Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems we are going to have to bring the federal government kicking and screaming for them to actually come up with their action plan to implement the calls for justice for the Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I am happy to see that the GNWT is rolling out their own action plan, but I have concerns about whether we will implement some of the most serious calls to justice in the life of this Assembly. My question for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women is: when are we going to see our action plan?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Keeping in mind the principles that were set out by the national inquiry for the put through the final report, which included stating that we need to take a decolonizing approach, that we need to have the inclusion of families and survivors, that the conclusions should be self-determined and Indigenous-led solutions, I have decided, Mr. Speaker, that, when work that has been done to date, organizing, as the Member has already described earlier, organizing the work that is happening within the government already, that could be happening soon and that may take longer to happen, it is not good enough for the government to simply make our own list of what we are doing. We, in keeping with those principles, need to take that out to the Indigenous people, to the communities of families and survivors, and let them confirm if, in fact, us looking at ourselves is accurate. If what I'm seeing, where we think we are is actually accurate, they should be the ones. If we're going to do this right, they should be the ones that tell me, "Yes, you're right. You're doing okay here, but you're not doing okay there." We can't look at ourselves without going back out to those that we are hoping to be actually benefitting. As such, Mr. Speaker, instead of having it ready by June, by taking this additional step, I am expecting that the draft plan shall be ready by October. Thank you.
I hear what the Minister is saying, and I recognize we have to take direction from those who are closest to the plan. My biggest concern is: when I go through the plan and if I cost it in my head, it's millions and millions more dollars than we actually have to fully implement. I think this has been a systemic problem across the GNWT is that we often create great action plans but don't back them up with the dollars. Will the action plan that is presented at the new date be costed for each of the calls to justice?
Implementing all 231 calls to justice will, indeed, cost probably not only millions. It may well cost billions of dollars. That's not going to deter me from putting forward the implementation plan, the action plan, and, again, the draft plan because, again, the point to be is: it's going to be a living document that goes back out into the community, to the people who we're purporting to be serving.
No, it's not going to be a full costed plan. What I do intend to do is to try my best to subscribe to the principles that are in the final report and speaking to those principles, which is what they say very clearly is the foundation for all 231 calls to justice and really looking at way we do things, how we do things, and where we're going. Along the way, that can, then, filter back into each department as we prepare our business plans, different levels of government as they prepare their own budgets, looking at what we do already and where we need to go. While that won't necessarily be costed one by one, I do believe that, by laying all this out, we are going to be better placed to make better decisions about how we properly address the budgeting to achieve the things that are in that plan.
I'm hoping that the Minister, I'd like to get into the weeds a little. There are certain calls to justice that, no matter how much consultation or how much talk we have with people, simply costs money, and it's a yes or no. One example is calls to justice 4.5. We call upon all governments to establish a guaranteed annual living income for all Canadians, including Indigenous peoples. I've spoken numerous times about a guaranteed income in this House. Our current Income Assistance is neither guaranteed nor annual. Will we implement this calls to justice?
I watched as an advocate at the national inquiry, as the national inquiry struggled to be something that was built in a legal system and built in a government system, which is, in fact, the same system of legality and government that they were trying to address and to change, and it is a struggle. I can't say whether or not we, as a government or the national government, are ultimately going to implement this specific calls to actions or when or how.
What I can say and what I want to do is do what the national inquiry was calling on, which was to implement the principles, to look at the principles, and to apply them to every single one of the 231 calls to justice. That is not a small task, but we're going to do our best to lay that out in that spirit, to do it in a way that responds to the principles. It takes it out back out to the people who are meant to be served, to include the families and survivors, and to be decolonizing in our approaches, and then, rather than being stuck within the systems that we are still stuck in, do what I can to try to be thoughtful and progressive in how we put forward this draft plan.
