Mr. Speaker, this Assembly is committed to sustainable, vibrant, safe communities and to taking action against family violence. Homes should be places where strong individuals and families support and love each other. All people have the right to live free from the fear of violence in their own homes and communities.
But we have challenges. The Northwest Territories has the second highest rate of family violence in Canada and we know that many incidents are never reported. This is a territorial tragedy. It affects every community. Many of our people live every day in fear.
With the release of the coroner’s report on the death of Alice Black, we are once again faced with some stark facts about how communities are struggling to cope with issues of addictions, family violence and security.
Strong leaders confront difficult issues. The Government of the Northwest Territories cannot address family violence on its own. We need the daily cooperation of community leaders, social service agencies and non-government organizations. Business, Aboriginal and community governments and individuals themselves have to call attention to the terrible toll family violence takes on its victims and society.
Our government funds shelters in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. They give victims and their children a safe place to stay while they think about what to do next. Emergency protection orders can be part of a longer-term safety plan for victims and their children. Staff are working with communities to make sure that victims
always have support and safe places to stay, no matter where they live in the Northwest Territories.
We need to change the way people think about family violence if we are going to end it. Family violence is not just about shelters. It is about making our homes and communities safe places to live. Our new Domestic Violence Treatment Options Court gives abusers a chance to change their behaviour. The interagency family violence protocols make sure that we all work together to provide the supports our clients need.
As my colleague the honourable Mr. Abernethy advised the House last Friday, “We have to change the attitude, we have to change the fundamental beliefs and ideas around family violence.” We need everyone to be part of this.
Mr. Speaker, the Members of this House are aware that one of the leading voices in this struggle is the Coalition Against Family Violence. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge their important contribution.
The coalition has offered its members, including the Government of the Northwest Territories, several recommendations to address family violence. They suggested a comprehensive social media strategy aimed at shifting attitudes and beliefs about family violence. They recommended that we implement a 24-week program targeting men who use violence. And they asked all of their members to continue their efforts to strengthen community outreach.
Mr. Speaker, later today the Minister of Finance will be introducing a supplementary appropriation bill that includes $367,000 for the Department of Health and Social Services to support initiatives related to the Family Violence Action Plan. Together with the Minister of Health and Social Services and my Cabinet colleagues, long-term, ongoing investments are being developed as part of the business planning process for next year.
This supplementary appropriation also includes an additional $49,000 to support a community-based intervention program to assist men to direct their own change to end violence. Ongoing support will be sought through the 2013-2014 business review process.
Mr. Speaker, family violence cannot be a special awareness week or a one-time initiative. Our health and well-being depends on breaking the silence and working together in meaningful and coordinated ways to end all forms of family violence. When we see violence, we need to speak up. Protecting the most vulnerable people in our society is everyone’s responsibility.
This Assembly is part of the solution. We cannot be overwhelmed by the challenges; there is no choice but to continue. We need to be strong leaders. We need to speak up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members, before we continue on with Ministers’ statements, I would like to welcome a former Speaker and MLA, Mr. Sam Gargan, who is in the House today.
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At the table, we have our former Commissioner, Speaker, Minister, Member, Sergeant-at-Arms, Honourary Clerk of the House, Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford. It’s always good to have you here.
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The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Abernethy.
MINISTER’S STATEMENT 47-17(3):
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to speak today about the successful negotiation of three new agreements with the bargaining units that represent our employees.
A contract has been negotiated and ratified with the Northwest Territories Medical Association, and collective agreements have been negotiated and ratified with the Union of Northern Workers and the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association. They are all four-year agreements, which provide our employees with predictable, stable terms of employment in a volatile economic environment. Four-year agreements also provide the GNWT with the stability we need to address the large priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly, including devolution and a sustainable health care system. The increases provided to employees are very reasonable, given our fiscal position and the global financial situation. In fact, when comparing our settlements to those in other public governments across the country, I would venture to say that we are providing an excellent package.
