Masi, Olivia Rockwell. That was an ever beautiful voice. Olivia is serving as a Page in the Assembly, and we thank her and all of the other Pages for their hard work.
Colleagues, today marks the 53rd anniversary of the national flag of Canada. It was on February 15, 1965, that our Canadian flag first flew above our nation’s capital. Our national flag has been flown with pride since that day. In 1996, February 15th was declared National Flag of Canada Day, to commemorate and celebrate what has become one of the most iconic and recognizable flags across the world. Not only is our flag recognized the world over as a symbol of this great country, but it is associated with the rights, freedoms, and ideals that we embrace as Canadians.
In 2018, the national flag of Canada is celebrating its 53rd anniversary during the 2018 Winter Olympics. This important symbol of our identity will be flown, cheering on our Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Members, please join me in celebration of national flag of Canada day. Thank you, colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, it is critical to ensure that the northern post-secondary education system meets the changing needs of our students and the demands of the Northwest Territories labour market.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s long-term labour market assessment tells us that 78 per cent of Northwest Territories jobs in the next 15 years will require a post-secondary education. This government has an ambitious agenda that will help us establish a modern post-secondary education system to support our residents’ academic and employment success.
Mr. Speaker, the department is examining all aspects of post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories. We need to make strategic decisions that will result in more graduates working and leading productive lives in the Northwest Territories.
Our first step was to conduct a labour market review through the Skills 4 Success Initiative, completed in April 2016. This information is the grounds for our next steps in making sure post-secondary education and training programs support Northwest Territories labour market demand, and that they help to close the gap between residents’ education levels and labour market needs.
The next step in meeting our commitments is the completion of the Aurora College Foundational Review. I updated Members on the progress of the review earlier in this sitting. The review will be a tool to help establish a renewed foundation for the college and will help and inform its long-term strategic plan. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we committed in the mandate to develop new legislation that will outline a quality assurance system, on the basis of which post-secondary institutions will be recognized or authorized in the Northwest Territories.
We envision a new legislative framework that will govern all post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories. The primary objective of this framework is to create a process of recognition for post-secondary institutions that ensures they are effectively governed, that they have appropriate quality assurance measures in place, and that their programs are in alignment with national and international standards and best practices. This legislation will give students the confidence that the post-secondary institution they attend is recognized or registered by the Government of the Northwest Territories, and that it has met the standards for its designation.
Mr. Speaker, the proposed new legislation will create transparency and clarity for new post-secondary institutions in the Northwest Territories. It will also create opportunities for existing qualified institutions to obtain degree-granting status. However, it will not replace the Aurora College Act. The legislative process will include engagement with all key stakeholders. The framework will be a collaborative effort, reflecting the unique cultural, social, economic, and geographic contexts in the Northwest Territories today.
Mr. Speaker, the development of a skilled workforce is a pillar of the Government of the Northwest Territories’ vision for a strong territorial economy. By making system-wide, foundational improvements to the adult and post-secondary education and skills training system, these initiatives will foster sound, modern, and sustainable post-secondary institutions and programs for the Northwest Territories and a thriving Northwest Territories workforce.
Our proposed post-secondary legislation, the Aurora College Foundational Review, and the new Aurora College strategic plan are all significant pieces of work, but they do not stand alone. They are aligned with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s comprehensive frameworks, including Education Renewal and Skills 4 Success, and with strategies like Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification, Immigration, and, soon, Small Communities Employment.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been working hard to carry out our agenda for post-secondary education and make a better future for our residents. These three major pieces of work, along with the work of other departments, governments, stakeholders, and this House, are coming together to create a stronger social, economic, and educational foundation for the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie River is our marine highway to the Arctic Ocean. A reliable shipping route for generations, the Mackenzie River is the northernmost link of an intermodal supply chain that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Beaufort Sea and beyond.
2017 marked the year that the Government of the Northwest Territories assumed responsibility for scheduled tug and barge services to our communities on Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River, and the Arctic coast. In 2017, the Government of the Northwest Territories Marine Transportation Services Division registered and reactivated six tugboats, transported more than 37 million litres of fuel, and carried more than 10,000 tonnes of deck cargo to communities and commercial clients.
