Debates of June 1, 2005 (day 6)

Agreed.

Page 16, NWT Housing Corporation, operations expenditures, NWT Housing Corporation, not previously authorized, negative $561,000.

Agreed.

Total department, negative $561,000.

Agreed.

Page 17, Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, directorate and administration, not previously authorized, $115,000.

Agreed.

Education and culture, special warrants, $1.491 million.

Agreed.

Education and culture, not previously authorized, $688,000.

Agreed.

Page 18, Education, Culture and Employment continued, operations expenditures, advanced education and careers, not previously authorized, negative $584,000.

Agreed.

Income security, not previously authorized, negative $73,000.

Agreed.

Total department, special warrants, $1.491 million.

Agreed.

Total department, not previously authorized, $146,000.

Agreed.

Page 19, Transportation, operations expenditures, corporate services, not previously authorized, negative $870,000.

Agreed.

Highways, not previously authorized, negative $63,000.

Agreed.

Total department, negative $933,000.

Agreed.

Page 20, Industry, Tourism and Investment, operations expenditures, corporate management, not previously authorized, negative $628,000.

Agreed.

Economic development, not previously authorized, $139,000.

Agreed.

Total department, not previously authorized, negative $489,000.

Agreed.

Page 21, Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, corporate management, not previously authorized, negative $137,000.

Agreed.

Environment, not previously authorized, $933,000.

Agreed.

Total department, $796,000. I have Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The environment Beverage Container Recovery Program; I want to ask the Minister if somehow…I understand there is going to be programs in the Northwest Territories. Is there anything going to be done in our regions? Just for clarification.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there is a plan to establish beverage recycling depots in the regional centres or regional locations. The setup process centres are in Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik; and depots in six communities: Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Rae and Inuvik. That is the plan and I believe they are due to roll it out soon. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Are there any plans to have any communities in our region to put a program in there? As I spoke to it earlier this week about the amount of garbage that is being tossed around in the Sahtu, are there any programs that are going into our community? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intent is to have a program or a process in every community. When this was rolled out, it was discussed that the potential was initially to get the depots up and running and have the smaller communities look at ways that they may be able to stockpile or keep the recycling material until they could either get it into the other communities' depots by barge or by ice roads. That was discussed. This is the initial plan to get it up and running and they are hoping that in the future that they will be able to establish them in almost every community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess that is the part that I am not quite comfortable with in terms of the initiated program and hoping that the other communities will get a program or some type of program that would support the containers. I haven't see anything or heard anything that small communities like Deline or Fort Good Hope or Tulita or Colville Lake or even Norman Wells can see some progress. There is nothing in the books. There is nothing by this government to say that we will have a program for those communities, that we will support the larger communities to have these containers that they can ship it barge.

Right now there is nothing from this government. The only thing on here is that we are planning to have something like that in the future, and God knows what will happen in the future here. Is there anything concrete enough to tell our communities that we are putting some plans in place by September of this year? Everybody gather their garbage and bring it down to the NTCL barge because they are going to ship it to Inuvik because that is where the containers are going to be or wherever. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the information that we have is that there are discussions happening in a number of these communities to see if in fact they can be established, but there are no concrete plans in place at this point beyond those that have been identified. Even with the ones that have been identified, this has been delayed from its initial implementation date due to some difficulties with getting it up and going. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Yakeleya? No. I have Ms. Lee next.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This has been in the works for many, many years. It is going across two assemblies. The laws on these were approved in the last Assembly. It was started at the beginning of that Assembly almost, and it is quite frustrating actually to see that this is still not off the ground. I would like to know from the Minister what is the problem. Should we have put more resources there? It seems like the negotiations for depots have been going on forever. Regulations have been written forever, like for two or three years. It was something that was concrete and seemed to me, at the time, relatively straightforward. Could the Minister give up information on why this is taking so long? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.