The GNWT values its employees. We treated them fairly and respectfully throughout the collective bargaining process. I want to thank our partners – the NWT Medical Association, the NWT Teachers’ Association and the Union of Northern Workers – for coming to the table as partners with shared interests, wanting to find workable solutions to the challenges we all faced. I would also like to thank all the staff involved – within both the GNWT and the bargaining units – in negotiating, researching, analyzing and proposing creative solutions during negotiations.
While there are a range of accomplishments in all of the new agreements, I would like to highlight two memoranda of understanding that were negotiated with the Union of Northern Workers, given the profile that these issues warranted over the past six months.
The first MOU involves the safe disclosure of information by public servants. Both parties want to create an environment where employees who, in good faith, believe a wrongdoing has occurred, can bring that forward freely, confidentially and safely. Employees should never have to fear reprisal when they come forward to raise concerns about potential wrongdoing.
Through this MOU, we have agreed to jointly develop interim provisions that provide protection for employees who disclose information in certain situations. These will include an independent mechanism for reporting situations where the employee, in good faith, believes wrongdoing is occurring. They will remain in place until legislation providing protection for employees who disclose information is enacted by this Assembly.
The second MOU addresses rest periods, which represent an important safety issue. There are circumstances where the lack of adequate rest between scheduled hours of work may present health and safety concerns in some work environments. The Government of the Northwest Territories and the Union of Northern Workers will establish a joint working group to review all relevant issues related to employee rest periods, to test implementation and to provide unanimous recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is very pleased to have negotiated these agreements with our partners who represent our employees. We appreciate the valuable work carried out by GNWT employees. Despite challenging economic times, we wanted to provide terms of employment, including salary increases, that recognize this. We are now working to implement the collective agreements, and to continue to work collaboratively with the bargaining units in partnership during the life of these new agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, on June 21st we will celebrate National Aboriginal Day. This is an opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal people’s outstanding contributions to the history, languages, arts and cultures of our territory and Canada.
As my colleagues are aware, our celebration of this national holiday in the Northwest Territories is unique. In 2002, National Aboriginal Day was declared a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories. This year marks the 10th anniversary of that declaration. To this day, the Northwest Territories remains the only jurisdiction in Canada to recognize it as a statutory holiday. For this we can be very proud.
National Aboriginal Day acknowledges the valuable contribution of Aboriginal peoples to the healthy development of our communities, our territory and our country.
The Government of the Northwest Territories commitment to the Dene, Inuvialuit and Métis of the Northwest Territories extends well beyond this holiday.
A key priority of the 17th Legislative Assembly’s vision of “Believing in People and Building on the Strength of Northerners” is renewing and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal governments. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to engaging them in a spirit of mutual respect, recognition and responsibility. Government-to-government cooperation is an essential part of the North’s foundation and legacy.
Today we are particularly proud to honour the Dene, Inuvialuit and Métis of the Northwest Territories. They play a vital role in contributing to our economic development, protecting our environment and enhancing our traditional knowledge through learning and sharing.
Every year National Aboriginal Day events are organized across the country. The Northwest Territories communities celebrate by showcasing the North’s culture through drum dances, traditional games and foods, music and artwork. I hope you enjoy the festivities in your community and I wish everyone a happy National Aboriginal Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Lafferty.
The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, WSCC, proudly sponsors the annual Mine Rescue Competition in celebration of Mining Week, held in June each year. This year the Mine Rescue Competition is June 15th and 16th.
The WSCC sets standards for mine safety certification for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The Mine Rescue Competition brings together rescue teams from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and, recently, the Yukon. The event helps align northern training and response techniques across the territories and with the rest of Canada.
The North’s mining industry has a history of outstanding achievements in mine safety due to its emphasis on prevention and risk management. We are fortunate in the Northwest Territories. When need arises, we have highly skilled professionals ready to deal with emergency situations.
Teams consist of volunteers who take time out of their schedules to practice and train. If summoned for a rescue operation, every move they make impacts the safety of the rest of their team, the people in the mine and the mine itself. These men and women display remarkable teamwork and communication. They show tremendous skills and safety when dealing with a crisis.
