Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions on the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I understand that the Minister met with some western Transportation Ministers and I wonder if they had any discussion on the National Transportation Policy on this dream of many people in the valley in terms of having some more concrete realities, I guess I could say, in terms of putting the steel to the ground to open up the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I know there were some project description reports done and I think we’re close to going to the second level.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We did have the opportunity to have a discussion in a formal setting with the Westec members in Vancouver on Friday. We also had the opportunity to meet privately with Minister Strahl. We had a very good discussion. We wanted to take the occasion to bring forward the desire of this House to ensure the Minister is aware that we place a lot of priority on the Mackenzie Valley Highway and we also wanted to ensure that the Members of Westec are aware of our desire to move forward. We also had the opportunity to talk about other projects that were in the mix, and some applications that we had forwarded we are looking for some updates.
I want to ask the Minister, there’s support from this House and several industries across Canada and the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Minister if, when he had his discussion with Minister Strahl, can the Minister inform the House if in his discussions with Minister Strahl he came to why the federal government is not supporting the Mackenzie Valley Highway by putting serious dollars to build it even after the PDRs that we pretty well closed. Why isn’t the federal government supporting this?
At this point I don’t believe that there’s any indication that the federal government is not supporting the project. I think many of the Members are aware that it’s a high priority for the people of the Northwest Territories. We try to have those kind of remarks pried out of the Minister. At this point he’s indicated that we’d have to wait to see what the federal budget announces, if there’s anything there. We followed and worked with the Minister over the last several months to ensure that he’s very familiar with this project. We’ve taken this recommendation that we direct our requests in writing to the federal Minister. We’ve done that. I think at this juncture we just have to wait and see what comes up in the budget.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope the Minister can work with him more in terms of the priority here in the North of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I want to ask the Minister, I know the Premier and Cabinet have made some other recommendations to the Norman Wells initiative on funding the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Can the Minister inform the House if other options have been exhausted? We’re actually begging the federal Minister to put some dollars so that we can have that highway, so that we can reduce the cost of living and strengthen the sovereignty of the Northwest Territories. Does the Minister have any more tricks up his sleeves to put more dollars to this highway?
I think most Members of Cabinet and Members of this government have really been very straightforward with the federal Minister. He’s talked with a number of people; my Cabinet colleagues for sure. He understands where the priority lies with this government on the Mackenzie Valley Highway. He’s worked with us to fund some of the projects, the PDR work that’s necessary to compile all the backup information and baseline studies that are required. He allowed us to move forward more than any other government in our history on this project. I don’t know if there’s any way to make that any clearer. I’ve tried to be at all the federal meetings that he’s at, and every meeting I’ve gone to he’s been very good to us. He’s allowed us a separate side-table meeting in a private room to talk about issues that are challenging us and this is always number one. He’s certainly got the message. At this point I think it’s more in the Finance Minister’s hands rather than Minister Strahl, but that is something we won’t know until the budget is released.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment regarding the Minister responsible for BIP and also under the negotiating contracting guidelines. Part of the guidelines requires that there be an annual reporting of these contracts. I’d like to ask the Minister if his department has worked with the contracting departments to ensure we’re complying with the negotiating contracting guidelines and ensuring that those reports are done annually.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Executive is responsible for negotiating contract guidelines and for reporting on negotiated contracts.
It was my understanding that the Department of ITI is responsible for implementing the guidelines to ensure that the completion of those reports are filed and done on a quarterly or annual basis as part of the contracts that are let by way of negotiated contracts. Can the Minister assure me that those reports will be available to myself and anyone who requires them?
We prepare an annual report of contracts over $5,000, and I would be quite pleased to present that report to the Member. Thank you.
Maybe I can ask the Minister if he can check in regard to the negotiating contracting guidelines that clearly stipulates that there has to be annual reporting on those contracts on each additional year in regard to the type of employment, the number of northern hires, training, and also ensuring that the commitments made in those contracts, the negotiated contracts, are fulfilled. I’d just like to ask the Minister if he can check in his department under the guidelines to ensure that the guidelines are being followed. Thank you.
