The plan is now four years old. We have committed to reviewing it. We have committed to costing out the remainder of the five recommendations, and we have said that we will provide that information by June of 2021.
Can the Minister provide a timeline for when her department expects more communities to have midwifery services in the NWT?
Hay River and Fort Smith have midwifery services at this point, and the idea of hiring one additional midwife for each of these locations is to stabilize the program. The next community on the list for midwives is Yellowknife, and as I already said, that would require the hiring of four midwives. There are some conversations going on about how the program could be expanded beyond that. Today, this very day, there is consultation going on with Fort Resolution community members and healthcare workers to find out whether they are interested in having midwives, whether they would prefer to have a doula program or an Indigenous caregiver program. Those are the kinds of things that we would like to hear, not only in Fort Resolution, but in the Deh Cho and in Behchoko, as well.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us when her department expects to enter into phase 2 of the midwifery service expansion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I've said previously in this House, phase 2 of the midwifery program does not have funding in the current budget. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are also for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, over the last year, the fourth trimester has drastically changed for new mothers. We spent decades telling new moms to get out and stay active only to now tell them to stay home and stay alone. How have the supports for new moms changed or evolved over the last year in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Member for introducing a new term for me, the fourth trimester. For a moment there I thought that pregnancy might have been extended for an entire year, but I understand now that this is the first three months of baby's life. Of course, as the Member said in her statement, it's common for new parents, especially first-time parents, to be anxious about how to care for their baby, their family, and themselves, and certainly, it is not a time where we want people to feel alone and unsupported. We realize that COVID-19 has, in fact, had that kind of an effect. However, having said that, the health system continues to deliver health programs, so clients can access different kinds of programs and services for post-partum care.
There is post-natal care at six weeks with their primary care practitioner, where an additional post-partum and mental health screening is provided to catch any issues that are prevalent at that point. There is also comprehensive care available at that same six-week mark if the person is within the midwifery program. There are also virtual post-partum classes that are delivered by Yellowknife Public Health to those who need to stay at home. We are willing to provide the services. We are hoping that parents will articulate what they need, and we will be able to respond to that with the specific services they need. Thank you.
I appreciate that there are existing services available. I can say I have used some of them myself as a new mom. All of my babies were born in Yellowknife. I am wondering if the Minister of Health and Social Services is willing to evaluate post-partum supports to new moms by engaging with recent and new moms to ensure they are meeting this generation of moms at the right time and with the right support. An example of this is: traditionally, like the Minister said, new moms are seen at six weeks in order to give the moms a chance, to say, "Okay, let's check on you now." In an environment where, now, we are spending a lot more time at home, there is a lot more uncertainty about the world, and people are using social media a lot more, maybe it's more relevant for that to be moved up to three weeks. I am wondering if the Department of Health and Social Services will commit to engaging with new moms to see what they are looking for.
The department is always working with new parents to understand what they need and how we could better support them. That is a core part of our mandate. We do not need to be directed to find out how they are feeling. This is the ongoing work of the department. We, of course, could always offer more services and deliver them in different ways, and so we are interested in looking at our prenatal and post-natal education programming and delivery and making sure that it is as effective as can be, that not only is it effective but that it is grounded in traditional knowledge and presents a culturally safe option for Indigenous moms. The department has, as I mentioned, conducted extensive engagement with parents and families through the midwifery review that was referenced earlier this afternoon, and all of this information will be included in our continuous evaluation of what we are doing.
Since the department is always looking for new ways to serve new parents, I am wondering if the department is willing to look at new ways to communicate with parents. Asking for help can be very hard, and asking for help when you need it, it might actually be something like 2:00 in the morning. Our next generation of new moms is heavily invested in virtual communication through social media and text messaging, so I am wondering if the Minister will commit to establishing new communication protocols in the Northwest Territories that accommodate text messaging supports for new moms so that they have access to NWT support when they need it, in a communication style that suits them.
Midwives, in particular, have always engaged their clients using a variety of methods, and in the current communications environment, that includes phone, text, FaceTime, and video conferencing. This particular engagement is being considered in the expansion of midwifery services in the Yellowknife area, which I referenced earlier, and so how to meet current needs is certainly on our radar. We do not expect everybody to pack up the baby and come into the office.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am definitely excited for the changes that the midwifery program will present to the Northwest Territories, but the fact of the matter is that not everybody has access to a midwife or uses one. I am wondering if this is a change that can be made at the public health level because every new mom is connected to public health. I am wondering if public health can take on the responsibility or the option of passing along a phone number to new moms so that they are able to text somebody when they need it. Many people who work for public health are already on call; they probably already carry a cellphone. I am wondering if this cellphone number can be provided to new moms to use within the first three months, if and when they need it, because being a new parent can be very scary. Thank you.
