Colleagues, staff, and friends, it is my duty to advise this House of the passing of Ms. Haylee Carlson, who passed away yesterday, February 9, 2020. Ms. Carlson has been an employee of the Legislative Assembly for more than 16 years, but more than that, she has been a friend to us. She became family to us. On behalf of the Assembly, I extend our condolences to her family and friends. Colleagues, please join me in a moment of silence.
---Moment of silence
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to supporting and providing employment opportunities to northern students and graduates. As part of this commitment, the Department of Finance manages programs and initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities for northern students and at helping to provide diverse work experiences for young people.
Part of the success of these programs depends on people knowing about them in order to access them. The Department of Finance wants to improve our communication about all available programs, and to set an example, I will spend a couple of moments highlighting the existing summer student and internship programs.
Our government's Summer Student Employment Program offers priority hiring to northern students between the months of April and August every year. Students pursuing post-secondary studies can apply to this program for government summer work placements. Students can register for the Summer Student Employment Program through the GNWT Careers website beginning December 1st of every year. Last year, 351 students were hired by the GNWT throughout our territory, meaning that over half of the registered students received a summer placement. Beyond providing employment, the program also provides students with valuable, real-world work experience, which can enhance their employment prospects upon graduation.
Another program that provides meaningful opportunities for students is our internship program. The GNWT internship program allows departments to recruit post-secondary northern graduates into positions related to their field of study for up to two years. Interns gain valuable work experience and have the opportunity to apply their theoretical, practical, and academic knowledge within the context of the GNWT workforce.
Last year, the GNWT hired 34 interns, which was in line with the Department of Finance's funding availability. Departments may access the internship program without funding; however, these placements will be dependent on departmental budgets. This year, we are looking to increase the number of student interns. Recruitment efforts for 40 internship positions are underway within our departments. Intern pay varies and each position is evaluated based on the job duties and the knowledge and skills required for the position. An intern job description is developed as an entry-level position in that they are learning their role and gaining experience in their field. Once the intern has fully learned the role and gained the experience required, they are then qualified to take on the substantive role should a vacancy arise. This method of recruitment assists GNWT departments with succession planning and building the workforce of the future.
More information about these programs, including how to apply, can be found at gov.nt.ca/careers.
Mr. Speaker, the Summer Student Employment Program and the GNWT internship program are two important ways that our government supports northern youth and students. These programs provide opportunities for Northerners to be part of our public service; expose students to the GNWT as an employer; and assist the next generations to develop knowledge, skills, and job experience that benefit our entire territory.
By providing northern students with exposure to what it is like to work for the GNWT, we are supporting Northerners with job opportunities and are doing our part to make sure that our public service reflects the people that it serves.
Making this statement to communicate available programs that provide employment opportunities for Northerners is a first step in an ongoing effort to provide Members of this House and the public with this important information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, education is vital to the success of our residents. Increasing student outcomes in the Northwest Territories to the same level as the rest of Canada is a priority for the 19th Legislative Assembly and one of the key objectives of the education renewal and innovation efforts underway in schools across the territory.
Last week, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment released its first five-year evaluation report on the education renewal and innovation framework and action plan, which is guiding systemic changes to the way we approach junior kindergarten to grade 12 education in the Northwest Territories.
This 10-year strategic initiative was launched in 2013 to address gaps in student achievement and increase accountability at all levels of the Northwest Territories education system. Student outcomes continue to be a central focus, with a number of ongoing programs and activities dedicated to improving student and teacher wellness, achieving educational equity for small communities, strengthening assessment and accountability, and improving the quality of education.
The evaluation, which reviewed the first five years of implementation, looked at broad outcomes for students across the Northwest Territories, as well as nine specific initiatives supporting ongoing education renewal.
Mr. Speaker, evaluators found encouraging results and early successes in a number of areas related to students' achievement, health, well-being, and engagement. They reported that a number of programs, such as northern distance learning and child and youth care counsellors, are showing promising results with respect to achieving equitable education in small communities and providing necessary mental health and wellness supports. Similarly, there was a high level of satisfaction with the "Our Languages" curriculum, supporting Indigenous languages revitalization, and the residential schools awareness training being implemented by the department.
