Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI, or as my colleague likes to call her, the Minister of mining. Can the Minister which I think is a good thing, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister speak to how the GNWT is facilitating the purchase of the excess hydro power from the Taltson hydro dam for mines or other development projects in the South Slave Region? It seems like a real untapped potential there. Thank you
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to speak to this. I mean, obviously just, you know, noting firstly that the NTPC obviously is responsible for managing its own affairs. That said, I do have the opportunity to meet with their officers and staff and the Minister responsible, and it just so turns out that the Minister responsible and myself are on the steering committee for the Taltson hydro project. So lots of opportunity in that respect to ensure that all the right parties are alive and aware of what projects are in the region, the timeline of the various projects in the region, what their potential needs for power and power generation might be, and it certainly has been my experience in this role, Mr. Speaker, that NTPC's very interested in signing MOUs with projects that they, I believe, have advanced doing exactly that, signing MOUs both for excess power as it is already, but also with an eye on the Taltson refurbishment and the Taltson expansion. So all of which is to say, Mr. Speaker, it has been my experience that these things are happening in conjunction, one with the other, and that all the right players are speaking to each other to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm super glad to hear the Minister speak about a coordinated approach and sort of being proactive with the players in the region given that I can't think of how many times I've heard oh, if we just knew that was going on, we would have jumped on board. So great to hear that the Minister's coordinating that.
Given that our dependence in the next while is going to be on metal mining as the diamond mines sunset, can the Minister speak to what is being done and how the GNWT is supporting the expansion or exploration for new metal mines? I can't stress enough how important it is given that they are seven to ten times smaller than a diamond mine's revenue output. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me just quickly start by saying that I certainly haven't shut the door on the possibilities around the diamond mines, that there is still exploration happening. And while it looks likely that at least one of them will be on its closure date, the others are, you know, I'd like to say that let's just not shut that door just yet. My hope is a little more positive and optimistic.
But as for metal mining, Mr. Speaker, we do have a mineral development strategy. It does need to be updated but it is there. It was developed in conjunction with industry. It is helping to guide some of the programs that we have now. There's the mineral incentive program that continues to be well subscribed that leverages private funds. There, of course, is our CSCR folks, client services client relations, who we always hear good things about, to support projects at all stages moving through the regulatory process. There, of course, now is Indigenous capacity building to help support Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations to build their capacity in this space. And, Mr. Speaker, and in general a lot of what we do, and certainly what I am responsible for doing, is getting the word out about the incredible potential that is there. We take that very seriously. And with COVID restrictions behind us, there's been no end of interest and opportunity both for people to travel here and learn about our opportunities and for us to take ourselves to the right organizations and to the right conferences. So, Mr. Speaker, I am, in short, quite confident that there's a lot of interest and that investments will follow with that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm really glad to hear that the Minister's feeling optimistic about the diamond mines. You know, I guess I'm at a point of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. So it is good to hear that there is a potential but we do know that with the ones that will sunset, it is going to create a bit of an economic hole for us.
Given that the Minister brought this up, I think it's a good opportunity to speak to the Indigenous capacity building. It's my understanding in the past that that money was used for us to take people from Indigenous governments and organizations to conferences like round up; however, now that money is being put in the hands of those Indigenous people themselves for them to decide how they want to spend, which I think is great. So can the Minister speak a little more to how she sees that rolling out and the reception from the Indigenous governments to those changes. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a fairly new roll out. There certainly has been funds available prior to now but it was ad hoc whereas now there is a more formalized process by which interested parties can apply. There are, you know, maximums and some eligibility requirements. But in short, Mr. Speaker, it is meant to be a fund that formalizes an opportunity. So precisely as is asked, that governments and organizations can apply, have money to attend conferences, to attend training, to bring training into their communities and to their people. It is being run as a pilot. And I just say that because that allows an opportunity, if there's things in the eligibility or things in the process that the relevant organizations want to see changed, then this is an opportunity to do that so that going forward this program can achieve its goal of better empowering the people on whose lands these projects potentially would be on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the Minister knows I'm a really big fan of the iterative process. So I'm glad to hear that, you know, we are looking at this as something that we are going to adapt and change as we get more feedback from the users of the system.
My last question I think just has to speak around Indigenous ownership. I believe there's been some information in the media around, you know, people sort of being window dressing as they take part in ceremonies and such but I think it's really important to clarify the record that the rare earth mine that is operating in the Northwest Territories is run by an Indigenousowned organization through Cheetah Resources hiring them.