The Mine Rescue Competition tests these skills. It gives teams an opportunity to obtain certification in Mine Safety, and gives the northern mining community confidence that mines operating in the North are able to face any challenge.
The week’s events conclude Saturday, June 16th, with the remaining competitions taking place in public view at the Yellowknife Community Arena. At that time, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines hosts their annual Miner’s Picnic and community barbeque.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of this special event, and join the WSCC and the community on Saturday, June 16th, at the Mine Rescue Competition and the Miner’s Picnic.
The WSCC works in partnership with stakeholders across all industries, to ensure workplace safety and care for workers. Together, we can eliminate workplace diseases and injuries. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
MINISTER’S STATEMENT 50-17(3):
Mr. Speaker, I rise to update Members on the status of the recent flooding in Nahanni Butte and the incredible efforts of many individuals and organizations who are working together to help ensure the safety of residents.
As is the nature of most emergencies, this event caught us by surprise. Water in the Liard River basin reached heights not seen in many years, and in fact, it may turn out to be a record year.
Despite the fast moving nature of floods, residents were not caught off guard. Officials from Nahanni Butte worked together with a number of organizations to ensure residents were notified in advance, and emergency plans could be enacted in time to ensure a safe and coordinated evacuation.
The response was coordinated through a number of partners including the RCMP, the Government of Canada, the community government of Nahanni Butte and the GNWT.
Within our government, MACA coordinated the emergency response, the Department of Transportation worked to provide evacuation transport, Health and Social Services provided emergency shelter and supplies to evacuees, and Environment and Natural Resources has offered to provide fire crews from the region to help with community cleanup once floodwaters subside.
Mr. Speaker, I am very impressed with the level of cooperation amongst everyone involved. One positive thing we can take away from this unfortunate situation is that it proves our emergency planning efforts are working. It is also an indication that we need to continue to be ready for emergencies by working together to plan and prepare for future events.
We’ve all heard about climate change and what that might bring. Wildfires last year and record-breaking floods this year all point towards the need to remain focused on our efforts to build resilient communities.
Throughout this event, I worked very closely with my colleague, the MLA for Nahendeh, Kevin Menicoche. In addition to his obvious concern for the residents of Nahanni Butte, Mr. Menicoche praised the village of Fort Simpson for their incredible generosity and giving during this period of need. I, too, add my praise for the people of Fort Simpson who have gone above and beyond to assist the Nahanni Butte evacuees.
MACA continues to work with communities to build and sustain effective emergency plans, to familiarize officials with their important roles and responsibilities during an emergency, and to support community governments in the management of emergencies.
Today residents from Nahanni Butte remain in Fort Simpson, and it may still be some time before they are able to return. Members should be assured that all those who have combined to support the evacuation remain committed to supporting these residents until such time as they are able to safely return to their community.
Once the water recedes, MACA, in conjunction with the Department of Public Works and Services and the Department of Transportation, will undertake an assessment of the community to determine the full extent of the damage. I would like to assure Members and the residents of Nahanni Butte, that we are sensitive to the impact of this flood on their lives and we will be examining all options in getting the community up and running again, including accessing financial assistance under the federal Disaster Assistance Policy.
Given the circumstances of the recent events, we are once again reminded of how important preparedness and partnerships are when responding to emergencies in the North. I invite my colleagues to join me in commending the organizations and personnel who contributed to a successful emergency response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment before we all leave for the summer to reflect on our accomplishments as a Legislative Assembly over the past few weeks.
This has been the first extended working session of the 17th Assembly. It has been a long session, especially at this time of the year, but we have done some important work together.
One of the most important things we have done is passed the budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. As an Assembly, we have agreed to a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. The budget we have reviewed and approved will give our government the money to start making that vision a reality for all the people of the Northwest Territories.
Our debates have not been without their disagreements, Mr. Speaker. As leaders, we will often be called upon to make difficult decisions, decisions where the path forward is not always clear. There are many priorities and many demands; many things that we want to do for our people.
Unfortunately, our resources as a government are limited and will be for the foreseeable future. That means that we have to choose our priorities carefully. Together, we need to find the right balance of program spending and capital investment that will help us make progress on our social, environmental and economic agenda.