No, I can't say whether or not we're going to address the specific one that the MLA has singled out. I'm not going to prioritize or hierarchize the different calls. We're going to look at the whole thing, and once we have that draft plan in place, it may well be that the individual families or survivors, Indigenous governments, may then say, "This is how you need to roll it out, and these are the priorities." At this point, Mr. Speaker, it's not for me to make that determination.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister could have just said no. I've asked the Minister of ECE multiple times, and he gives me pretty clear nos on that one. I didn't expect a different answer there, but I'm going to try again with another call to justice: 5.6(4), guaranteed access to independent legal services must be provided throughout court processes as soon as an Indigenous woman, girl, or 2SLGBTQQIA person decides to report a defense, before speaking to the police, they must have guaranteed access to legal counsel at no cost. Mr. Speaker, I don't know how you can go out and consult with victims and they will not want free independent legal advice. There is really no one who is going to say, "No, I don't want that." This is a simple yes or no. Do we change our legal aid policy to provide legal services to victims of crimes? Are we going to implement this calls to justice? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am going to do my best to maintain the principles from the national inquiry which say, that you must look at all 231 of the calls to justice, that we have to take decolonizing approach, inclusive approach, a self-determining approach, a trauma-informed and cultural safety approach. I simply am not going to pick out one and give an answer right now, Mr. Speaker, of which one will or will not be implemented when or how. I am struggling, Mr. Speaker, with how to be decolonizing in the approach to the action plan, working within a system that is still the system that people were telling us is colonial. It is challenging to figure out how to create an action plan which is a thing that governments do. When that is something that is so historic and so built into the structures and the systems that we have, how do I go out? I'm sure that most survivors would like to have free legal advice. That seems self-evident. As far as an action plan that is meaningful in a response to the national inquiry and the totality of all 231 calls to justice, I am determined to try my best to go about differently how to create that draft plan, and that means not picking one out right now and not being premature about what that draft plan's going to look like or where one individual one of the calls to justice is going to fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Hay River, we have a housing issue, so I'd like to ask the Minister of the Housing Corporation, when will we see a real plan to either put houses on the ground or some other solution to take care of a backlog wait list of those seeking housing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation is right now looking at retrofits in our smaller communities and abandoned units that we could bring back up to living conditions. We have expedited our plan right now for the RCMP units, but those are market units that are not specifically for residents of the territory. We also have a list of duplexes and units that are going up throughout the territory. I will have to provide that to the Member. I don't have that information with me on hand. Also, looking at the housing wait list, I am working right now with my federal counterpart for Canada. We, actually, just had a conversation this afternoon, just before this session. I'm quite optimistic about the outcome of that meeting, and I will keep my colleagues informed of the outcome of those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ever since the high rise had the fire, what happened there was -- prior to that, the number of people who were considered homeless wasn't that great. However, since the fire and the closing of it, the number has substantially increased. What this increase has done is cost this government between $10- to $15,000 per month per person to house them temporarily. I'd like to ask the Minister: there was a working group. I'm just wondering if that working group is still looking at potentially having a high rise open and where they are with respect to communication and working with the owner of the high rise?
The last update that I did receive in regards to the high-rise in Hay River was that they did submit an application for co-investment to look at the deficiencies that are existing in the high-rise. There were a number of expectations to be met prior to that building being open. With that, I will provide the Member with an updated status on where we are with the high-rise in Hay River.
I was elected here by the constituents in Hay River South, but I am also here to ensure that people are provided the opportunity to have housing and other services. This isn't happening. This has been going on with the Housing Corporation year after year. My issue here is that I don't see an end to it. At some point, I am going to have to ask the Minister. I need something concrete. We keep hearing the same rhetoric, and we don't hear anything new. We hear about the smaller communities. We hear something about the larger ones, as well, but I need to be able to take something back to Hay River. What can I take back to them to give them some hope that we are actually going to have some houses?
Our scheduled delivery, we don't have any expectations for Hay River for this year. I just want to just inform the Member that we did address the homelessness issue in Hay River this year for the COVID response. We did respond accordingly and dealt with the homelessness situation in the community, as well. Conversations are still going on with the Hay River high-rise. Looking at other situations that do burden us from constructing in Hay River, as well, is that we need land. We need land to build. In Hay River, it's quite challenging, to be honest. Looking at those opportunities going forward, those discussions are currently happening, as well.
I do hear the Member, like every other community and region, as well, that housing is quite significant, but I will keep the Member updated, as we do have a couple of co-investment applications that are coming forward. Like I had said earlier, the conversation that I did have with the federal government, I am quite optimistic about those outcomes of the applications. I am very confident, and I hope I am able to make an announcement prior to this session ending.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a property in Hay River referred to as "Disneyland." It's a fairly big area. The houses have been removed, and my understanding is that was to be for senior housing. I would ask the Minister if she would look at talking to some of the private developers in town and see if they are interested in building something and using that piece of land. Otherwise, I don't see anything happening, and I am very concerned because the Housing Corporation is important. It's a big budget. If nothing happened, I am hoping that, at some point, the Premier will take a look at the whole issue and maybe take a look at the top management. Maybe we have to do something there, some changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Putting houses in Hay River is quite complicated right now. There are other discussions that I will inform the Member about, as well. We are working with the community, looking at the vacant property that is there. We are looking at addressing the seniors issue there. That pretty much is the ongoing conversation in that specific community. We are really optimistic about the co-investment applications that are coming forward. I would really like to press on those, as well, because we were given a significant amount over the next three years to be addressing those applications and to making sure that they are successful. Once they are submitted to the federal government, the territorial government will receive them and were able to proceed with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Procurement in the Northwest Territories is very important. It is something we hear about lots in this House and something we are hearing about lots in our meetings, as well. In the interest of that, I am wondering if the Minister can tell us if the northern manufacturing policy is within the scope of the procurement review that is happening within ITI. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, yes. Thank you.
I hope questions like that happen in Committee of the Whole for ITI next week. Thank you. My second question is: time is money, Mr. Speaker, especially when you run and own your own business. I am wondering what the average time is between receipt of an application for the Business Incentive Policy and the northern manufacturers policy and confirmation of the application, as well, for the business owner.