The negotiated contract guidelines require that for every negotiated contract, the department issuing the negotiated contract is to file a report as to exactly the benefits the employment created, and that is filed with Cabinet. I will check for the Member to see if a list of negotiated contracts are put in a report and filed, and if they are, I will make sure that the Member gets a copy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the document that is a letter of support from the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk to the Hamlet of Aklavik in regard to support for the Joe Greenland Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. 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 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; Tabled Document 75-16(5), Response to the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future”; Tabled Document 103-16(5), GNWT Contracts Over $5,000 Report, Year Ending March 31, 2010; Tabled Document 133-16(5), NWT Main Estimates 2011-2012; Tabled Document 135-16(5), Response to the Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act; Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Conflict of Interest Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act; Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Evidence Act; Minister’s Statement 65-16(5), Devolution Agreement-in-Principle, Impact on Land Claims and Protection of Aboriginal Rights; Minister’s Statement 88-16(5), Sessional Statement, with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.
By the authority given me as Speaker by Motion 31-16(5), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider the business before the House.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Before us today are tabled documents 4, 30, 38, 62, 75, 103, 133, 135; Bills 4, 14, 17 and 20; and Ministers’ statements 65 and 88. What is the wish of committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, the committee today would like to finish the NWT Housing Corporation, and before we leave this Chamber today, finish Municipal and Community Affairs.
Is committee agreed?
Agreed.
Alright. With that, we’ll take a short break and come back with the NWT Housing Corporation and get through the Housing Corporation and MACA today.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to going on break we agreed to proceed with the NWT Housing Corporation and the 2011-21 Main Estimates to conclusion and then MACA through to conclusion as well. Last week when we left we were on page 5-53 of the Housing Corporation. Is committee agreed we reconvene with 5-53?
Agreed.
We’re on page 5-53, the NWT Housing Corporation, which is an information item. My bad. How about we ask the Minister if he has any witnesses he’d like to bring into the House. Mr. Minister.
Is committee agreed that we allow the Minister’s witnesses into the Chamber?
Agreed.
Mr. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister McLeod, if I can please get you to introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me to my right, Mr. Jeff Polakoff, the CEO and president of the NWT Housing Corporation, and I have Mr. Jeff Anderson, vice-president of finance with the NWT Housing Corporation. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Welcome to the witnesses. We had agreed to move along with page 5-53. First on the list is Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to ask the Minister some questions in regard to the area of compensation benefits. I notice there’s been an increase of about $500,000, but if you look at the area of grants and contributions, there’s been a decrease of about almost $6.5 million. I’m just wondering why there’s no real correlation between delivery of the programs and services and the decline in grants and contributions. I’d like to know what the declines are, and more importantly what is the increase in regard to compensation benefits. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Anderson.
Mr. Chairman, the increase in compensation of benefits relates to four positions that we received as part of the public housing rent subsidy transfer. The reduction in grants and contributions is primarily due to the sunsetting of the federal funds that we got under the Canada Economic Action Plan.
Mr. Chairman, just on the funds in regards to the sunsetting of federal programs, are there any new federal programs that are rising that probably can replace those programs? In most cases there are new programs that do come forward every once in a while. I would just like to know, is there potential of new federal revenues by way of programs in the area of housing? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.
Mr. Chairman, at this time there is no new federal money. I continue to have discussions with the federal government as to their investment in housing in the Northwest Territories. At this time there is no new federal money on the horizon. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, in regards to the four PYs that you mentioned where the increase of $500,000 comes, could you tell me exactly where those four positions are?
Mr. Chairman, I will get Mr. Anderson to respond to that.
Mr. Anderson.
Mr. Chairman, there is one position, a program development specialist in Yellowknife and the rest of the positions, there is 0.5 to top up existing positions in North Slave, South Slave, Deh Cho and Sahtu and one new position for a program advisor in the Beaufort-Delta. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Anderson. Mr. Krutko.
Mr. Chairman, in regards to the district program officer staff, I would like to know, are the district staff aware of existing government programs and services in regards to policies, procedures in regards to such things as local tenders or basically negotiated contracting guidelines to ensure that they are aware of it. Because I have had some discussions with them; it seems like they are not in full support of it. Regardless if they support it or not, it is a government policy. I would like to know, are they aware that they have to follow government policies and procedures?