Other key accomplishments included maintenance work on Canadian Coast Guard vessels and substantial charter work for large industrial clients. The cost-effective and effective delivery of such services to NWT businesses is one example of how the Government of the Northwest Territories is fulfilling its mandate to strengthen connections with private sector partners in transportation infrastructure.
At the peak of last season, Marine Transportation Services employed over 140 people. Sixty of those were from the Northwest Territories. Last season, Marine Transportation Services issued almost $3 million in contracts to Northwest Territories businesses and created many indirect spinoffs for local businesses.
Continued investment in our supporting marine infrastructure, including Canada's northernmost inland shipyard, will allow us to take advantage of such opportunities. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to pursue opportunities for funding that may be available through initiatives such as the federal Oceans Protection Plan. As we prepare for the 2018 sailing season, we begin from a much better operational situation than we did from our first season. Experience from the 2017 sailing season is informing service improvement strategies, and work to determine an appropriate business model for the longer term continues. Commercial, industrial, and tourism activity in the Arctic is increasing, along with the economic and development opportunities that go with it.
To support this anticipated growth, we are pleased with the recent announcement by Transport Canada that they will provide funding to the Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium to establish a Marine Training Centre in the Northwest Territories. The establishment of a centre for marine-related training is a strategic investment that supports the government’s priority to develop a skilled Northern workforce.
Mr. Speaker, our priority remains that essential goods will be delivered without fail and at a reasonable cost to residents who rely on Marine Transportation Services. We are committed to building new business relationships, training our people, creating jobs, and stimulating the economy of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, our Premier has stated that the dreams of Northerners are dying. If that's the case, then to many residents, the answers this House received yesterday on questions of government procurement must have sounded like hammer strikes, each one driving yet another nail deeper into the coffin of those dreams.
Despite the fact that four Members of this House, all Members of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, raised concerns about government procurement, the Minister of Infrastructure denied the existence of any problems. This stance is based in part on his claim that only two or three people have contacted him personally about this issue. Mr. Speaker, as MLAs, we are the people's conduits to the government. To me, if an MLA brings an issue to a Minister, that's the same as a constituent speaking directly to the Minister. That's Democracy 101.
The Minister also cited the numbers of complaints received through the department's vendor complaint process as proof that there are no issues, 22 complaints since 2010 and only two deemed valid. Mr. Speaker, that process is designed to ensure that the very practices that we are criticizing are followed. It's not designed to address the systemic issues we're concerned with. A complaint can only be made about a specific RFP by someone who bid on that RFP. The department can dismiss the claim without consideration.
However, there was a glimmer of hope during question period. Over the pounding of the nails, the Premier heard the dreams of Northerners clawing at the lid of the coffin. He was open to listening to the concerns of MLAs and admitted that it is in the realm of possibility that procurement practices may not be perfect. This harkened back to 2015, when then MLA McLeod, in his bid for the office of Premier, stated that "The Government of the Northwest Territories needs to look at its own procurement and contracting practices." There is hope after all, Mr. Speaker.
It's good to hear that the Premier is open to change because Infrastructure isn't the only government entity involved in procurement. The Housing Corporation does its own procurement, and it has actually made some of the changes that we are asking for to the benefit of Northerners.
Finance is also involved in procurement by housing the GNWT's Procurement Policy, negotiating P3s, and setting sole-source procurement thresholds.
Today, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance about those thresholds and how it is ensuring they are not doing a disservice to Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last government made a commitment to increase territorial population by 2,000 new residents by 2020. While we are still far from this target in our mandate, this government restated the commitment to increase the number of immigrants settling here.
Immigration is good. It brings diversity, innovation, optimism, and fresh perspectives to our territory, while increasing our tax base, investments, and territorial financing formula. It makes sense that we split the nominee program into two streams; one administered by Education, Culture and Employment, and the other by Industry, Tourism and Investment.
The ECE stream is connected to employers seeking skilled workers, while ITI's stream focuses on new investment in the form of business development. ECE's employers' stream is seeing some success. In 2015, we welcomed about 103 new residents, and 125 in 2016. That meets the department's goal of increasing immigration by 25 per cent. At this pace, we will bring in 823 new residents by 2019.
