Debates of October 20, 2025 (day 65)

Bill 26: An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, Carried

Topics

Bill 32: An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2., Deemed Read

Committee Motion 79-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 386-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2024-2025 – Deferral of Estimates

Committee Motion 80-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 387-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025 – Deferral of Estimates

Member’s Statement 722-20(1): Support for Wildfire Evacuees

Member’s Statement 723-20(1): Expansion of the Yellowknife International Airport

Member’s Statement 724-20(1): Arctic Security Economic Corridor

Member’s Statement 725-20(1): Access to Primary Healthcare

Member’s Statement 726-20(1): 2025 Wildfire Evacuation of Fort Providence

Member’s Statement 727-20(1): Northwest Territories Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Cultural Safety Design Collaborative Team Report: “Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples – Actions for Change in the Northwest Territories Health Care Sys...

Member’s Statement 728-20(1): Income Support Programs

Member’s Statement 729-20(1): Early Dyslexia Screening

Member’s Statement 730-20(1): Celebration of Life of Reginald Bellefontaine

Member’s Statement 731-20(1): Arctic Winter Games Funding

Minister’s Statement 148-20(1): 2025 Wildfire Season

Minister’s Statement 149-20(1): Update on Emergency Management Activities

Minister’s Statement 150-20(1): Model of Care in Small community Health Centres

Question 793-20(1): Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic Lab Testing Capacity

Question 794-20(1): Strategic Infrastructure Investment at Yellowknife Airport

Question 795-20(1): Improving Access to Primary Care

Question 796-20(1): Northwest Territories Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Cultural Safety Design Collaborative Team Report: “Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples – Actions for Change in the Northwest Territories Health Care System”

Question 797-20(1): Impacts of Wildfire on Tlicho Communities

Question 798-20(1): Wildfire Response Assessments

Question 799-20(1): Sport Funding in the Northwest Territories

Question 800-20(1): Early Literacy Screening

Question 801-20(1): Healthcare Sample Analysis Local Capacity

Question 802-20(1): Regulation of Paramedics

Question 803-20(1): Wildlife Management Strategy

Question 804-20(1): Supports for Community Health Nurse

Question 805-20(1): Wildfire Preparedness and Emergency Management

Question 806-20(1): Wildfire Management Strategy

Question 807-20(1): Arctic Economic Security Corridor

Tabled Document 394-20(1): Northwest Territories Species at Risk Committee Annual Report 2024-2025

Tabled Document 395-20(1): Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission Northwest Territories and Nunavut Annual Report 2024

Statements

Thank you for that. Will it come with the same types of restrictions? Jordan Principal money was intended for Indigenous students. So if they were offering, say, PT or speech, language, etcetera, for students in the context of ensuring that no child is, say, being held back adversely, of course, they were informed that they couldn't use the programming for other kids in need. Does that type of same restrictions come forward if there's no negative ill effects of the time they'll be (audio). Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, again, one of the stipulated requirements was to provide the application that went to the federal government for Jordan's Principal. So, you know, again, that is bound up within the application process here. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Yeah, thank you. I apologize, I maybe have heard half the answer there. What I'd like to say is maybe -- if I restated the question differently, maybe I'll get the same answer, and that'll be fine too, which is the -- essentially, are they able to bleed coverage? In other words, take more kids on that are non-Indigenous in this regard? So in other words, if a PT specialist through the Jordan's Principal money that we're covering to the extent of what you can find has openings, are they allowed to offer it? Because previously they weren't allowed to extend the services, and that was a -- ensuring enough kids get supports. And, again, I'm underscoring heavily that it's not an intention of trying to scoop anyone's opportunities. I'm saying can they be -- can they use some of -- utilize some of those services whilst they're there? Thank you.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, again, Madam Chair, the application process is one that goes through the same as it would have been for Jordan's Principal which is that it needs to demonstrate that the students are -- or that the application is one focused on Indigenous students. I mean, the reality is more resources in a school are more resources in a school, but to the extent that there's going to be students or education assistants assigned more directly to Indigenous students, then right now if there's one teacher with no education assistants in a classroom, if there's a majority of Indigenous students there, or one education assistant, they may now have more that can then focus exclusively on Indigenous students and that would theoretically free up the others. But I hope that kind of gets at what the Member's asking. Thank you.

Member for YK Centre.

Yeah, I'm not -- I'm hoping the Minister, because she's -- because most of these questions aren't really for her in a sense. I mean, these are application questions that go down the line. I just -- I'm just thinking of reasonable use and good management of resources. Certainly not taking away from the intent (audio) so.

So are we -- is the Minister familiar with how many educational assistants will be able to come back given the fact that this particular money has been somewhat reinstated? Thank you.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Unfortunately, I can't say with certainty. I mean, obviously the first step is for the boards to confirm the acceptance of a contribution agreement for the funding, which as was noted earlier there are still some boards that are in discussions with ECE as to whether or what amount of a surplus would be appropriate for them to provide in support of this program. So until that is concluded, I won't have a number as to how many are, in fact, successful in being hired or rehired. Thank you.

