Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has highlighted that we, as the GNWT, through our Collective Agreement have a northern allowance that deals with the cost differences in our communities. That is a process that we use as we get into negotiation cycles. It’s difficult for me to put much detail on that, as it falls into our negotiation process. The Minister responsible would probably be able to give more detail on that. It is something that comes up during the cycles of negotiations with our employees.

The rates, depending on the full response we put forward to the report that was put out there, we know there will be some structural changes using our existing legislation that is in place. For further changes we will have to go back to Members to see what can take place. I know that in the response we’re working on we’ll come forward before committee and lay out a timeline for that discussion and changes to be in place and implemented.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The work of the Minister in lead of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee has presented early phases of the work to the standing committee and there are hopes that we’ll be able to put our GNWT response in as soon as, I believe it is April but I’ll have to confirm that.

Mr. Speaker, the simple fact is the issue of power generation across the Northwest Territories has been a major issue for as long as I can remember as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and I started back in the 13th Assembly. There have been a number of initiatives that were undertaken, presented to governments of the past, to take an initiative to try to change some of the way we did our work and delivery of energy across the North, but there was not the will to make that change. This Assembly is now going to be presented with an opportunity. Do we have the will to make the necessary...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for her question and the event that she organized and the hand-off of the Christmas present, which is work by the organizations around the Anti-Poverty Strategy. When this issue first came up prior to Christmas, I became aware of what was being done and at that time asked the folks in the Department of Executive to start to begin to look at how we could try to address this issue. Now, with this package, and as I’ve talked with my Cabinet colleagues, we’re going to officially put it in the system with this information.

As we were at the presentation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Power Corporation itself is established under our legislation, the Government of the Northwest Territories. So through any initiative, any change of that nature would have to be the work of this level of government. The NTPC board, NTPC structure is all put into place. They have not had discussions in this area. They will be getting the work of the review that was done specifically on the Power Corp and be working through that scenario. They go on with the business established under our legislation. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the approach that we have undertaken with regional leaders is to have them work with us presenting a northern package on resource revenue sharing. Right now, Mr. Speaker, the land claims that have been settled have a portion of the resource revenue going back to those claim organizations, but it is very small compared to what the potential is. We see this as an opportunity to get some of those dollars to stay in the North so we can do the reinvestments in projects we believe are necessary for themselves. I am hoping that through our work with regional leaders, we will be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This area the question that the Minister of Justice has put forward on our behalf is one that addresses the issue of authority in the Northwest Territories. When you have your own Members of the Legislative Assembly questioning your authority under the NWT Act, we clearly need to address the issue. We believe we have the authority. This is a confirmation. There are too many times in the history of our Government of the Northwest Territories when it comes to issues around what and how we affect aboriginal peoples in the programs we deliver. From time to time it has come...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of resource revenues in the Northwest Territories has been ongoing for over a couple of decades now. At one point, I believe before it became resource revenues, it was called a Northern Accord of one nature. So it is something that we continue to work on. In fact, at the regional leaders’ table, we have addressed it a number of ways. For example, we now had meetings with almost every regional group and government around that, where the old discussions were left at, at the 15th Assembly, with the federal government wanting to re-engage. We are going to see how...

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for that. In the shuffling of my papers I didn’t catch the last part of the Member’s question. So if I could have that repeated. Thank you.