ITI's business stream has been much less successful. Between 2015 and 2017, we had only three applications, totalling 10 new immigrants. I would like to know if ITI has identified the reasons for the lack of success of the business stream, and what it plans to do to address it. Mr. Speaker, it is important to know how other jurisdictions attract foreign nationals. After all, they are our competition. As an example, British Columbia requires potential new residents to invest $200,000 in a new or purchased business. The NWT requires $300,000, if located in Yellowknife. One can imagine that new Canadians might rather invest less and enjoy a milder climate and more amenities and opportunities.
Mr. Speaker, we Northerners know we live in the best place in the world, but it is not always easy to attract southern Canadians to the NWT, let alone people from the rest of the world. I commend the government on its success inviting immigration, but the NWT needs skills, dedication, new ideas, and energy. Not to mention, we need the investment new residents will bring. We need to improve our immigration process to attract bright, creative, energetic new residents to contribute to our growing community of Northerners. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Our NWT elders deserve the utmost respect and expect their government's support on elders' subsidy programs; their well-earned financial securities are designed to support their retirement. The Government of the Northwest Territories offers a variety of security benefits to the elders' community. It is comforting to know that both federal and territorial levels of government are there to assist.
Mr. Speaker, offering eligibility and screening the applications is and can be questionable. Like many other policies offered by the government, reviews on efficiencies can be entertained. Elders' retirement security as a personal choice and achievement. Disclosure of financial information is a possession that only the elder can decide on releasing. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment fuel subsidy program is complementary; however, disclosure of financial security and information in fulfilling the policy is, as I mentioned earlier, questionable.
Mr. Speaker, later I will have questions for the Minister of ECE. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past week Indigenous activists across Canada have raised their voices in frustration and anger over the ongoing effects of colonization in our country, and they have reinforced the clear message that there can be no peace or harmony unless there is justice.
We must all admit as a society that successive governments have tried, sometimes intentionally, sometimes in ignorance, to absorb Indigenous peoples into Canadian society, thus eliminating them as distinct peoples. Policies pursued over the decades have undermined and almost erased Indigenous cultures, identities, and languages. This was profoundly wrong, and it must be addressed by every government in Canada. To bring about this fundamental change, Canadians need to understand that Indigenous people are nations, and we must have a nation-to-nation relationship. That is why today I acknowledge the efforts of the Prime Minister of Canada and his intention to give new life to Section 35 of the Constitution Act, which recognizes and affirms Indigenous peoples' rights and treaty rights.
Instead of outright recognizing and affirming Indigenous rights, as we promised we would, Indigenous peoples were forced to prove time and time again through costly and drawn-out court challenges that their rights existed and must be recognized and implemented. A rethink of Indigenous rights will allow Indigenous peoples to pursue greater self-determination, with the ultimate goal of addressing entrenched economic and social problems in Indigenous communities. To that end, the federal government has said it will develop a new recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights framework through consultation with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
This will result in legislation that will be introduced later this year, with full implementation ahead of the next election, October 2019. I am pleased again to see the federal government supporting this important initiative and bringing us closer to reconciliation. Events like the tragic circumstances surrounding Colten Boushie remind us that there is still so much work to be done in our society, and to always listen to Indigenous people when they raise their voices around perceived injustice and real injustice that we see throughout our society. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. On December 22nd of last year the Mackenzie Gas Project partners announced their decision not to proceed with the development. Not only is there no interest in offshore hydrocarbon, onshore interest has evaporated. As the Premier predicted, there is no interest in NWT oil and gas, and it will not come back for a long time, if ever.
Some government leaders are blaming the review processes for the demise of the project. Nothing could be further from the truth. Had the project gone ahead, it would now be a multi-billion-dollar white elephant.
This project never had any confirmed shippers beyond the anchor fields, but applied for a pipeline to handle much more. The Environmental Impact Statement was submitted by the developers less than two months after the right was requested. Six rounds of information requests took up precious time and resources. This points to a poor job by the developers. In total, the developers requested delays or extensions 30 times during the joint review process. These delays and extensions totalled 500 days, although some of these happened concurrently.