Member for YK Centre.

Thank you for that. All surpluses aren't created equal. So have you targeted or defined what type of surplus? You could have, like, a capital surplus, an operational surplus, a surplus for this program, a surplus for that program. I mean, is the expectation that they raid the coffee surplus fund? Like, I mean -- like, is it every single surplus, or has it been defined? Thank you.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, I'm not sure if I have that level of the operational details of this plan here in front of me. I'll just simply to -- I believe this would be really an operational sort of level discussion and perhaps even bring it down into the departments. It was -- again, I acknowledge that certainly not every surplus is necessarily created equal. School bodies do get their funding via the school funding framework and formula, and that does give them some flexibility to maintain their surplus so that they can obviously, you know, within appropriate parameters, but even those surpluses themselves are subject to some restrictions. So, you know, again, my -- you know, my understanding on this front, and to be clear, is that what is being asked of them is not to impact on infrastructure plans, capital plans, or any existing operational matters to which the funding was already planned or dedicated. It was really where it's sort of being held as a rainy day fund that would be -- for instance, would be where there'd be a request to support the program through the use of those rainy day funds. That means that this is really a rather rainy day when we are losing this funding. Thank you.

Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Yeah, my concern, of course, is good management, stewardship of public dollars even at the school board level, which is certainly an important level. Encouraging good management to create surpluses for the rainy day seems almost like a why bother at this point if we know that they're just going to come take it and tell us to spend it otherwise. So it almost seems like a disenfranchised principle for those who'd managed well and those who've spend. So if you've spent, you get rewarded with more money. And if you saved and trimmed and nipped, well, we're just going to take it away from you anyway. So it just -- it feels that way. Just to clarify, how many EA positions are represented by the, and I quote, this service gap? If she could help with that. Thank you.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, every dollar that we are speaking about, whether it's potentially the $14 million that we're requesting here now or every dollar that flows through education, culture and employment to the boards are public funds that are appropriated here for the purposes of delivering education. So I, you know, certainly would suggest that to the extent that a school board has some additional capacity, when there's a rainy day this may itself be the rainy day. So they would then potentially have more ability to draw a larger number of education assistants under the current situation we all find ourselves in.

Now, as for a grand total, as I say the $14 million was estimated to cover roughly 172 different positions. I believe there's well over 200 -- upwards of 200 positions if I recall correctly. If I'm incorrect about that, Madam Chair, I will certainly correct myself. 205, actually, is the number I'm getting that were affected just for the EA positions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Can the department provide the breakdown of where those EA positions were lost or prescribed to in the context of where the $14 million is supporting the 172 hopefully to return?

And lastly, is there any accounting for that -- when you do that exercise, can you also inform us on the accounting of how many have actually returned?

And I'll wrap this up, Madam Chair, because time's running out, and I guess my questions are too, but the point being is in this money, you know, we wish it could have been -- we wish the conversation could have started in June, and even if it -- in this particular case, it may have made sense to inform us and said, hey, we have to proceed by special warrant to protect these jobs, and we will account for it in a wholesome form in the fall, as we are today. And the reason I say that is because my fear was at the time is when we're told we're going to lose all these positions, you know, the sky is falling and how long can you sit there if you've got a mortgage, you've got child payments, you've got kids who want dentists, and goodness, they may even want Christmas presents in the fall or birthday presents and all those things. You've got to make life plans in other words, and you can't just sit and hope that somebody will come in. Today is October 20th. If you are an educational assistant waiting for the last week of August to roll around to confirm if you had your job, I'm just going to round numbers and say you're probably close to seven weeks late on being employed, unless someone -- so I think, really, what I'm trying to underscore is I'd be surprised if most of them waited. You know, if they found jobs in the GNWT, the federal government, other provinces, in other words left or private industry, I mean, it would be pretty tough for someone to come back. So if there's any way to do an accounting on -- out of the 172 that were initially lost, how many returned, that would be really a great appreciation from a context of understanding the impact this has had. That could also lend to your argument moving forward, how that's helped negatively impress upon our economy. Thank you.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so there was certainly some initial efforts made by education, culture and employment to gather details from education bodies as to what their needs would potentially be with the loss of their individual Jordan's Principle application funding. Obviously, each one having their own specific applications in and outstanding, and some were still being approved and some were not. So efforts to that regard began in June. And then this matter came first to the Financial Management Board and then comes at the first opportunity for a session, which is here. But, you know, again, certainly happy to try to parse out some of those numbers for the Member.

Again, just the same note I made earlier, I would want to confirm with ECE that we are sharing information that is about the boards' structures and not doing that in a way that would in any way cause them any consternation. But subject to that, we can share that information. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, I have Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Denny Rodgers

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole