Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Glen Abernethy will be absent in the House today due to illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is responsible for ensuring that Income Security programs respond to the needs and realities of residents. I am proud of how this government has increased its financial support to those in greatest need.
Income Security programs help residents bridge gaps in their ability to support themselves and pursue their personal, educational, and career goals. They are a vital part of our social safety network. During the life of this Assembly, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has implemented numerous enhancements to its suite of Income Security programs.
In 2016, the department changed the way Income Assistance payments were calculated and restructured the program to ensure that income intended for children was no longer included. These changes resulted in more families with children being eligible to receive assistance and increase their monthly household income.
The high cost of living disproportionately affects our low- to modest-income residents. Our government increased the Northwest Territories Child Benefit to provide additional support to families. As well, we increased the Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit and the supports available through the Seniors Home Heating Subsidy to support low- to modest-income seniors.
The department reviewed and increased the amount available through the Income Assistance Program to cover rental costs. We also increased the funding available to emergency shelter operators. Together, these improvements help address homelessness, and all of these improvements together support this Assembly's mandate to reduce the cost of living, foster healthy families, reduce poverty, and help seniors age in place.
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable for ensuring that the programs and services offered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment are helpful to the residents they are intended to serve. I want to make sure that we improve quality of life and expand opportunities for our residents.
The best approach to achieving this is through working together. This past December we convened a meeting that included those who access our programs, non-governmental organizations, and those who provide services to income support clientele. We also solicited input from Members of this House and other orders of government. By working together, we have identified 27 priority actions to further improve the Income Assistance Program. I am pleased to report that we have already started on actions to improve the timeliness of payments, communications materials, and the client experience.
A new client-focused income assistance handbook has been developed as a key resource for those accessing the program and their supporters. The handbook provides a user-friendly, plain-language explanation of the program, with helpful tips and resources. It is currently being finalized. Both online and paper copies will soon be available in all regional offices across the Northwest Territories to empower and equip clients with the information they need.
We recognize that knowledgeable and well-trained front-line staff are critical to delivering programs that respond to the needs of our clients. As a direct response to feedback from our partners, the department will ensure that trauma-informed and disability-sensitivity training is added to the required training that staff currently receives. Through this required training, client services officers will continue to build on their professional development and enhance their client-centred services.
We have also introduced departmental service standards for the Income Security and Labour Branch, which will provide a benchmark for the quality of service that clients can expect of employees and senior managers. Materials to make this information readily available has been developed. They will be accessible online in every regional office, and will also be shared with all clients.
We heard from our partners that they want to be just that, partners in supporting people who need it most and working towards solutions that provide better-integrated services. The department is continuing to connect with non-governmental organizations. We will establish regular meetings to share information, learn from each other, and advance our collective goals.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of internal administration, and significant work has been done to ensure Income Security programs meet the needs of residents, but we still have work to do. Change does take time. Through solution-based discussions with those who understand the issues, ongoing evaluations of our programs, and building strong community partnerships, we are making positive steps to reach our goals. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program is providing $1.7 million this year to support 28 monitoring and research projects. Funding recipients include Indigenous governments and organizations, universities, and territorial and federal government departments.
This year, seven new projects are receiving funding over three years to address key cumulative impact monitoring priorities for caribou, water, and fish. Results will provide valuable scientific and traditional knowledge for resource managers, governments, and communities to use for decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, recommendations on project funding were made by a steering committee comprised of representatives from Indigenous governments and organizations and territorial and federal governments.
Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program results are available online and at an annual results workshop later this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my time as Minister of Justice, I have often spoken about the Corrections Service and the important work they are doing to improve the programming and supports available in our facilities to help address the needs of individuals in our corrections system.
I know that Members of the Legislative Assembly share with me the hope that people in our care are able to return to their communities on their way to becoming healthier members of our society. Over the past four years, we have made fundamental changes to the programs available to inmates, have been investing in our correctional facilities, and have been advancing legislative changes to better position inmates for success.