Mr. Speaker, though I am pleased to see positive results emerging from our education renewal and innovation efforts in the first five years of implementation, the fact is that education renewal is still a work in progress. I recognize more needs to be done to address remaining gaps in student achievement and outcomes, especially for our smaller communities and Indigenous students.
Key recommendations from the evaluation include prioritizing our education renewal and innovation commitments to make small communities a greater priority. This includes potentially revising our funding formula to increase supports for small schools and working more closely with Indigenous governments on initiatives that will support our students.
The evaluators also found areas for improvement within the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices initiative. While the program was found to be effective in improving the work-life balance and collaborative learning for teachers, it also created unexpected challenges for families and households. This is important and the department has already begun to make adjustments to the initiative to help mitigate these challenges and will be able to report on early results in the summative evaluation scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
Mr. Speaker, the evaluators' recommendations mirror many of those found in the recent audit by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, demonstrating that the department is both aware of and actively responding to known challenges within our education system.
We will be taking a new approach for measuring graduation rates to provide a more accurate snapshot of grade 12 graduates within a given year. We know our graduation rates need elevating, especially in the small communities, and improving how we measure and interpret this data will help us move forward.
The results of both the evaluation and audit will be essential in informing how we continue to work with education partners, families, leaders, and experts to improve experiences and outcomes for students in every community of the Northwest Territories. Our programs and activities will continue to be assessed to adjust their approach for better student success.
Mr. Speaker, how we deliver quality education in the Northwest Territories is critical for ensuring the development of healthy, capable Northerners. It is not something we can do alone. Lasting change takes time, financial investment, continual planning and monitoring, and the long-term commitment of all of our partners. Support for Northwest Territories students must also come from strategic work on health and housing, connection to land and language, economic prosperity, and access to infrastructure. It is truly a shared responsibility, and I look forward to continuing to work with our families and partners to improve outcomes for students in all of our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to address the Government of the Northwest Territories Affirmative Action Policy. This policy was implemented to ensure equal representation of Indigenous people in the government workforce.
An article in News North on February 4, 2020, indicated that the NWT Bureau of Statistics states that only 30 percent of the Government of the Northwest Territories workforce is Indigenous, while 59 percent non-Indigenous and 11 percent non-designated. At the senior management level, this number is even lower with only 20 percent having Indigenous ancestry. These numbers are not representative of the Indigenous population of the NWT, which stands at a little more than 50 percent.
Mr. Speaker, one of the common complaints from Indigenous leaders, leaders within the community, and long-term, non-Indigenous residents is that the affirmative action appears to be in name only and is not implemented as designed. Conversations at local levels also speak to this being an issue, and these conversations have been questioning this policy for many years now.
Mr. Speaker, considering the high number of non-Indigenous Government of the Northwest Territories employees as compared to Indigenous employees, it appears that the Affirmative Action Policy is not being followed or implemented as planned.
Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we ensure our government is representative of the people it serves, and that we are following the priority hiring when competitions are held.
Mr. Speaker, neutrality in the hiring process must be followed. Every citizen of the NWT should have access to a fair and equitable interview and hiring process. The way it is now, it is not what you know. It is who you know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just over a month away, Nunakput athletes will be gearing up to head to Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, from March 15 to 21, 2020. They are part of a delegation of 375 athletes representing our communities from across our great territory, representing the games.
Mr. Speaker, in 1970, the Arctic Winter Games started, growing across the circumpolar world in celebration of sports and culture, and in friendship. The games give children the opportunity to demonstrate their skills while learning good sportsmanship, inclusivity, and northern pride. There will be 21 sporting events under the headings of traditional supports, such as Arctic sports and dog mushing, Nordic sports, indoor sports, and ice sports.
This year, NWT will compete against eight other teams from Alaska, Northern Alberta, Yukon, Nunavut, Nunavik, Russia, Greenland, Finland, and Norway. Together, more than 2,000 athletes, officials, supporters, volunteers, and cultural performers will gather in Whitehorse for the Arctic Winter Games and this celebration.
