[English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to speak about foster care and the important role of Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories has played, and will continue to play, in partnering with Child and Family Services to improve recruitment, training, and support for foster families.
Foster families perform a vital service to children that must be placed in care. I want to recognize and thank all foster families from across this territory for the valuable support they provide to our children and youth.
Mr. Speaker, for the past several years, the Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories has worked to recruit foster families, has offered support, assistance, and training to foster families, has organized summer camps for foster children from across the Northwest Territories, and represented the perspectives, needs, and concerns of foster parents in meetings and conversations with the Child and Family Services System.
The Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories was established by concerned foster parents from across the territory and provides an important voice for those foster families. Today, the coalition is releasing a new recruitment strategy and video to recruit new foster and adoptive parents across the Northwest Territories. This initiative is in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, foster care is one of the key areas identified by the Auditor General of Canada in their report, tabled this past December as needing to be improved, and it is a priority area for the Department of Health and Social Service's quality improvement plan. As part of our quality improvement work, the department has established a foster care quality working group.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to advise that the foster care quality working group will be co-led by the Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories.
The working group will recommend improvements to the foster care system, addressing the need to provide more consistent support to foster parents across all regions, and to improve foster care training for all NWT foster parents, so that foster families have better information and strategies as they respond to the important needs of children in care of the child and family services system.
Mr. Speaker, I want to formally acknowledge our partnership with all foster families, and with the Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories that represents the interests and concerns of our foster families. We look forward to continuing to work together with them through the foster care quality working group to improve support, training, and services to foster families so that we can make sure that every child and youth in the NWT stays safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of my favourite things about this job is that every day I learn something new. Obviously, I have had to learn a lot about how laws are made. The specifics of the legislative process aren't as widely known as they could be, so I thought I would share what I have learned with the public.
It all starts with an idea about how to make things better. That idea is developed, expanded, refined, or combined with other ideas, into a bill. Just because an idea gets turned into a bill doesn't mean that the idea was good to begin with, so the legislative process helps us improve worthy ideas and weed out bad ones.
The first mention of a bill in the Legislative Assembly is when the sponsor, which is either a Minister or a Regular Member, gives notice of first reading. Two days later, the sponsor makes a motion that the bill be read for the first time, and Members vote as to whether or not the bill should proceed further.
If it passes, then the bill is reprinted and members and the public can see its contents. Prior to the vote, no one other than the sponsor actually knows what is in the bill. If defeated, the bill never sees the light of day, and its merits are never publicly debated.
Mr. Speaker, because Members don't know the contents of the bill, what they are really voting on is whether or not they want to be exposed to a new idea.
Because it is commonly accepted that the ability to present and debate ideas is an indispensable cornerstone of democracy, first reading is usually just a formality, and many legislations don't even bother with a vote.
However, new ideas can be scary. They can pose a threat to the status quo and to existing power structures, so those who fear change may prefer to censor new ideas.
The ability to kill a bill at first reading is a wonderful tool for partisan governments where suppression of a minority is the key, but I find it oddly out of place in our consensus model.
Perhaps the power to put people back in their place when they step out of line is just part of the colonial baggage that we inherited as part of the Westminster system.
Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that eventually we will shed that baggage yet, because like I said at the beginning of this sitting, change is on the horizon.
Uh oh, Mr. Speaker, I had hoped to explain the entire legislative process, but I have run out of time. I guess I won't make it past first reading, but I appreciate the common decency and commitment to free speech that you have displayed by allowing me to speak. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the basic needs of families and communities is to be able to take care of their children.
Currently, a number of families in Yellowknife are facing a difficult situation. Mr. Speaker, just before Christmas, the Kids Corner daycare in my riding closed its doors. With only two weeks' notice of its closure, about 30 families of kids aged one through four were sent scrambling to find alternative care.
However, they don't have any options, Mr. Speaker. There aren't enough spaces to meet the demand. The Yellowknife Day Care Association, which recently opened its new building, already has a waiting list of nearly 150 kids.
Working with the Yellowknife Women's Society, the affected parents have come up with a solution, but it requires renovations to bring the Yellowknife Women's Society's building up to code for daycare operations. That requires significant capital funding, but the parents have been told that there will be no government support for capital investment. The department has stated in the past that it doesn't want to interfere with a private market-driven industry.
However, Mr. Speaker, the private market isn't providing daycare spaces. Our communities are simply too small to generate a business case for the private market to invest in new infrastructure. There is no return on investment.