I am not sure what is possible in terms of having public health on call to a greater extent than they are now, but that is certainly something I can enquire about and get back to the Member with. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to assure the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment that I was not dozing off, and he did have my attention when he announced the minimum-wage increase today. However, I want to ask him: I raised this issue about the Minimum Wage Committee in a previous Member's statement. I think he received some kind of report. Is he willing to make that report public? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to give the same answer I gave last time with this question, that this report was prepared as advice for Cabinet, and it was prepared by people who were assured that it would be kept confidential. I am not prepared to go back on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the Minister for that response, but all we have is the Minister's statement and news release about on what basis the Minister made this very important decision. Can the Minister not at least talk about what the recommendations were from the committee and share those recommendations with the public?
The committee made three recommendations, as was asked for. One of the recommendations is always the status quo; one of the recommendations was also increasing it to $15.20.
I guess I have to guess what the third recommendation was, but I am not going to try to do any math on my feet here. Actually, I will. We have the Wage Top-Up program ending on August 31st, as I understand it, so $18 an hour. The very next day, people are going to see their hourly wages drop to $15.20. It just does not seem to make any sense, so can the Minister explain to the public, the people, the 9 percent of our workforce that is now accessing the Wage Top-Up program, why he chose $15.20, and can he explain why their wages are going to drop from $18 an hour one day to $15.20 the next?
Their wages will drop because currently there is a Wage Top-Up program in place, and that runs until August 31st. The next day, the Wage Top-Up program will no longer be operational, and people who are making minimum wage will start receiving $15.20 an hour from their employer without that additional top-up. I just want to point out that the minimum wage is just that. It's a minimum wage. I think less than a thousand people in the territory make minimum wage. Most of them are between 15 and 24. Most of them are living at home, and perhaps a higher wage will help them get out of that house sooner. The fact is: this is not a demographic of people who are counting on a minimum wage to raise a family for the most part. A lot of those positions, as well, come with gratuities, so a number of those people making minimum wage also make tips on top of it.
I appreciate what the Member is saying. I was very happy to see that the wage top-up was extended because I do want to make sure that we are providing for our residents. However, we can't expect our businesses to absorb such a great increase in cost over the course of one summer from the $13.46 to something like $18 an hour. It's just not feasible. It's not the way businesses are structured right now. However, that being said, we have the second highest minimum wage in Canada. We will on September 1st. I think that's something to be celebrated. I don't think we've ever been in that position before. The only one with the higher minimum wage is Nunavut where the cost of living is much higher, as well, so it's appropriate for what we have in the territory.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm looking actually at the Department of Finance website. The number of individuals that have accessed the Wage Top-Up program as of March 10th is 2,360, not the 1,000 that the Minister just kind of mentioned, 96 participating businesses. Look, this is a very significant portion of our workforce.
They're going to see their wages drop in one day. It's just not fair, Mr. Speaker. I've tried a number of different avenues here to try to get the Minister to recognize this is a real problem and issue. What other solutions does the Minister have? He doesn't seem to agree with the idea of a guaranteed basic income. What are the Minister's solutions to trying to help people make ends meet, the 2,360 people who are already accessing the Wage Top-Up program? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
There may be 2,360 people accessing the Wage Top-Up program. That doesn't mean there're 2,360 people making minimum wage once that program goes away.
Those are two different numbers. One is $18, and one is right now $13.46; there's a difference there. What do we have in place, Mr. Speaker? That's why I work so hard on education. That's why we're working hard on making investments in early childhood. That's why we're trying to expand the number of early childhood spaces there are for children so that they can get in there and get an enriched environment starting at the beginning of their life.
That's why we're reviewing the curriculum, Mr. Speaker, to make sure it's a curriculum the kids want so that they want to go to school and so that it helps them grow and it helps them learn. It could help them get to that next level and get those jobs. That's why we're looking at our SFA program. That's why we have the best SFA program in Canada, Mr. Speaker. We have the most generous Student Financial Assistance program in Canada to help students get that post-secondary education. That is the biggest contributor to improving your wages, getting a post-secondary education. That's where we need to focus our efforts, Mr. Speaker, not putting this on the backs of businesses. This is on us, and this is what we are doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents: "Projected Demand for Long-Term Care Beds in the NWT, NWT Bureau of Statistics, August 2020;" and "Department of Health and Social Services Response to Long-Term Care Bed Projections." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Friday, March 12, 2021, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 29, 2021;
AND FURTHER, that, any time prior to March 29, 2021, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2021, I will move that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Revolving Fund Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2021, I will move that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Public Utilities Act to:
prohibit a public utility from disconnecting a residential customer's electricity service during the period of October 1 to April 30 or when the temperature is forecast to be below 0 degrees Celsius because an amount payable is overdue;
require a public utility to reconnect a residential customer's service, which was disconnected during the period of May 1 to September 30 because an amount payable was overdue, by October 1 or as soon as practicable;
prohibit a public utility from installing a device to limit the amount of power and electricity provided to a residential customer because an amount payable is overdue; and
allow a public utility to require a residential customer to enter into a payment plan before reconnecting the customer's electricity service during the period of May 1 to September 30.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. The motion is in order. To the motion?