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of all our athletes across our territory, but I am really proud of my athletes that are coming out of Nunakput for trying so hard to get to where they are at because of the travel to get to their sport. They will be participating in the games: James Keevik Jr., Joe Nosagaluak, Riland Keevik, Kobe Kikoak, Edward Pokiak, Mikayla Jacobson, Jasmine Gruben, Noel-Leigh Cockney, and Davy Kuptana.
Mr. Speaker, I want these young athletes to do the very best and let them know that Nunakput and our territory is behind them, rooting for them for next month to compete in Whitehorse. Also, I want to take a moment to thank Diane Nasogaluak and Gary Okheena for travelling with our youth as coach and managers.
Mr. Speaker, it is called "Bring It North," the official theme of this year's Arctic Winter Games. I have no doubt that Nunakput's young athletes are going to bring it in 2020. Mr. Speaker, they have got it. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I, myself, we remember the passing of our friend. We send prayers to the family and also her friends.
Mr. Speaker, living in the North can be very harsh, particularly in the winter months. Just recently, we experienced windchills up to minus 40. The majority of our people should have wood stoves. Almost every single house should have a wood stove, at the very least as a backup heat source. Thinking of a minus-45 cold snap combined with a six-hour power outage, you do not have to imagine it [translation ends] to buy or install a wood stove, but we can ensure that our substantial stock of single-family housing units are equipped with wood stoves. This is not only for the safety of our tenants but also to protect our investment since the government owns these units.
Mr. Speaker, it is not acceptable that this is currently not the case in the Northwest Territories, in our climate, minus 45, minus 50. We need to be proactive instead of being reactive, prevent cold-weather emergencies and support self-sufficiency and resilience for the renters of our social housing. I will have questions for the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. ECE provides much-needed service through the Income Security Program. The program is helping people to make choices that are right for them. There are many people falling through the cracks when it comes to banking and related information-gathering, such as bank statements. In the small communities, people do not have access to banks to get the required bank statements in order to access income security. This has put unnecessary stress on the clients as they may have lost bank cards or forgotten bank card passwords or just do not know how to get a bank statement as there is no bank in the community. People are afraid they will fall behind in rent payments or utility payments and find themselves being evicted and face a homelessness situation.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the ECE Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased that the RCMP will have 45 new housing units available to them within the next year. The service the RCMP members provide is invaluable to communities and the residents they serve here in the Northwest Territories, and as such, I am pleased with the initiative.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation is set to supply the RCMP with these new housing units throughout the NWT. These units will go primarily into market communities where there are established real estate developers. Some of these developers have expressed concerns as to why the NWT Housing Corporation is encroaching into the private sector supply of market housing and not providing them an opportunity to supply the units.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation indicated that the construction of these new RCMP units is not to impact the current housing programs and not to impact the public-housing stock or wait list. However, for Hay River, where RCMP are receiving 12 units, this will require the demolition of several public-housing units.
Mr. Speaker, how is this not impacting the public-housing stock when the land is being re-profiled for use by non-public-housing tenants? This eliminates the land available for future public-housing use. The NWT Housing Corporation has stated on many occasions that they would like to see current tenants own their own home. Now they have their chance to make that happen. Instead of demolishing the existing units, units should be first made available at reasonable cost to tenants who may be in a financial position to own and maintain a home.
Mr. Speaker, turning to the construction of the units, it is my understanding that the RCMP units will be put out to tender shortly. What I am expecting and what I will hold the NWT Housing Corporation accountable to is that all the units will be built in the North by northern contractors and workers. It is not in our best interest as a government to bring in modular homes from southern Canada as all that does is bleed money out of the North and provides no benefit to our businesses, suppliers, and workers. With this project, we have an opportunity to put our businesses and people to work while providing much-needed training. Let's do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We have in this room today the largest number of women ever elected to the NWT Legislative Assembly.
---Applause
The election of nine women in October was the result of hard work by current and former Members of this House and many others. The question now, and it is not too early to ask this, is: how do we maintain the equality of political representation we have now achieved?
Mr. Speaker, by way of background, I am going to recap some milestones in the 18th Assembly that got us here. First, Members made correcting the underrepresentation of women a mandate priority, and the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, now the Premier, and I took every opportunity to raise this issue. Second, all Members unanimously supported a motion to increase women's representation with specific targets. Third, the Speaker got on board by tabling a paper in June 2018 about a potential solution: guaranteed seats for women. Next, a special committee, with me as chair, visited 10 communities to talk about guaranteed seats and to find out what barriers prevent women from running to become MLAs.
