Mr. Speaker, I cannot compromise and I must hold fast to my principles based on my passion and belief. I am…
I’m asking you to apologize to the House. I’m not going to be listening to what you have in your hand. Apologize and withdraw your remarks. Mr. Hawkins.
I’m fighting for the fair and honest opportunities for Northerners, Mr. Speaker, and because of the real situation of the scandal is my perspective…
Mr. Hawkins, I draw your attention to Rule 25(3) of this Assembly, which states, ”A Member be named by the Speaker for disregarding the authority of the Chair…” and Rule 25(4), which states, “A Member named under Rule 25(2) or (3) shall be suspended from the Assembly for the remainder of the sitting day. A motion without notice may be moved to increase the length of suspension of the named Member and shall be decided without amendment or debate.”
Mr. Hawkins, do you understand the consequences by not withdrawing your remarks as instructed? I will ask you again; do you wish to withdraw your remarks? Yes or no.
Mr. Speaker, I feel that this is a distraction and, as such, I cannot withdraw my remarks to my earlier comments because I felt they were made with honest intention.
In that case, Mr. Hawkins, in accordance to Rule 25(4), I must suspend you from this Assembly for the remainder of the sitting day and I ask you to leave the House.
Mr. Speaker, concluding land, resources and self-government agreements is an essential element of the political evolution of the Northwest Territories and the foundation for our future economic and political stability.
The Government of the Northwest Territories is an active party to these negotiations as we support the settlement of all outstanding Aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories. We know, from experience, that those who have settled agreements have the necessary tools to fully participate in the Northwest Territories and Canadian economies, to strengthen their communities and to create new business, investment and job opportunities. Strong relationships with Aboriginal governments are a priority for the 17th Assembly and a key part of building a strong, sustainable future for our territory.
Thirty years ago this June, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement became the first comprehensive land claim agreement settled in the Northwest Territories. This milestone was followed by the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, the Tlicho Agreement and the Salt River First Nation Treaty Settlement Agreement. Collectively, these agreements have resulted in almost 200,000 square kilometres of land under direct Aboriginal ownership and financial settlements from Canada in excess of $650 million.
Today Aboriginal rights negotiations, including self-government, are underway in all regions of the Northwest Territories as we continue along the journey of shaping the framework for land and resource management and the future governance structure of communities and regions for decades to come. With several sets of negotiations nearing critical milestones, we are seeing firsthand how partners working together can achieve significant results.
This includes the conclusion of a draft Deline Final Self-Government Agreement that was initialed by the parties this past December. The final agreement contains a wide range of powers that will give the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Deline more control over the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives, including how programs and services will be delivered. The Deline ratification vote is planned for March 10 to 12, 2014, in Deline and Yellowknife. When ratified, the Deline Self-Government Agreement would become the first self-government agreement to be negotiated in the Northwest Territories on a community basis.
Last week I had the pleasure of adding my signature to the Acho Dene Koe First Nation Agreement-in-Principle on a land and resources agreement on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories. When signed by all parties, negotiations will continue toward a final agreement that, once complete, will become the first community-based land and resources agreement in the Northwest Territories.
Our negotiators have also recently concluded a draft agreement-in-principle on self-government with the Inuvialuit and are close to finalizing an agreement-in-principle on land and resources with the Northwest Territory Metis Nation. Consultations with potentially affected Aboriginal governments are being conducted on both draft agreements. Once consultations are complete and the agreements are finalized by the parties, final agreement negotiations will begin.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to these significant milestones, I am pleased to report that we are continuing to see progress at all other Aboriginal rights negotiations throughout our territory.
I believe that partnership and mutual respect is the key to success. This is how we do things in the North and this is how we will continue to do things. This territory is built on partnerships and collaboration, and the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to work effectively with its federal and Aboriginal partners to finalize and implement land, resources and self-government agreements in all regions of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working with our Aboriginal government partners on a new approach to strengthen Aboriginal languages.
As you know, this government has sponsored two Aboriginal languages symposia. We meet regularly with Aboriginal leaders and their delegates. We have excellent ongoing relationships with language coordinators and elders. We have heard from all of them that Aboriginal governments and their language communities are best placed to deliver programs aimed at revitalizing their languages.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of this, I am pleased to announce that beginning in April, this government will be providing a total of almost $3.5 million dollars to regional Aboriginal governments, based on their individual five-year language plans and budgets they have submitted to us. This will enable each of them to fund their regional plans they have drafted for their language communities. Further, Mr. Speaker, this will be three-year block funding, something Aboriginal governments have been requesting for some time.
As well, being mindful of the public purse and without jeopardizing full accountability requirements, we are cutting the red tape around reporting. We will ask for reporting annually, not quarterly, and a staff member will work personally with Aboriginal governments to assist with their reporting as required.
