 service? When will 911 be funded correctly so that the staff are not burned out, doing double shifts, missing meals and breaks, and potentially compromising the residents need in case of emergency?
The NWT 911 service and the COVID 811 service are operated in two different departments for two totally different purposes, and accordingly, the budgets of these programs are developed independently. These are both important services to residents who need appropriate resources. The 811 service and the COVID agency is under the authority of the Premier. I will not comment on the funding for the program beyond saying that it is important and I do support it.
The department is adding additional terms and relief staff to the dispatch centre to support existing staff. I also wanted to include that stress management training is also offered, and quiet rooms and fitness machines to alleviate stress. Online and phone therapies are available, as well as peer-to-peer support through Alberta critical incident network, and one-on-one counseling following critical calls and support from the medical professionals to intervene on particular trauma calls.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to advocating with the Premier so that the funding for 911 that is not being provided properly is not spent on COVID 811 or ProtectNWT? Thank you.
I will have a conversation with the Premier in regard to COVID-19 and the 811, and I will follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, I talked to the sister of a young lady who was murdered in Hay River a few weeks ago. The sister I talked to is also married to my nephew. This shows you how we can all be impacted by events. She understands that her sister is gone and is looking for answers to ensure that something positive comes from her sister's death. She requested that I ask the Minister of health: what supports are available for young adults between the age of 18 to 30 who may be fighting addictions or drug use as there appears to be a support gap in that age range? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question. I realize that it's very difficult for families to come to terms with deaths due to addictions, especially in young people, and it happens much too often. For the 18-to-30 group, they would have access to all the same resources that adults have. Those include things such as counselling, the opportunity to go to facility-based addictions, the opportunity to come back and use on-the-land services, and other kinds of peer supports. There is a full range of services outlined in the Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Action Plan, that was tabled in 2019, that are applicable to all residents of the NWT. Thank you.
I had the opportunity to go through some of the government websites, and I noticed that there are quite a few toll-free numbers you can access to get support. I would ask the Minister: can she confirm how many calls are received on support lines, and how many of these calls are from Indigenous peoples? How many are from others? How many by community, and how is it determined if services provided by these toll-free numbers are actually working?
I appreciate that the Member was able to give me this question in advance because there is quite a detailed answer to provide. The Department of Health and Social Services operates the NWT helpline. It's available 24/7, and that could be for counseling. It could be for referral. There are a number of different functions. The helpline calls are anonymous, so people choose how much information to disclose, such as their ethnicity, their age, the community of origin and so on.
However, I can tell you that, in 2019, there were 697 calls to the helpline; 46 percent identified as female; 52 percent identified as male; approximately 55 percent of callers disclosed their ethnicity, and of that number, 19 percent identified as Indigenous. As I mentioned, people do not have to disclose where they are calling from, but the data says that 50 percent of callers identify as being from a rural community, which I would say in our context is a remote community, and 30 percent from an urban area. Because the calls are anonymous and the service is immediate, there is not a program of follow-up with callers to see whether they have additional questions. It would be on the caller to call the line and ask for additional help.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the people in the NWT, and I guess maybe I am thinking about myself, as well, the more personal face-to-face meetings are usually preferred over telephone or videoconferencing, and I guess a lot of people are just used to that. Can the Minister confirm that the department has statistics on the preference clients have on how the services are provided and what are the most successful methods?
Thank you to the Member for Hay River South. Every two years, the department conducts a satisfaction survey related to the Community Counselling Program, and it looks at a lot of different things: cultural safety, respect, access, how effective the services were. We have discovered, as you said, that people do like face-to-face services, but what we really had as an overarching message from the last survey is that there is no "one size fits all." Some younger people prefer the phone apps; others prefer face-to-face encounters; and others are content to be on the telephone. What I want you to know is that this is something that we track regularly, and the outcome is customer satisfaction. That is to say the people who phoned or who have reached out for help feel that they have received effective help. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement spoke at length of our knowledge-keepers and the life they have lived in their communities while passing on their knowledge of the land to the next generation of their families. This Assembly recognizes the need to keep the knowledge-keepers to age in their communities and at the same time to keep their dignity as human beings.
Mr. Speaker, my community of Fort Providence currently has an abandoned former health centre building that would make an ideal long-term care facility for our elders. We can also make space for people with severe disabilities and offer other programs, such as the "A New Day" program, which targets male offenders of a partnership. Just a note, there are two separate entrances, so there are two separate areas of the health centre, and also a basement unit. My question to the health Minister is: will she make a commitment to turning this building into a long-term care centre for our community? Mahsi.
