I’m unaware of any contribution program that’s already in place. It’s something that obviously if the groups come forward, we would be looking at it on a case-by-case basis. It’s not like we would be budgeting money every year to make contributions towards infrastructure. We would have to wait for the groups to approach us and then we would see if it fits within our budget before we decide on making any kind of contribution.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister please provide me with information on any of these groups? Have any of these groups approached his department to seek this kind of funding?
As far as I know, we’ve had no groups come forward or approach the NWT Housing Corporation; however, I could be wrong. I would have to confirm that and relay that on to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I reminded the House, and I will continue to remind the House, that I am a very strong supporter of the downtown day shelter. I can tell you many businesses as well as downtown residents support the principles of why the downtown day shelter exists. This is why I continue this issue with the Minister of Health and Social Services, to raise the awareness, but also ensure that it’s a safe, respectful and positive environment.
The lofty goals set out by the department, of course, were very simple. As I read earlier today: a warm, safe place, provide support and referral, and certainly keep it open from seven to seven, seven days a week. I’m not convinced that they’re meeting all of these goals and I’ve had people approach me on particular problems, as I’ve already cited today.
Is the Minister of Health and Social Services willing to take these issues seriously and attach them to the contribution agreement? What I’m suggesting is will he make sure that any future contribution agreements with the John Howard Society ensure that the environment is safe, where they do not drink there, where they do not abuse staff and, certainly, where the referral process is finally being used. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Health and Social Services has completed an evaluation of the day shelter pilot project. The evaluation has come back to us recently. We have given the evaluation to the John Howard Society for a response. Once we receive the response from the society, in addition to the evaluation, we will be looking at the day shelter for its effectiveness. Thank you.
I had previously requested a copy of this evaluation; however, I was only given a bit of a summary as to the objectives. I still have that outstanding request, and that’s very important to the principles of supporting this day shelter initiative, because we have to know what we’re supporting. I mean, it’s great we support the principles, but will the Minister provide me and perhaps even the Standing Committee of Social Programs a copy of this report done on the day shelter so that we can get down to the root problems and try to solve some of them? Thank you.
I will commit to providing that evaluation to the Member for Yellowknife Centre and also to the Social Programs committee. Thank you.
In my statement earlier today I referred to the fact of many of the problems that have been happening over there. Will the Minister of Finance, through his channels, through the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, work to ensure and certainly enshrine the issues that I’ve highlighted, that we want a system that is safe, respectful, positive and definitely commits to doing referrals? Because right now the John Howard sees they’re meeting their objectives by just having the door open. Unfortunately, I think that there are a lot more steps required: safety, staff free of abuse, and certainly an environment that does not drink. We need a positive environment. My question is simply: Will he ensure that those principles are enshrined in any future contribution agreement?
Yes, we will work with the John Howard Society, if they were to continue to operate the day shelter, and we can put some of those requests into the new proposal or the new contract with the John Howard Society to ensure that those things do not continue in the day shelter. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be remiss to not point this out, but it’s my understanding the contract has not been drawn up yet. It’s my understanding the contract has not been fully developed yet, because, of course, the three-year ongoing initial pilot project has not expired yet. I just want to make sure it’s on the record here one way or the other. Has the contract been fully renewed at this particular time? My understanding is that it has not, but let’s get that clarity for the House. Thank you.
At this time the department intends to continue its funding beyond the three years, that in the business planning process the department has put the $125,000 back into the 2012-13 budget. I understand that the City of Yellowknife will be continuing their funding and that we’re waiting for confirmation from either BHP Billiton on their contribution, or if they are moving their contribution to another initiative, then we will be looking for a third partner to continue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue with some questions, that I didn’t get time for, to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs relative to the recreational land lease policy.
The Minister, in answering my questions and my colleague’s questions, I understood him to say that he admitted that there are certain problems with the consultation that’s been done to date and with the report that’s been out there, that there are certain issues in regard to land ownerships and so on. I also heard the Minister say that he felt that those could be resolved by the final draft date of June 30th of this year. I’d like to ask the Minister, does he really think that land issues such as YK Dene First Nations claims to land and mineral claims ownerships of land, does he really think that those can be resolved by June 30th? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anything can be resolved, and as I said, we have a discussion paper out. Interested stakeholders will have an opportunity to look at the discussion paper, give us their input, and then we would, by the middle of June, put out a final product, if it’s a good one, and if not, then we’ll continue to do the work until we have one that’s perfect. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. I’m really pleased to hear that we’re going to look for a perfect product. I think that’s great. One of the concerns that I’ve expressed is the land issue, but there’s also the issue of actually doing some assessment of current use of the lake. That really can’t be done certainly for summer use until sometime at least after July, I would think. Will the Minister commit to delaying this report until after there has been an evaluation of current use of the lake and, well, actually, I should say the study area, which includes the Walsh, Banting and Jackson lakes? Thank you.