Mr. Speaker, the work Aboriginal governments are planning to carry out over the next five years is impressive. It includes a range of well-thought-out, practical activities to strengthen Aboriginal languages and create more language speakers over the coming years. Plans include both traditional learning and the adoption of new technology; they include emphasis on the overlapping nature of culture and language; and, Mr. Speaker, they provide job opportunities for local people through the hiring of regional language coordinators.
Mr. Speaker, Aboriginal governments have indicated they are very pleased with this approach and welcome this new partnership with the GNWT. We believe it is only by working closely and cooperatively with our Aboriginal government partners that our territory will blossom and grow. I look forward to reporting on the success of this approach in the future.
As March is nearly upon us, I wish everyone a happy Aboriginal Languages Month. Please take this special chance to use, learn or share your language. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to remind everyone again this year that February is Heart Month, an opportunity for all Canadians to learn about the risk of heart disease and stroke and for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation to raise funds for life-giving research.
Heart disease describes many heart conditions. Coronary artery disease is the most common of these and occurs when blood vessels in your heart become blocked, preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching your heart. It can cause chest pains or even a heart attack.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. This can cause weakness, loss of speech and paralysis which can be permanent. Heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of hospitalization and two of the three leading causes of death in Canada.
The good news is, with the right lifestyle changes, up to 80 percent of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable. Since nine out of 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for these serious illnesses, this means that almost all of us have a good reason to make a positive change in our lives.
Things that each of us can do include eating a healthy diet, follow the recommendations from Canada’s Food Guide, be physically active. Thirty minutes most days of the week is all it takes. Quit smoking, not only will you feel better, you’ll save money. Manage stress, identify what causes your stress. Talk to friends and family and take time for yourself. Limit alcohol consumption. Better yet, cut out alcohol altogether and lead a traditional lifestyle. The lifestyle of a Dene elder is a very healthy one and we can learn a lot from people who live that way. Stay active by hunting, cutting wood and being out on the land and eating more traditional foods and less pre-packaged junk food.
There are some health issues that we cannot control. When it comes to heart disease and stroke, however, we can make small changes that will keep us healthier and living longer.
I wish all my constituents and people across the NWT success with whatever changes they make to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke and a healthy Heart Month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The deeper I delve into the 2014-15 budget, the more confused I become. Regular Members have been given huge amounts of information in the last two weeks and instead of clarity, it has only served to confuse. It didn’t have to be this way. The Finance Minister and Cabinet could have chosen to be fulsome, clear and concise in their meetings with Regular Members, but they have been anything but.
We’ve had briefings on the government’s fiscal strategy, on the budget before us, on the status of employee positions and each briefing obfuscates the financial picture a little further. Some of the numbers we have been given refer to the 2014-15 budget that we are now reviewing, some to the next budget, 2015-16. Sometimes we hear revenues are up. Sometimes we hear revenues are down. The Finance Minister, whether by accident or by design, has made communication from himself to Regular Members incomplete and vague. Again, it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Minister of Finance is a seasoned veteran of this legislative arena. He knows full well what information Regular Members want to hear, what we want to consider to fully understand the government financial position or situation. He knows full well how to present that information so it’s easily understood, yet he seems to choose to force us to draw it out of him one small piece at a time. The latest example was yesterday when Minister Miltenberger took my question as notice, effectively putting a lid on information that Members and the public should hear.
Mrs. Groenewegen spoke yesterday about what she considers to be our inefficient process. Any blame for that has to be laid at the feet of both Cabinet and Regular Members if it’s laid anywhere. A comprehensive and frank information sharing process would go a long way to creating efficiency. A little cooperation goes a long way.
I’m so frustrated with this latest budget information process that I am almost ready to give up my attempt at bringing some accountability to the budget review and to give in to Cabinet’s budget without a fight. If that’s the goal of the Finance Minister, then that goal has been achieved. The battle has been won, but the war is far from over. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying and introducing a very special guest to the students of William MacDonald School, Mildred Hall School, Range Lake School, Sir John Franklin High School and St. Patrick High School. We also had the opportunity to present there on the business community at a luncheon held at the Explorer Hotel. It is important that I thank the sponsors of all that – Advanced Medical Solutions, Unico Contracting, Northern Safety Association and First Air – for making this all possible.
This special guest was a good old girl from Alberta, born and raised. She is a fitness model, a motivational speaker, a real estate agent and an accomplished athlete. She was here to tell her story and to share her journey, a journey that started in 2011 when our guest lost her right leg in a near death motorcycle accident. She shared her story of tragedy; a story of horror, but from all this she was able to share a story of opportunity and inspiration. Our guest was none other than the recently announced only female snowboard cross athlete to represent Canada at the upcoming 2014 Paralympic Games at Sochi, Russia, and her name is Michelle Salt.