I want to thank Members on both sides of the House for the time and energy they have put into our debates these past three weeks. While we have not always agreed, I know that your questions and your decisions have always been made with the best interests of our people in mind. And in the end, we have succeeded in passing a budget that will put us on a path towards achieving the vision, goals and priorities that we set out when we first met. This is consistent with the spirit of consensus government.
The budget supports our people with funding to implement Building for the Future, for early childhood development, for mental health and addictions and to ease the transition to higher electricity rates. Our budget supports our economy with funding for sustainable mineral development and economic development strategies and for the negotiation and implementation of devolution. It supports our environment with money for renewable energy, for negotiating transboundary water agreements and the development of a sustainable land use framework.
This session has seen the Sahtu rejoin the devolution process by signing the agreement-in-principle. We saw the delivery of a Commissioner’s opening address laying out this government’s agenda. We unanimously passed a motion in support of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We saw the tabling of the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, of the Aboriginal Government Engagement Strategy and of the Department of Justice Strategic Plan. We have committed to returning with an Anti-Poverty Strategy. These are accomplishments we can be proud of and which will help us achieve our vision as an Assembly. We have done good work in our first three sessions as a government, but it is only the beginning. There is more work to come.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my good wishes to all Members and all the people of the Northwest Territories. I hope we all have a relaxing, enjoyable summer and look forward to returning to work when we convene again in the fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Colleagues, I’d like to draw your attention to some special guests we have in the gallery today.
Please join me in welcoming Mr. Hermann Sitz, Consul General of Germany, and his wife, Mrs. Ninna Sitz, on their first official visit to the Northwest Territories. Welcome to our Assembly for what I hope will be the first of many visits.
The Consul General and Mrs. Sitz will be joining the Premier and myself for the planting ceremony for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee shrubs which will take place during our recess this afternoon. I invite all Members and members of the public to join us for this commemorative event.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement says that I love Yellowknife, but let’s dial that back a little bit. I like Yellowknife. Yellowknife is a great place to visit, but as the Member for Hay River South I don’t begrudge government headquarters. We need to have a capital somewhere and the amenities, attractions and jobs that that brings to our capital. What bothers me is that we have not managed to put more government jobs in other communities.
All Members of this Assembly, including those from Yellowknife, agreed last fall to “increase employment opportunities where they are most needed, by decentralizing more GNWT positions.” This is a priority of the 17th Assembly which is publicly advertised on our website. Yet it seems that we’re actually going backwards.
In 2012-2013, the Government of the Northwest Territories planned to add 62 new full-time jobs. More than 90 percent of these new positions go to Yellowknife. You guessed it. How much consideration was given to whether any of the 57 full-time positions placed in Yellowknife could be located in other communities? It’s true that these figures don’t account for the loss of positions through sunsets or position deletions, but if you look at the net increase in positions, the picture is even uglier.
After sunsets and position deletions, Yellowknife is up 34 full-time positions and regional centres like Hay River are down four full-time positions, and small communities get a few part-time positions for government service officers but they are also down one full-time position. Yellowknife will benefit from an additional $4.3 million budgeted for positions located there. Meanwhile, regional centres and small communities will see an overall reduction for government salaries and benefits.
We aren’t decentralizing at all. We are once again centralizing government positions and the dollars that go with them in Yellowknife.
Later today I will have questions for the Premier, who is responsible for the decentralization initiative. It is discouraging to those of us from areas where the economy is in a slump, to see this kind of action on the part of this government and we have to do something about it and we have to do something soon.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to dedicate my last statement today to recognizing the great achievements of Weledeh constituents competing at the 22nd NWT Track and Field Championships held June 6th to 8th in Hay River.
I’ll start with Hannah Clarke, who was named first overall in the junior female category and took the gold in the 400, 800 and 1,500 metres, and a bronze in the triple jump. Hannah was also nominated as this year’s Sport North Junior Female Athlete of the Year in speed skating, so she’s an all-season all-rounder.