I’m not going to make a commitment to delay anything right now. However, I have assured the Member and Members of this House that we will have a very good product once we release it, and if that product includes the density study… I do recall seeing some maps with all the density of the lakes in question and the lake in Inuvik, and I can assure the Members that I will, as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, ensure that our department has a very good product before we release it and it’s one that is fairly acceptable to everyone. Thank you.
I don’t know, Mr. Speaker, the Minister’s gone from a perfect report to one that’s fairly acceptable. I don’t know. We’re going down, not up.
One of the concerns that current leaseholders have expressed is that it’s not the density necessarily that currently exists on the lake but it is the use of the lake, and the addition of, for instance, 35 lots on Walsh doesn’t really contemplate the current use, casual use and day use of people, particularly during the summer but also during the winter. The Minister is talking about density, but we also need to evaluate the use on a daily basis and, in my mind, that requires somebody sitting at the Vee Lake boat launch and noticing, marking down, taking a tally of all the people that are using the lake.
My colleague mentioned, and I mentioned in my statement, but my colleague mentioned the capacity of the department to enforce the leases that they’re going to be let. The Minister suggested that there might be some increase or some use of manpower to do that. I’d like to know from the Minister whether he thinks this can be done from within the current existing budget or are we going to see a request for an increase to the MACA budget to do the enforcement capacity that is required. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I said the report will be perfect. Whether it is acceptable to everybody is a different story.
I have committed and we have to have a look at this, obviously, and look at our budget issues and see if we are able to do it from within. If not, obviously, with our fiscal restraints, it will be something we will have to bring before this House to get approval. We will explore all options to see how we can best bring forward someone to enforce the new regulations. We will continue to work on that and I can commit to that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that were brought up loud and clear at the public meeting that I attended was the overuse of the infrastructure at the Vee Lake landing. There is a pier there. There is a boat launch there. They are both extremely overused and they are both funded on a volunteer basis by the users of the lake. So I am glad to hear the Minister mention that maybe the department is willing to look at infrastructure. My question to him is whether or not the government is going to take some responsibility for the infrastructure at the Vee Lake landing, garbage, boat launch dock and there is a huge issue with parking. Will the Minister consider to provide some funding for that? Thank you.
I can assure the Member that I will work with my colleague over in ITI as far as the parks side of it goes and see if there is anything that we can do as a government to address some of the issues that were raised by the Member.
Again, as far as the discussion paper, I said on a number of occasions now that it is our intent to get feedback from all affected stakeholders and public on the discussion paper that is presented now and possibly have a product out by June 30th. Again, we want to make sure that it is a product that is a very good product and one that is acceptable by most. It will be a perfect report. Whether it is acceptable by most people is another issue.
I can assure the Members of this House that this is an issue that we take quite seriously. It is one that is having territorial-wide effects as far as squatters go. We are doing what we can to ensure that we help address this issue and deal with it not only in the Yellowknife area, we have it up in the Beaufort-Delta and we also may have it in a number of other places. But we can make sure we are in a position to deal with this issue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize a couple of visitors here in the gallery today. Mr. Sean Ivens and his wife Rhonda Ivens are visiting us in the gallery. Mr. Ivens, as many of you know, is the president of Advanced Medical Solutions. That is a northern company here. It provides medical and certainly medevac services for people in the NWT and, as well, in the Kitikmeot region. Finally, I have known Sean for 35 years and because of the miracles and wonders of science, we are still both 25 years old. Hello, Mr. Ivens.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013; Tabled Document 2-17(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012; Tabled Document 3-17(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012; and Bill 1-17(2), An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole
I call Committee of the Whole to order. Members, what is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 1-17(2), Tabled Document 3-17(2) and Bill 1-17(2).
Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Does the committee agree we take a short break?
Agreed.
Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Alright, Members, I call Committee of the Whole back to order. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I refer to questions on some of the items contained in Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013, and seek unanimous consent of committee to return to general comments on Tabled Document 1-17(2).
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to opening comments on Tabled Document 1-17(2). Are there any nays? I hear no nays. We will return to opening comments on Tabled Document 1-17(2). Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a number of comments. I guess I’d like to put them forward in terms of questions. Do we want to start with witnesses?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Yes, we do. Minister of Finance, do you have witnesses that you would like to bring into the Chamber?
I do, Madam Chair.
Sergeant-at-Arms, would you escort the witnesses into the Chamber?
Mr. Miltenberger, could you introduce your witnesses for the record, please?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me from the Department of Finance Mr. Mike Aumond and Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. To general comments. Mr. Bromley.