Knowing that some of the most prevalent risk factors for incarceration are substance abuse, violence, and relationship violence, evidence-based programs have been implemented that address these root causes of why some individuals find themselves in contact with the criminal justice system.
By working in close collaboration with elders, traditional liaison officers, and Indigenous staff, our Corrections Service continues to take special care and attention to ensure that programs delivered in our corrections facilities recognize the importance of Indigenous cultures and traditions. We are also delivering a suite of programs aimed at supporting inmates to become better aware of the triggers that lead them to engage in unhealthy and unsafe behaviours. Specific programs include Substance Abuse Management, Living without Violence, and the Respectful Relationships programs.
More recently, the Corrections Service has implemented the Northern Addictions Sessions at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre. Work is also under way to develop a northern module to be included as part of the Living Without Violence and Respectful Relationships programs, as well.
Mr. Speaker, changes have been made to the release planning process to ensure that case managers are considering which community programming options for inmates are available upon release. Where possible, clients are matched with similar programming that they received while in custody so that they can continue to build the skills that they need to become successful once at home.
We also recognize the importance of offering programs and opportunities to inmates so that they may advance their educational goals while in our corrections facilities. Inmates have access to adult literacy, basic education and upgrading, high school and exam preparation, trades exam preparation, life and employment readiness skills, and assistance with pursuing post-secondary studies.
Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the critical role that the men and women working in the corrections field do to provide the high-quality correctional programming and care to inmates we have put so much effort into developing in the Northwest Territories. The reality is that there are few others in our society who are closer in contact, on a prolonged basis, with members of our society who are facing such challenging and complex social issues than those working in the Corrections Service. As the NWT Corrections Service has evolved to find new and innovative ways to better support inmates, it is the dedication and professionalism of our corrections staff that has been, and will always be, key to our current and future successes.
Hand-in-hand with modernizing our legislative framework and improving our programming and supports, we have also focused on modernizing our correctional facilities. Later this month, the grand opening of the newly constructed women's unit of the Fort Smith Correctional Complex is planned, with building occupancy scheduled for later this fall. The design for this facility reflects the current and future needs of adult female offenders in the Northwest Territories. Access to family support to aid the healing process and to improve reintegration of inmates into their communities; access to northern-developed and northern-specific programming; and limiting access and connection with southern inmates, where gangs, drugs, and organized crime are prevalent, are all factored into the design and creation of the new women's unit.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to advise that our government is moving forward with work to transition the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River into a facility that operates under a Therapeutic Community model. Under this model, substance abuse is seen as a symptom of much broader problems and, as such, a holistic approach is used that touches on every aspect of an offender's life. With an emphasis on social learning and mutual self-help, individual participants take on some of the responsibility for their peers' recovery. Providing help and support to others is seen as an important part of changing oneself under this model.
The transition of the facility to this new model is anticipated to take place in the spring of 2020 and, in the coming weeks, officials with the Department of Justice will be making presentations on the Therapeutic Community model to the Town of Hay River, Indigenous governments, and community groups.
Mr. Speaker, the people of the Northwest Territories have been clear. They want inmates prepared and ready to rejoin their communities. The programming, facilities, and legislative changes that we have worked hard to advance during the 18th Legislative Assembly have laid a strong foundation for an improved NWT Corrections Service. Through the efforts of our dedicated staff and the continued partnerships that we have with other departments and stakeholders, our Corrections Service is making a difference in the lives of Northerners and helping to create safer and healthier communities throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Strong economies must encourage economic diversity and, while our economy relies on the resource sector as its foundation, our government has committed to fostering an economic environment where our residents can find success across a variety of sectors.
It is also this government's view that true economic diversity for the Northwest Territories also means getting the most out of secondary industries arising from our diamond sector, while also working to branch out and encourage the responsible development of new resources.
Through the life of this government, Mr. Speaker, I can say that we have made strides towards building this kind of strong, diverse economy. I would like to highlight some of the commitments that this government has met in that area.
