Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a number of Crown and quasi-Crown corporations that utilize board of directors appointed by this government. This House has debated and voiced concern over the need to replace those current boards made up of senior bureaucrats with persons from the private sector or the general public. Mr. Speaker, we cannot expect and should not expect our senior bureaucrats to accept additional obligations and responsibilities that take away from their departmental responsibilities. If this government does not see that, then it is not fulfilling its responsibility to the residents of the Northwest Territories. The reason Crown corporations exist is to achieve a public policy objective set by this government, while being insulated and allowed to operate at arm's length. This can be a daunting task at best, and expecting to achieve it by placing senior bureaucrats to oversee such a corporation is make-believe and a fantasy.
Mr. Speaker, we have the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, a body that provides an essential service to the residents and businesses of the NWT. In 2016, the independent board was replaced based on cost-saving initiatives. The corporation is now in the process of possibly becoming a provider of electrical power to the community of Hay River. The reason that is about to happen is because of a promise by the NWT Power Corporation of cheaper power to Hay River residents and businesses. The cost of power is one cost that inherently impacts our residents and, if not controlled, can result in our residents choosing between feeding their children and paying their utility bill. It is therefore important that Crown corporations such as the Northwest Territories Power Corporation be provided the tools that will work to lower costs to its consumers. An experienced board of directors is part of the tools required to ensure efficiency while meeting this government's strategic objectives.
Mr. Speaker, in 2016, this government identified cost as a deterrent to using independent directors. I see the use of independent boards as an opportunity to provide oversight in operations and efficiency, which will result in cost savings. With respect to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, I would envision a board of directors made up of those with credentials in finance, human resources, engineering, law, green power, private business, Aboriginal knowledge, and other disciplines. Within a corporation, the duties and responsibilities of directors are important to ensuring management is kept in check and services provided are cost effective. It is time to choose the right path when it comes to Crown corporations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need emergency shelters in our communities. I mentioned it in this House before, and now I really need to get this sorted out for the communities of the Beaufort-Delta and especially my riding of Nunakput. Some of the larger communities are fortunate enough to have warming shelters and centres and emergency housing. That is a good thing. There are people in the communities who need them, but in this case, the communities of Nunakput, when my constituents are in need of a place to go, they have no place to go but to family.
A few weeks ago, the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation committed to looking into the units that could be made available in the communities. I appreciate her commitment, but I still need to know which units are available in the communities, Mr. Speaker. Literally, it's a matter of life and death. I need to know what units are available. My leadership needs to know which units are available and what options we could provide for emergency shelter for our residents. As you know, it gets very cold in the delta, especially in my riding of Nunakput. People need to be able to access a warm and safe place to stay. If they cannot, the consequences could be literally fatal. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Members' statement today is about the need for our NWT corrections services to focus on the successful social reintegration and rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals. The Department of Justice recently completed a workplace assessment of all correctional facilities in the Northwest Territories. The results of that assessment were obvious as it exposed several long-standing issues pertaining to staff morale, safety, and preparedness, among other things. In a previous Member's statement, I spoke about the importance of offender rehabilitation. Today, however, I will be focusing on some issues that offenders face, along with potential solutions when transitioning from life in corrections back into the community.
Mr. Speaker, the key to any successful crime-reduction strategy must include solutions that address offender crime relapses among formerly incarcerated individuals. One way our government could help offenders with successful reintegration is to expand transition and through-care programs for offenders. This can be done in many ways. However, the ultimate goal is to help offenders successfully transition back into society and to avoid further criminality. Our goal must be to ensure rehabilitation back into the community, and they must be able to address life with purpose.
Mr. Speaker, one idea in relation to corrections programming that I think the Department of Justice should consider is to expand the level of community engagement that offenders have with where they are incarcerated. Offenders should have more opportunities to help serve and work for the community in which they are incarcerated. For example, at the Fort Smith Correctional Complex, both sections of male and female offenders should be able to work in jobs that were previously offered to offenders in the community. They should be able to do the things like help seniors in and around the community shovel snow, do gardening, clean house, or take courses in the Phoenix program at the high school. Offenders should be able to do this type of work and activities regularly, but that is not the case anymore. I would like to see these programs reinstated for offenders, including the option to take courses at Aurora College. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Tomorrow, years of advocacy, consultation, and study will culminate in a vote in the federal Parliament on creation of a national pharmacare program. Bill C-213 is a rare private Member's bill that actually makes it to the floor. The Canada Pharmacare Act is based on the recommendations of the Hoskins Advisory Council and modelled on the Canada Health Act. Like our national medicare program, the Canada Pharmacare Act specifies the conditions that provincial and territorial prescription drug insurance programs must meet to receive federal funding. This includes tying federal funding to the core principles of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, and accessibility.