Mr. Speaker, we have hit a wall. There won't be more daycare spaces without a government commitment to new capital infrastructure funding. Families will go without an essential service. The department needs to step up and get these facilities built. Once the facilities are there, NGOs or parent cooperatives can take it on management and operations, but, without the actual bricks and mortar, that can't happen.
This lack of infrastructure is also leading to a rise in the number of unlicensed day home operators. That can result in more children being put at risk, and that is not acceptable by any definition.
Mr. Speaker, for young families, it is essential to have access to reliable, safe, progressive childcare. Without it, their ability to pursue a career, achieve financial security, and allow their family to grow and prosper is compromised. That goes directly against our mandate priorities for stronger communities.
Mr. Speaker, a reliable childcare system is an investment in our future. I urge the Minister to consider stronger support for childcare infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery. Colleagues, please allow me to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery today with us Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford. As many of you know, Mr. Whitford is a man of many roles: former Commissioner, former Speaker, former Minister, former Member, former Sergeant-at-Arms, honorary Clerk at the table, and member of the Order of NWT. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Whitford to the House this afternoon. It is always a pleasure when he visits the House.
At the same time, Members, I would like to recognize some of the visitors in the gallery, as well. First, we have with us Julia and Max Trennert of Hay River, parents of Brendalynn Trennert, who works in the Clerk’s office. Join me in congratulating them on their 58th wedding anniversary, which they just celebrated last month.
Secondly, please welcome, Janek Nowicz, who joins us from the land down under. He is visiting from Elizabeth, South Australia. G'day, mate. Welcome to our Assembly.
Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is our last winter sitting with the budget and legislation deliberations, Mr. Speaker, as we heard from yesterday's retirement announcement from the Honorable Finance Minster R.C. McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, as a first-term Member of this institution, I certainly witnessed many sacrifices made by public officials, endless time away from home, families, friends, for contributions in making a difference to this territory.
Given my experiences on how government operates and the many challenging decisions that must be made in achieving prosperity in all areas such as high cost of living in the family home, the business environment, the classroom, and more importantly, demonstrating to our federal counterparts that we are ready and our ability self-determination.
Mr. Speaker, yes, over the past several financial budget deliberations, we did not always agree. However, the Minister, being from a small community, understands small-community limitations, challenges, and family hardships, due mostly to a lack of jobs in most cases. Along with his career experiences, he has provided knowledge on balances needed in the best interest for the Government of the Northwest Territories and the residents.
Mr. Speaker, we now have the last 2019-2020 budget that will produce meaningful change in job creation while maintaining operational and maintenance delivery of programs and services. In the very near future, Mr. Speaker, when I come to see construction site jobs at the Great Bear River bridge, Tulita health centre, and the children's Colville Lake School, I will certainly think on the past and reflect on the statement, "The best social program is a job."
Mr. Speaker, in building on similar relationships to the principles as set out in the co-management land claim agreements and Intergovernmental Council, I look forward to our committee's community consultations on the pre-approved legislations passed during this sitting.
In closing, I want thank the Minister of Finance for his public contribution and dedication. Now, Mr. Speaker, he can enjoy quality time with his family. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Yesterday, the Premier gave the keynote speech he called "Purgatory and Persistence: The Case for Economic Self-Determination in the Northwest Territories" at the Arctic Oil and Gas Symposium in Calgary. "Purgatory," really? This red alert part 2 negative messaging won't encourage investment in the NWT and the transformative change we need. The Premier is stuck in a time warp where fossil fuels dominate the NWT and world economy. This is not going to happen, given climate-change realities, commodity prices, and technological change. Blaming the media and southern Canada won't change history.
The revisionist version of the Mackenzie gas project is also not helpful. GNWT bent over backwards to give away our resources. We signed letters locking in royalty rates for the anchor fields at the pathetically low federal rates, signed an unenforceable socio-economic agreement, and rejected most of the joint panel review recommendations to maximize benefits for Northerners. In the end, it was the developers who caused most of the delays. Market forces are what sunk the joint venture. If it had gone ahead, taxpayers would undoubtedly be subsidizing it now and for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, my patience is wearing thin with the megaproject approach to economic development put forward by the Premier and his Cabinet. This only makes us more dependent on non-renewable resource development, vulnerable to commodity prices, open for more control by external corporate interests, and subject to further boom-bust cycles.