Our tourism sector has reached new heights, and the numbers speak for themselves. In 2017-2018, visitors spent more than $203 million in the Northwest Territories, more than $36 million in gains since this government took office. Over the same period, we welcomed more than 112,000 visitors to our territory, roughly 25 percent more than we did at the start of our mandate. This is, in part, a reflection of the ongoing investments that we have made in world-class tourism and parks facilities and the destination marketing work that we have invested in through Northwest Territories Tourism.
By working together, our government has welcomed new entrepreneurs to our territory through the Nominee Program and implemented the Government of the Northwest Territories Immigration Strategy, which included streamlining the application for those looking to make the Northwest Territories their home. People in Hay River and Yellowknife have seen the positive effects of those efforts firsthand.
We have developed and are implementing an agriculture strategy to encourage local food production and shepherd the sector towards commercial viability. We have since leveraged the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership and other funding programs to support growing agriculture businesses.
We are implementing a strategy to revitalize the Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery. Since the release of this strategy, we have secured funding and went out to tender to build a cutting-edge fish processing plant in Hay River, worked closely with the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation on laying the foundation for a sustainable business, and taken leadership in representing the Northwest Territories' interests as the federal government sets a new path for the freshwater fishery in Canada's North.
We have committed to investing in building the profile of Northwest Territories art, both at home and abroad. Our revamped Northwest Territories Arts website now includes a Where to Buy feature, which connects regional, national, and international customers to Northwest Territories-made art. Together, the Departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Education, Culture and Employment engaged the public on putting the Arts Strategy into action with the principles of the Northwest Territories' arts community in mind.
Mr. Speaker, our support of the arts extends to the commitments that we have made to grow our territory's film industry. Eleven film projects have received support under the Northwest Territories Film Rebate Program since the program launched in 2015. Those rebates have leveraged around $1.5 million in economic investment by film projects in the Northwest Territories.
We have connected the local industry with new opportunities to develop below-the-line skills and build a future in film. Just last year I was proud to announce our investment in the Northwest Territories Professional Media Association's apprenticeship pilot program. We have invested in shining a light on producers, their films, and our industry more broadly through national and international marketing efforts.
We worked with industry to expand manufacturing by developing a Manufacturing Strategy. We released this strategy with partnership from the Northwest Territories Manufacturers Association this year, and work is already being done to reach our ambitions.
We have worked to advance the knowledge economy in this territory, and we have once again seen results. We supported the establishment of the exciting Arts, Crafts, and Micro-manufacturing Centre in Inuvik, along with other partners. I am pleased to report that ITI has been asked to sit on the board of directors for this initiative to help ensure its continued success in the Beaufort Delta. A number of agencies from other countries are working in Inuvik and benefitting from the region's geographic advantages for satellite transmissions, made possible from the investment in the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic link. The resources are now in place, and work has already begun to develop a strategic framework to advance the knowledge economy in the Northwest Territories.
We have committed to connecting our furs with international markets to help encourage the traditional economy. Our continued investment in the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur brand has brought trappers' goods to market throughout the life of this government.
Mr. Speaker, we have also done a great deal to diversify our resource sector. First and foremost, I am pleased to say that Almod Diamonds, one of our approved Northwest Territories Diamond Manufacturers, has announced that their factory has established its team, and its first diamonds are now being polished right here in our capital. I encourage everyone to look for their grand opening in 2020.
This good news comes in the wake of our changes to the Northwest Territories Diamond Policy Framework, which is designed to encourage diverse investments from businesses looking to generate local benefits from the diamonds that our mines make available for local manufacturing.
Throughout this government, we have delivered on our commitment to implement the Mineral Development Strategy and our Petroleum Resources Strategy to build a stronger resource sector, and I am pleased to say that we have seen progress that will build on what we already have with our strong, resilient diamond mines.
Our Mining Incentive Program has leveraged millions in additional work from commodities running the gamut from precious metals, like gold, to technology metals, like lithium or cobalt. We are also seeing exciting results coming to light in regions like the Sahtu for gold, where bigger players are now getting involved. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my Minister's statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, we have also committed to working to diversify our resource mix by developing a long-term strategy for oil and gas in our territory. We have delivered, releasing our Petroleum Resources Strategy with two key outcomes in mind: local benefits, like heating and power generation; and a healthy export market in the future. We have made progress since.
I am pleased to see the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation defining a way forward for their regional natural gas heat and electricity initiative, which has a vision to provide reliable, affordable energy in the area. Our government has supported this project since its conception and looks forward to exciting things in the future. We have also received positive feedback from the global industry as we tell a new story about future of our territory's export natural gas sector.
Mr. Speaker, as this government's tenure draws to a close, I can say with confidence that we have laid the groundwork for the future governments to achieve even more. I am proud of the actions that we have taken to build a broad, diverse economy for the benefit of all Northwest Territories residents and conclude this Assembly feeling positive about our territory's economic future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a grizzly bear problem in Aklavik. Like last year when I brought up this issue, at the moment, we have up to 13 grizzly bears hanging around at the dump site. Also, as it is starting to get dark now, the bears are starting to bother around the community. This is a threat to the community, as bears are very unpredictable.
Mr. Speaker, my constituents want some action taken to either relocate or put some of the bears down to detour the bears from hanging around the community. In the past, the NR officer was able to put down problem bears and hire residents to keep them out. From what I was told, this can only be done when the bear is a threat.
Well, Mr. Speaker, I think it is pretty clear that 14 grizzly bears are a threat. Let's not wait until something serious happens. Let's take some action to keep Aklavik safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions later today.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address a sadly reoccurring issue: disruptions to our digital connectivity. Since the beginning of 2019, we have dealt with three roughly day-long service interruptions; May the 8th, July 13th, and yesterday, August 12th. I must acknowledge that the incidents are still under investigation by the RCMP, and I trust that they will do their utmost while investigating these matters.
However, I am concerned about the bigger issues these incidents have brought to the forefront of our attention. Every time we have an outage of this severity, it first and foremost affects our businesses. Transacting any form of electronic payment becomes unreliable or impossible. As the mayor of Yellowknife said yesterday, "It's not just, 'Oh shoot, Facebook is down.' It's people's livelihoods. We need something more reliable." Point-of-sale devices, business and government operations, emergency contact numbers, just to name a few, were all affected by this outage.
Connectivity in the North and other rural areas of Canada has been a hot topic for years. I wonder what steps the GNWT, Ottawa, Northwestel, and other potential governments and service providers have and are considering as a solution to not only secure our tech infrastructure, but also what plans have been explored concerning the building of redundancy measures with greater bandwidth than currently exists.
We know that the bandwidth of the existing redundancy measures is nowhere near sufficient to handle the average daily throughput we need here in the North. This is a problem which must be addressed by the existing service provider with joint effort from the GNWT, Ottawa, and other industry partners alike. Infrastructure protection is a tough topic in Canada, and especially in the North, as we have such vast expanses through which to protect our physical infrastructure. It should be noted that it is incredibly difficult to protect individual assets from malicious damage.
If we wish to overcome this over the next few years and diversify towards a true knowledge-based economy, then we must have quality digital infrastructure and uninterrupted connectivity, with sufficient redundancy in place to ensure that. We have to increase remote learning opportunities and truly build a North that can access the full breadth of information that is out there.
I will have further questions later today for the Minister responsible for our telecoms in the Northwest Territories. Hopefully, he can shed some light on what we are doing to improve our quality of service in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In 2012, the GNWT developed a respect, recognition, and responsibility strategy to engage with Aboriginal governments. Part of this strategy includes that Aboriginal governments are essential partners in shaping the future and creating opportunities and prosperity in communities and regions. [English translation not provided].
Mr. Speaker, small communities are constantly fighting for services that are taken for granted in larger centres. Their voices can be lost, and the government spends less time considering their needs. Ka'a'gee Tu First Nations have been working hard to advance their key initiative. While some have been addressed, including local housing concerns and establishment of a new dock, there are still pressing concerns about the local water supply and the need for a new office.
Recognition of treaty rights and Aboriginal titles to lands and resources and the right to self-determination of local governments matter. Protocols need to be based on mutual recognition and respect, and consultations with the community are critical to advance priorities of both the community and the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, the respect, recognition, and responsibility strategy states that "The GNWT is committed to building and maintaining mutually respectful government-to-government relationships with Aboriginal governments." I will have questions for the Premier on how he sees the relationship between Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation and the GNWT evolving and how it will follow the respect, recognition, and responsibility strategy. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'd like to talk about the recent agreement between Yellowknife City Council and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to change a boundary between the city and the YKDFN land. I would like to compliment both the city and the Yellowknives Dene on this agreement. With respect to both parties, it is a solid achievement. It is good to see the positive engagement and collaboration between the city and YKDFN to serve their people's best interests.
It also raised questions, Mr. Speaker, and constituents of Yellowknife North are looking for answers. How will this agreement affect residents of Yellowknife North? What kind of impacts will there be for houseboaters in Yellowknife Bay? What effect will there be on the negotiation of the Akaitcho land rights agreement? Is there any potential downside?
Mr. Speaker, it is important that the people affected by this agreement are consulted. Residents deserve the opportunity to review, consider, and contribute to the discussion about the impact the changes may have on their lives. They want to know who will make sure that there is an effective and thorough conversation among everyone who will be affected.
Over the years, there has been vigorous discussion about the management and access to the harbour front of Yellowknife Bay. Residents and visitors alike use the lake for boating, fishing, sightseeing, business, and pleasure. Considerable work was put into developing a waterfront plan through a city-led harbour planning committee. How will that plan inform the new agreement? Is it time for a harbour commission?
We will also certainly have to consider the effect this agreement might have on the Akaitcho land rights negotiation, as well as the Yellowknife periphery recreational land use plan. It is important to consider the impact it may have on the city's general plan. All of these plans will describe the future of the lands and waters where we all live and where many of us work. It is essential that everyone's interests are fully discussed and considered when creating new boundaries that may affect land use in the future.
I recognize that the consultation and final decisions on this agreement may ultimately fall to the 19th Assembly. However, on this important initiative, robust public engagement and discussions is essential. That is why I am raising it today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Merci, Monsieur le President. On June 10th, our Premier co-signed a letter, along with premiers of Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, to the Prime Minister of Canada. That letter warned that national unity would be threatened if the federal government did not accept numerous changes to federal Bills C-69 and C-48 as dictated by the oil and gas industry.
This action came as a total surprise to this MLA and many residents of the Northwest Territories. I will be the first to defend the Premier in expressing any personal views he may have on such matters, but he signed this letter as the duly elected head of this government, meaning he was speaking on behalf of this government. He was once again significantly breaching the guiding principles of consensus government as approved by himself as Premier and all MLAs in October 2016.
More specifically, these guiding principles state, "Except under extraordinary circumstances, Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes, consultations, or initiatives before they are released to the public or introduced to the Legislative Assembly. Use of the element of surprise is inconsistent with consensus government."
Bill C-69 begins to rebuild federal environmental assessment to restore a modicum of public confidence and decision-making around areas of federal jurisdiction after the virtual destruction of these processes. It actually has very limited application in the Northwest Territories and comes into play only when there is a trans-boundary project or a development of national interest.
Bill C-48 deals with shipping off the west coast of Canada and has nothing to do with the Northwest Territories. It is not clear to me why the Premier felt it necessary to align this government with such a partisan effort, as represented by the letter that he signed.
Later today, I will ask the Premier whether he consulted or informed his Cabinet colleagues about this letter and why he continues to breach the guiding principles of consensus government. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the course of this government, I have had ongoing concerns about the education system in general and specifically about the quality of education delivered in our communities I am here to serve. I believe strongly that a solid education system is the necessary foundation required to move our youth forward and to provide our labour market with the workers it needs to fill new positions and complete succession planning that result in more northern people in northern jobs.
