Minister of health and social services. Oral questions. Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of housing. Can the Minister describe her position on acknowledging housing as a human right in the NWT. Thank you.
From the Deh Cho. Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. It raises an important issue worthy of careful consideration by this House. I don't think there's anyone in this Chamber who doesn't agree that we're in a housing crisis and that stable, affordable housing provides a foundation for people's wellbeing and participation in society. The right to housing is the subject of international treaties, including the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on economic, social, and cultural rights. These are international obligations that fall within federal jurisdiction. In section 4, the Canadian National Housing Strategy Act speaks to the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, which is the acknowledgement first that the right to housing has not been realized and, second, that it takes significant time and resources to move toward that state. This federal Act already applies throughout Canada. The federal government is the only government in Canada with the fiscal capacity and resources needed to help realize a right to housing. Under the national housing strategy, the federal government has been making significant investments in housing across Canada to aid with the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. Second question is can the Minister describe discussions that have occurred at the NWT Housing Forum to acknowledge housing as a human right. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that the topic has been raised at the Council of Leaders and not specifically the housing forum. I am not aware of any direction from that discussion to pursue a separate and distinct naming of this right in the Northwest Territories as it is already acknowledged federally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have question 3, but I have some things that added underneath there. So can the Minister commit to providing more outcome based measures in NWT in the Housing NWT annual report commit to measuring and reporting on the number of houses in core need by community and the number of homes brought out of core need annually. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT acknowledges it does not have the adequate data and measurement. Due to the lack capacity and resources, Housing NWT has not historically tracked the levels of data that are required in today's world to demonstrate the needs required. Housing NWT is embarking on work that needed to complete a territorial housing needs assessment analysis in collaboration with the housing forum, which we seek to obtain a better baseline understanding of the overall housing statistics in the Northwest Territories and will then look to keep that data up to date on a regular basis. We expect to start this work and complete the work in 2025. The data will be important for the GNWT and communities to know where there are housing needs in the Northwest Territories. The data will help the governments focus their funding on where needs are and help demonstrate the need to federal government where data is currently lacking. We will take the Member's recommendation into account while we look at this analysis, what this analysis will produce, and what can be reported in Housing NWT's annual report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.
Just more of a comment, Mr. Speaker. I just want to thank the Minister for that, and I look forward to that information. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Question 246-20(1):
MR. TESTART:
MR. SPEAKER:
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So why can't thta program be based out the North Slave Correctional Centre? Thank you.
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
Mr. Speaker, the only person who wants to shut down correctional centres is the Minister of Justice. It's not this Member. In fact I would rather see all of our correctional officers keep their jobs and continue doing good work for the territory. Is the Minister not looking at SMCC because it's in his riding? Thank you.
Oh, colleagues, that's cutting kind of close. Can we be very specific to what we are trying to achieve here, please. Can you rephrase that question. Member for Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, did the Minister consult with community leadership, including the Chamber of Commerce, town council, the First Nations in Fort Smith before they made this decision? Thank you.
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
MR. SPEAKER:
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Premier is aware of how important jobs are in regional centres and small communities. Especially centres that provide a lot of employment. How is the government going to make up for the loss of jobs and employment in Fort Smith as result of the closure of the facility?
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
MR. SPEAKER:
No questions.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up on the questions raised by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on the Aurora College transition.
In the media, it has been reported, there was a very prominent headline, it is a concern of my constituents that the transition has been paused. There is some confusion whether it is a pause, if it's a delay, if it's still ongoing. Yes, there's a new mandate letter coming, but what is the state right now and why are representatives of the leadership of the college start like saying that this is paused, this transition is paused? Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As acknowledged in this House before, there have been delays that are based delays based on the timeline that is published online for Aurora College. But as far as what other people are saying who aren't in this room and who have not communicated that to me personally, I would not be able to speak to. Thank you.
We don't want to wander in the wildness of opinions, but I am sure that the Minister can read headlines like the rest of us. The question is, does the Minister think that how does the Minister respond when the board is making those statements? Does she respond by calling them and saying what's going on; I'd just like to know how she's responding to this information that's out in the public and it's causing confusion. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as acknowledged previously, I did have the opportunity to listen to the same CBC radio interview which I believe is where that headline came from. What I did hear in that radio interview was an acknowledgement by the chair that the transformation has been delayed. And, Mr. Speaker, I continue to have said the same thing now for the entirety of this session on the floor of the House. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I just have a quick question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. So I mentioned in my Member's statement today that there is a local resident in my riding who is trying to get together or pull together a community art project to paint some murals on public housing units that are boarded up and the department of housing has been super helpful in providing the boards and logistics, and I am wondering if the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment might have any ideas for funding that could help get this project off the ground, just some small amounts of funding, basic in terms of covering paints and materials, things like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are some arts funding programs through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The one that immediately comes to mind for a project like this would be the small arts grant. The small arts grant provides funding up to $5,000 for art projects across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's fine, thank you very much. We will be following up online, thank you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, I didn't have a question but I always questions, so I am ready to go. So I think that I'll ask the Minister of health here a question here with respect to medical documents when people go to Alberta.