Michelle was able to provide a heartfelt display of courage and determination while speaking in our city as she inspired all of us with a message of never giving up on your dream no matter what.
It’s rare to find those individuals who defy the odds and who master great things, so it was truly an honour to be part of this community event. I know Michelle truly enjoyed her brief tour in our capital city and, like Brendan, Jesse and Michael who are finishing up in Sochi, we now have the opportunity to cheer on and follow with support this incredible athletic ambassador from Canada in the upcoming Paralympic Games. I would ask you to please join me in congratulating Michelle Salt on her miraculous journey to the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health and Social Services tabled a document a few days ago entitled, “Health and Social Services Service System Annual Report, 2012-2013.” The title was “Measuring Success and Focusing on Results.” I believe in that. I encourage that and I promote that. I appreciate the information. There are a lot of good stats and results that were in there; however, if I can refer people that might look at the report to priority two, the prevalence of smoking in 15-year-olds and older.
In 2002 our smoking rates in the NWT were 46 percent, which is about half the population of the Northwest Territories. You can only imagine what the costs were for care and treatment and hospital visits and the health care costs associated with that. The report outlines that in 2012-13 those results are 34 percent. A great success, and I applaud the government and I applaud all the NGOs and workers who took this on as an initiative. However, even with the great success, it is still double the national average, which is 16 percent, and there is still some work to do.
Another thing that I wanted to report that was an even greater success was that the percentage of daily smokers who reported being counselled to quit smoking by their primary care provider, by doctors, 54 percent, and by nurses, 39 percent. I just want to congratulate our health professionals for taking that extra step to help people try to quit smoking. That’s a great success in itself.
What this report doesn’t show is the stats of the prevalence of those that are under the age of 15. However, I have great confidence with programs such as My Voice, My Choice, the Not Us! campaign, the tobacco curriculum that’s in the schools, Smoke Screening. They used to have a Blast conference, but the big one is the Don’t Be A Butthead campaign. I want to recognize all those, and I know those rates, if they haven’t risen, continue to decrease.
With the last little bit of time that I have left in my Member’s statement, I would like to encourage those who are trying to quit to continue, and if you can’t quit, try to cut down. I congratulate all those who have shown such great results in this report that have made that decision to quit. Great job.
Throughout the years there have been a lot of great advocates doing this job, and too many to thank at this time. But if there was one person I’d like to thank, it is Miriam Wideman, who was probably one of the strongest advocates and one of the greatest mentors I had the opportunity to work with.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Shortly after the fall session I was asked by a constituent to bring forward questions to the Minister and this government about Moose Kerr School. Moose Kerr School is now 45 years old this year. Moose Kerr School was built around the same time as Samuel Hearne Secondary School and also SAM School, and as we all know, those schools have been taken down and replaced. It also makes you ask the question about asbestos. That is very harmful to the health of our students, and I believe a 45-year-old school has had its purpose and it’s time to replace that piece of infrastructure. I will have questions for the Minister later today.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about Northerners and Aboriginals getting jobs with the Government of the Northwest Territories. But firstly, it was good to hear that the shared services and long-term Aboriginal employees were addressed in the House yesterday. This government should be investing in Aboriginals and Northerners. We should be proud to have them in our public service. I think it would be a proud day when we can finally say the GNWT has a truly representative workforce.
Sadly, well-qualified Northerners and Aboriginals, P1 candidates, are still be screened out of job competitions, so who is the government trying to hire for these new jobs, I ask. Our government is not delivering when it comes to Aboriginal employment and hiring. We should be hosting job fairs in our communities, not only down south. Yes, I know our population is low and inviting people north is a good strategy, but I simply feel that we can increase our tax base by hiring more northern and Aboriginal employees.
The government has to stop over-qualifying our entry jobs, stop minimizing the years of experience that our Northerners have, and start hiring them. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use my Member’s statement to give thanks to all the volunteers in our small communities and our communities in the Northwest Territories that, with great passion, dedication and encouragement, take their children to sporting events, hand game events, people who take time out to organize the events to get the people and rally around them to cook for young students, young people who play hockey in the hockey tournaments, or to the hand game tournaments, to the drivers, people who put up their place for people to stay. I’ve seen a lot of these people in the Sahtu region where families get together, people come together, they have a special reunion, they support their kids, they drive on these winter roads that we have for the few months, and people who put up their homes, volunteers who cook in the schools, the refs, volunteers who keep the scores. A lot of these families do it for the enjoyment, but more so for the pleasure of the small children who not very often go to other communities to participate. Some go there for challenging themselves, some go for team competitions and compete against other students, and making friends.
I know when we were young in Fort Norman, we used to travel to Norman Wells in bombardiers to play hockey in an outdoor rink. We were just glad to get to the small community, have hamburger and fries and a can of coke, and play hockey outside, make some friends, jump back in the bombardier and travel all the way back to Fort Norman. We used to do that in the small communities because that would give us long-term friendships with our small communities.