The legislation doesn't prescribe a specific fiscal arrangement but enables the federal government to negotiate with the provinces and territories. The federal Cabinet could reduce or withhold contributions to provinces or territories if they don't respect the conditions of funding. The federal health Minister is also empowered to create an independent drug agency in collaboration with provinces and territories.
Canada is the only country in the world with a public healthcare system that does not include prescription medicine coverage. The Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated that a national pharmacare program would reduce drug costs by about 25 percent annually or $4 billion. A universal national pharmacare system would cover an estimated 20 percent of Canadians who don't take their prescriptions now because they can't afford the costs. Canadian families will save an average of $350 per year and businesses will get relief from the increasing costs of employee drug coverage, a $750 savings per employee per year. A national pharmacare program will save the NWT money, too, and improve health outcomes. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Health and Social Services about whether our government supports Bill C-213 and what other action is being undertaken to pursue a national pharmacare program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. February is Black History Month in Canada and throughout the world. Here in the North, we have a thriving Black community that, in June, organized a rally to protest racism against Black people. This rally was organized to coincide with a growing international movement in protest of rising incidents of violent acts against people of colour.
From this, a group was formed called the Black Advocacy Coalition up North, or BACupNorth, with the goal of providing community support to Black Northerners. Its mission is to end racism and dismantle barriers to equity in law enforcement, justice, health, housing, education, research, and media. Whether you are Caribbean, of African descent, you are African-Canadian born here, BACupNorth celebrates that heritage. BACupNorth supports diversity and believes in educating for progress. Part of BACupNorth's work is to analyze materials young people are consuming in schools and push for changes in school curriculum and media for better representation of Black experiences and history. BACupNorth also empowers the Black community by sharing stories and experiences of members in the Black community and educates Northerners about Black culture, heritage, and diversity.
The issues the BACupNorth advocates for are also a reality for a lot of Indigenous people living in the North. Their goal is to work together, using available resources, to show solidarity and support Indigenous organizations to effect positive changes for everyone. The following is a statement provided by BACupNorth founder Ambe Chenemu: The Black community has come a long way. In fact, it has taken over 400 years and we are still working to be treated equally and not be punished for looking and being Black. The Black community has been forced, enslaved, and dehumanized in the worst possible manner. Four hundred years later, Black people across Canada are still working toward equality, equity, social justice, and equal opportunity. Throughout the month of February, we celebrate the resilience and contributions of the Black community to the rich and diverse Canadian heritage.
Just this month, some Black Northerners were among those recognized by Premier Cochrane for their contributions to the public service and recipients of the Premier's Award for Excellence. Black people are making a difference across our territory, and we call on government to work with and support the efforts of BACupNorth and other local organizations in making the North a better place for us all. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement reflects the abuse suffered by the most vulnerable population of elders in the small communities. Elder abuse is a single action or repeated action or a lack of action that causes harm or distress to an older person. This abuse could be a single incident or several incidents over time. Often, more than one type of abuse is experienced by the victims. This population of elders are older and have serious mobility issues, like being confined to wheelchairs, walkers, or simply cannot walk long distances through stores. They then give out their bank cards and associated details to their caregiver, or it could be another family member. More than likely, it's someone they assume they can trust.
Another form of abuse I have been hearing about is neglect. When a family member is tasked with caring for their elderly parent at their home, they usually leave the elderly parent at a friend's home while they go out of town, sometimes up to several days, with the elder's bank card. Mr. Speaker, this form of abuse of the elderly population is most likely prevalent in many small communities, as it is in my community. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for seniors at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi. [Translation] Thank you. [End of translation]
In the Northwest Territories, last year alone, the government raked in an incredible $24 million from the sale of intoxicants. This revenue source is called "sin tax" because booze and dope are supposedly bad, but the real sin is how this government misuses this cash once it rolls in. When I say "misuses," Mr. Speaker, I refer to the fact that this money, the money earned through this revenue, every single cent of it goes to the general pot, the general revenue that is used for such things as ministerial travel or the COVID secretariat, et cetera. By rights, a certain percentage should be going toward addictions treatment for the North.
Mr. Speaker, we fuel substance abuse through liquor and cannabis sales, then we take the money and run, abandoning the victims of those with dependency on the substance. There is something very cruel in this self-serving exploitation of human weaknesses. We should put an end to this perversity by channelling a statutory share of our liquor and cannabis revenues to addictions treatment.
