Caroline Wawzonek
Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point, there is no indication that additional staff are necessary. What we have been doing, though, is certainly working with human resources in the correctional facilities to ensure that all staff are available to be present. The information I have is that, so far, we have had no difficulty in maintaining the services that are required in the correctional facilities.
We have three facilities, four if you include the youth facility, separate from the NSCC, and I would certainly commit to taking a look at the mental health resources available specific to corrections workers across all of those facilities. Thank you.
I have no doubt that there is some burn-out. The correctional facilities across Canada right now, many of them have actually been struck quite significantly by COVID-19. We have been fortunate in the Northwest Territories to not be in that situation, but it is not for lack of tremendous effort put in by the correctional facility staff to undertake their work in a very difficult environment. We are aware that they always work in a challenging environment, and they are working in a particularly challenging environment right now with COVID-19. There are additional requirements for hygiene and...
We don't need to pilot anything, and we don't need to start having the conversations about the technologies. The conversations about the technology have started. TSC and Information and Shared Services are already working together. The Department of Finance is already engaging and supporting Northwestel and their efforts to ensure that we have adequate bandwidth. These things are happening, so they don't need to start, and they don't need to pilot.
What I am not going to do is stand here and direct departments, who each have their own operational needs and who all have an operational plan...
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 19, second reading of bills.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That time is not now. That's a discussion that has been ongoing for some time. It has been a discussion that has been happening in some detail for some time, since January, really, but these plans are plans that have existed long before now. They are plans that were developed last year when we were facing the strike and owing from years before when they were dealing with H1N1. There are different gradients for each department. There are different needs for each department. We have to consider our health department and our essential services first, make sure that their...
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 18, first reading of bills.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair. It's under contributions, Madam Chair, and yes, I can confirm that it is included here in this appropriation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have that particular item broken down, but if I am not mistaken, that is a grant or contribution, and therefore, it would have been funded as 100 percent. If I am in error, Madam Chair, I will get back to the committee immediately. Sorry, Madam Chair. That is in the grants and contributions. Yes, sorry, it is here. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, I appreciate the Member's comments. The department did work tremendous hours over the last many days. Other departments did as well, as well as at the same time dealing with their COVID planning. The 5 percent is not meant to go on top of grants, contributions, et cetera; at least, not initially, it was not. There were different individuals working on this, and in the bit of the rush and the fact that we wanted to get this before committee here today, for Lands, Legislative Assembly, ITI, and the Health and Social Services Authority, there is an...