Debates of October 20, 2006 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have assigned the following portfolio responsibilities until such time as this Legislative Assembly appoints a new Member to the Executive Council.

The Deputy Premier, the honourable Floyd Roland, will take responsibility for Health and Social Services and will be the Minister responsible for Seniors, the Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities and will assume lead responsibility for the homeless. I will assume responsibility for Environment and Natural Resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, later today, I will table the Workers’ Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories' and Nunavut’s 2006 summer issue of the magazine Reflections. This publication is intended to provide both employers and workers with an overview and deeper understanding of the various activities the WCB has undertaken in the last year.

The cover story of this magazine features the inspirational journey of Les Rohac, a man who came from Czechoslovakia to Canada seeking a better life, but who instead found himself faced with the challenge of overcoming a serious work-related back injury. His story chronicles the struggle to understand and overcome his injury and it reveals how sheer determination helped him return to work and fulfill his dream of making a better life for himself and his family in the North.

Mr. Speaker, this issue of Reflections also contains a number of articles outlining the upcoming Go Safe Program for northern businesses, how assessment rates are set, how employers can invest in safety instead of paying the price for accidents, the general process behind an injury claim, how social marketing is being used to

heighten safety awareness in the North, and the importance of getting employees back to work.

This publication is more than a means of publicity, it’s a safety tool. I believe that employers will find a number of useful ideas on how they can better incorporate safety into their day-to-day affairs. As part of the effort to focus on workplace safety, the WCB intends to release Reflections twice a year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement is on the high cost of living for seniors. Throughout the Northwest Territories, there are seniors on a fixed incomes living in their homes struggling to make ends meet. For those elders living in smaller communities who do not live in free social housing, their standards of living is decreasing with each passing day and year. Mr. Speaker, I know of elders in the Sahtu that are forced to save $250 from each of their pension cheques just so that they can afford the cost of heating fuel and electricity in the cold winter months. There is no money left, Mr. Speaker, for any comfort or to spend on their grandchildren. So much for freedom 55.

Many of the elders I am speaking of have served the people of the Northwest Territories as teachers, community health representatives, tradespersons or even just keeping the local schools clean and safe for the children. Now it’s time for us to serve them.

Those government programs like seniors’ home heating fuel subsidy and the repair programs offered by the Housing Corporation are sometimes tested and there are very little funds to serve them and are not always available to our elders. I would just like to ask the Members of this Assembly to consider the day when you are retired from public life in the wage economy and are forced to live off your savings and fixed pension. Do you want to be scrimping and saving throughout the years just so that you can make it through the next winter with a roof over your head and heat in your home? Probably not.

Mr. Speaker, this government has acknowledged the development of a Home Care Program, the Seniors’ Fuel Subsidy Program and the Seniors’ Housing Program, the value and the economy of helping seniors be independent and remain in their own home for as long as they are able to, as a matter of respect. Putting money into programs to support independent living for seniors is cheaper for the government in the long run. We need to do more for the elders to live in their homes and be dignity free from the stress and worry about whether they can afford electricity and heat. I will have follow-up questions at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This morning I would like to speak about health care plans, Mr. Speaker. It’s something that every employer, including this government, counts on very heavily to be a major benefit and a part of recruiting and keeping people and helping them through their lives.

Mr. Speaker, up until this summer, when employees of this government needed doctor-prescribed medical supplies, there are things like materials that help them manage diabetes or perhaps walkers or mobility assists or specialized dressings, they were able to get good service through our life insurance or our medical insurance provider and pharmacies. In other words, they paid 20 percent upfront and the rest of the bill was looked after through direct billing. However, a change in service this summer, Mr. Speaker, has caused considerable inconvenience for some employees and their families who need these medically prescribed supplies. It’s a large inconvenience for some of them when the cost of these supplies runs into several hundred dollars a month. They have to front this cost and then apply to our Inuvik office for reimbursement. All of this takes time, Mr. Speaker, and adds a considerable new paper load on our own health care system.

