Colleagues, I'd like to thank Lillian Elias, the elder, for the opening blessing. As well, I'd like to thank our sergeant-at-arms for the last time bringing us in. So thank you very much, Floyd, for your great service to us.
A Minister's statement dear to my heart. Ministers' statements. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations on land administration and management, specifically around traditional use cabins on public land. Our ongoing efforts reflect our shared priorities to develop respectful, transparent, and effective land use policies that support traditional land use, harvesting rights, and community wellbeing. To achieve this, the Department of Environment and Climate Change is engaging with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations to develop a new approach to the administration and management of traditional use camps and cabins on public land.
This work is focused on establishing appropriate long-term policies that respect completed land, resources, and self-government agreements, while also considering ongoing negotiations. We are working to develop land management practices that reflect the realities of today's Northwest Territories and its diverse land users. Our government recognizes the deep cultural and historical connection Indigenous peoples have with the land, Mr. Speaker.
The work to develop a new approach will take time and must be done collaboratively with Indigenous partners. In the interim, the department has been working to implement short-term solutions to address a number of concerns, including issues around lease rent and lease rent arrears. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories will pause the collections of outstanding arrears for recreational leases held by Indigenous persons with asserted or established Aboriginal and/or treaty rights to harvest in the area where their lease is located. This pause will remain in effect while the work to develop a new approach is underway. We are in the process of notifying all recreational leaseholders about this program and are ensuring Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations have the information they need to support their Members. It is important to note that a pause in collections does not delete or forgive lease rent arrears. Mr. Speaker, any decision to forgive arrears for Indigenous land users with recreational leases will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of each lessee. This program does not include property taxes or associated fees.
The department has also invited Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, through the Intergovernmental Council Secretariat, to participate in a collaborative process to reduce lease rents for recreational leases held by Indigenous persons with asserted or established Aboriginal and/or treaty rights in the area where their lease is located. We are hopeful that discussions will begin this fall, and that work could result in an amendment to the Northwest Territories land regulations.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, collaboration is key to this process. We will continue to engage with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations as we move forward, recognizing their vital role in land management decisions. This work is part of our broader commitment to reconciliation, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that the interests of Indigenous communities are respected and supported in all aspects of land management and administration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Ministers' statements. Minister for Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to provide an update on the Mackenzie Valley Highway project, an ambitious initiative that reflects our continued commitment to fostering sustainable development in the North.
The Mackenzie Valley Highway project dates back several decades, with discussions starting as early as the 1970s. Over the years, extensive planning and consultation have taken place to ensure that this project respects the land and the communities it will serve. Earlier this year, we strengthened our partnership with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, or SSI, by signing an amended and restated memorandum of understanding. This agreement builds on our shared commitment to planning, promoting, and seeking funding for the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Their insights and knowledge have been integral in shaping a project that is not only economically beneficial but also culturally sensitive and environmentally responsible.
A year ago, we reached a significant milestone by submitting the developer's assessment report. I am pleased to report that the environmental assessment remains on track for completion by mid-2025. Pending the outcome of the assessment by the review board, we anticipate an additional 12 to 18 months will be necessary to secure regulatory authorizations, address outstanding land tenure requirements, and advance procurement for construction. As you know, we do not currently have funding secured for construction activities. While we do not yet have the construction funding in place, I want to reassure residents that we are actively working to update construction cost estimates and engage with Canada on potential funding opportunities. As you know, the GNWT does not have the financial capacity to undertake this project alone.
Mr. Speaker, while we have not broken ground on the Mackenzie Valley Highway yet, I want to highlight the work that was successfully completed on the Prohibition Creek Access Road. This 6.7 kilometer stretch of new all-season highway from Canyon Creek to Christina Creek, south of Norman Wells, opened to the public last month. Combined with the previously built Canyon Creek All-Season Access Road, there is now a total of 20.7 kilometers of the seasonal Mackenzie Valley Winter Road accessible all year-round, improving the safety, reliability and resilience of the Northwest Territories transportation system in the face of climate change.
This not only supports the ongoing improvement of the key transportation corridor through the Mackenzie Valley, it is also a capacity-building project to help prepare businesses, workers and residents, for greater involvement in future construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.
