Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, I was speaking about mental health in regard to the self-isolation plans for the travelling for the medical travel. Does the Minister acknowledge the added burden that the self-isolation requirements place on people who have repeated medical travel needs? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you for the question, Member for Nunakput. I recognize that this is a terrible time to be facing a serious illness where it's necessary to travel outside of your community and outside of the territory on a regular basis for treatment, and I certainly do empathize with the people who are doing that and recognize that, in fact, this travel is a burden. Thank you.
Has the Minister considered making special arrangements with those who frequently travel for medical travel such as cancer, that small group of people, making it easier for them so that, when they're done their medical travel, they'll come back to the territory, do their test, once a test is available, for probably three days before they're allowed to go back home? Is that possible to happen with that group of people?
It's my understanding that the Chief Public Health Officer looks at these cases on a case-by-case basis. There is no blanket exemption policy in place for people who have regular medical travel. Having said that, I recognize that this is a hardship, and I encourage the medical travellers to be in touch with ProtectNWT to see whether they can obtain an exemption for more than one trip so that they have some certainty going forward about where they're going to stay.
I think we could make that change this year, with the Assembly ourselves, with this Minister, to go forward and try to make it easier for our people who we represent, especially in the small communities. The burdens of having to fly all the way to Edmonton, you are looking at a week there, then another coming back, two weeks, so you're almost gone for a month for a one-day checkup. With the Chief Public Health Officer, the Minister is the boss of that department. That being said, can she make that change, that positive change, once it's available? Just say yes.
I am a bossy person, but I am not the boss of the CPHO. I can't tell her what to do. I can make a suggestion, and she can weigh it and decide whether she wants to go along with it. She is a very compassionate person, and I am sure that she has looked at requests like this before. If the Member has specific constituents in mind who need this service, I would encourage them to contact ProtectNWT and seek that exemption.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. What time does the Minister anticipate rapid testing be available to the territory on a go-forward basis? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
There is a testing unit called Panbio that will be in place in every health centre by the end of October. It will provide rapid testing in the sense that it can be used at point of care and generate a result right then and there. It is a very simple-to-use machine; it is not only available to highly trained medical professionals. The thing is that, if somebody is not symptomatic, these machines are not necessarily the things that they need most. There is sort of a sequence of events. There can be a screening test: do you have COVID now? However, there need to be follow-up tests through the isolation period, which in any case is going to be 14 days. There is no change to that. The short answer is: rapid testing is coming your way. It says in my notes the end of October, so it should be there now. I will check to make sure that's the case. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is important that the Premier accept some responsibility, good or bad, for how we are managing our small business support during these tough economic times. Therefore, I will direct my questions to the Premier. She can answer them, or she can direct them to the Minister who she thinks can best provide the answer. We have a long list of projects that need to be undertaken, so the first question I will ask the Premier is: how is this government ensuring that all of our small businesses are receiving work that will help them stay afloat during these tough and uncertain economic times? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. That would be best deferred to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the Member's statement earlier on actually identified that this, indeed, in large part, does involve the procurement of resources and procurement of projects through the Government of the Northwest Territories. As I mentioned in my own Minister's statement today, we acknowledge that there certainly has been a lot of discussion around ensuring that the procurement processes we have are indeed providing best benefits to the people of the Northwest Territories and the businesses of the Northwest Territories.
Again, and I know the Member acknowledged it, there is the review that is intended to happen, but we are also looking at some interim measures that we can employ that might more quickly make some changes, which may or may not ultimately find their way into what gets recommended, but that might provide some more immediate relief, or at least demonstrate more immediate action that, again, might make a difference for some of the businesses.
In addition to that, there certainly is an ongoing infrastructure plan that has already been approved under the current fiscal, and that is, of course, advancing notwithstanding COVID. There has been a lot work that has happened on that. Then, of course, there are quite a number of programs, a variety of programs, that have been instituted to help northern businesses in terms of the rural relief fund, the program money that has come through, as well as a variety of other COVID-related relief tools. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
I thank the Minister for that answer. I have talked to small-business owners who are not receiving any work in their community or region. This is partly due to the number of bidders and outside influence from southern contractors. One area where we can assist them is in those M and Is or projects required by the NWT Housing Corporation and Infrastructure. If we find a business that has been left out, will the Premier commit to talking with the Minister of housing and the Minister of Infrastructure to find a solution to this inequity and make sure that our small businesses are working?
I think I'm going to speak perhaps with my Department of Finance hat on, as well as with ITI. Really, I suppose it's a whole-of-government response that is going to be required in light of the question, and certainly, to the extent that Procurement Shared Services, which now falls under Finance, is responsible for managing and supporting those contracts. Indeed as far as Procurement Shared Services goes, for all of its client departments, it has not only the Department of Infrastructure, but all client departments. I'm sure they will do their very best to work with the client departments and ensure that work is moving forward, and moving forward in a way that is conscious of the needs of our business community.
Considering that we have programs such as BIP, the manufacturing policy, sole-sourcing, and negotiated contracts, can the Premier commit to talking with and directing the appropriate Minister to make sure we are exploiting those programs for the immediate benefit of our small businesses?
