Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 4819(2) asked by the Member for Great Slave on October 26th to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment regarding delivering the Child and Youth Care Counsellor Program.
This program has recently been rebranded from Child and Youth Care Counselling to Child and Youth Counselling. The purpose of this rebrand is to improve recruitment efforts and increase the number of candidates we receive for these positions. Throughout this response I will use this updated language.
Can the Minister explain what engagement or consultation the Department of Education, Culture and Employment conducted with counsellors already working in the school system prior to implementing the new child youth care counsellor positions?
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment, or ECE, engaged superintendents through the NWT Superintendent Association, where Superintendents bring the concerns of Education Body staff to the table and suggest ways to resolve issues moving forward. Prior to the introduction of the Child and Youth Counselling, or CYC, initiative, there were 18 counsellors employed in the school system. Affected employees were considered for the new CYC initiative positions if they could demonstrate they:
Met the qualifications of the job description, which requires a master’s degree in Child and Youth Care, Counselling, Clinical Social Work or Education with a focus on therapeutic counselling;
Had equivalencies in terms of education and experience; or
Had similar qualifications for a developmental transfer into the position.
Education Bodies were informed within a year of the initiative being launched. As the initiative was rolled out incrementally across regions, Education Bodies had between one and four years of notice. Existing counsellors were given the opportunity to seek additional qualifications to meet the criteria of the CYC position.
Can the Minister detail the qualifications typically accepted for child and youth care counsellors in place in our school system?
The current job descriptions require a master’s degree in Child and Youth Care, Counselling, Clinical Social Work, or Education with a focus on therapeutic counselling. The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority is currently in the process of updating the qualifications and screening criteria included in the CYC job descriptions to allow for a larger hiring pool. This may include expanding the description to allow for local counsellors who can demonstrate equivalencies that meet the requirements of the position.
Do school principals get to evaluate the child and youth care counsellors?
School principals are not involved in the performance evaluation of the Child and Youth Counsellors, as they are employees of the health and social services authorities. ECE has an Education Body committee System through which Education Body input and feedback is provided; within this system, Education Bodies inform ECE of both successes and issues so that the department can collaborate with regions and with the Department of Health and Social Services to address issues and provide support. ECE recognizes there is a need for a formal and direct communication mechanism between Clinical Supervisors and school principals.
Is there a way for school administrators to speak formally to the effectiveness of this program operating in the schools?
As Members of the CYC Steering committee, Education Body Superintendents can raise concerns and ideas for improvement during those regular meetings, as well as through the NWT Superintendent Association and the Student Support Subcommittee meetings. There is also a monitoring and evaluation plan for the CYC initiative in place, which includes formal mechanisms for feedback. I’ll speak to the monitoring and evaluation plan, and the associated formal mechanisms for feedback, in my next response.
What evaluative feedback mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of the child and youth care counsellor’s program?
When the CYC program was launched in the 20192020 school year, a monitoring and evaluation plan was launched along with it. Annually, ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services gather monitoring data about the CYC initiative that speaks to regional successes and challenges, in the regions where the initiative was implemented. As part of the monitoring and evaluation plan, these annual monitoring activities are then used to inform the CYC initiative evaluation, which is currently taking place. Examples of monitoring information that have been collected include: Turnover rates, number of monthly sessions by session type, average weekly hours that CYCs spend in schools, and number of individual students seen by school, by region. This data is collected and shared annually with the CYC initiative team for the purpose of ongoing program improvement. Due to its sensitive nature, this data is not reported publicly. The monitoring information that the CYC initiative partners collect does not include annual feedback from children, youth, and families. Child, youth, and family feedback, as well as feedback from CYCs, educators, and administrators, is instead built into the evaluation stage of our monitoring and evaluation approach the CYC initiative. That evaluation phase is taking place this year. The department has begun gathering feedback from CYCs, educators, and administrators, as well as Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations.
The department is also working with a consultant and a youth advisory committee on the child, youth and family portion of the engagement and feedback, which will take place between February and April 2023. As part of the evaluation taking place this year, in May 2022, ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services surveyed health and education stakeholders, including school administrators, on the CYC initiative. An internal "What We Heard" report was prepared and this information will also be used as part of the evaluation process and report to inform the overall program design updates.