Mr. Speaker, it's not good enough to claim we're supporting addictions treatment centres in the South. Places like Edgewood on Vancouver Island, BC, and Renascent in Toronto, Ontario, are inappropriate and ineffective and do not serve our Northerners. We need addictions treatment here in the North, for the Northerners, by the Northerners. A share of that "sin tax" should be earmarked annually for the construction and support of such a facility. I intend to question the Minister responsible regarding this issue at the earliest opportunity, Mr. Speaker. Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Finance Minister said in her 2021 budget address, "Creativity, innovation, and collaboration are key to our success." Fort Good Hope has successfully brought these three pillars together through the K'asho Got'ine Housing Society, a non-profit created to fill the rising need for community-based housing providers that deliver innovative social policy parallel to safe housing infrastructure. The society recognizes the long-term value of supporting housing models that address the needs of residents and has successfully combined housing, social policy, and workforce development through its new home construction, integrated home repair, and apprenticeship programs.
During our last week in this House, I spoke about FASD, integrated case management, housing authorities, and family violence to drive home the need for client-focused wraparound services. Too many people are falling through the cracks with the government's current siloed approach, at the cost of residents' mental health, ability to thrive, and the government's bottom line.
The GNWT currently spends over $700 million annually on social programs through Justice, health, housing, and Education, Culture and Employment, and each of these departments is responsible for addressing different aspects of a person's challenges. This siloed service delivery increases program duplication and the frequency and duration that an individual cycles through public systems of care, Mr. Speaker. This causes cyclical and costly use of resources and decreases the window of opportunity an individual will permanently or successfully exit the system of crisis services.
Mr. Speaker, the annual cost of care for one incarcerated inmate is more than the average annual salary for one GNWT employee, or equal to the annual operations and maintenance of five public housing units, but how many people could integrated service delivery support outside our correctional facilities and how would supporting housing networks reduce recidivism and improve the quality of life of Northerners?
Integrated service delivery meets Northerners where they are at and brings together the social program departments and their front-line staff to coordinate plans of care and support residents based on their actual individual needs. I want to commend Fort Good Hope for leading the way with creativity, innovation and collaboration, and congratulate them on the significant successes they have achieved. I look forward to discussing the future of integrated service delivery for the GNWT with the Minister of Justice today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to be able to stand up in this Assembly and celebrate the award of Northwest Territories Literacy Awards to three constituents of Inuvik Boot Lake. Cassidy Lennie-Ipana and Mataya Gillis received the NWT Youth Learner Literacy Award for their outstanding work in starting up Nipaturuq Magazine in 2019. This magazine and the associated social media content raised awareness of the current issues for Inuvialuit youth and celebrate our culture, stories, and our elders. Well done, ladies.
Earning the Ministerial Outstanding Educator Award is Dwayne Drescher. He went above and beyond, making sure learning of the language did not stop because of COVID, by developing learning kits and videos that allow students and their families to learn from home. His next project that I'm really looking forward to using is helping develop the Inuvialuit emojis, GIFs, and abbreviations to further promote the use of Inuvialuqtun through media and mobile technologies.
I ask you to join me in congratulating my constituents who are doing their part to keeping our language strong. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Mahsi, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to join the MLA for Great Slave in acknowledging those working to further Black History Month, both here and across the globe. Mr. Speaker, our territory is home to hundreds of Black individuals living and contributing to our communities. If current trends are any indication that number will only continue to grow as Yellowknife continues to become a truly diverse capital city. In Canada, we often compare our history to our neighbours in the South, and we think we are not so bad. Anti-Black racism exists, and systemic racism in many forms continues to be part of the history we are currently living.
While we celebrate Black History Month in our schools, the NWT has much work to do in acknowledging its histories. For decades, Black and Indigenous people were pushed out of white spaces, with bars and restaurants segregated well into the 1960's. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories doesn't have a lot of Black history to share, but part of the reason for that is history often has a narrow lens that leaves the stories of minority populations out of it. I hope, going forward, we can frame our territorial history as a place that welcomes everyone.
I'd like to give praise to BACupNorth, the Black advocacy group formed in the wake of global protests and rallies challenging anti-Black racism after Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd. Every day this month, they have been sharing Canadian Black history and media and regularly amplifying Black Northerners in their endeavours. Thank you for the work they do. They are doing the work to right the history of the NWT. This territory is no stranger to the plague of racism. We must be an ally in this fight, an ally in deconstructing systemic racism in all its forms in celebrating our diversity. Black history month is an opportunity to acknowledge the past, and lift up voices for the future. Thank you to everyone doing this work to make sure our history and our future is both honest and inclusive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members; statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to send my condolences to the family of Darius Elias, who served as MLA for the Vuntut Gwitchin riding in the Yukon for 10 years. He started his political career very early, and I was very saddened to hear of his passing. The Beaufort-Delta, as many know, and the Yukon have a very close relationship and very many family connections.