Mr. Speaker, we gathered a tremendous amount of useful information from the people who attended our hearings. We distilled their ideas for policy changes into seven recommendations in our interim report that were adopted unanimously. These were simple but important changes, such as creating a parental leave provision, making childcare an allowable expense for MLAs, and creating a space in this building for parents to be with their young children. The committee didn't find much support for guaranteed seats, yet it got the conversation started.
Mr. Speaker, another reason for our success in electing so many women is because of training and education efforts. The Premier and I attended campaign schools throughout the NWT in the 18th Assembly. I offered a series of workshops last spring, attended by all the women who were elected in Yellowknife. There were also private mentoring efforts and the launch of a new campaign school curriculum.
I am thrilled that this change took place so quickly and so decisively, but we can't rest. We need to continue educating women to develop the skills and confidence to take part in public life. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The North loves its monopolies, whether it be Northmart, Northwestel, Northland Utilities, or today's topic of my statement, Northview Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust.
Mr. Speaker, our residential tenancy system, by design, is a neutral arbitrator of individual disputes and, as such, is not empowered to address larger systemic issues and abuses by landlords. We have seen this recently in Northview's illegal collecting of pet deposits, yet this is not a one-off issue, Mr. Speaker. There is no shortage of human rights or residential tenancies' complaints that point to larger systemic negligence on the part of Northview Apartment REIT.
Northview is the North's largest private landlord, with a near-monopoly on rental apartments in both Yellowknife and Inuvik. Northview is an unincorporated, open-end real estate investment trust, a corporate entity which, by design, treats real estate as an investment first and foremost, and pleasing its shareholders above treating those houses as people's homes.
The company has a portfolio of over 24,000 residential suites in over 60 markets across Canada. It was formed in 2015 following a merger of Northern Property REIT, True North Apartment REIT, and a number of privately held residential properties. Prior to that merger, the Competition Bureau conducted an investigation and issued a no-action letter, Mr. Speaker. I, myself, have filed a complaint in regard to Northview's monopolistic practice, but found no traction in the federal legislation. It falls on us in this House to ensure we have adequate legislative powers to address this.
Mr. Speaker, it is our role here as a government to ensure there is fair and adequate competition in our territory. A dominant landlord reinvesting rent collected in the North into properties located in the South has a significant impact on the people living in a territory with one of the highest costs of living in the country. In addition, Mr. Speaker, the high cost of construction in the North limits the building of any new rentals. This means that a competitor emerging is not going to happen.
Yellowknife and Inuvik have significant income inequality, with a large section of the population living below the poverty line. Given these factors, there is an increased necessity to avoid market domination in the North. The solution to this issue is complicated. It requires competition to emerge in the market. Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, the solution to dominant market share is complicated. It requires competition to emerge in the market, it requires punishment for consistent violations of our legislation, and it requires our Housing Corporation to increase its housing supply. Today, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice to begin the discussion of how to address Northview's dominant market share in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. A number of Ministers recently returned from another Roundup mining conference in Vancouver, so I am hoping they were able to unload the Mactung property, which this government bought in 2015.
Just how did we get here? North American Tungsten, the owner and operator of the former Cantung Mine, went into creditor protection on June 9, 2015. Somehow, the federal government let that company put up the Mactung property as part of its financial security for its water licence. When our government inherited the management of the Cantung site under devolution, nothing was done to change that arrangement, even though the GNWT had total discretion over the form of security that was held. So much for polluter pays and the devolution promise of responsible resource development.
As part of the creditor protection proceeding, Cabinet ended up purchasing Mactung for $2.5 million with a special warrant that bypassed the Legislative Assembly. That way, we could hand Cantung back to the federal government for remediation. When we acquired the Mactung property, a lot of junk and hazardous materials had been left at the site, even though I was told that there was nothing there. A non-compliance letter was written by the Yukon government to GNWT about Mactung on February 4, 2016. I kept pressing Ministers to have an assessment done of the site. That was done, finally, but the report has not been released publicly. GNWT paid about $126,000 to do a partial clean-up at the site in the summer of 2018.