The job of the Review Board and the National Energy Board was made much more difficult because the federal and territorial governments limited the participation of employees to provide their expertise and knowledge, a process now formalized in this Cabinet's project assessment policy. Non-governmental organizations were often put in the position of providing expert evidence and doing the job of governments, despite not being resourced at all, in some cases.
What lessons can we learn from the Mackenzie Gas Project? Here are a few, Mr. Speaker:
Pinning all your hopes on one or a few large projects is not sound economic development planning;
You can try to rush projects through, but this will come back to bite you in the end; and
While using hydrocarbon resources locally may make some sense, investing more time and effort into oil and gas development in the Northwest Territories is not a wise use of our efforts.
It is not clear whether our Cabinet has learned much from the Mackenzie Gas Project. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been asked for the past two years about connecting the residents of Fort Liard with Fort Nelson Hospital. The last Minister’s tour, as I was told by a number of the residents, this has been an issue for the past 25 years. You heard me correctly, Mr. Speaker, 25 years. Today, Mr. Speaker, I am going to share with you words from some elders who would like to see this issue resolved once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, most of the people of Fort Liard prefer to go to Fort Nelson for medical appointments and access to hospital services. It is a twoandahalfhour drive to Fort Nelson, compared to a threeandahalfhour drive to Fort Simpson, then a twohour plane ride to Yellowknife, then a short drive to the hospital for an appointment, then a long wait for the return flight, and then another long ride home.
Some of the issues they have experienced: no interpreters available; drivers dropping them off without support or direction for their appointments; some of their plane rides were very scary, and they felt very stressed; there have been numerous flight delays in which appointments are cancelled or need to be rearranged. They and I feel it would be more costefficient and less stressful for the people to go to Fort Nelson. Some patients with little English or no English are sent home without an idea of what is wrong with them, what the aftercare plan is about, or what to do next.
Mr. Speaker, I have stated before: the elders prefer to travel to Fort Nelson. They like the fact that they have friends and families close by. There are places to rent and stay that are less costly for family members. Mr. Speaker, as elders stated, "Our lives and health are important." Unfortunately, we have lost too many of our loved ones to health issues, and it seems that the GNWT does not seem to care. They tell me, "We do live in Canada. BC and NWT are in Canada. We are status, and we should be treated as such and be covered in Canada." They want our help to have the proper medical care in place, which means using the closest hospital, too. As well, they would like to have access to more Dene treatments. Presently, medical travel only seems to cover travel in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure today to go to a unique event hosted by Ecole St. Patrick, called "St. Pat's Serves." The intent of the day was to engage students in a variety of work done by organizations that fight for social justice and provide various volunteer services and opportunities, here in Yellowknife.
A total of 24 organizations participated, including non-profits like Food Rescue and the Tree of Peace, volunteer organizations like the Rotary Club and Alternatives North, as well as faithbased organizations. It was a very impressive list.
Each group had up to half an hour to talk about their work and to answer questions. Students chose which sessions to attend and had the opportunity to ask questions. Throughout the lunch hour, the organizations participated in a fair set up in the gym, where students could chat with groups whose presentations they did not get to.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon students will hear from Alvin Law, a highly motivating speaker. He was born without arms because his mother used the drug thalidomide while she was pregnant. Mr. Law learned to use his feet to accomplish daily tasks, including driving. He is also a great musical talent who plays the drums with his feet. His story is truly inspiring.
I was impressed with how many students at St. Patrick's School already volunteer as coaches and mentors in schools and in non-profits. I was also impressed with the number who want to do more. Hats off to the organizers of this uplifting day.
Mr. Speaker, I was there to talk about a day of services I organize for people with low or no income. Yes We Care Day is held twice a year. The main draw is the opportunity to have a professional haircut free of charge from Yellowknife hairdressers and a barber who volunteer their time. The greatest reward is seeing people downtown the next day, looking good and walking tall. Students from St. Pat's have always volunteered at this event to serve food, wash dishes, and sweep up hair.