Another mechanism for child, youth and family feedback, for those families that participate in the CYC initiative is the NWT Community Counselling Program Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. This tool is part of the Department of Health and Social Services' regular monitoring and reporting processes. Client Satisfaction is an indicator of the extent to which services and supports meet the needs of individuals and families and is considered a key dimension of service quality.
The questionnaire is administered regularly, every two to three years. The most recent survey was issued in 2021 and a targeted effort was made to include the CYC initiative. Results of the questionnaire will be used to support monitoring of the CYC initiative. Responses from children and youth, or their parents or guardians, who have experience receiving services from CYCs also help to inform levels of satisfaction with the initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 4919(2) asked by the Member for Great Slave on October 26th, 2022, regarding delivering the Child and Youth Care Counsellor Program.
A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to address the concerns we have heard from our partners regarding the Child and Youth Care Counsellor Program. One of the recent changes includes a name change from Child and Youth Care Counselling to Child and Youth Counselling, or CYC. The purpose of this rebrand is to improve recruitment efforts and increase the number of candidates we receive for these positions.
Mr. Speaker, the rationale for the development of the CYC initiative came from a series of youth engagement activities that were conducted by the department between 2016 and 2017. These activities gathered feedback from NWT youth in a variety of settings including FOXY/SMASH retreats, youth ambassador gatherings and the Back to the Trail Gathering.
In total, these activities engaged over 130 youth from across the NWT on the broad topic of their mental health. What we heard from youth was that existing approaches to counselling, particularly in schools, were not working for them and that they wanted dedicated, qualified resources that were easily accessible. In response to their feedback the departments of Education, Culture and Employment, or ECE, and Health and Social Services, or Health and Social Services, codesigned the CYC initiative.
In preparation for the implementation of the CYC initiative, Health and Social Services did not consult with existing child and youth counsellors as there were no dedicated CYCs in the schools delivering clinical counselling at the time. That said, Health and Social Services worked closely with our partners at ECE to support this integration, and ECE engaged with NWT Superintendents.
As part of this integration work, Health and Social Services and ECE worked collaboratively to develop a governance model for the initiative that included representation from both departments, health and social services authorities and superintendents. The CYC steering committee and regional subcommittees provide an opportunity for all parties to come together to share their experiences and contribute problem solving and solution generating around any issues that may have been identified. Additional work was done to develop a memorandum of understanding between ECE and Health and Social Services, as well as Child and Youth Counselling Program guidelines to support the consistent implementation and administration of the program across the territory. A Child and Youth Counselling Handbook was also developed to provide frontline health and education staff with an overview of the program and identify roles and responsibilities.
Mr. Speaker, the COVID19 pandemic had significant impacts on recruitment and retention efforts across the GNWT and the CYC initiative has not been immune to these challenges. The Human Resource Talent Acquisition team has been supporting regional recruitment efforts to ensure increased visibility and distribution of available and posted positions. However, in several regions the availability of suitable staff housing has significantly impacted CYC recruitment efforts.
Turnover rates vary significantly from each year as the initiative was implemented with a staggered roll out. In 2020 when the initiative was implemented in four regions, the turnover rate was 21.2 percent. In 2021, when the initiative was implemented in five regions, it was 7.9 percent. And in 2022, when the initiative had been fully implemented in all regions, the vacancy rate was 32.9 percent.
In cases where there are vacancies, health authorities have worked with education authorities to develop plans to provide coverage by using itinerant contracted services or by leveraging existing resources. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the breakdown of turnover rates by region from 20202022.
Mr. Speaker, the CYC initiative spans across two very complex systems and, as such, communication is critical. CYCs work closely with regional inclusive schooling coordinators and teachers on specific school, child/youth and/or classroom needs. CYCs and CYC clinical supervisors also have regular communication with principals for the purpose of planning and information sharing.
Within the current governance structure, superintendents have an opportunity to formally speak to their experiences with the program but also to contribute to problem solving and solution generating.
Around any issues they have identified. This is through their membership on both the regional subcommittee as well as the CYC steering committee.
We recognize that despite these mechanisms, there are still concerns with the initiative. Therefore, Health and Social Services and ECE have committed to fast tracking the CYC evaluation in the 20222023 school year, and to working collaboratively on redesign efforts. Superintendents will be key stakeholders in both these pieces of work.
Mr. Speaker, the ongoing monitoring of the CYC initiative includes a number of key pieces of work. Health and Social Services and ECE have developed a joint CYC Monitoring and Evaluation Plan which outlines data collection methodology, responsibility, and frequency. As part of this, a CYC Annual Monitoring Report is developed each fiscal year to support Health and Social Services and ECE to better understand whether the initiative is being implemented as intended. This report is also shared with key stakeholders on the CYC Steering committee.
The Community Counselling Program, of which the CYC initiative is a part, issues a Community Counselling Program Client Satisfaction Survey on a biannual basis. This is the keyway that Health and Social Services receives feedback from the public on the effectiveness, acceptability, and accessibility of the counselling services in the NWT, and the results are publicly reported. The most recent survey was conducted in 2021 and the results can be found on our website. In response to recommendations from the Auditor General's report on addictions services, work is currently underway to combine our Addictions Recovery Experiences Survey with the Satisfaction Survey. The next iteration of the survey will be expanded also include feedback from individuals who may not have accessed services and incorporate questions about cultural safety to help our system to identify barriers.
In May 2022, Health and Social Services and ECE surveyed health and education stakeholders. The results have been compiled into a "What We Heard" report and shared with key stakeholders and will help to inform next steps.
Finally, both Health and Social Services and ECE are committed to fast tracking the program evaluation in the 20222023 school year. The results will be used to help inform recommendations for a new program design and will prioritize input from children and youth. Other key stakeholders will include families, health and education stakeholders and Indigenous governments.
ECE and Health and Social Services also commit to redesigning the CYC model concurrently with, and informed by, the evaluation process. A redesigned program will be implemented in 20232024.
Mr. Speaker, while we recognize that these changes are not immediate, it is important that we take a thoughtful approach to ensure that any adjustments to the current CYC model are thoroughly considered. We all want the same thing: equitable, highquality, and responsive mental health supports for children and youth.
To achieve this, we need to work together strategically at all levels to make a genuine effort to facilitate the success of this initiative, participate in the evaluation activities, and utilize the results of the evaluation to collaboratively determine next steps. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 5019(2) asked by the Member for Kam Lake to the Minister of Health and Social Services on October 31st, 2022, regarding treating infertility.
In the case of infertility, when a known underlying, medical condition is identified as the. Probable cause of the infertility, treatment of that underlying condition is covered under the NWT healthcare Plan as an insured health service.
Where the cause of the infertility it is not readily known, these cases may be submitted to the Medical Advisor for review of the specifics of the case and decision. This process, referred to as 'prior approval', is used in situations where the treatment may be outside the Health and Social Services system’s usual referral pathway or when circumstances warrant deeper examination.
To clarify, it is important to differentiate between specialist services for treatment of an underlying condition and specialist services providing fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization.
Fertility treatments, are not considered medically necessary procedures in most jurisdictions, including the Northwest Territories. Public policy regarding funding of fertility treatments varies across Canada. For example, in Alberta and British Columbia, fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization are not funded, whereas in Quebec some fertility treatments are funded, such as one single in vitro fertilization cycle if the woman is between 18 and 40 years old.
The NWT Medical Travel program is in place to assist eligible residents to access medically necessary insured services not available in their home community. The NWT Medical Travel program requires a medical referral from an NWT medical practitioner. This requirement is to validate that the medical travel is tied to an insured health service, the referral is to the appropriate service provider and nearest facility, and to ensure continuity of care is maintained.
The request made by the Member for direction to the Medical Travel Office to accept referrals from specialists outside of the territory does not align with the practice of ensuring NWT residents' health needs are managed and monitored through NWT primary healthcare providers as a best practice for continuity of care. There is no plan to move away from this practice.
The assertion that vasectomies and vasectomy reversals are covered, whereas fertility treatments for birth givers are not covered, is incorrect. Vasectomy procedures for men are covered in the NWT, as are the analogous tubal ligation procedure for women. Neither the reversal of a vasectomy nor the reversal of a tubal ligation are covered in the NWT.
The determination of services medically necessary and who makes that decision is not straightforward. Under the Canada Health Act, services delivered by physicians and within hospitals are generally considered insured health services. Medically necessary services are not defined in the Canada Health Act. Provincial and territorial healthcare insurance plan providers consult with their respective physician groups and across jurisdictions to identify a set of services that each jurisdiction accepts as medically necessary, insured services provided by physicians and in hospitals. This common set of services then meets the Canada Health Act’s Principles of Universality, Portability and Accessibility.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 5119(2) asked by the Member for Deh Cho on October 31st, 2022, to the Minister of Housing Northwest Territories regarding Housing Northwest Territories off-loading housing units to First Nations.
Can the Minister explain the reason for offloading public housing units onto First Nations organizations;
Mr. Speaker, the disposal of residential property is conducted in a manner that promotes fairness, equity and transparency and that makes the best possible use of public resources. This process supports and encourages the development of housing markets in all communities. Housing NWT is committed to working with any Indigenous government to address their housing aspirations, including the administration of public housing. It is important to note that through the disposal process, Housing NWT approaches Indigenous governments first, but they are not obliged to take on the units. If they are not interested, Housing NWT will put the units up for public tender, and if after going through the process no owners are secured, Housing would look at demolishing the building. This would make the land available for future development.
many are not high market communities, has the Minister explained the financial obligation and problems associated with being a landlord of public housing;
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT places a high value on collaboration and would work with all relevant parties regarding best practices of public housing administration. Housing NWT has been encouraging and supporting the development of community housing plans in all communities. With the arrival of funding from Canada directly to Indigenous governments, we understand that Canada has also required a highlevel plan from each Indigenous government regarding their housing aspirations. In some cases, in these discussions Indigenous governments have spoken about the desire to assume and renovate some of the older units in their communities to address some of the housing pressures in their communities. As part of the conversations, Housing does share information on the operating costs of units and we have spoken about the tools that Housing has to assist in property/tenant management, things like education tools, leases, preventative maintenance checklists and many other tools. Housing NWT is also looking at expanding training opportunities as part of the conversation that has taken place through the Strategic Renewal, and if property management training for other stakeholders is a priority Housing is willing to work with all parties to find a way to ensure that training is available.
Treaty 11 of 1921 was to ensure free housing for First Nations peoples and hence First Nations housing was devolved to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (now Housing Northwest Territories). Can the Minister provide an update on progress on this obligation;
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT's mandate is to provide a variety of housing supports to NWT residents who need help the most, regardless of whether or not they are Indigenous. Housing NWT recognizes and supports recent efforts by the Government of Canada to flow significant funding directly to Indigenous governments for their own housing priorities. While there is no reference to housing in the words of Treaty 11, there are negotiating processes available with the federal government to clarify the extent of any obligations under historic treaties.
The Federal Governments Rapid Housing Initiative states only 49 units for the Northwest Territories. As these are 100 percent dollars, why is there such low application numbers for the Northwest Territories?
Mr. Speaker, the Rapid Housing Initiative is a Government of Canada program, and they control the application process. In fact, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has recently opened the application process for Round 3 of this program. Housing NWT will continue to support all interested proponents from the Northwest Territories and continue to advocate to the Government of Canada that housing funding opportunities be designed in a way that works for the North. This includes wherever possible either removing the requirement for a costshare to access federal programs, or at least reduce the cost share to at least a 75/25 with25 percent being the NWT recipient’s obligation rather than the 50 percent or higher required in southern jurisdiction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 5219(2) asked by the Member for Deh Cho on November 1st, 2022 to the Minister of Infrastructure regarding the settlement maintainers training program.
Mr. Speaker, regarding the request to provide details on the number of indeterminate settlement maintainers, the number working in small communities, the number of vacancies, and a list of the current training opportunities offered to settlement maintainers during their employment, I will table a document later today at the appropriate time. There are 14 positions that provide maintainer services throughout the territory, all of which are filled. These services are augmented by two contractors and an apprentice.
The Department of Infrastructure will continue to collaborate with external agencies and post secondary organizations to provide a range of training opportunities that allow settlement maintainers to advance their workplace skills and competencies.
I appreciate and share the Member’s continued interest in settlement maintainer training, including the questions specific to oil and heating technician training. I can again advise the Member and the Legislative Assembly of the department's commitment to providing all our trades employees with opportunities to acquire the relevant technical and workplace training, knowledge, and skills they need to be successful in their work.
Specific to oil and heating technician training, the Department of Infrastructure continues to support qualified tradespeople, including settlement maintainers wishing to enroll in Aurora College’s 12week Oil Burner Mechanic program. Prerequisite skills and experience are required to be eligible for this course. Where possible, Infrastructure will support individuals in gaining these qualifications.
Finally, the Department of Infrastructure, and indeed the Government of the Northwest Territories as a whole, are fully committed to ensuring all employees are provided ongoing training opportunities to enhance and advance their skills and competencies. We support a broad spectrum of theoretical and practical training experiences, both inHouse and contracted with credentialed and reputable external agencies. Methodologies are specific to organizational and individual needs and may include onthejob training, job shadowing, apprenticeships, and a variety of other innovative delivery formats. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 5319(2) asked by the Member for Kam Lake on November 1st, 2022, regarding the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to facilitate alternative energy.
The Member has asked four questions on how NTPC will integrate renewable or alternative generation and one question on the governance of the Corporation.
I will answer these questions separately. In response to the Member’s first question on the funding of alternative and renewable energy projects, NTPC works in cooperation with the Government of the Northwest Territories to advance and fund alternative and renewable energy projects. NTPC can continue to incorporate alternative and renewable energy projects in two ways. In situations where new green projects are fully financed through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, or ICIP, Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund and GNWT funding, NTPC can move forward with greenhouse gas reducing projects such as the proposed Fort Providence-Kakisa transmission line. Where existing NTPC infrastructure is at end of life and requires replacement, the aforementioned funding sources can greatly reduce the capital investment required by NTPC if these projects incorporate greenhouse gas reduction opportunities.
Technologies such as more efficient engines, incorporated in the Łutselk’e and Sachs Harbour plant replacements, or allowing existing green generation to continue to operate, such as with the Taltson and Snare hydro site refurbishments, can meet funding guidelines. The list of the alternative and renewable energy projects that NTPC and the GNWT is advancing can be found in NTPC’s 2022-2023 Corporate Plan, the 2030 Energy Strategy, and annual GNWT Energy Initiatives Reports. In response to the Member’s second question requesting information on NTPC’s investment in alternative and renewable energy.
Last year, NTPC generated over 75% of its electricity through hydro generation and each year, NTPC invests in capital projects to ensure the continued hydro output by the Snare, Bluefish, and Taltson systems. Since 1998, NTPC has invested in clean burning natural gas and transitioned to Liquified Natural Gas when the Ikhil field output was reduced. NTPC has incorporated solar arrays into several communities either through agreements with independent power producers or through its own investment, such as the hybrid power plant in Colville Lake. In 1996, NTPC partnered with the Gwich'in Development Corporation in the development of a residual heating system, utilizing heat from the power plant in Fort McPherson.
NTPC has a long history of investing in alternative and renewable energy. NTPC has used a wide range of contractors over this period and will continue to do so in the future to complete alternative and renewable energy projects. Northern contractors are benefited by NTPC’s Northern Preference Policy. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document showing current and planned alternative and renewable energy projects by community, with associated capital investment dollars and contractor utilization. None of the projects noted within the this document will be impacted by sunsetting of federal funding. Regarding the Member’s third question on NTPC’s reporting of performance metrics, the NT Hydro/NTPC Corporate Plan is tabled in the Legislature every March. This Plan provides seven metrics which compare corporate performance year over year. March 2022 metrics compared favorably over the previous year, but metrics may be influenced by both internal and external factors. Our corporate metrics are not available on a community basis.
The NTPC/NT Hydro Corporate Plan may be found within the tabled documents on the Legislative Assembly website https://www.ntassembly.ca/sites/assembly/files/td_636-192.pdf.
With respect to the Member’s fourth question on NTPC’s involvement in increasing alternative and renewable energy in housing, NTPC works with homeowners, Housing Northwest Territories, developers, and Indigenous business development corporations in the implementation of net metering installations on homes. Broader alternative and renewable residential energy projects are the responsibility of the Arctic Energy Alliance, or AEA, and NTPC sits on AEA’s Board of Directors. The Member also enquired about the benefits of NTPC’s current governance structure. In 2016, the GNWT replaced the public Board of Directors for NTPC and NT Hydro with six deputy ministers .
This was done for several reasons including:
To provide better oversight of NTPC operations and better support to the Minister responsible for NTPC
To improve accountability and provide more GNWT oversight including ensuring major policy or project issues received Cabinet consideration
To ensure that NTPC decision making was done with a whole of government lens.
To save on the significant expense related to operating a public board.
With respect to oversight, accountability, and decision making, the involvement of DMs on the NTPC Board has contributed to better alignment of NTPC and GNWT priorities. For example, there has been greater ability for advanced planning with respect to NTPC borrowing, which has an impact on the GNWT’s ability to manage is borrowing limit. In addition, NTPC has benefitted from some cost reductions in public relations, donations, professional association dues, professional development, retainers, utility advisors, consultants and contractors, and the board chair contract. In the period from 2014 – 2020, these savings ranged from approximately $415,000 to $500,000 each year. Early in 2019, the GNWT initiated a review of NTPC governance. While there has been some benefit from the makeup of the current NTPC Board, I look forward to the completion of the governance review and anticipate a decision early this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(Mr. Tim Mercer): Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 5419(2) asked by the Member for Nunakput on November 3rd, 2022, to the Minister of Finance regarding carbon tax on the cost of living.
I would like to advise, it is estimated that Northwest Territories households will spend, on. Average $400 in direct carbon tax on heat in 20232024. Heating fuel needs vary widely across the territory, and the amount of carbon tax paid on heat will be significantly higher than $400 for households in some communities and significantly lower for households in other communities. We also estimate that NWT households will see increases to other costs because of the impacts of the carbon tax on businesses and municipalities. NWT households are estimated to spend, on average, $272 in indirect carbon tax in 20232024.
This is an average total cost of $672 across the territory, with an average of $899 for the Nunakput communities. It is difficult to project over time the exact cost per household, per community, of the carbon tax with any accuracy. This is because we do not know how households and businesses will respond to increases in the carbon tax rate. The extent to which businesses pass on the carbon tax to their customers, and the extent to which households change their spending patterns and reduce their heating fuel use (through conservation efforts, switching to alternative heating sources, or by heavily insulating their existing homes) is unknown.
It is likely, however, that the cost to households will increase largely in step with annual increases to the carbon tax rate. If we assume that between 2023 and 2030 the patterns of household spending and fuel usage remain unchanged, and that the response of businesses and municipalities to carbon tax remains unchanged, then we estimate the following: NWT households will spend, on average, $1,050 in direct carbon tax on heat by 20302031, and will spend, on average, $711 in indirect carbon tax by 20302031. These costs will vary by community. Again, these estimates assume households and businesses do not significantly change their expenditure patterns.
Based on internal calculations, the impact of higher home heating costs on Northwest Territories' households will be heating bills that are, on average, $400 higher in 2023, and $1,050 higher in 2030 than they were in 2022. This is the direct impact of the carbon tax on heat. The impact of higher prices for goods and services resulting from businesses and municipalities passing on the carbon tax to households is estimated to be, on average, an additional $272 in 2023, and $711 in 2030. This is the "indirect" impact of the carbon tax. Consistent with the information provided to standing committee, a regional Cost of Living Offset, or COLO, would address the fact that heating fuel needs vary across the NWT, and would recognize and alleviate the extra financial pressure facing some Nunakput communities.
A regional COLO would separate communities into three geographic zone based on households' average annual heating fuel. Using each zone’s population and household heating fuel use, the regional COLO amounts for each individual would increase with carbon tax rate increase. Later, at the appropriate time, I will table a document with supplemental table and chart information to support this response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Information for Return to Written Question 4919(2), Three Year Turnover Rates of Child and Youth Counselors by Region; and, Followup Letter for Oral Question 115919(2), Mental Health and Suicide. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Additional Information for the Return to Written Question 5419(2), Carbon Tax and the Cost of Living. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Information for Return to Written Question 5219(2), Settlement Maintainer Training Program; and Information for Return to Written Question 5319(2), Northwest Territories Power Corporation to Facilitate Alternative Energy. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, pursuant to section 40.23(1) of the Public Service Act, I wish to table the 20212022 Annual Report of the Equal Pay Commissioner for the Northwest Territories.
Pursuant to section 23 of the Official Languages Act, I hereby table the Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories Annual Report 20212022.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I ask that the chair rise and report progress.
There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? A resounding 'yea'. All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
I will now rise and report progress. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 23, Bill 29, Minister's Statement 62419(2), Tabled Document 68119(2), and Tabled Document 69419(2), and would like to report progress. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Do we have a seconder? Member for Nunakput. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
Orders of the day for Wednesday, February 8th, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Prayer
Budget Address
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 1188-19(2), Memorandumof Understanding with the Canadian Red Cross
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
Minster’s Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner’s Report on Suicide Report of Committee of the Whole
Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
Tabled Document 694-19(2): Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021-2022 Early Release of Data
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 4:21 p.m.