When I was elected, he called me, and he provided me with some advice. I will always remember that. The words that he said to me, "Always stay true to the people who elected you." Prayers and strength to the family at this time to our former MLA of the Vuntut Gwitchin Darius Elias. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Our thoughts and prayers are with the community of Old Crow and the family, and also the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon. Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fred Diamond'C was born on February 14, 1946, in Fort Liard to Edward and Laura Diamond'C. Unfortunately, his mom passed away when he was a young boy. His dad later met Pauline Eton, and they got married on August 18, 1954. Edward and Pauline raised Fred and his siblings in Fort Liard in Bovie Lake. This started Fred's love for going out on the land.
One summer, Fred and his siblings were home from residential school. Fred went for a walk to Hay Lake with his little brother John. John said his legs were sore, so Fred put his little brother in his backpack and packed him home. Upon arriving at home, he told his mom that he shot a bear. His mom told him to put the bag in front of her and open it up. John's head popped out. That was Fred's humour. If you knew Fred, he was always happy, and his sibling said he would never argue with them. In his teen years, he went to residential school in Yellowknife with his brother Enis. He mentioned that all the students that went to residential school were like brothers and sisters.
During his life, Fred had many jobs, but the ones that seemed to make him very happy was when he was a prospector and did surveying. The company gave him a plaque for all his hard work he did. I was told that he took to the bush and was handy at staking claims or cutting lines or building camps. He could do anything, and he was very reliable. He enjoyed his adventures.
Upon returning back to Yellowknife, he got into building wood cabins and selling them. Fred was a true bush person, loving the land and nature. He later built his forever home on Highway No. 3 at kilometre 296, close to Yellowknife where he lived with his dog, Musky. He lived there for many years. Fred loved his home, his dog, Musky, and all his family and friends. He was preceded by his parents, step-mother, sister, brother, and step-sister. He was survived by his three sisters and two brothers.
Fred passed away on January 21, 2021. Fred is loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Your Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide its report on the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to Report on its review of the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election.
The Elections and Plebiscites Act requires the Chief Electoral Officer to present a report on the administration of the election within six months of the election. The Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election was tabled in this House by the Speaker on May 28, 2020, and was referred to this committee.
During its review, committee has held four public hearings during which they heard from the Chief Electoral Officer, Dr. Aleksander Essex, Dr. Nicole Goodman, MLA Julie Green, David Wasylciw, and OpenNWT. Committee thanks these witnesses for sharing their opinions, experiences and expertise.
This report includes committee's response to the recommendations of the Chief Electoral Officer and other presenters and makes the following recommendations from committee:
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to require regulations be developed governing voting by electronic means, including setting cybersecurity standards, technical specifications, procurement guidelines, and an audit mechanism.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Elections NWT implement and administer an election rebate program as laid out in this report for candidates starting with the 2023 Territorial Election.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that "email address" be included under Section 54(2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act. Further, that email addresses should only be used to maintain or update the Register of Electors and not be shared with any candidate.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to require a public body at request to provide the personal information held by that body.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Section 73 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to state that the list of electors shall be provided to candidates as soon as possible.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Section 121 and Section 309 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to include a prohibition on the sale of cannabis during the hours a poll is open on polling day.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to expressly prohibit liquor and cannabis as campaign expenses.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to prohibit photography, videography, or phone calls within the polling station and to authorize the Chief Electoral Officer to issue guidance on the usage of electronics in polling stations.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to prohibit a candidate's polling agent from being able to assist an elector in casting a vote.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Chief Electoral Officer investigate how other provinces or territories allow residents to cast votes from any polling station and report back to the Legislative Assembly within six months on the outcomes of that investigation.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to remove the requirement for electors to act as witnesses. An election officer and one other election official should be required, with candidates permitted one representative each.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to allow for a candidate's financial report to be submitted electronically.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Section 144(1) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to allow for voting in the office of the returning officer to commence on the 21st day before polling day.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Elections NWT follow the same procurement practices as the Legislative Assembly and publicly disclose all contracts, the procurement process used for each contract, and the amount of each contract in the Elections NWT Annual Report.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Chief Electoral Officer undertake a review of best practices on election reporting and return to the Legislative Assembly within six months with the findings of that review and any potential amendments to the Elections and Plebiscites Act.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Elections NWT post all election data that is included in its reports in a machine-readable format on the Elections NWT website.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Chief Electoral Officer undertake a review of the requirements to publicly disclose a candidate's residential address and return to the Legislative Assembly within six months with the findings of that review and any potential amendments to the Elections and Plebiscites Act.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Section 24(4) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to specify that the act applies to additional assistant returning officers the same as it does to assistant returning officers, except for the limitations specified in Section 24(4).
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to fix references to other clauses and to reflect current electronic management of the list of electors and the polling station account.
Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide its report on the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Committee Report 9-19(2) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Committee Report 9-19(2), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2019 Territorial General Election, be received and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. The motion is in order and is nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