Mr. Speaker, the benefits of the Mackenzie Valley Highway are many. It will improve transportation connectivity, improve safety and more reliable access for residents, businesses, and emergency services. Enhanced access will unlock new economic opportunities for local business, stimulate investment, and strengthen the regional economy, particularly important given the recent challenges posed by low water levels, rising fuel costs, and the growing cost of living.
Mr. Speaker, as we move forward I assure you we remain committed to working collaboratively with all parties to ensure the successful completion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, and together we can build a future that supports economic growth and enhances the well-being of all residents in the Mackenzie Valley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, on September 30th, 2024, Canada's national Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Government of Canada, and Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat made history by signing the Inuvialuit Coordination Agreement and Fiscal Agreement.
This historic agreement identifies how the implementation of the Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat, also referred to as the Inuvialuit Family Way of Living Law, will be supported in the Northwest Territories. This is the first coordination agreement implemented under the federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families in the territory, and the first for Inuit in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as part of this agreement, Maligaksat will administer child well-being and advocacy programs for Inuvialuit children, youth, and families across the territory, including voluntary child and family support services and agreements. This means the GNWT's community social services workers will no longer provide voluntary support services and agreements to Inuvialuit in the territory. Instead, Maligaksat will provide these services.
While the GNWT maintains responsibility for protection services to Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories, our government and Maligaksat will collaborate in areas of protection services like investigations, cultural continuity, and housing continuity planning. The GNWT will also maintain responsibility for prevention, including voluntary support and protection services for First Nations, Metis, other Inuit such as the Nunavummiut, and non-Indigenous children, youth, and families.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the successful implementation of the Inuvialuit Coordination Agreement requires collaboration and a shared vision. To that end, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Maligaksat, Canada, and all frontline staff to ensure a smooth and effective transition.
For a long time, Indigenous communities have voiced concerns about the delivery of child and family services, both past and present, often highlighting the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in the system. In response to these concerns, the Department of Health and Social Services continues to work to fundamentally shift child and family services to a culturally-safe system. We have a standing offer with all Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories to meet and discuss the GNWT's implementation of the federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, and to share information and opportunities for exercising jurisdiction related to child and family services outside of self-government agreements. I encourage all Indigenous governments to reach out to my office to continue this conversation.
Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation on this historic achievement and thank them, the Maligaksat and Canada, for working with us to finalize this agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Ministers' statements.
Before we go any further, colleagues, I'd like to recognize Sheila Bassett-Kellett for being here. She's a former deputy minister. She was my boss at one point in time way back when, and she was a city manager. So welcome to our House. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Northerners really care about their health care. It matters. And a lot of people are saying this, Mr. Speaker, many people. As a matter of fact, they also believe and acknowledge the Minister of health may mean well but they really feel deeply down inside that the Minister is out of touch. Many people are telling me this, Mr. Speaker, good people, such as the workers, the employees, the staff, Mr. Speaker. But they say to themselves, why isn't the Minister in touch with the primary care health doctors, staffing levels, and their issues. It should be top of mind. I know it would be top of mind if it was my choice. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because when you're the health Minister, you should know what matters to the people, family, and Northerners. That's why I know I would know the numbers.
The Minister can't keep hiding between NTHSSA and say oh no, it's their problem. She either realizes that she's in on the problem or not in the problem. I worry that she might have quietly quit and keeps downloading this to the patient experience or the other boards to manage these problems.
Mr. Speaker, staffing at the hospital and in our system should be absolutely top of mind. Every day she should be getting reading and results of what's happening over there. I know this because people are telling me, Mr. Speaker, people who know better.
Mr. Speaker, the solution of this government may be trying to get -- to solve some of these problems by hiring more deputy ministers but, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you right now nurses and doctors and admin staff don't need more deputy ministers; we need smart people, Mr. Speaker. Again, the government's solution is getting a Russian -- sorry, a Russian nesting --
-- point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Government Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is speaking about individuals who are not on the floor of this House, not here to defend themselves, referencing that the hiring of deputy ministers and said we don't need deputy ministers; we need smart people. I think that's clearly out of line. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Government Leader. Member from Range Lake -- or sorry, Yellowknife Centre.
