Will is quite a big word. What does “will” in this particular case mean? Is it his direction from a Minister’s point of view of instructing the department to reinstate that type of programming or is it just a matter of a case of “if they feel like it?”
My belief is that there are many individuals in the smaller communities who could benefit from becoming field assistants when it comes to prospecting and that’s the angle that I’d certainly like to see the department continue to pursue so that we can get people to work in the smaller communities, helping prospectors out on the land.
Is this an initiative that could be implemented in the upcoming business plans this fiscal year of the 2012-2013 that we’ll be reviewing in May?
Yes, that’s something that we could certainly look at in the upcoming business plans.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions. I was reading the Deh Cho Drum today, and the Trout Lake residents, of course, are concerned that the new airport construction is being delayed. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation how much of a delay in the construction is anticipated.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve had many discussions with the community of Trout Lake. We continue to pursue the relocation of the airport in Trout Lake. It has been delayed, but we continue to work with the community to maximize the benefits for employment and training at the community level. We will continue to work with the community of Trout Lake to finish the project.
Certainly Trout Lake has been looking forward to the completion of this project and to have it delayed by another year…. What date was the anticipated completion date for the project?
That would be until sometime in the winter of 2013.
I know that there was great concern over getting access to gravel to complete the airport and it could have been done this winter but it was delayed. Is the Minister anticipating the department to move forward with the gravel haul by next winter?
Those discussions have taken place with the community. There was some concern about spacing the work out so that the community had the ability to do the gravel haul. Under the discussions, I do believe they have agreed to that gravel haul next winter. So that work will proceed at a future date.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Can I ask the Minister to provide me with a brief project update before I return back to my constituency so I can provide it to the community so they can expect the work timelines?
I’d be happy to provide the Member with that timeline and an update on the status of the relocation of the airport in Trout Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Housing a couple of questions on his statement. As July 1, 2012, is the implementation of the Shelter Policy review, will the Minister consider an extension to mid-August for evictions, as many people in the smaller communities have seasonal employment?
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are planning on implementing some of the changes to the rent scale on July 1st. As far as delaying any evictions until August, I’m not sure we would have evictions in place. If the Member is referring to the moratorium, that’s still going to go ahead on April 1st and between now and August. Let us hope that we don’t have any more people that are in positions where they’re going to be evicted. I think with some of the changes that are being proposed to the rent scale, people will find those changes very beneficial and it will address a lot of the concerns that communities have had over the years.
What is the minimum amount of funds that is needed for the payment plan?
I don’t think there’s been a minimum amount of funds. What we’re asking people to do again – I think we’re going back to the moratorium question – is to enter into a repayment plan, a fairly reasonable repayment plan and not just enter into it for the sake of keeping themselves in the unit, but to enter it with the intent to honour it and then they’d be able to stay in their units a lot longer. As far as I know, there really is no minimum set, but that may vary between LHOs. I can follow up and let the Member know.
I look forward to the response. No further questions at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Three points I want to speak on in my opening address. It has to do with the motion that the Sahtu Secretariat passed at their meeting. The Sahtu Secretariat asked if the Aboriginal governments and the First Nations governments and the Government of the Northwest Territories talk about a process where they can sit down together and start discussing constitutional development. It’s imperative that the Sahtu people want to have this discussion to continue to protect the dignity and culture of the Sahtu people, more so now that they have a land claim. They want to know how we will continue to coexist in the future and what type of laws will uphold the Aboriginal way of life.
We are creating a new home. A devolution agreement is not too far away. The Sahtu people are saying that they need to sit down with this government here, and with all First Nations governments and look at how we’re going develop this new constitution in the Northwest Territories. That is what they want to do.