Mr. Speaker, we are obligated, both in a fiduciary sense and a moral one, to ensure that all youth throughout the Northwest Territories have access to high-quality education that equips our youth to reach their fullest potential and be able to find meaningful, well-paid employment. I have been heartened to see the technology advances in education that are making education more accessible in our rural and remote regions, and I want to see youth in the communities that I serve benefit from this progress.
The NWT has seen all kinds of progress from before and during my time in this Assembly, with land claim settlements, self-government agreements, and greater understanding that we have reached through the truth and reconciliation process and the release of the Final Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We know that we have need to do a better job for our youth. Over my term, I have worked diligently to improve education in the communities I serve. I have brought the concerns of my constituents forward and have worked with the Sahtu leadership, the Minister responsible, and my colleagues to find solutions. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, just this past month, I came together with the Sahtu leadership in the beautiful community of Deline to discuss the delivery of education in our region and benefitted from the work of my esteemed colleague from the Deh Cho riding, Mr. Nadli, in this area. Through these discussions and many others, I have greater appreciation of the challenges we face and will have questions for the Minister responsible later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Seniors are the heart of my constituency and, through the next decade, their population will grow by 134 households in Yellowknife each year. The fact that the seniors population is growing is not news. Our lack of preparedness to meet their needs is today's headline.
The NWT Housing Corporation has a suite of programs for seniors to repair their homes and complete retrofits so they can stay in their homes as they age. That is all good, obviously. The problem is that, while the seniors population has been increasing, program funding has not. The same amount of money is available this year as it was last year for programs such as CARE. The total budget for the NWT for aging in place retrofits is just half a million dollars. In our mandate, we said we would help seniors to age in place, but the truth is there are a lot of gaps.
Mr. Speaker, here in Yellowknife we have a crisis of available and affordable housing for seniors. Not one, and let me say that again, not one new unit has been added to the inventory during the term of this Assembly. There are 60 people on the waiting list for AVENS Court; 49 on the waiting list for public housing; and there is a backlog of seniors in emergency shelters, as well. We need at least 100 new units for independent living, and we need them now.
We also need new investments in homecare to help people age in place. I am looking forward to the paid family and community caregiver project, and I am pleased that Yellowknife is one of the pilot communities, given the size of our senior population, but this program does not include nursing and personal care. We need a plan that addresses the growing need for professional care by people who are trying to retain their independence by living at home.
Last but not least is the day program. Almost three years after it closed, the GNWT still has not found a replacement for the adult day program. I realize the Minister has looked at various options and there is now a survey out for seniors to complete, but the fact is there is nothing in place.
Mr. Speaker, as we age along with the rest of the population, we are going to need increasing support, whether that is help to say where we are, a smaller unit that is more affordable and accessible, services to help us with everyday tasks, specialized nursing, or social inclusion activities. On all of these fronts, the next Assembly must do better than we have. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Alcohol is a big issue in our communities, including regional centres and Yellowknife. In the last government, I was the Minister of Health and Social Services for two years. I could not believe that we were spending well over a million dollars a day in that department.
As I travelled to the communities, I asked the nurses what they thought were the biggest cost drivers in their communities. In almost all cases, they said alcohol.
I believe the causes of alcohol abuse in small communities, some of the causes, can be attributed to bootlegging. Mr. Speaker, I think it is time for us as a government to look at ways of preventing bootlegging from running a thriving business at the expense of our citizens.
Recently the City of Yellowknife discussed liquor store hours. Maybe there is merit in looking at changing liquor store hours one way or the other. Maybe you have liquor store open hours longer that will have the customers go to the liquor store instead of a bootlegger, or maybe we shorten the hours, I have not thought about that fully, to get away from the bootleggers, or maybe we shorten the hours. I do not know what it should be, but it certainly should be reviewed, Mr. Speaker.
The one thing our government may want to look at is the restriction on the amount of liquor that a customer can buy. A person should not be allowed to buy cases and cases of hard liquor, take them home for after the liquor store hours are closed, and then they have it for resale. We put restrictions on the purchase of cannabis and the possession of cannabis. I think we can do the same with alcohol. We must find a way to prevent the bootleggers from going to the liquor store and buying all kinds of alcohol, and everybody knows it's for resale, without affecting the average citizen who wishes to go to the liquor store and buy some wine or some beer or even some hard liquor for themselves, for their own consumption in their homes, so we must find a happy medium. Allowing bootleggers to buy unlimited amount of alcohol from liquor stores is not correct, and that should be stopped. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House to talk about a couple of infrastructure projects on Highway No. 1 and locations on Highways No. 3, 5, 6, and the Hay River Reserve access road this year. Unfortunately, the tenders were awarded to two southern companies. It was my understanding the bid difference was less than a million dollars, so we are seeing approximately $17.5 million leaving the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure how many northern and local contractors are being used on this work, but I know I have witnessed a lot of BC and Alberta plates on equipment as I have driven by. It is my understanding that the old way we implemented the business incentive policy was to use the full amount of the contracts. However, the new way only allows contractors to use a few million dollars of the whole contract.
Mr. Speaker, it is frustrating for Northern contractors, because the GNWT are making contracts larger, and BIP does not help keep the work in the North.
Companies from BC and Alberta have no ties in the North, and with contracts being awarded, the majority of the money is going south, with no benefit to NWT besides the project itself. These are unfair practices and have a huge impact on northern contractors. I have heard some talk that it would be beneficial to leave the territories and become absentee contractors so they are not subject to the high cost of living in working in the North.
Without northern companies hiring northern people, the tax base of the Northwest Territories will continue to shrink. Without the tax base, many of the projects the NWT would like to complete would no longer be done without the assistance of the federal government. The BIP in its current format does not work for large contracts. An example method that does work is, when an out-of-province contractor bids on projects in BC, they are subject to extreme penalty costs from the BC government. This penalty protects BC contracts, and ensures the contract awarded stays in BC.
The government should either make the contracts smaller, so they are less attractive to out-of-province companies, or reinstate the BIP back to the original format and intent. The original intent was to ensure money spent in the North stays in the North. This is the only way to ensure that the NWT grows both in local services and population.
We know we are dependent on federal funding, and every person has a value. Every person we lose has an impact on us. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every day Nunakput constituents are posting on social media about the high amounts of salmon they are catching in their fish nets in the Beaufort Sea. The Arctic char at this time are usually feeding along the coast before they migrate up the lakes and rivers for the winter. I am worried that these invasive species will take over some of the lakes and rivers where we harvest Arctic char, whitefish, coney, herring, lake trout, and other fish species, ultimately affecting the ecosystem as a whole.
The ocean currents have been warming and allowing species that do not usually migrate to the Arctic to traverse the waters through the high seas, affecting the ecosystem on and offshore. We see the effects of climate change with the sporadic and unpredictable weather patterns all over the globe. The warm ocean currents are bringing species such as salmon to colder water, which means that they are changing the balance of the ecosystem in the Arctic.
Fish farming in Alaska is likely contributing to this increase, and we must work with our co-management groups across the Northwest Territories and abroad to ensure that we are doing our best to support the rivers, lakes, and communities along the rivers and coast to ensure that this does not become a food security issue.
Mr. Speaker, I believe there is a need to take a look at this and get involved and partner with Indigenous governments, hunters and trappers in the Northwest Territories, and the federal government to ensure that we can take a picture of this invasion of salmon and do our best to understand the underlying causes that are affecting the harvesters' catch in Nunakput and across the Northwest Territories. Partnering on projects and collaboration and cooperation has never been as important as we learn why this is occurring. We need to understand this from a global prospective to ensure that we do our best to protect our way of life in the Arctic.
Mr. Speaker, local Indigenous knowledge is key to the planning, conservation, and protection of the species in the Northwest Territories and across Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