It seems that we're always both to blame.
(audio).
I think -- (audio) Mr. Speaker, I didn't characterize they're bad people. As a matter of fact, if two more seconds the Minister would have said we'd hire a Jane Philipott, a health czar, Mr. Speaker. The intent was not to hurt individuals or single the single individual out, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Thank you for your time. Member, your comments about the Minister is my area of questioning. Do you wish to withdraw those comments about the Minister at this time?
Mr. Speaker, I'm actually -- I can't actually -- seriously, I'm not wasting time. I can't actually hear what I'm asking to withdraw to be clear. And to be absolutely clear, Mr. Speaker, I was referring to an entity, not an individual.
Thank you. We'll just take a brief second here. Thank you.
---BRIEF RECESS
Member, so I guess I should be clear what I'm asking. You were very close to the line talking about the deputy ministers and about smart people, but saying the Minister's quietly speaking is of concern to me -- quitting, sorry, quietly speaking, quietly quitting. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I -- specifically to the quiet quitting comment, I certainly withdraw it, and I apologize for that and to the House. Thank you very much for recognizing the differences. Thank you.
Colleagues, remember when we were talking about the public service, we have to make sure that these hard-working people, we don't cross the line. And we were getting pretty close yesterday and today. So I will start calling it if it continues. Thank you.
Member from Yellowknife Centre, you may conclude your statement.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thought I had about two minutes on the clock. I plan not to abuse the time; don't worry, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, where I was going with this is -- and, again, I recognize and I appreciate your Whitford guidance on that particular initiative, and I do recognize in my Member's -- I'm going to pause and say I thank the Premier for pointing that out. I do think good order does come with drama, but I do respect why he did that.
Mr. Speaker, to get back right on point, I think we should go so far as rather than finding new people in the system to solve the same problems, we need to hire a health care czar like Jane Philipott, someone who knows health care issues down to her DNA, she knows them from the top to the bottom, only someone of that type of skill to see how our system works together because it's so important to know the full integration. So we can hire all our people or reshuffle the deck no matter what we get. At the end of the day, unless we're willing to think big and be big, we're never -- we're going to just keep getting the same results, Mr. Speaker.
So to wrap this up, Mr. Speaker, if the department again wants -- sorry, if the government wants to think big about health, maybe it should start asking the question why do we have health and social services tied together? Maybe we should allow them to go independently separate -- their ways. That way we can allow the health Minister to focus in on health and the system allowed to do what it needs to do. And my recommendation is we hire someone who -- like, an old fashioned hospital administrator who knows how to run these systems because that's what they're trained for, skilled for, and they certainly know all the ins and outs that make the very difference to making staff happy and the public's needs served. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is our responsibility to act as our constituents' advocates, and though we spend most of our time here working on the bigger picture, we recognize that when policies and processes fail, intervention into individual circumstances is necessary. We are our constituents' last resort but when it comes to working with medical travel, increasingly MLAs are becoming Northerners' only option. Medical travel's inadequacies are becoming so severe that it's consuming much of our constituency work, and this is clear the system is not working for our people.
I was hopeful earlier this year when I brought concerns forward of medical travel's inability to provide quality health care to my constituents. This failure has created severe financial burden on working families in my riding, caused them a great deal of stress, and deprived them of access to health care that they need. Initially, the Minister gave me a path forward to rectify the situation. We were asked to work with physicians who initially treated these constituents --
(audio).
Okay. We were asked to -- who initially treated these constituents in Alberta to provide updated paperwork which would supposedly ensure a reimbursement would be forthcoming. Unfortunately, the reimbursements health and social services offered amount to far below what the families spent cumulatively on hotels, flights, and meals there.
I was informed later that offering these families any reimbursement at all was an error. The Minister explained that she would only honour these meager reimbursements for one family only because they could not take back -- the department could not take back the assurances they gave the family first while I provided the necessary paperwork. None of the other families I'm working with in my riding will see any reimbursements at all.