I was looking for some information rather quickly. I can give an average, and the average is four to six weeks. I am not clear if that includes an application that is for both of those. I expect that it is. It may be that it is less complicated if it is only under BIP. Mr. Speaker, I should note it doesn't include a timeline if there needs to be further information, if an application is incomplete at the front end. As such, the clock would get stopped on the government end to allow a proponent to add to their application if need be.
Like I said, time is money. If somebody is trying to add something under either their Business Incentive Policy or trying to add something under the northern manufacturing policy, those timelines don't match up with a lot of our procurement timelines. If somebody is trying to do that, and it's taking two months, four to six weeks, potentially, for them to add that under, they are missing out on tenders. Every week, either I am notified about somebody missing out on a tender, or I am copied an issue to do with procurement policy, every week within my role representing the people of Kam Lake where there are a lot of business owners.
My next question is in regard to streamlining the process, in order to kind of help simplify those timelines. I'm wondering if the process for the northern manufacturing policy can be streamlined so that businesses aren't burdened by administrative demands of repetitive paperwork. What I find within the northern manufacturing policy is, if somebody, for example, manufactures coffee tables, they have to go back to ITI to say, "This month, I'm going to manufacture side tables." After that, if they want to then manufacture kitchen tables, they have to go back again. This adds a huge administrative burden to businesses. Instead of making kitchen tables, they're filling out paperwork asking to make kitchen tables and bid on government procurement for that. I am wondering if we can streamline this process with ITI to better serve northern businesses.
I want to say "procurement review" instead of simply saying "yes," because, really, the intention of the procurement review is to do exactly this, to look at barriers and to ensure that the barriers that may exist are brought to the attention of the government in a specific way so that we can identify the barriers broadly and systemically, not one by one, not solving one problem at a time for one proponent, but to truly look at having a system that is functional for everyone who is applying.
Again, the northern manufacturers policy is part of procurement review. I want to acknowledge that the Manufacturing Strategy is only barely a year-and-a-half or so old. I heard, in the course of doing that, that manufacturers are struggling with some of the systems. We are well aware of that, and that information is part of what has gone out in the discussion paper on the procurement review. Panel is well aware of it. I am confident that we are going to hear back from the manufacturers and have lots of good ideas of how this policy can be improved in the next few months.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that, and I am very appreciative that the government is going through this procurement review. We have been in House now for a year and a half. We are a year and half into our term, and I believe a lot of us came into this job wanting to reform procurement and make sure that we are retaining benefit for northern workers and northern employers. I think that this is something that we need to, as my colleague says, get on the ground sooner than later. We need to have results for the people that we serve, and we need to have results for the businesses that keep our communities afloat.
My next question for the Minister is: what are the service standards for responding to northern businesses and processing northern manufacturing policy applications? What kind of communication happens with businesses and what are the standards that ITI expects their employees to adhere to when they are dealing with an industry where time is money? Thank you.
At present, there is not a set service standard for responding under the northern manufacture policy. Again, the average time right now for processing the application, ensuring that it goes from start to finish completed, is four to six weeks. If having set standards is something that the manufacturers believe would be beneficial, would be useful, then, again, I would hope and expect that that is going to come through in the procurement review and that we can find something that is more functional and more workable, ensuring that, again, if there are other certain standards that are expected beyond simply the timelines for applying under this one process, then that is all part of what should be coming through. I am confident we can figure out what an appropriate standard can be in the course of this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's address. Colleagues, we will take a short recess. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 499-19(2): Healthcare Services to Seniors During the Pandemic;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 512-19(2): COVID-19 Effect on Teachers Being Able to Travel;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 546-19(2): Diabetes Program in Small Communities;" and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 561-19(2): Wastewater Testing." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 568-19(2): Inmate Rehabilitation." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion is on systemic racism:
WHEREAS half the population of the Northwest Territories is Indigenous;
AND WHEREAS the population of the Northwest Territories is becoming more racially diverse;
AND WHEREAS Indigenous peoples have faced colonialism and cultural genocide;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has accepted the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the principles of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the calls to justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls;
AND WHEREAS there is growing public awareness of the impacts of racism in society brought to light by the grassroots efforts of Black Lives Matter and other anti-racism organizations;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to review its policies and practices for racial and cultural bias, especially as they relate to education, health and social services, justice, housing, and government hiring;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. To the motion. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This motion is very much in line with my entire life philosophy of improving government for the people we serve. I have been fighting my entire adult life for the betterment of Black, brown, and Indigenous people. As a chief in leadership and now as an MLA, I firmly believe that anything is possible if we work together to make change. Change must come from the top. Change must be felt from the bottom. Only then, we have made a difference.
Racism takes many different forms, especially in government. Gaps in cultural barriers have always been a problem. Affirmative action and the procurement policy are prime examples of bureaucratic systemic racism. This has to change. Only then, we will make a difference. Mr. Speaker, I would like a recorded vote on this motion. Thank you.