Congratulations to Greg Littlefair’s new record in the Master’s 500 metre race of 18 minutes 24 seconds. Greg also won gold in the Master’s 800 and 1,500 metre races. Claire Littlefair followed suit for the family, with top-three placings in the Midget 800, 1,500 and 3,000 metre races.
Again in the Master’s category, Michelle Culhane won gold in the 400 metre, and silver in the 800 metre and triple jump. Debbie Meade was a medalist for Master’s in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 metre.
In the Tyke category, Wren Acorn won top three placings in the 200 metre, high jump and long jump. Our own Myra Mercer claimed gold in the Tyke’s 400 and 800 metre. Anika Affleck took fourth in the Bantam triple jump, 800 and 1,500 metre.
Henry Ksydaig – excuse me if I pronounce that wrong – took bronze in the Bantam high jump. Emily Hodgins won bronze in the Bantam shot put. Linnea Stephenson took bronze in the Bantam discus throw, and Nova Stephenson at fifth in Bantam 800 metres. Logan Bulger silver in the Peewee long jump. Dakkar Henry silver in the Peewee 200 metres, Jill Stewart bronze in the Seniors 800 metres, and Kerry Egan took fifth in the Master’s 800 metres. Last, but not least, Gillian Furniss took silver in the seven years and under Tyke category for 50 metre dash.
For any of the great Weledeh competitors I may have missed, please accept my apologies and my huge congratulations for turning out. Of course, the games were not only possible through the participation of the 1,200 keen athletes, 110 coaches, and an amazing 420 volunteers came through again to organize and present the NWT’s premier summer sporting event in Hay River.
My congratulations to all competitors, coaches, volunteers and spectators on a great event. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to dedicate my Member’s statement to the residents of Nahanni Butte and the community of Fort Simpson, who is reaching out to help them in this time of need. I just wanted to say that even though we are calling an evacuation and flood of Nahanni Butte, I believe that conditions are worse than we think, worse than we thought, especially with the recent media report, that damage cannot be understated.
I was searching for a word last night and this morning, but I think the word that I am looking for is a “disaster” at Nahanni Butte at this point. The power plant may be damaged. The airport is out and has been flooded. The highway is gone. There are no phone lines. The band office has been flooded as well as many homes. I just want to state that we as a government are going to have to reach out, plan for how to best help the residents, give them every support that they need, and over it all we can’t forget that the residents themselves miss their homes, lives and livelihoods. We are going to have to plan, and mitigate, and best try to return them to their homes.
Later on today in oral questions, I will be asking the MACA Minister or other appropriate Minister, as well, how and what steps are we taking to help the residents of Nahanni Butte to help plan and get through this disaster. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to dedicate my speech today to the dedicated team in Hay River that is planning for the Relay for Life this Friday night and early into Saturday morning. The organizers have done a great job putting these teams together and fundraising a great deal of money for cancer research. I would like to thank all of the teams that have been doing fundraising for the last several months in Hay River. As I indicated, they will be walking around the Hay River track and field track overnight. They are dedicated and they have been working hard.
I would also like to share a little bit of a moment. My Dad was affected by cancer this year. He passed away. With that, I would like to wish everybody happy Father’s Day on Sunday as well. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tomorrow, June 15th, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. I would like to thank all Members in the House who are wearing purple for doing that in recognition of tomorrow. Elder abuse is a significant threat to the residents of all of our communities. For many years elder abuse has been a private matter, hidden from view and not talked about. Thanks to a significant public education campaign, elder abuse has become a much more higher profile in our society. It is seen as a national problem needing attention.
The NWT Seniors’ Society has been advocating tirelessly to change the situation. As a result of their efforts, elder abuse is getting the recognition it deserves. The GNWT and the public have a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem.
Elder abuse is defined as any kind of physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse, as well as neglect. Abuse happens when family members extort money from their elders or force them to sign over property.
All elders, male and female, are at risk for abuse as they are easy targets because of physical frailty or, in some cases, diminished mental capacity. Our elders should be respected and honoured. They hold the wisdom, the history and the knowledge of our communities and our territory. We cannot ignore elder abuse, and understanding it gives us the power to fight it.