Mr. Speaker, I'm dismayed to hear that what the Minister told me in the previous session was a mistake. Upholding the public nature of our health care services is not a mistake. Ensuring patients and their families are not put through additional distress when dealing with life threatening illnesses is not a mistake. Allowing patients who are incapacitated an escort who can understand a plan of care for their loved ones is not a mistake. Northerners want to see us work with them in -- work for them in this Assembly. So what does it say about our health care system when even their MLAs cannot help them? Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister about how we can fix our broken medical travel system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I care deeply about the public service as a past public servant and active local union president. I also recognize that the public service makes up a lot of the working population of this territory. And, yes, the numbers of total GNWT staff have gone up dramatically in recent years. The increase incurs in critical functions that we all rely on like health care and education supports. But the other thing we don't talk about as much is that through collective bargaining, people in precarious employment terms or casuals were made permanent. The increase reflects employees that were given the security and benefits of permanent employment through collective bargaining. Those greater numbers of employees were always there. We just started treating them more fairly.
Compensation and benefits can be excellent, but if a work culture is failing to support its workers they won't want to stay on. We've seen this in health care most acutely. I'm afraid the frustration and malaise has spread to all parts of the public service.
This past July, the results of the 2023 Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey were released, and employees have said quite clearly throughout all metrics that they are less satisfied with their jobs as compared to 2021.
I speak regularly to the president of the UNW, and she tells me that employee morale is at rock bottom. Members are telling the UNW leadership that they are stressed to hear their employer constantly talk about ways to save money. Unfilled positions are being cut while operational bottlenecks are not being addressed. Usually after a collective agreement is ratified, Members feel a bit of positivity but the UNW is not hearing much of that right now. Unionized employees tell their leadership that they are still stressed about finances while at the same time feeling like an axe is sitting above their heads.
When I was involved with the union, I heard from folks across the GNWT who said that they felt stuck within a hierarchy that expected unthinking loyalty and did not reward creativity. I have heard my colleague from Frame Lake speak many times about looking to ways that we might flatten those hierarchies and have more program staff feel supported to propose new ideas or more effective ways of providing programs and services without getting shut down or shut out. I think the public service is full of creative people in all parts of this territory who want to feel vital and valued.
Mr. Speaker, I've spoken to the Minister of Finance about this very issue for many years predating my time as an MLA. Seen through the lens of possibility, the 2023 survey reenforces many of my hopes for the public service that we should be creating opportunities for staff to grow and feel excited to get to do trailblazing work while being supported through mentorship options that will enable them to get to their and the GNWT's goals.
The best managers I had in the public service treated me as a respected part of a team where everyone's input had value and was discussed openly. If we want to build a positive GNWT culture, we need to infuse that culture with cooperation and support within our workforce as well as for those whom we serve. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on a heartwarming note to end the week, I'd like to shine a spotlight on the transformative work that the NWT Literacy Council has been doing in communities across the territory. Their program Reading Together provides opportunities for fathers who are incarcerated to connect with their children through bedtime stories. They get to choose a book that their children would like, create a reading kit to send to their kids, including new pajamas, stuffies, and a toothbrush, and then the dad gets to make a recording of him reading the book and sending bedtime wishes. This program, with the help of the North Slave Correctional Centre, is strengthening language skills and literacy for both children and fathers in a powerful way. It bridges the physical distance separating families while nurturing the special emotional bond that is forged during bedtime story time.
Another innovative NWT Literacy Council program launched earlier this year is called Early Words. It's a partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services, along with the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation and the Canadian Pediatrics Society. Early Words was actually created by a speech-language pathologist, and it recognizes that the foundation for literacy starts right from birth. It helps train frontline health care providers in how best to support families with early language and brain development long before a child reaches junior kindergarten.
The program has been piloted in Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic and has involved elders and traditional knowledge experts to understand how best to support early language development. The program also provides culturally appropriate books to health centres that are distributed to families and oriented to children at specific ages and stages of development. The funding for the literacy council's involvement in the Early Words project ends next March 2025 but the intention, I understand, is for HSS to carry on supporting early language development with the tools and resources provided through the project.