In some ways, it's a simple yes in that that is the goal of the Department of Finance through Procurement Shared Services, to ensure that we are providing value not only, obviously, to the people of the Northwest Territories in the expenditure of public funds, but value to the business community. It really is an easy answer, in that sense, but how we do it is where it becomes more complicated. As I have indicated, we are fast-tracking efforts to have procurement review but also looking at some immediate measures that we can bring into place, hopefully before the next sitting, again, on an interim basis, to see what we can do to have some immediate change.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. If we're saddled with COVID-19 restrictions for another year or more, can the Premier confirm what is the long-term strategy to assist our small northern businesses so they do not fail? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
The longer-term strategy for small businesses, I'll refer, again, to the fact that we had fast-tracked the procurement review. To that extent, I want to be very clear that it's my intention that that review engages those small businesses directly, engages the chambers, engages Indigenous governments, Indigenous development corporations, really looks broadly at what it is that we need to do to support the business community in all of its facets here in the Northwest Territories. Again, ensuring that we have interim measures in place before January, but also then is engaging for COVID related specifically is entities such as the Business Advisory Council to see what sorts of relief measures and recovery measures specific to COVID we can also bring into place.
I believe later this week I'll be meeting again with the Tourism Association, so going on an industry specific basis, as well, to ensure that not only broadly are we looking at what we can do for business community but what we can do for individual industries. On that note, also going back to my federal counterparts, whether it's through agriculture, whether it's for the department of fishery, whether it's for filming, all of those different tables are all looking at what can all of the governments across Canada do to support those small businesses. Small business is a huge issue here in the Northwest Territories; it's a huge issue for all of Canada. Small businesses support Canadian economy, so I'm not alone in the challenge that the Member is bringing to me. I ensure that we'll continue to do our best to fight that challenge going forward. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. My question to the MACA Minister is related to the cellphone range extension beyond the communities. Has the Minister engaged the CRTC in any way on this important initiative? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. MACA has and will continue to support the ongoing discussions with relevant stakeholders, the Department of Finance, who are actively involved with CRTC proceedings, and to look to extend broadband across the Northwest Territories, the federal funding program that may be aimed at supporting development and within communities who can choose to build the necessary infrastructure. Just to clarify that the cellphone coverage and looking at cellphone outside of the municipal boundary along the highways, I will be speaking with my colleague, the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mahsi to the Minister for that answer. The Minister had indicated extending the cellphone range was a priority for the GNWT. Can the Minister share the action plan to address this very important safety initiative?
As a government, we did identify our priorities, and looking at the cellphone coverage, I know, is a huge safety concern throughout the territory. We do have constructed highways. We do have winter roads that would need this service. As of right now, I would have to follow up with my colleagues and looking at what is provided along the highways is the satellite phones, the OnStar, and the inReach, but I do understand that not all vehicles are equipped with these devices. I will have to get back to the Member.
Mahsi to the Minister for that one. 911 service is a lifeline to many who are in life-threatening accidents within communities but more importantly to accidents beyond community boundaries and beyond the current cellphone range within the vicinity of a community. Will the Minister commit to providing this Assembly and the residents of the Northwest Territories an action plan showing all milestones to the development of cellular service extensions?
I will have to consult with my colleagues. Looking at an action plan, I would like to provide the Member with the current status of how we are working with 911 throughout the Northwest Territories. I do understand we do have isolated communities, that I'm not too sure if they are able to access the program effectively because we do have broadband issues in the Northwest Territories, especially in the High Arctic. I will follow up with the Member.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I don't believe the CRTC provides funding for these types of initiatives, but rather rulings regarding current regulations. Will the Minister commit to looking at all possible cellular extension options besides monopolies and find funding sources? Mahsi.
For the municipal communities we do provide a capital funding to each of the communities depending on what it is that they would like to put forward in regard to infrastructure projects. At this time, I would have to explore what available federal funding would be available to the smaller communities should they want to extend cellular service and construct towers within their municipal boundaries. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. I was really pleased to hear that they are engaging a consultant to look at the ITH and what is needed there. However, I'm aware that there are repairs that could be done sooner ahead of that report. Will the Minister work to commit to convince her Cabinet colleagues to find money for rehabilitation work on the ITH ahead of awaiting on the consultant's report? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the Member is aware, there is no mechanism to avoid the need for analysis, the development of a business case, and cost estimates prior to seeking funding. We would not be applying due diligence that the residents of the Northwest Territories expect by ignoring the required process to fund a capital project. Once I have acquired documentation, yes, I will engage with my Cabinet colleagues. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
The Minister is speaking my language. I'm glad to hear things around due diligence and proper analysis. However, road building is rock science, not rocket science. I don't know how much more analysis we need to know that we should put some more gravel down on the ITH. If the Minister is not successful with her Cabinet colleagues, will the Minister find money from within the department to increase the budget for work on the ITH this year?
I have limited ability to be able to move money within the department as there are financial admin act rules that must be followed.
Will the Minister commit to sitting down with me and going through the plans that she has for next year for the ITH so that I can be sure that everything that I think needs to be taken care of does?
Absolutely.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madame la Presidente. My question is for the Minister of Justice. We have one of the best access to information and protection of privacy laws in the world, but it's still not implemented. Can the Minister provide an update on the status of implementation of the new legislation, including reduction of fees, identification of classes of records that do not require an ATIPP application, and other reductions in costs for applicants? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Minister of Justice.