What’s needed is for society to recognize that elder abuse and neglect does exist and to raise our awareness of the problem. We need to inform health and social service practitioners about elder abuse, ensure that everyone can identify the signs of elder abuse and that they know where to find help. We need to use the media to change attitudes and to reduce stereotyping of the elderly, and we need to educate our elders as well. All of these actions help to bring the problem of elder abuse out into the open, to acknowledge that it’s a problem and then we can start to eradicate it.
In the long term our government must give a higher profile to elders and start to consider elders as a cohort of their own, gather statistical data for elders and fund elders as a distinct segment of our society, much as we do for youth, but paramount is the need to fund a separate program whose aim is to reduce and eliminate abuse of older adults. At the moment, funding comes under the umbrella of a Family Violence Action Plan. Funding for elders needs to be separated out and funded on its own, within the Family Violence Action Plan perhaps, but funded as a separate line item.
In closing, this is Senior Citizens Week in the NWT and I hope all Members take action sometime this week to show their respect for NWT elders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I love Yellowknife and up until a few minutes ago I loved Hay River, but I’ll click the like button for now.
---Laughter
We just survived a very long budgetary process and it was very well debated and it shows a strong respect for consensus government in action, but yet we can improve. As the Premier said today, we have to find that right balance; and he’s very right in that assumption.
Our success in this budget is due to the public service working behind the scenes tirelessly and providing us all the information that we require to do our jobs properly. To the machinery of the Legislative Assembly, to our clerks, support staff, it was tireless and we are thankful to our Pages. We apologize for the long nights; we have to apologize to the parents as well. To our translators behind the glass here working tirelessly to translate our every word. To our on-site media hosts, which scrutinize every word and report back to the taxpayer what is important. And it could be debated, but this budget may go down in history as the one where most concessions were agreed to by both Cabinet and Regular Members. We’ll let the historians debate that over the summer.
As this House breaks for the summer months, I’d like to wish the best of luck to all of our students writing their final exams, to the students graduating and leaving for the first time and maybe leaving for a repeated semester. To those families, the new families joining us in all our communities, and as we heard today, a special message of support for those families affected by flooding in Nahanni Butte.
Just to let you know, Mr. Speaker, all Members are working during the summer. We’re here to help, and help our constituents. Many of us will have the opportunity to meet you in many of your communities. I myself will have the pleasure of going to Hay River, Enterprise, Behchoko and eventually Fort Simpson.
Walking around Range Lake the other day, I noticed many boats and trailers and recreational vehicles in our yards. So if you find yourself this summer on the land, on our water or on our highways, especially Highway No. 7, please be safe, look out for one another and have a great summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Inuvik, Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Justice made a Minister’s statement early in this Assembly regarding the Aboriginal Policing Program. Today I’m very happy to say that we have a young fellow in Inuvik who is participating in that Cadet Program and I look forward to seeing the fruits of his hard work, as he’s been a young guy trying to get into the program for quite a number of years. Although it is a Cadet Program, it’s going to teach him all the skills that he needs to further his career.
The fellow that I’m talking about is Gerald Pascal. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him in the past. He’s a volunteer. He’s a youth ambassador. He’s an Inuit games demonstrator. He also volunteers for the local fire department. He’s very involved and I’m very happy to see him in this program. I’m really excited for all the cadets that are in this program as they move forward.
At this time I would like to wish Gerald and all the other cadet recruits the best of luck and success on the start of their journeys into a great community career that’s going to have a positive impact on our local people and be a role model for our future generations as we move forward here.
It’s a great program. I’m really glad to see it’s going through. I’m really glad to see that our local Aboriginal youth are taking advantage of that.
Just to wrap up here, sometimes we get so wrapped up in our jobs, especially during budget session, we sometimes don’t have time to look at some of the real impacts on our communities and people.