An all-weather road into the Slave Geological Province to subsidize mining during a caribou crisis is no example of sustainable or responsible development. Mr. Speaker, there is always money for roads but nothing for the caribou crisis. Despite having a multi-party range plan for the Bathurst caribou developed over more than four years, we seem to be waiting until the caribou are gone, removing obstacles for the road.
Taltson expansion will be a billion-dollar boondoggle, based on the experience of many other major hydro projects across this country. It's not clean power. Just ask people in Fort Resolution about the impacts of today's Taltson.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
A project based on unconfirmed and hypothetical buyers will divert funding and effort away from building real energy self-sufficiency, especially in our smaller communities.
If the Premier and his Cabinet want transformative change, the message to Ottawa and the world should not be more of the same. We must build the knowledge economy through a polytechnic university, push energy self-sufficiency, and invest in the conservation economy. Non-renewable resource development can and should still play an important role, but, when this overshadows everything else, that's purgatory. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today marks 201 days until the next election, six months until a new government takes its place to set the priorities for the 19th Legislative Assembly. It is also the last day of our winter sitting. We have passed the last operations and maintenance budget and set the course for the final stretch of this Assembly.
This government has made progress on many issues: mental health programs, housing, 911, an office of the ombud. These past weeks have demonstrated that this government is willing to move, if it is only on the terms of the Cabinet regardless of the consensus of Regular Members.
This government's seemingly number-one priority has been to make political expediency its goal over allowing the necessary time for effective and properly consulted, considered, vetted, and then and only then implemented legislation.
There have been many changes to precedent in the 18th Assembly; our first two-term Premier, a formal mid-term review, a mandate for the government, and now the size and complexity of the bills before committees that is also unprecedented.
This government's work of setting up new regimes for control over this territory's land and resources must not be rushed. It is far too important to the economy, for future generations, and for Indigenous Nations that this House not rush to the finish line and claim "mission accomplished" just in time for the writ to drop on September 1st.
I have no doubt that there would be room for compromise, for compromise lies at the heart of the democratic process, but the rules of this institution give Ministers an absolute veto over any proposed amendments. This, combined with a rushed committee review process, will directly impact the effectiveness of Members to bring improvements to complex and lengthy bills.
Cabinet has the deck stacked in its favour. They are the banker, they are the dealer, and they have ensured they hold all the best cards up their sleeves. I believe my honourable colleague from Yellowknife Centre framed our current situation best in a recent Facebook post: "Consensus is out the window, replaced with a government overloading committees so they can check commitment boxes. [...] This is not how good legislation is made. [...] In a consensus government, wouldn't the government work with committees to achieve that end? Not in this consensus government."
Mr. Speaker, politics is about people; the people who are elected to this House and the people we all serve. Northerners or Members want a better government; they only need to take action to achieve it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to acknowledge the youth of Fort MacPherson who decided, above all odds, to hike from Curtain Mountain some 90 miles through the mountains and creeks to Fort MacPherson.
This idea came from the youth, for the youth. Mr. Speaker, there are many opportunities for our youth to go out on the land and learn. This project is unique, where the youth definitely wanted to be out on the land, but using a different approach to reviving their culture. This is where it all started. A trek would be best, where they would snowmobile through the mountains to Curtain Mountain, and then walk back to town.
Mr. Speaker, the trek took six days; five snowmobiles were spotters. This was challenging and exciting. Each of the youth had mentors. Each day, something new was taught. They learned traditional skills, how to read the weather, but, most of all, basic survival skills.
Congratulations to the following; you have paved the way for more adventures for our youth: Dean Charlie, Marvin Snowshoe, Jordan Stewart, Abraham Stewart, Edwin Kaye, Joe Kaye, John Francis, Robert James Francis, Angel Koe, and Donna Snowshoe. They all arrived home to a warm welcome from the community, safe and sound, happy to be home, and feeling proud of themselves, as they should be. Keep up the good work, as you are our future leaders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken many times in this House about the need for accessible and affordable childcare. It is one of our mandate commitments, but during the life of this Assembly there has been a growing crisis of supply of licensed childcare here in Yellowknife.
There are two issues that stand in the way of easing this supply problem. The first is that licensed childcare provides modest income to providers. This is the reason that licensed childcare is usually provided by non-profits. The introduction of JK has taken a toll, even on non-profit childcare. It took kids over three out of the mix, leaving the youngest kids, who need more staff to care for them. The whole sector has downsized. Unless non-profit providers are able to bring significant economies of scale to the table, like the YK Day Care did by offering 100 spaces, it's difficult for them to break even. In short, ECE has disrupted the supply of licensed childcare for children ages zero to three, killing even limited profitability.
Mr. Speaker, the second issue is finding a space for childcare that meets building and fire code requirements. These are exacting and appropriate standards to ensure our children are safe. I recently learned that there is no space available for rent in Yellowknife that meets these requirements. Renovating buildings to meet the code is expensive. There is often hazardous material abatement involved, as well as improved fire separation, walls, and floors.
Mr. Speaker, if there is no appropriate space in Yellowknife, what are the chances of their being space ready to move into in the regional centres, let alone in the small communities? This is a significant problem, because 11 communities don't have established licenses childcare.
The repercussions of this crisis are significant. Both parents and caregivers can't keep working, and they are taking their taxable income with them. Or worse, they are making plans to leave the NWT so they can continue their careers while having easier access to licensed childcare.
Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is here is that, in order for NWT residents to access childcare, the government is going to have to invest in infrastructure. The cost of constructing or renovating buildings is beyond the reach of non-profit budgets. The Minister has said she was working on a comprehensive plan to make childcare more accessible. I am looking forward to hearing how. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About a month ago my colleague from Mackenzie Delta talked about healthcare in our small communities. He mentioned something that I've heard about before myself; people bringing their concerns to the health centre, only to get sent home with Tylenol pills. It left me wondering not only if people are getting the care they need, but if they're getting the advice they need when it comes to drugs like Tylenol?
Because Tylenol is a common brand and easy to get, and because it's not like other kinds of painkillers like Advil or Motrin, which can hurt the stomach, you might think that it's pretty harmless. But there are still some pretty serious risks, and I'm concerned that these risks aren't well enough understood.
The main ingredient in Tylenol, as well as many other painkillers, allergy medications, and sleeping aids, is acetaminophen. It breaks down in your body, and one of the by-products is a substance that's highly toxic to the liver, even more so if you've been drinking alcohol. If you take more than you're supposed to, take it for longer than you're supposed to, or drink too much before or while you're taking it, the health consequences can be serious; liver damage, liver failure, or even death, although those cases are rare.
I recognize that we need to take charge of our own health, which means reading dosage instructions and finding out how new medication might interact with current medication. That's good common sense.
Mr. Speaker, my challenge is the kind of direction people in our small communities might be getting from staff at the health centres. These staff have a great deal of authority on their side, and it can be very intimidating to question a nurse or doctor, or to ask for a different option when offered a simple painkiller. Even if you do ask, you're not guaranteed to get the help you're looking for. There was a case like this in Wrigley last fall, and we know from the work that the Department of Health and Social Services is doing on cultural safety that many people in the Northwest Territories often just don't feel safe or respected in our own healthcare system.
I'd like to find out more about the policies and practices in place around the use of these kinds of drugs in our health centres, so I'll have some questions for the Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to reflect back a little bit on this budget process. We were off to a late start, and especially on an O and M budget like this, I believe that we held back a few things, and when we hold back things, we hold back the government, we hold back communities in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, this is not a capital budget, where we could sit down and lobby, and likely barter with Cabinet. I think this last process, here, the very last one of this Assembly, when you hold something to the last minute, there is no room for capacity, there is no room for growth, and there is no room for any other issues that may come up during this Assembly. This last one proved that, Mr. Speaker. I see in the future, in the 19th Assembly, I hope that O and M budgets get the time that they need to start properly and promptly, so that residents and MLAs who have families, MLAs who travel from out of the capital, have time to do that and stay fresh and healthy while we're going through this lengthy process. That will give us time to focus on the bills that are upcoming this spring. I know we'll all go home and spend some much-needed time with our family before we gear up.
I'd also like to thank all of my colleagues for the hard work that they have done, on both sides. There are a lot of bills, a lot of leadership, and, Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things that we can improve on, as well, during this Assembly as we move forward.
Mr. Speaker, I complained earlier about the progress. Now, I'd like to also commend the finance Minister, the Member for Twin Lakes, for his speech yesterday. I almost had a tear in my eye. If I knew him another year, I would be crying right there beside him. Mr. Speaker, that shows integrity, that shows honesty, and that shows commitment, so I'd like to commend the Minister on that, and I wish him all the best this spring.