Mr. Speaker, these students are our future. I am confident they will continue the tradition of caring and sharing in Yellowknife. We are in good hands. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time and opportunity to recognize my wife of 38 years, Judy, who is up in the gallery, also a constituent of Inuvik Boot Lake. I would also like to use this opportunity to recognize two of the Pages we have in here from Inuvik. We have Keely Voudrach, and we have Breeanna Lennie. I would to thank them and all the other Pages for the work they do on our behalf. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Olivia Rockwell, who did an amazing job on the rendition of O Canada later today. She is a resident of Yellowknife North. I also want to thank the Pages for all the work that they do for us here in the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise to recognize two Pages today from my constituency in Kam Lake, Noah Zoe and Stella Smyslo. It is great to have you in the House helping us out this week, and I really appreciate it, and I appreciate all the work of the Pages, as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Early in the life of this Assembly, the Department of Finance raised the solesource procurement threshold for goods and services to $10,000 and $25,000 respectively. This means that those GNWT employees with the appropriate purchasing authority can purchase an item worth less than $10,000 without going to RFP and have no reporting on that spending. I have had some constituents who support this increase, but I have also had some who are very concerned with it. This has been raised in the House numerous times by multiple MLAs. My first question is: it was my understanding that the increased thresholds were going to be reviewed by the end of this fiscal year. If that review has been completed, I would like the Minister to share those findings with the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. We did raise the limits. It has been well received by a lot of businesses across the NWT. Of course, there are always concerns with a lot of the initiatives that we take on. I have committed the Department of Finance to review the impact of the increase. The procurement committee is just developing the terms of reference and are looking at getting an independent contractor to review the policy.
I have a feeling that the procurement committee might hate me by the end of this Assembly. I am going to switch around my questions here. I am going to jump to the third one that I provided to the Minister. So, the increase has resulted in many government purchases not going to RFP, which means that, small businesses, not only do they not have a chance to bid on these, they do not even know these are going out. Purchases might be being made based on friendships, you know: the person in the government, his buddy might own a store, and that is where they get these purchases from. When you are looking at $10,000 per item, that can add up. Will the Minister commit to looking at what impact these increased thresholds have had on small businesses?
First of all, we would like to think that the folks who are working for the GNWT first of all will look at getting value for money in the products. If there are situations such as the Member described, then I would not approve of that and I would have to get to the bottom of it and do an investigation into using friends and such. Going back to the Member's question, that could be one of the parts of the review, is to have a look at how it has impacted smaller businesses.
He mentioned value for money. That is the other thing I am concerned about. The public is not aware of these purchases. We do not know what is going on, and the public often is the one pointing out if we are not getting good value for money. You know, there are a lot of people out there who pay attention to what we do. I suppose, since they are still determining the terms of reference, how is this committee going to ensure that we are getting value for money? What is the plan going forward?
As part of the review and in my conversation that I will have with the department, I want to ensure that the government gets value for money. If it means a different type of reporting, then that is something that I would commit to having a discussion with my officials about because, at the end of the day, I want to ensure that the government gets value money and there are also opportunities for a lot of smaller businesses to take advantage of some of the sole-source contracts that we have.
Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mentioned yesterday that I had over half a dozen business owners and representatives in my office discussing procurement. This was one of the major themes that we discussed, so I'm going to sit down with the Minister and bring up some of those specific examples so I can show him what I mean about value for money. I guess I would like to know: when can we expect this review to be completed and presented to the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I look forward to having the conversation with the Member because we're always interested in some of the concerns that are raised across the Northwest Territories. Not only on this particular issue, but other issues. I look forward to having that conversation. I will commit that I will follow up on any discussions that we may have as far as the timeline. As I said before, we're developing the terms of references and, as I become aware of the timeline when we actually get this out, I will keep the Member and this House informed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on my Member's statement today to the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I stated previously, the issue of trying to get patients referred from Fort Liard to Fort Nelson to deal with their medical conditions has been a concern that has been going on for 25 years. I was really shocked when I heard that, and I've talked to the Minister about it. I realize he's only been in this portfolio for four years, I believe it is, so I feel sorry for him, but: can the Minister of Health and Social Services please provide the status of the agreement with the BC government to allow residents from Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte to be deferred to the Fort Nelson Hospital? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