To the parents and volunteers who encouraged us and got us out there, I want to say thank you to those who do this in our communities. I know they come out strong and they’re very proud of their communities. I want to thank you very much, because not too often we say thank you to the hardworking volunteers who make those events very successful in the communities of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to quote a story from the YWCA’s most recent newsletter, which I will table later today. The title is “Living at Rockhill: It made a big difference being here.”
The article reads:
“My boyfriend and I were living at the Ptarmigan Apartments with our son. He’s now two and a half. Rent was $1,675 a month and we started getting behind. Only one of us was working because we couldn’t afford daycare at $800 per month plus rent.
I heard about the Transitional Housing Program and called. They gave us the opportunity of living in an emergency unit for three months so we could catch up on bills. That did the trick, and then we moved into a one-bedroom transitional unit. That was lucky because they don’t always have openings and you have to go somewhere else.
It’s made a big difference being here. It allowed me to have the programs offered here, it’s given us time to save up money because we’re going to move south in a few months. Anything you need, anything you want to talk about, the staff is always there for us.
I learned how to cook, how to be a better parent, how to have more patience, how to take responsibility for money. I make a pretty mean meatloaf.
The staff work with you, how to budget, how to save money, show you crafts, cooking and computers. They’ll help with resumes and looking for jobs.
We’re starting over in Red Deer at the end of May. My boyfriend has some family there. We’re going to find jobs and stay with a friend there for a couple of days.
I am way less stressed now. I used to be pretty stressed out all the time about money and bills, making sure everything was paid and making sure there was food on the table. It’s hard if you are a young family.”
Mr. Speaker, I brought this up to illustrate two points. I want to recognize the work of the YWCA and other non-government organizations that are working so hard to help families like this one. They are doing excellent work, often with shoestring budgets, low salaries and no forced-growth funding.
Secondly, this story is a perfect example of what I was talking about yesterday and the day before as we were reviewing the Housing Corporation. Working people cannot make a decent living here and they are leaving. How would this story have been different if we had affordable daycare, or transitional housing actually transitioned into affordable housing?
I will have questions later today for the Minister. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak on a slightly lighter note today and send a shout out to those business owners in the Northwest Territories who involve themselves in their local chambers of commerce.
As we speak today, the NWT chamber executive is down in Hay River meeting with the Hay River Chamber of Commerce. Both of these organizations I’m very familiar with, having had the honour of serving as the president of the Hay River chamber for a number of years and president of the NWT chamber for a number of years. However, that does seem like a lifetime ago.
I’d like to congratulate the newly elected board of directors of the Hay River Chamber of Commerce. That organization has a very long and proud tradition in our community, and businesspeople, as everyone knows, are busy people, but I appreciate the fact that they take time out of their schedule to get together to come up with a unified and collective voice on behalf of the interests of the private sector and the business community and, indeed, do often offer input and insight on the private sector to this government as well.
So, later today I will be joining my colleague from Hay River North and thanking our Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment for coming to join us and speak at our chamber gala event tonight in Hay River. We will be going down there to enjoy the company of some Hay River and some NWT Chamber of Commerce representatives.
I’d like to just again send commendation and a congratulation out to the business members who do work together to make these organizations very successful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Before we start today, I’d like to start off first. I’d like to welcome Chief Ernest Betsina, chief of YK Dene First Nation and Ndilo, who is here in the gallery. Welcome today, Mr. Betsina. I’d also like to welcome Cathy Cockney, Ms. Agnes Kuptana, and my aunt, Evelyn Storr. Welcome to the House.
Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to recognize our guests. It is the language group. They’ve been working on language development for many years. Today they are having a meeting and they’re here for a brief visit. I’ll tell you their names. From the NWT Metis Nation, Vance Sanderson, Leah Desjarlais; and also for Akaitcho Territory, Chief Ernest Betsina is here to represent the Akaitcho, interpreter Mary Rose Sundberg is also with that group; and Betty Grandjambe from Sahtu; Deline First Nation’s Pauline Roach; and for the Deh Cho region we have Violet Jumbo; IRC is represented by Cathy Cockney and Evelyn Storr; for the Tlicho Government we have Wendy Mantla and Celine Zoe; and Laura Tutcho from ECE. I’d like to welcome all to the Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize a couple of Weledeh constituents, Chief Ernest Betsina and Mary Rose Sundberg. I’d also like to recognize and thank all of the folks that are working on the language groups. That’s very important work that they’re doing and I very much appreciate that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of my constituents, Evelyn Storr. I would also like to thank her for all the years that she has been the SAO in Aklavik. I wish her all the best in her new role at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Yakeleya.