Now, I know that our health system has some tough work ahead to identify core and noncore services in order to make our system more sustainable, but I truly hope that this kind of program is viewed as core because of its crucial role in building our economic and social foundations. Mr. Speaker, these Literacy Council programs are critical to set the stage for future lifelong learning, and I commend them on their work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to draw attention to the difficulty small businesses encounter when dealing with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, owning and operating a small business in this the Northwest Territories is no easy feat. Overhead costs are high, there are extreme labour shortages, and ongoing recovery from disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change impacts are very real scenarios. With these challenges, what these small businesses can do without is administrative burden that impedes their entrepreneurship.
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding have relayed the following examples to me highlighting their experience dealing with the Government of the Northwest Territories: .
It took 350 days to secure approval for road signage from the Department of Infrastructure, signage aimed at helping visitors arriving in Inuvik.
Local suppliers are being disqualified in the request for proposal process due to unrealistic requirements.
Having to wait 200-plus days to receive a response on an application for the ECE work subsidy program.
A broad and vague application of the market disruption clause in the ITI SEED program.
These are but a few examples, Mr. Speaker, and they hit on various departments across the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, if we were serious about building a strong economic foundation and supporting businesses in the Northwest Territories, we need to alleviate pressures on entrepreneurs. The Government of the Northwest Territories shouldn't be a roadblock or barrier to running a business. What is being done to improve this situation by way of revising policies, Mr. Speaker, streamlining processes and ensuring that service standards are met?
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories red tape reduction working group was created in November 2020 to encourage entrepreneurship by reducing red tape and regulatory burdens on small businesses. I would like to get a sense on what this working group is doing to reduce red tape and the burdens facing small businesses, Mr. Speaker. I would have questions for the Minister of Finance. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In March and April of this year, the residents of the Beaufort Delta region were advised that they may have been exposed to an infection. The following communities and some of its residents may have been exposed:
Aklavik,
Fort McPherson,
Paulatuk,
Sachs Harbour, and
Ulukhaktok.
Residents from the noted communities were advised that if they were patients at one of these health centres that they were to get tested for HEP C, HEP B, or HIV. Dr. Kondola, the NWT chief public health officer, stated that the possibility of contracting the infection is very low; getting tested is the best thing to do.
Mr. Speaker, the possible infection may have come from dental instruments that were not properly cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized. In this day and age, how is something as serious as this supposed to happen? We have all the new technologies at our disposable, and our small communities are still being neglected. Our small remote communities need the same care as the regional centres and the capital.
Mr. Speaker, I know the Department of Health and Social Services is trying to accommodate the residents of these communities with their dental needs. It seems the patients from the Beaufort Delta region are losing out on appointments and being comfortably accommodated. The residents who travel to Yellowknife do not arrive until late in the afternoon, at times miss their appointments and are placed in hotels that is not meeting their expectations.
Mr. Speaker, it is time that this government start to look out for the basic needs of our residents, the Northwest Territories, especially smaller remote communities. The health and well-being of these patients is very important to these smaller communities. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be speaking about the drug crisis in our territory.
Mr. Speaker, there are drugs in our opportunities that have not been seen before such as the new types of fentanyl. Ambulances and first responders need to be prepared. We all know illegal drugs are causing chaos and affecting safe housing. I am worried that in areas where there is a lot of drug use happening, our most vulnerable residents will not get the support they need.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard that public advisories have been issued related to the detection of certain drugs. The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer has released alerts about overdose related deaths. The Premier has also spoken about introducing legislation to target criminal networks, which is essential, and I look forward to seeing it. But I see an even more pressing need that should be addressed now.
Mr. Speaker, our ambulance services and first responders must act quickly and enter areas where most people do not want to go - low income neighbourhoods, encampments, vacant apartments, and shelters.
Overdoses are on the rise. First response in these situations requires immediate intervention. One such solution is the use of naloxone to reverse opoid overdose. Media releases from the department of health remind residents that naloxone kits are available at hospitals, health centres, and pharmacies. They say drug users should be familiar with these kits and have them on hand. But, Mr. Speaker, the availability of these kits in health centres is not enough. Widespread distribution within our communities needs to be ensured. All our residents need access to paramedics or properly trained first responders --