So can the Minister speak a little bit more, do we have any more of these types of agreements in the works or coming down the line? To me, Indigenous ownership in mining is the only way to go forward in this territory so I hope to hear that there's some coming. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't necessarily speak to what might be happening mine by mine or project by project. Certainly what I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that indeed, yes, at the Nechalacho Project, Deton Cho are, indeed, the miners of that project. They are the ones running the contract and doing the mining. That is, I think, perhaps maybe a first in Canada; certainly a first in the Northwest Territories. And I can't agree more, this is the way of the future, and it is you know, I think it is something where we are starting to see access to equity change, access to whether it's low interest loans or various other forms of capital opportunity. The federal government seems to be live to that. They seem to be looking to create these types of funds. They've put a lot of money into the First Nations Major Project Coalition. So I think there's a lot happening in this space right now, Mr. Speaker. It is certainly an opportunity for us to make sure we are at the frontend of that. That is my message when I go out, is that the federal government and projects need to be, from day one, working with the people on whose lands their projects are on and they will, indeed, see that that brings certainty and prosperity to the projects and to the whole of the project.
So there's, I think, a tremendous possibility here in the Northwest Territories and with a lot this is where having mines at the early stage means we're at the right stage to see that happen here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health explain why the Department of Health is not renewing the current contractor and where they are not seeking any new contractors to keep the Trailcross Treatment Centre open? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question and the opportunity to talk about this issue.
The situation is that attendance at the Trailcross treatment facility has declined over the last several years. At the end of May, it was 12.5 percent. There is no waiting list. There are no outstanding applications. And the best practice now is not to treat youth and children in institutional settings but rather to create closer to home therapeutic foster homes for children who need and youth who need this kind of care. Thank you
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if there are any plans in place for what the old Trailcross building will be used for once the treatment centre is closed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. What's happening now, given that this contract expires next Monday, is that the Department of Health and Social Services is reviewing the services and programming that was delivered at Trailcross to develop a plan to assist youth in other ways. Therapeutic foster homes is one that I just mentioned.
So there is an analysis going on of next steps for programming. And once those steps have been completed at the end of this calendar year, a decision will be made about whether Trailcross as a building is part of this or whether Trailcross will be surplused. Thank you
Mr. Speaker, would the Minister consider converting the old Trailcross building in Fort Smith into a new territorial aftercare facility for the people of the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point I don't think there is a plan for Trailcross. This work that I described in my previous answer needs to take place first. I don't know anything about the age and the condition of the building and whether it needs repairs before it becomes whatever it's going to be next. So these are very much live questions, and I appreciate the Member's interest in creating an aftercare facility. I think that there's some potential that we could repurpose surplus buildings for those kind of reasons, but we don't have a firm plan at this time. Thank you
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to have her department examine the possibility of converting the old Trailcross building into a territorial aftercare facility? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once we have finished the programming review, we'll have a better idea of what we're going to do with the building. Thank you
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are about 6,000 Government of the Northwest Territories employees. Over 3,000 positions are located in Yellowknife. We can only assume roughly one out of four, or one out of five people, are employed by GNWT. In the Tlicho communities and other small communities, we see what limited GNWT jobs that the majority of residents are eligible for only those benefits covered by noninsured health benefits.
Minister Green, can you please explain why the GNWT provides healthcare service for employees that is different from the healthcare service provided by the nonGNWT employees? Thank you
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you it's true that there is a twotier approach. There are people who have insurance through their employer, including the GNWT, maybe through the federal government, through the school boards and so on, and people who don't, and the approaches are different and the benefits are different; one of the reasons that we are currently reviewing the supplementary health benefits. So the concept of providing benefits to employees is to compensate them, as part of their compensation, and it's also a part of the usually the retention strategy that people want employees to have these benefits so that they remain working for them.
I recognize that there's a disparity between the amount of employment available in the small communities and in Yellowknife. But benefit programs don't take that into account. It's really about whether you are working for an employer with a private insurance plan or whether you are using the public insurance, which is NIHB and Metis health benefits. Thank you
So what this means is that the GNWT's employees are treated better than the members of the public. So that's what it's saying. So, Mr. Speaker, I hear from constituents in my ridings how difficult it can be to navigate the healthcare system while on medical travel. Will the Minister commit to hiring people to work with and support Northerners as they navigate the healthcare system while out of the territory? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a trial project in Edmonton called Gobacare, which is being offered by Sahtu beneficiary, to help people in Edmonton navigate their appointments. And that's something that the Department of Health and Social Services has been funding, and we're very interested to learn about the results and whether this is something we want to scale up. Thank you
Well, that's good to know, that there is something in place so then this can be extended to other Indigenous organizations as well or Indigenous government.