At this time, as we’re closing up the budget session, that we can start to focus on what is a very devastating issue in the Northwest Territories, and that is the Nahanni Butte situation. The residents, leaders, and people that are putting in endless hours to help out these residents. I look forward to putting some focus on that and helping out my colleague from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m asking students in the Deh Cho riding to apply for summer jobs with the territorial government. It is a great opportunity for all students who continue their studies after graduating from high school. The pay is generally very good, but it does vary depending on the job.
I would also like to remind the students that every department, board and agency does their own hiring, so you need to make the rounds when you’re job hunting. It is a good idea to do that even if you have already applied on-line.
The GNWT summer jobs provide valuable hands-on experience for our students and help them save money for their school terms. The students are also a valuable resource for the government. As the Minister of Human Resources said yesterday, these students are our public servants of the future.
As of last week, 240 students have been hired. About half are Aboriginal Northerners and the other half are non-Aboriginal Northerners. Unfortunately, this government has not hired as many students this year. In 2011 our government hired 286 students and 58 percent of them were Aboriginal Northerners.
I want to highlight this next statistic, so I hope the Minister and all my colleagues are ready for it. In my riding, this government has only hired one summer student so far this year. I’m pretty sure we can do better.
We can also improve the information we collect from the students. Human Resources does not track them by gender, age, or where they are going to school. Our programs to support students are good, but this information could help us do even better.
I want to conclude my final statements of this session with a few words to our students. By all means, continue your studies after high school, take advantage of all the support our government offers, especially Student Financial Assistance, and go hard to get a summer job with the government. They’re looking to hire more students, especially in the Deh Cho riding.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today because I wanted to talk about a conflict. Whether it’s perceived or real shouldn’t be so much the issue. It’s the matter that it’s thought there might be a problem. A constituent has brought to me a complaint where they believe, quite strongly, that there is a perceived bias within the WSCC process. In this case my constituent has informed me that, when they were working through the process, they used to approach this person when they were the claims advisor. But in the way process changes here, this person has now become the adjudicator. When their file went from we’re here to support you, now they’re ruling against them.
I know good people are at the helm here and it’s not a question of was the right type of decision done ethically, and I don’t view that being the problem. I think it’s more a situation where we’ve allowed ourselves to overlook the possibility of bias, in the context of conflict only, whether again it’s perceived or real.
The act is clear when it comes to staff or workers of the WSCC, and members of the staff and the Appeals Tribunal, are not eligible to be a worker’s advisor. It doesn’t apply the other way around when you work up through the system, because it appears to be silent whether this particular case could be seen in that regard. This is, again, about a perceived conflict and bias and the importance of a fresh, clear and fair type of decision.
We may have ended up with the same result if someone else had heard the case but, quite frankly, we will never know. I’ll tell you why. Because this constituent approached, as I talked to them and the advice I gave them, they had approached the Governance Council for some strategic advice on how to deal with this perceived or real conflict. The Governance Council replied that they felt the decision by the Appeals Tribunal did not improperly or unreasonably apply because of policy or legislation. What’s funny about this situation and how I characterize it is simply because there is no policy on this particular problem.
I will be asking the Minister of WSCC how we will be dealing with this perceived or real type of conflict. All people are asking for is a fair hearing to ensure there was no bias or challenge based on the fact that one time they were in favour of it but now they’re in a deciding role and are now against it. People are only asking for fairness and I think that’s the least we could offer them.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Beaufort-Delta region is facing a real downturn in the economy over the last couple of years. Residents are very concerned about employment. We have many people in Inuvik who are selling their homes and moving away. Running low on natural gas is only one reason a lot of people are moving.
The residents of the Beaufort-Delta need the support of the 17th Legislative Assembly to implement our key priority, which is the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway. We have begun the process and I am hopeful that we can begin construction within the year.
Some Members have been quick to criticize the building of the Inuvik-Tuk highway. It’s easy for a Yellowknife MLA to be critical. Yellowknife is home to thousands of government jobs and services, and access to government officials is available. There is a life outside of Yellowknife. There is life in my riding of the Mackenzie Delta and in the Beaufort-Delta. We deserve every opportunity to economic development and prosperity that some people in this House take for granted.