Another thing that the people in the Sahtu region have some problems with, and I want to talk about the land and water board restructuring and the regulatory process that’s going on. When the Sahtu Land Claim was settled, it was in the spirit and intent that as much control would come to the Sahtu people in the communities. Hence, the reason that the board was set up. People wanted to have this when the land claims were negotiated. Governments agreed. We shook hands on it. But now we look at it. The government has found a way to open this very important chapter and say we could do it without going back to the table. We don’t know if the governments shook hands in good faith or if their hands were held behind their back, crossing their fingers, saying that’s okay.
This is not fair, it’s not right and it’s not just to the people in the Sahtu. I say this because I was the chief negotiator in the Sahtu Land Claim Agreement, and I know that when we sat across from Osborne, the chief negotiator at that time, that this is what the people wanted in their land claim agreement. Here today we talk about some McCrank report. All reports say we need to streamline. We’re doing fine in our region. If we go ahead with that report, we’re going to take the control out of our region.
Government has a funny way to work and get its way. I think the word is bullying. That might be something that we want to look at with the federal government. This issue here was talked about when I talked to the chairman in the Sahtu region and Norman Wells. Basically, he said what are they doing. We don’t have an issue with this. That tells me that the federal government has a plan, had a plan that totally disregards and disrespects the spirit and intent of a negotiated deal that we had. We made that deal. We went to the communities and we told them about the deal, and I truly believed David Osborne when we shook hands on this deal. But somehow it seems that is not the case.
History is repeating itself. Broken promises once again are being told, are being seen, and we’re witnessing it.
My last point here has to do with my discussion last night – actually, yesterday morning – with one of the leaders in the Sahtu communities that talked about the government policies. Some of them work against my people and their culture. For example, having traditional foods at government facilities such as the Aven Manor, the correctional institutes, the hospitals. Why can’t we get the Aboriginal foods into those systems? We always seem to come up with policies and policies that say we can’t do it. Our people grew up on wild animals, caribou, fish, seal, ducks. But when you come into a government system, they have so many papers that it discourages you from bringing food into our facilities or helping our elders with their life in the community.
Our culture teaches us to go into the people’s houses and help them with medication. We went to Colville Lake. Two old elders live there and their nephew helps them. He said, you know, one time I went there and they were taking their medication and these elders couldn’t read or couldn’t understand how much medication they took. Then they are taking them and after awhile they were walking around like zombies in their house. It was kind of comical when the guy was telling me, but that’s the case of how we come to this day that it makes it hard for people to take care of the elders.
We have just completed some budgets. We just completed how we want to do the operations within the government for next year. I hope this government and ourselves here look at how we start bringing some of these programs to the people, but more so, change some of these programs that could fit the people’s needs in all our communities.
These are my comments for the opening address.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 9, written questions, on the Order Paper.
---Unanimous consent granted
My questions are directed to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it’s on the availability of agricultural lands.
What is the amount of land leased for commercial agricultural use according to total area, number of parcels and average size of a parcel?
What work is underway to evaluate and inventory land that could be offered for commercial agricultural use?
What activities is the department carrying out, including working with municipalities, to increase the amount of agricultural land available and to promote the commercial development and productive use of agricultural land and what supports are being offered to potential developers?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Minister of Transportation’s Report to the Legislative Assembly on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1990.”
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “NT Energy Strategic Plan 2012-2014.”
As well, Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “Public Accounts 2010-2011 Section I and II.”
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Colleagues, I have tabling of documents. In accordance with Section 21(1) of the Retiring Allowances Act and Section 11.1 of the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, I hereby table the Pension Administration Report - Retiring Allowances Act and Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act at March 31, 2011.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table two documents. The first is entitled, “Letters and E-Mails Received in Support of the Need for Urgent Action on Climate Change.” The second one is entitled, “Proposal for Substance Abuse Pre-Treatment/Aftercare and Counselling.” Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Monday, February 20, 2012, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories establish a territory-wide campaign to denounce bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provide information and resources for schools, parents, victims and bystanders;
And further, that the government review anti-bullying legislative measures being undertaken in other jurisdictions and bring forward a bill for consideration by this Assembly within 18 months;
And furthermore, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion.