So, I have been a constituent approached me, and I am sure I am not the only one, Mr. Speaker, so it is important to get this clear on the record, which is what's happening. When constituents travel to Alberta, their doctors don't seem to have their information and they are told they can't send them. So what the department doing in the context of interim solutions, I believe that they're changing the health program, network, software, whatever, but promised constituents are still traveling south without that information and it's causing frustration and problems. Does the Minister have an update or a solution? Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when patients are traveling down to Alberta, depending, I mean, wherever they are coming from, there's different systems that we use and yes, I've mentioned it many times in this House, that the systems that we use don't talk with Alberta systems and that is why our it is in the business plan, and that we are updating our EMR, our electronic medical records, in the health system. One of those things is to, hopefully, to make sure that it does have the opportunity to connect with Alberta. What they do currently, there are many different ways that they do send documents and at this point if there, you know, depending on what clinic they are going to, what specialist they are going to, you know, there is many different things so I can get back to the Member on the ways that we provide information when we do referrals to Alberta Health. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While constitutents are showing up at referrals by doctors to doctors in Alberta without the information some there must be some type of standard practice, including package and process that's going on now, because we can't or being proposed now, because we can't have people being sent on medical travel. What a waste of money to send them there without the information. So, what is currently being done by the department to help fill this or solve this problem? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we send thousands of people to Alberta so if a Member wants to know about a specific instance, is this something that he has multiple constituents that are coming to him and so if he wants to bring this forward to my office, I would gladly look into it. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I am thinking this is a bigger picture which is people can't as the Minister has acknowledged, the systems don't talk to each other so there must be a standard of care on how we are packaging this information, whether we are emailing it down to them, or we're sending it with a constituent or we're sending it in a secure bag. Like, what's the practice of the department in these particular cases if files can't be emailed or systems can't talk to each other, they must be able to work this problem out. And it can't be an individual constituent based on the fact that the Minister has acknowledged that the systems don't talk to each other. So I am asking how do they do this or what are they working on as an interim solution? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before we even had electronic medical records, our patients traveled so, like I say again, if this is a specific instance because if it is and if there are many people that are going to appointments, they are not complaining through my office so maybe they're going through the Office of Client Experience and that's where I would tell these clients to also go. I would encourage any MLAs to encourage their constituents to go through the Office of Client Experience. This way we can document what the issues are and then we can rectify them if this is a bigger issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, wouldn't the Minister want to know how documents go from the NWT to Alberta and hence, you know, it would be nice to know from a constituency point of view that it may apply to other Members but the issue is that if the systems don't talk to each other, I would think that the Minister would know how they communicate their medical health information in today's environment of security information and the details, so I would think that there would be a practice and process in place, and that's what I am asking for. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did commit to get the many ways that we do this and I there is way to do it and I am not going to sit here and explain from this health centre we do it this way and sometimes if they are coming in from a small community they may go in a secure with a practitioner. The patient may go. There are multiple different ways, and depending on which physicians and, you know, so. This is the coordination of our special clinics when they refer, they have their processes and so if there are individual so there doesn't seem to be an issue, because it hasn't come to light, and so if there is an individual issue or if this is an ongoing issue with the Member's constituents, then I suggest that they either reach out to my office or reach out to him and then come through my office or the Office of Client Experience. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a different subject don't worry, health Minister. I am going to ask the Premier, who is the Minister of Justice, this question. The body camera has come up over the years and there was some people asking recently and is this a consideration in the long term over the territorial government's working with the RCMP to bring body cameras here North given the fact that we live in a modern world and a new world and this helps both parties involved. So generally speaking, I am going to start off with, the first question is, is this a consideration on the front of the Department of Justice to look at this in partnership obviously with the RCMP?
MR. SPEAKER:
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
Okay, that's good. Is there any thoughts or knowledge with the Minister it's always weird, call him the Minister of Justice and Premier the Minister and the department as to what type of timelines or logistical challenges that may delay the timelines? I am looking to get a sense of how soon or what are we talking about. Thank you.
HON. R.J. SIMPSON:
Thank you. That kind of took out my last question. I still have time on the clock.
So Mr. Speaker, data well no, you know what, no questions, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the Housing Debt Among Elders and Seniors, and it's for housing Minister.
The accumulation of housing debt among elders and seniors in the Northwest Territories can cause serious financial hardship as they age. There are tools available for the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide relief to elders and seniors. Can the Minister of housing provide information to understand the extent of debt owed to the Government of the Northwest Territories from seniors' housing units and actions taken to collect on this debt:
Over the last five years, can the Minister provide the total arrears owed to Housing Northwest Territories, by mortgage and rent. Of that list please further specify:
The number of clients and value of debt transferred to the Rental Office to administer arrears collection;
The number of clients and the value of mortgages that have been forgiven in the last five years;
The number of clients who have renegotiated lower payments with Housing NWT; and
The number of clients and value of debt from seniors (people 60 years and older).
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 6719(2): Report on the Review of the 20212022 Public Accounts and Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20242025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 7, 2024, I will move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, second by the Member from Deh Cho, that the Government of the Northwest Territories reinstate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police K9 unit in Hay River;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collaborate and respond specifically to the rise in crime in Hay River;
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a respond to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