Two reports on the Mactung deposit and surrounding area were prepared for about $30,000, taxpayers' money, and released in January 2018. The previous Minister promised to share that marketing plan with the standing committee, but that didn't happen.
In December 2018, a Vancouver consultant was paid about $16,000 to submit an application for a Class 4 Mining Land Use Permit to the Yukon government for 10 years of exploration "as part of a means of increasing the appeal of the Mactung property to prospective buyers." This was clearly an effort to hype the value of the property. A decision to proceed with the permit was made on November 19th of last year, with numerous terms and conditions.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment as to whether we finally sold the Mactung property. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I was lucky to grow up in the North. The North has a way of wrapping itself around the people who call it home, embracing people, land, and culture. Regardless of whether people plant their feet for a year, ten, or a lifetime, their roots are bound to this place and, more importantly, its people. In the North, bonds extend beyond traditional friendships because, here, we don't make friends; we make family.
Yesterday, the North lost a member of its family, Haylee Carlson. As children, we shared dance classes. I was drawn to Haylee's enviable vibrant confidence; as a photographer, to her smile that started in her eyes; and, as a public servant here in the Legislative Assembly, I was impressed by her professionalism, unwavering ability to always stay two steps ahead, and as the glue that holds this branch of government together. Haylee was assertive, confident, and motivated. She was fiercely independent and fiercely loved.
Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, I met a man who told me he was going to die, and that made him one of the lucky ones. He explained that, of all the eggs in the world, he made it to a viable pregnancy and, of everything that could go wrong in pregnancy, he was born. After his birth, his mother was told he had a degenerative disease and wasn't expected to live past the age of eight. On the day we met, we were the same age and both parents of young children.
He beat the odds given to his mother on his birthday, but every day he knew that life may take a devastating turn; but he lived. He learned to ride a bike, graduate high school, started a business, got married, and welcomed two children. Despite the uncertainty, he lived, and every day we are here makes us the lucky ones.
Mr. Speaker, Haylee left behind a beautiful daughter, Shanli, who she shares with her husband Mike; an incredible memory bank shared with her sisters, family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues; and, for the 19th Legislative Assembly, a well-trained clerks' office.
Haylee also left us with a painful reminder that we don't live forever. We all die, and our time here is not infinite, not for any of us. We don't know how long we have, and it is not within our control, but what we can control is what we choose to do with our time and the legacy we choose to leave behind. Haylee left us a great legacy, and we are the lucky ones.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Miss Nadine Yousif, who is with Maclean's magazine and is up here doing an interview on women in politics. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome two Pages from the community of Kakisa to the Assembly, Raine Simba and Kaedyn Simba. They are accompanied by their mother, Jennifer Simba. I am not sure if she is in the House. I can't see them, but I would like to welcome them to the Legislative Assembly. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome our two pages from Inuvik, Pearl Gillis and Tyra Bain. Welcome.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We have interpreters here for the Tli Cho language. Mary Rose Sundberg is here. I would like to thank her. When we have meetings, we have interpreters, and we also had Harriet Paul as a Tli Cho interpreter, but her mother has passed, so that is why she is not here today. We send prayers to the family. Masi. [Translation ends]
Mr. Speaker, what efforts are being made to ensure those listed in the priority hiring are receiving appropriate access to interviews and employment in the Government of the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy is one tool that the Government of the Northwest Territories uses to ensure that we have a representative workforce, and in so doing, in addition to having that policy and having that in place for all hiring across the Northwest Territories, there are efforts made in the course of the careers recruitment process to provide assistance. There is a help section within the website and within the department that could assist individuals in terms of resume writing and can assist them with interview preparation. In addition to that, there are officers within the department of human resources that can assist with maintaining and following the Affirmative Action Policy to see that it is, in fact, working as hard as it can.
It is but one policy, Mr. Speaker, and we do recognize that recruitment to the service of the Northwest Territories is going to be one that requires us to look across all of our departments to make sure that we are providing supports and assistance to the people of the Northwest Territories so that they are ready and able to apply to the positions as they become available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Who is involved in the appeal process when priority candidates are unsuccessful at obtaining employment?