So I wanted to bring this to the attention of the Assembly, Mr. Speaker, because our health care plans are something we value very highly and when we get this kind of interference or inconvenience, it’s something we need to put our attention to because it does have such an impact on some families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last June I urged Justice Minister Bell to follow the lead of other Canadian jurisdictions and bring forward a Safe Communities and Neighbourhood Act for the NWT, along with effective enforcement tools.

I proposed this new initiative so we could bring community empowerment back to folks and take it away from those drug dealers and crack houses from trying to take over our communities. Mr. Speaker, I asked the Justice Minister to move quickly on this discussion paper and to bring a bill with the hope that new legislation could be implemented in this Assembly in a timely way. I, therefore, welcomed the Premier’s announcement in the sessional statement given a few days ago that the GNWT will embark immediately on public consultations bringing forward this issue during this session. The legislation is needed because it gets drug dealers out of our community. It empowers the neighbourhood to say we belong here, get out of our community, quit trying to destroy our good, lawful livelihood, Mr. Speaker.

This is a new law, Mr. Speaker, that will improve our community’s safety by targeting and, when necessary, shutting down residential and commercial buildings and lands that are habitually used for illegal drug activity as producing, selling or using illegal drugs, prostitution, solvents and other unlawful sales and consumption of alcohol, Mr. Speaker. This is a law that will do something.

I will continue my full support for the government on this initiative and I want to send a heartfelt congratulations to this government for recognizing the sense of urgency that citizens need action from this government. When Mr. Handley stood up on Tuesday and said this would be a lead initiative in this government, it was well received in my community by my constituents. They could see that this government is doing something innovative. So, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later for the Minister of Justice and I appreciate this government’s attitude to dealing with public safety first. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would just like to talk about the community co-management agreement that the government, Municipal and Community Affairs, signed with the Deninu Kue Community Council two years ago. Mr. Speaker, this agreement has definitely lead to better financial management and better financial stability of the municipality as a whole. I commend the government on that, which was the true intention of the agreement in the first place, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what has been overlooked, I feel, is the human resource aspect of this agreement. What I would like to see from this government is the responsibility which the government inherited by agreeing and signing this co-management initiative be followed up on. By this I mean, Mr. Speaker, that this government has responsibility to ensure that all aspects of municipal management are addressed on a regular basis, preferably on a monthly basis in conjunction with council meetings.

The government has the responsibility to hear what community members are concerned about and act accordingly. Areas of concern that are often overlooked are often those that are sensitive in nature, such as personnel, staffing and employment issues. I feel that the overall success of such co-management agreements are often overshadowed by the lack of attention to concerns related to staff or government officials. If this government investigates all inquiries into government actions or lack thereof towards some of the conditions of this agreement from an objective, mutual standpoint and take the appropriate measures to mitigate or resolve, residents would begin to trust the government- of-the-day and have more confidence in these agreements that ultimately are intended to build better working relationships between municipal and territorial governments and build community capacity and also build a practice of fair community governance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided) Mr. Speaker, last week, the Government of the Northwest Territories gave out service awards in recognition of long-term employment. I correct myself; I believe that was a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Speaker. They gave out service awards in recognition of long-term employment with the various organizations and ministries. These contributions throughout the Territories from large and small communities enhance our communities to make them safer and healthier.

I am proud to have two 35-year long-term service employees from the Nahendeh; Ms. Diane Edwards and Mr. Alex Gargan.

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The experience, consistency and knowledge they contribute is truly remarkable. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I wish to take the time to acknowledge all of the workers in all of the communities all over the Northwest Territories in private industries, everyone who does anything for our communities and for the work they have done. As well, the awards that we give out are important because they build a culture of recognition which is critical to the capacity building of the communities and ensures progressive development in our territory. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to convey to all of our workers that their contribution and hard work has not gone unnoticed. Mahsi cho.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided) Today I rise in the House to address the need for aboriginal bylaw or community officers in the community of Behchoko. Mr. Speaker, in 2004, the Department of Justice, in partnership with the federal government, had a two-year agreement in which 1.24 was given to the NWT as part of the Government of Canada/First Nation policing funding.