What supports are place for single parents who require medical treatment in the south with young children who they can't leave behind? Can the Minister commit to making young children eligible travel companions for people travelling south for medical care? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for that question.
The criteria for escorts is set by Indigenous Services Canada which pays most of the $44 million bill for medical travel each year. If the person receiving care is a minor, the parent goes with that child. But there is no provision at this point for the other children to go with that parent.
Having said that, I am aware of times where this issue has arisen and social services has been able to help with the voluntary services agreement. So if the Member knows of someone who needs this service, I suggest that they contact health and social services in their community and inquire. Thank you
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you can the Minister detail how much GNWT employees contribute to health benefits and how much the GNWT pays?
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of compensation for GNWT benefits is handled by the Department of Finance, and so I don't have that information available. Thank you
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of NWT Housing. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if, to start, the Minister can let the House know how or what portion of arrears, rather, are held by elders? Thank you
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question as well too, and I just wanted to just speak about our policy review that we are doing now, and I want to make this a priority when we are reviewing and considering the changes.
Right now, we don't have a database that separates those details. It's just mainly looking at arrears as a whole. I would have to get back to the Member with that information, specifically for arrears for seniors. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll be honest, I'm hoping that the information can be provided to the people of the Northwest Territories and not just myself. The principles of arrears collections states that arrears should be forgiven where collection is not possible but elders, not working and without income, are still expected to repay their public housing arrears. So I'm wondering without knowing how many of their residents are elders, how does NWT Housing or Housing NWT, sorry, determine if repayment is not possible from their clients? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our main goal is to be working closely with the clients as best as possible for their current situation. In public housing, rent payments are calculated based on the Canada Revenue Agency information that is provided annually. Tenants at that to determine the tenant's income level. But I also want to include that the rent calculation is at 4 percent of their gross income, and the maximum rent is 19 percent of their gross income. Nationally, the standard is 30 percent. We are one of the lowest jurisdictions throughout Canada.
I also wanted to include that Housing NWT does follow the Financial Administration Act as well too, just for consideration if we are looking at forgivenesses or writeoff, we have to make sure that we are in accordance with the legislation and required approval from the Financial Management Board. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that calculation that the Minister was talking about was for rent, not for the repayment of arrears. And so currently in the Northwest Territories, we have elders, at the age of 87, paying over half of their monthly income towards their arrears and for their housing. So their combined amount that they're paying back to Housing NWT exceeds half of what they're bringing in. That means an elder living in a small community in the Northwest Territories is trying to pay for all the rest of their monthly expenses with less than $300. And by my calculation, from my trips to the grocery store recently, that's about three and a half bags of groceries for an entire month.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister also stated that Housing NWT works closely with their clients to figure out what works for them, and if an elder is paying that much money towards their arrears, then that's not working closely with our elders.
So, Mr. Speaker, given the policy change that occurred earlier in this Assembly, where it was prohibited for elders to be charged rent based on income of adult children living in their unit as a means to prevent elder abuse, does Housing NWT intend to address the arrears that were accumulated by elders before the policy change that are still being held accountable for the arrears accumulated from the incomes that are not their own? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question as well too that, you know, we are just in the middle right now of really working with our new mandate that we had published earlier this year as well, and I really appreciate the comments that are coming forward as well because it really drives the change on how it is that we're going to be looking at our programming and changing them as well too.
For the public housing tenants, they are encouraged to be going into the local housing authorities as well too, and moving to a monthtomonth rent assessment as well and looking at the work that is done with the local housing authorities that we are we will be working more closely with our tenants so we could flag those issues and being able to provide more opportunity for the rent calculations and also for collecting of the arrears. This is something I would like to bring back to the department as well too and really look at those numbers that we actually do have that are outstanding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently 487 former tenants of Housing NWT, and I'd like to point out that only 51 are from Yellowknife, so over 400 former tenants of Housing NWT currently owe about $7.8 million in arrears owed to Housing NWT. These tenants are unable to put their names on waitlists for public housing, and they live in public housing dominated communities. They're unable to access homeownership programs or home repair programs.
How does Housing NWT plan to address these arrears, given the reliance of many communities on Housing NWT public housing and programs, and is there a mechanism where residents can again gain access to these programs while they are still working at paying down their arrears? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT does allow applicants with rental arrears to be on the waitlist if they provide a repayment agreement in place to follow up with their application that they are submitting. For private homeowners, Mr. Speaker, homeowners in zone B and C in communities with mortgage arrears are still able to access our repair programs. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
I'll ask more if you let me.
