Legislative Assembly briefs
MLAs pass Mental Health Act
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said he was very proud to see a new Mental Health Act passed before the end of the current legislative assembly but there is still more to be done, particularly for people struggling with addictions.
Bill 55 received royal ascent on Oct. 8, the final day of sitting for the 17th Legislative Assembly. The new bill replaces out-of-date legislation and brings the NWT closer to mental heath legislation already in effect elsewhere in Canada.
"It will help patients who want to check in. It will help physicians who want to provide better services. It will help with patient rights and it does things like community supports and referrals," Hawkins said.
"It also does a lot, and the health minister agreed with this, to remove the stigmas surrounding mental health. When it comes to people suffering from depression and post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) we need to be able to create a conversation here and this act helps enforce that."
However, Hawkins feels strongly that the 18th Legislative Assembly will have to do more to address the issue.
He thinks there needs to be a more comprehensive strategy to deal with people struggling with drugs and alcohol.
MLA: liquor inspectors targeting YK bars
The MLA for Range Lake feels that Yellowknife bar owners are being unfairly targeted by territorial liquor inspectors compared to bar owners in the rest of the territory.
Daryl Dolynny pointed to statistics showing that in 2013-14, 57 per cent of all liquor inspections in the NWT were done in Yellowknife and in 2014-15 that number jumped to 66 per cent.
According to statistics released by the liquor enforcement division there were 802 inspections done in Yellowknife in 2014-15 and 779 inspections in 2013-14 in the city.
That compares to only one in Fort Providence, three in Fort Simpson and 47 in Fort Smith.
"Yellowknife has 40 per cent of all licensed establishments yet we get 66 per cent of all the inspections," Dolynny said. "That's disproportionate."
Dolynny said he grilled Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger on the issue because his department oversees liquor enforcement.
"Is there a perceived bias and unbalance versus the rest of the territory when it comes to inspection and enforcement?" Dolynny wondered. "This stems from many years of me talking to pretty much every bar owner in the territories including here in Yellowknife ... There is a perception in Yellowknife from bar owners that they are being picked on."
He also pointed out that there were three liquor compliance hearings held by the NWT Liquor Board in 2014-15.
From those, Dolynny said, there was $2,800 collected in penalties from NWT businesses. However, it cost the taxpayer $25,000 in travel and $34,000 in honouraria to have the liquor board meet for those hearings.
"We would be having a different conversation about why we are spending so much and why are there are so many fines," Miltenberger said in response.
"There is a cost to doing business as a government that's not always revenue-based."
Premier grilled on transparency
Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley used his final question period in the legislative assembly to ask Premier Bob McLeod why the GNWT is not more transparent.
"I hear from many constituents and colleagues that there are far too may decisions made by this government behind closed doors and in secret. Transparency can help our public become engaged and contribute to (making) progress on issues and becoming a more effective democracy," Bromley said.
In response, the premier denied the MLA's assertions.
"I think we are a very transparent government. We have conventions and protocols ... which lay out a process for sharing information and for making sure that we provide them on a timely basis," the premier said.
Bromley pressed the premier for more accountability and cited the "now cancelled review of the Deh Cho Bridge," the overdue energy efficiency discussion paper, the delayed junior kindergarten review and failure to renew the greenhouse gas strategy as examples of lack of cabinet accountability. McLeod assured Bromley that all of those issues will be dealt with by the 18th assembly and there will be consultation before final decisions are made.
Bromley has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the Nov. 23 election.