In Behchoko, we had two officers who were successful in training through this initiative in partnership with our government and the RCMP. These officers maintain a healthy relationship with our community members and reduce disturbance, which in turn created a better living environment for all the people of Behchoko. Since this funding was terminated, the officers have moved into other careers. Community members have expressed over and over that overriding crime rates, disturbances within the community and a lack of police to address these issues, Mr. Speaker.

The heavy RCMP workload is impacting on the service levels in our communities. Employing people from the community to enforce local laws will be ensuring a proactive role in community policing. An aboriginal community officer will change the way policing is thought of within the community of Behchoko. By increasing the number of aboriginal members and working with the RCMP, this will reflect and respond to the needs of our community.

Mr. Speaker, the people of the community of Behchoko want to work with the Department of Justice, Municipal and Community Affairs and the RCMP to start a community bylaw officer program that was established before.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, aboriginal community officers are much needed in the community of Behchoko. Together, with the support of the GNWT, in partnership with the RCMP, the Behchoko community government can work towards a safe and peaceful community. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the government’s decision to transfer rent payments from the housing authority to ECE. Before I came down here, I made some rounds in Inuvik and talked to a lot of people there because I have been hearing some concerns about how this program is not working. I hear from tenants who have never been in arrears in their life being in arrears now because it’s taken too long. They bring their assessments and their pay stubs over to ECE and they do their assessment and say we’ll mail it to you.

When the local housing authorities used to do it, they would go in there once a month with their pay stubs and have their rent assessed and they would be able to pay their rent on the spot. This saved a lot of people from going into arrears. It was good for the LHOs. They got their money on a quarterly basis and they were able to look after all their bills. Now you have LHOs having to wait for their money from ECE, which has taken awhile to get there. Some well run LHOs are potentially running deficits because of this whole program. It’s become a real concern up in the communities.

They used to assess your rent two months prior and that didn’t work for tenants either. A lot of tenants, as we well know, are back pocket bankers. In two months, they won’t have the rent money. So this is a system that worked and, for some reason, they decided to streamline the system and they streamlined it real good, so it doesn’t seem to be working anymore. I know they say there are bugs that have to be ironed out…

Bugs!

…but, Mr. Speaker, let’s just squash the bugs and go back to something that was working before. If you have something that works, stay with it and it benefits everybody. It benefits the tenants that have never run arrears in their life. They are going to do their payments and they are told you have credit, come back in a month. Mr. Speaker, we have a system that works and works fine and works for the people, then the government should stick with it instead of just transferring money back and forth. I will have questions for the Minister of ECE at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to extend condolences to families who had people who passed away in my riding from late August to early September.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to send condolences to Clarence Mangelana’s family, Bernadette Capotblanc, Robert Jacobson and Persis Gruben from Tuktoyaktuk.

Also to Keith Dodge and the Wolki family in Paulatuk and the late Sam Oliktoak from Ulukhaktok. On behalf of the people of Nunakput, I send my condolences.

On the brighter side, Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend a belated birthday greeting to Joseph David Pokiak who turned 87 on September 14th.

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And also to Persis Gruben of Tuktoyaktuk who turns 88 today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has set an arbitrary application deadline of about six weeks prior to the program that you would like to be sponsored for by student financial assistance. It is clear that the NWT Student Financial Assistance Program and the arbitrary application deadlines do not have the flexibility to meet the needs of our students. It is also clear to me, Mr. Speaker, that this system has had a negative effect on post-secondary education for several northern students.

Some students have had to take summer upgrading in order to meet the entrance requirements for post-secondary education. Some of these students missed the application deadline because they had not yet been accepted for their post-secondary schooling. Once notified that they were accepted to their course, it was too late to apply. In many cases, they are disqualified for a full semester for their student financial assistance simply because of the deadline date for the application. Some of these potential students then abandon their pursuit of their post-secondary education because of this delay.

I have a constituent who missed the application deadline by two weeks because of a family loss, and even on appeal the student was denied the financial assistance program for the first semester for her second year of post-secondary education.

Government programs like the Student Financial Assistance Program need to respond to the varied personal circumstances and situations of the applicant. Mr. Speaker, the overwhelming majority of Canadian jurisdictions have flexibility in their SFA application process to allow students the ability to access the program without an arbitrary deadline that limits their options. Mr. speaker, in British Columbia, they actually allow students to apply six weeks prior to the end of their program and still qualify for student financial assistance.

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the application process for the Student Financial Assistance Program, it is necessary for the department to take a client-based approach that meets the needs of northerners and do away with the arbitrary deadline approach which only appears to meet the needs of the Department of ECE. I will have questions today for the Minister of Education on this matter.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to weigh in on the issue of the recent federal cuts and how they impact the residents here in the Northwest Territories.

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The federal government makes across-the-board cuts and it impacts various parts of the country in different ways, Mr. Speaker. Here in the Northwest Territories where we receive $800 million of our $1.1 billion directly from the federal government, these cuts hit us even harder because we have no ability to replace those funds with any type of own-source revenue. We are a territory, much like a person on a fixed income.

Provinces, Mr. Speaker, are a different story. Sure, the cuts will hurt them too, but they have revenue from other sources like resource revenue, sales taxes and other available tax avenues. We have a very limited means and, of course, we only have 42,000 people. Again, it amounts to us being on a fixed income with the inability to replace these dollars.

The impact of cuts on our territory is magnified because of our small population and again our inability as a government to replace these cuts. One-third of the total budget for the NWT Literacy Council, or approximately $300,000, will be lost. We have absolutely no wherewithal to replace that money. To me the recent cuts and the impacts to literacy, volunteerism, tourism and other programs is just an example of the arrogant approach that Ottawa takes when dealing with its three northern territories and specific to my concern, the Northwest Territories.

Resource revenue, devolution and formula financing are such key pieces to our future and integral to our future success as a territory, yet we have no movement in these areas. We can only have, and continue to have, hopes and dreams of them being concluded. We need some leadership, Mr. Speaker, and to step up our fight with Ottawa. We need a vision, we need to focus first and we need all of our people to come together and work together so that we can afford to look after our own programs without the fear of federal cuts. Mr. Speaker, the impact on our territory will be severe because of these cuts, and our residents deserve better and will obviously pay the price because of these cuts.

Mr. Speaker, we have to do more for our residents and we have to take up the fight with Ottawa. These cuts and their impact cannot continue to be allowed to happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, of late, one of the debates around the House has been about the important value and the need for the Members to be able to speak without the fear of intimidation on behalf of the people we represent. We showed our resolve in that regard yesterday. But I have been thinking about what we have been doing to make such capacity available to people in our communities who are afraid to speak out against the government because of their fear about losing their jobs, their businesses or their contracts. As I stated two days ago in this House, Mr. Speaker, in a small jurisdiction like the NWT in terms of population, we are really connected by no more than two degrees of separation. We pride ourselves by our close community connection, but sometimes it works against the public transparency and accountability required to maintain a healthy democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I am constantly dealing with constituents and residents who are afraid about speaking out about inefficiency, incompetency and abuse even by the government. This is why I believe we need to have made-in-the-North whistle-blower legislation. Mr. Speaker, we need a legislative protection for those people which would make them feel safe to speak about the inefficiency or unethical behaviour at all levels of government, or perhaps even about the abuse of power by elected officials, or simply for the employees of the government to speak about the possibility of improving our program and service delivery without feeling like they will be penalized for speaking out.

Mr. Speaker, of course, such legislation would have to have a balance where an ombudsman-like figure or an office would investigate, and look objectively and in a neutral manner, at the merit and the details of each case and recommend an appropriate course of action.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that I've raised this issue many times within my time here and I have seen no action so far from the government. But this week I heard the Premier confirming that this is, in fact, in the works, and I would urge the Premier to bring this forward ASAP so that we can make this into a reality within the life of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again I would like to recognize a former Tulita resident, Mr. Paul Andrew, now residing in Yellowknife and working for CBC.

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Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

I'd like to recognize I believe it's Cathy Frankie in the audience, a mother of one of the Pages here. Welcome.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today in my Member's statement I spoke about the hardships facing some of the elders living independently on fixed incomes. It is clear that our policies and programs require adjustments to ensure that elders can live out their lives independently and in the comfort of their own homes. My question today is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Can the Minister tell me, and the House, whether his department is considering adjusting the Seniors' Fuel Subsidy Program to ensure that it captures all the elders who need such a subsidy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point we're not planning any changes for this winter's season. There may be changes that would be proposed as part of the income security review.

Just to let Members know that although we had a budget figure of $525,000 in last year's budget, actually expenditures for the program were over $1.1 million. We deliver the program no matter what the budget is, to make sure that the seniors are getting the same amount of fuel each year, no matter what it costs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. However, fall is setting in and winter is just around the corner, and I'm somewhat surprised and shocked that even though the program is being delivered that it has no changes yet for an increase in fuel for the small communities. Elders are getting their fuel I think by November until the end of April, so it's not enough for all the elders and the elders are struggling right now with the high cost of living in these small communities. Mr. Speaker, we do have a surplus. I wonder why the Minister's not going to the Finance Minister to knock on his door, like other Ministers are for their projects to go through. We should be taking care of our elders, and this is critical. So I will ask the Minister again if he would go back and ask and score one for the elders. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that we can point with pride to our seniors' programs here in the Northwest Territories. I think the programs that we offer seniors right now are if not the best in North America, they're at least the best in Canada. So we already have a very good program. I think it's important to remember that we call this program a subsidy. No matter what the cost of oil or propane or wood goes to, we provide the same amount to seniors each year. So we're prepared to help seniors, to assist them to stay in their own homes. We're hoping that the communities and families will be able to join with us to ensure that can happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do acknowledge the support that this government is giving to our seniors, but when I go back into the Sahtu communities and other communities, I hear the elders are not getting enough of a fuel subsidy. There is a discretion there. Some of the elders are getting it and some are not getting it. I'm asking to look at the recent increase of fuel in our communities and the increase in the cost of living. The fuel subsidies are still the same; there's no increase. So it's not going very far. We do have the program; let's give our elders a break this year and treat the elders the same. Give them the cost of fuel so that they stay nice and comfy and warm this winter season, instead of worrying.

Hear! Hear!

You know, they are saving their money for it. So I'll ask the Minister again if he would consider looking at this cost of fuel in the communities for the elders. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm quite prepared to look at the subsidy program as part of the income security review. That won't mean that it will happen this year, but it could perhaps happen in future years if Members of this House agree that that's where we should put our money. We have to keep reminding ourselves, though, that this program is not suffering because the cost of oil is going up. I mean, the people are not suffering because the cost of oil is going up. The program still provides them with the same amount of fuel no matter what the oil cost is. We provide the same number of litres each year, no matter what the cost is, to seniors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to again ask the Minister, the Fuel Subsidy Program, it's not enough. I'm telling you right now I'm speaking on behalf of the elders who have spoken to me. The fuel there, the need, and we're not taking this as a real important issue to take care of elders. We're going against a lot of our values in terms of how we're to look after the elders. So, Mr. Speaker, to my question here. Can the Minister look at the program this year? Look at the program this year and treat the elders all the same in terms of the fuel subsidy and give them what they deserve in terms of taking care of our elders. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 145-15(5): Fuel Subsidies For Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're in a process of constantly reviewing our programs. I'm not confident that I'm going to be able to find any extra money to put into this program this year, given the fact that we only have a limited budget and we know that we're going to spend more than twice what's in the budget already. The strain is already pretty severe on the department to try and just cover the actual cost because of the fuel price increases. But I will certainly do as the Member directs and discuss whether or not there are any changes that we could make, and I'll be prepared to come and discuss this with committee when we review the proposed changes for the Income Security Program. Thank you.