Mr. Speaker, I see him finishing very well in this Assembly. I'd like for all of our colleagues here to finish this Assembly very well, and I just wish everyone good health this spring. Thank you to all the Pages who have come, there are a couple from Tuktoyaktuk here, as well as their chaperone and everybody who has supported us through all this time.
Mr. Speaker, our families, our wives, our husbands, and our partners have all given us the strength that we need to move forward, so I would just like to wish everyone a good spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, I am pleased to draw Members' attention to the presence in the Gallery today, with us is Pascal Bornoz, Consul General of Switzerland, on the occasion of his second visit to the Northwest Territories.
Accompanying the Consul General is his wife, Mrs. Maria Elena Bornoz-Kalin. Please join me in welcoming them to the House this afternoon.
On a different note, we did talk about possibly coming back for a third term with the new government, meeting our new government. Masi.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome the following people from the Foster Family Coalition who are with us here today: Dawn Pottinger, who is the president; Tammy Roberts, the executive director, Korry Garvey; Meagan McDougall; and Pat Gallagher. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome Max and Julia Trennert to the gallery. It's always nice to have people from Hay River here, especially when we're up here for so long. It really makes it feel like home, so welcome.
Masi. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to once again recognize a constituent, a Page of ours from Range Lake, Brooke Vallis, and, of course, all the other Pages who have done a fantastic job. I really want to pick out Brooke because, even though it's the second time I've recognized her, as the Minister of the Status of Women, I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a long-time look at what you can be when you decide. This is a viable career that I'd like you for you to consider, as well, entering politics. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Almost a Member's statement. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to take this opportunity to recognize a man of many hats and titles, Yellowknife North constituent, Mr. Tony Whitford. Thank you for being here today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister responsible for WSCC. In the NWT, in Nunavut, the total number of people employed is around 35,000. About a third of those people work for a territorial government or public entity, but those employers only pay one-sixth of all of the revenue WSCC collects from employers. The rest comes from industry, small business, and municipalities, which last year generated $55 million in revenue to WSCC. In turn, WSCC paid out $34.5 million in claims to employees from those organizations. That's a difference of $20 million. I'd just like to ask the Minister: what happens with that $20 million? Where does it go? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On any given year, you never know what kind of claims you're going to get in within workers' claims. We want to promote workplace health and safety, of course, both here in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Last fall, in 2018, we did develop a 2019 corporate plan, and that was through the governance council which approves the operations and capital budgets on an annual basis. As I said, we don't know what kind of claims we will be getting on a yearly basis. For more detail, I will have to go back to the WSCC and get that information for the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate that. I didn't give the Minister enough heads-up on this. I've got some technical questions here, so maybe I'll just jump to a different question. The Minister mentioned this last time when he discussed this issue, that, in 1993, the OH&S function of government was transferred to WSCC. At that time, not only did government save money by transferring this function to WSCC, the government also has what appears to be preferential rates from WSCC, and it has deep pockets. If it's not compliant, it can usually handle any monetary penalty by throwing some taxpayer money at it. It never has to worry about going out of business, generating revenue, or any of that kind of stuff. I don't like wasting people's time, and I don't like creating plans for the sake of plans, but I would really like to see WSCC put forward a plan to shift these OH&S costs off the backs of private industry and back onto government. This wouldn't necessarily mean GNWT employees would be performing these OH&S duties. It would probably be easier to just adjust the rates for government, but I'll leave those details to the experts. Can the Minister commit to working with WSCC to develop such a plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I had mentioned, the governance council does approve the budget on an annual basis. They develop a strategic and a corporate plan. Moving forward under this corporate plan, they are focusing on increasing the number of employers with an occupational health and safety program, as well as increasing occupational health and safety education in communities for vulnerable workers. As much as the Member wants to move forward with private industry, we also have to make sure that anybody who does business in the Northwest Territories is also held accountable for the health and safety of our residents and our people in our communities. I did table a document in oral questions earlier during this sitting, and I have committed to informing the governance council of the industry's concerns regarding the rate structure. I do believe that the governance council has recently met, and they have also agreed to review both the rates and the subclasses that were mentioned in questions that were asked earlier on in this sitting. I will stay by that commitment, and I will keep Members who were concerned regarding this apprised moving forward.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
